Author: Elisabeth Ginsburg

Born into a gardening family, Elisabeth Ginsburg grew her first plants as a young child. Her hands-on experiences range from container gardening on a Missouri balcony to mixed borders in the New Jersey suburbs and vacation gardening in Central New York State. She has studied horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and elsewhere and has also written about gardens, landscape history and ecology for years in traditional and online publications including The New York Times Sunday “Cuttings” column, the Times Regional Weeklies, Horticulture, Garden Design, Flower & Garden, The Christian Science Monitor and many others. Her “Gardener’s Apprentice” weekly column appears in papers belonging to the Worrall chain of suburban northern and central New Jersey weekly newspapers and online at http://www.gardenersapprentice.com. She and her feline “garden supervisors” live in northern New Jersey.

Pruning Flowering Shrubs in Summer

Pruning flowering shrubs makes people crazy. Even experienced gardeners hesitate when confronted with a shrub in need of attention. Why? Most of the pruning-phobic are afraid of cutting off next year’s flower buds or even maiming or killing the plant.

Instead, gardeners should focus on other worries because it is hard to cause death by pruning if a shrub is otherwise healthy. The worst that can happen is that you will prune at the wrong time and lop off developing flower buds, shear what should be selectively pruned, spread disease by poor pruning hygiene, or stunt the shrub for a season. Most healthy plants will respond—sooner or later—with fresh flushes of leafy growth, and you can always learn how to prune the right way to save those buds the following year.

Good Pruning Hygiene

Good pruning hygiene can lessen persistent worries by helping to stave off the spread of diseases. Sharpen pruning tools before making the first cut. Keep a clean cloth and a solution of one part bleach to ten parts water handy to disinfect the blades between cuts. After pruning, water and feed the shrubs with granular or liquid plant food diluted according to the manufacturers’ directions. To help your shrubs look their best, increase the quality of the soil around them by adding good top dressing like Fafard^® Premium Topsoil.

Shrubs for Summer Pruning

Midsummer can be an excellent time for pruning flowering shrubs as long as you prune the right plants at the right time. In general, you cannot go wrong if you turn your attention to plants that have bloomed recently.

Bright pink roses — Prune off everblooming roses after their first flush of bloom to encourage further flowers.

Roses are a case in point. By midsummer, most reblooming roses, including hybrid teas, floribundas, English-type roses, shrub roses, ramblers, and climbers, will have produced one or two good flushes of blooms. A bit of pruning is in order for many of them. The first step in pruning just about anything, including roses, is the easiest—cut away any dead, damaged, weak or crossed canes or stems. The plant will look better almost immediately. Secondly, depending on the size of the rose and its vigor, cut back canes that have recently flowered by one- to two-thirds. A vigorous shrub rose, like ‘Sally Holmes’, needs the two-thirds cut, while ‘Mr. Lincoln’, a well-loved, but relatively sedate hybrid tea, will be content with a light prune of one-third. After the major haircut is finished, trim lightly to shape the bush. (Click here to learn more about rose pruning.)

Once-in-a-season blooming roses are a different matter. If you prize a specific species or variety for its colorful hips or fruits, wait to prune until after those hips wither. If you don’t care about hips, but want a well-disciplined plant, prune now.

Pruning old lavender blooms in summer will keep plants looking tidy.

Most people think of lavender (Lavendula spp.) as a perennial plant, but it is actually a subshrub. After producing its aromatic blooms in early summer, it benefits from a good pruning. Old, overly woody stems can be cut back sharply and the old flowers of young vibrant ones trimmed off. Then collect the dried flowerheads for sachets or other uses. (Click here to learn more about the best lavenders fo r the garden.)

Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) are one of those shrubs that must be pruned shortly after flowering from late spring to early summer. This is because after flowering they set buds for the next season. The best method for pruning classic lilacs is to remove suckers from the lower trunk and cut unwanted branches back to the main trunk for overall shaping. If a large stem has lost its good looks, it should be cut to the ground to help the shrub maintain a bushier, more appealing habit.

Wisteria on stone building — This old wisteria will require intense summer pruning to keep it in check.

Wisteria is an aggressive, clambering flowering woody vine that can also be treated like a flowering shrub. It absolutely demands pruning, especially if your plant is a Japanese (Wisteria floribunda) or Chinese (Wisteria sinensis) species, both of which will sprout in all directions and vine out and expand to the point of invasiveness. Choose a very strong structure to support a wisteria and train the primary growth to support the rest of the plant. Throughout summer, prune off the long, slender side shoots that will be produced in large quantities. The most common advice is to cut aggressive, unwanted stems back to the main stem every few weeks or so.

Wisteria stems become trunk-like over time and demand strong support and hard pruning to maintain a manageable, reasonable size. The best time to manage overall growth is in late winter when the plants can be hard pruned back by half.

Trimming spirea flowers and leggy stems — Trim off spirea flowers and leggy stems as the blooms age.

Lovely Japanese spirea (Spirea japonica) provides welcome early summer color with its flattened flowerheads in shades of pink, rose, and white. Once the bloom flush is over by midsummer, it is time for tip pruning. This involves cutting off the spent flowerheads and lightly pruning stems back to the next leaf bud. These shrubs can be sheared if you desire formally clipped shrubs.

Dwarf sweetspire are slower growing and require less pruning.

Sweetspire (Itea virginica) provides winsome, drooping white flowerheads in early summer. Its arching stems grow upward and outward through summer and are usually ripe for pruning by midsummer. Do this mainly to shape the plant and eliminate the oldest stems. “Shaping” in this case, means pruning the longest, largest unwanted stems back to the main stem rather than shearing. The plants may also spread laterally along the ground and begin to exceed the available space. If this happens, augment normal pruning by using a sharp spade to remove unwanted side shoots at the ground level.

Mophead hydrangeas — Most traditional mophead hydrangeas require pruning after blooming.

Even experienced gardeners are hesitant when it comes to pruning traditional mophead or lacecap hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), most require pruning just after flowering. If you like to leave the big, round flowerheads on the stems to dry for added fall and winter interest that’s fine, too. But, once they lose their looks, just trim away the spent flowerheads, but do not trim much below them. New buds have developed on the lower stems, and you will thank yourself next spring for conservative pruning this summer.

While you are trimming off the flowerheads, check for old, excessively woody canes. They can be trimmed back to ground level, which should satisfy almost anyone’s urge to do a thorough job of hydrangea pruning. (Click here for a detailed treatise on pruning many other hydrangeas.)

Best Shade Perennials for East Coast Gardens

Download the Nursery-Ready Plant List

Shady spaces are a frequent source of frustration for flower-loving gardeners. Annuals, like impatiens (regular and New Guinea) and wishbone flowers (Click here to read more about wishbone flower), can help, but for a truly vibrant landscape, dependable flowering perennials are a must. Put your frustration aside, because the options are plentiful, even for the dreaded dry shade.

The following are some of the best flowering perennials for shade ranked roughly by bloom time. Some come with added bonuses, like interesting leaves, ground-covering ability, and deer resistance.

Bleeding Hearts — Classic bleeding heart has some of the prettiest rose-pink flowers.

Bleeding Heart: The name is a bit misleading because the old-fashioned bleeding heart (formerly Dicentra spectabilis and now Lamprocapnos spectabilis) will make your heart sing in mid-spring. It features graceful, arching stems that rise to 2 to 3 feet. Pink, pendulous, heart-shaped blooms are the norm, but the variety ‘Alba’ has clear white flowers. Unlike some other shade perennials, bleeding heart dies back by summer, so you need to consider planting other ornamentals to fill in the gaps it creates. By early to midsummer, the leaves and stems will turn brown and fade away. But never fear, they will return without fail next spring.

The later-blooming fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia) is a shorter species from the eastern United States with pink or reddish flowers. They have more delicately dissected foliage, but the pendulous “hearts”, or individual flowers, are similar. Unlike the old-fashioned bleeding heart, the leaves of this species remain through to fall.

Siberian bugloss: Low growing Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) is also known as false forget-me-not because of its delicate, blue, late-spring flowers. These appear on 6- to 12-inch stalks in spring, creating dots of true blue in the shade garden. Brunnera is especially valuable because the heart-shaped leaves add interest after the flowers fade. The best garden varieties are also variegated to brighten shaded spots. ‘Jack Frost’ is one of these with its silvery veined foliage that looks great through summer. Siberian bugloss forms neat mounds. Easy to love and easy to divide as clumps increase, it also thrives best in evenly moist soil conditions. It is a good edging plant and also works well in containers.

Bugleweed or Viper’s Bugloss: Botanically called Ajuga reptans, this very low-growing perennial groundcover happily creeps in sites with light to relatively heavy shade. The plants will also persevere against deer, rabbits and the toxins emitted by black walnut trees. Depending on the variety, the crisp leaves may be green, variegated with cream and pink, or dark bronze-purple. The late-spring flower stalks, that are between 6 to 8 inches, have many blue, lipped flowers that are beloved by bees.

Coral Bells: The world of hybrid Heuchera, or coral bells, has exploded over the last two decades to encompass an incredible range of leaf colors, including bronze, shades of green, orange, peach, purple-black, and russet-red. Some varieties feature variegated leaves, with two or more colors vying for attention. Those colorful leaves may also be wavy or even ruffled on the edges. Many hybrids are mostly grown for their leaves while the lovely Heuchera sanguinea is also grown for its wand-like spires of tiny crimson bells that wave high above the rosette of leaves in late spring. The bells aren’t always coral but may also be white or pink. While very tolerant of shade, the plants insist on even moisture for best growth and looks.

Barrenwort blooms — The delicate blooms of barrenwort are subtle but pretty.

Barrenwort or Bishop’s Hat: The popular garden plants in the genus Epimedium are vigorous and tolerant of a wide variety of shade situations, including dry shade. In spring, they are bedecked with spurred, four-petaled flowers of yellow, pink, red, or white, depending on the variety. They dangle from the wiry stems, providing delicate, woodland elegance. The low-growing, spreading plants feature elongated, heart-shaped leaves that redden at the edges, especially in cooler weather. For good spring appearance, cut back the dried foliage in late winter.

Pink astilbe — Pretty pink astilbe make a big presentation in the garden.

Astilbe: With feathery late-spring conical plumes of white, pink, peach, red or purple, Astilbe is a shade stunner, even in places where shade is deep. With few requirements other than consistent average moisture, these late spring bloomers are bright spots in borders and large containers. The average astilbe rises 18 to 24 inches, with a plume-like profile. Shear back the old flower heads to enjoy the plant’s ferny foliage from midsummer to fall. Great varieties include pink-flowered ‘Rheinland’ and pale peach ‘Peach Blossom’.

Dark geranium flowers — The dark flowers of this geranium are unique and striking.

Mourning Widow: Hardy geraniums are among the workhorses of the perennial garden and mourning widow (Geranium phaeum) is an understated star for light to medium shade. Tagged with its somber common name, this geranium features dissected leaves and mauve to dark purple flowers that rise on 12- to 24-inch stalks any time from late spring through midsummer. The lovely variety Alba’ features white flowers, which provide a nice contrast in shady corners. For even more interest, try ‘Samobor’, with its purple flowers and foliage splashed with maroon. Throughout the rest of the season, its mound of broad, notched leaves continues to look attractive.

Blue spiderwort will self-sow and spread, but it is so pretty in early summer.

Spiderwort: Modern garden spiderworts are descended from the native woodside species, Tradescantia virginiana. Standing up to 1.5- to 2-feet tall, the plants feature long, strap-like leaves, reminiscent of iris. Round buds cluster and dangle like beads at the top of each sturdy stem. Opening a few at a time and lasting for only one day, the blooms may be purple (the most common color), violet-blue, lilac, white, or nearly pink. Bright yellow stamens punctuate the center of each flower. The first flush of bloom comes in mid to late May. Once the last petal drops, cut back the stems almost to the ground. New growth will appear, and a second flush of bloom may occur. Happy tradescantia will multiply into significant clumps, but these are easily divided and shared. The golden-leaved ‘Sweet Kate’ is an extra pretty variety that simply glows in shade.

Ligularia dentata flowers — The flowers of *Ligularia dentata* are daisy-like.

Leopard Plant: Botanically referred to as Ligularia, these perennials are tall, wide, and handsome, rising from a basal rosette of large green leaves that can reach from 2- to 5-feet tall, depending on the type. These garden “leopards” prefer consistently moist soil and thrive in partial to deep shade. The bright flowers range from yellow to yellow-orange. ‘The Rocket’ is a popular tall variety, with gigantic, triangular, toothed leaves and towering yellow flower spikes made up of tiny daisies. Ligularia dentata ‘Desdemona’, is a little shorter at about 2- to 3-feet tall, with glossy, rounded leaves that are green on top and dark purple on the bottom. Instead of spikes, its blooms are clusters of larger, golden-orange, 2-inch daisies.

Hosta plants — Hosta are some of the best foliage plants for shade.

Plantain Lilies: Everyone knows and loves Hosta, which are grown primarily for their foliage. With leaf sizes ranging from small (‘Blue Mouse Ears’) to giant (‘Blue Mammoth’), hostas can suit any size of shade garden or container. Foliage colors include a range of greens, from the palest chartreuse to the darkest dark green. Powdery blue-greys and blue-greens are also common as are variegated hostas, with leaves striped, splashed, or edged in contrasting creams, yellows, and bright greens. At bloom time, tall stems of flowers bear lily-like blossoms that are often fragrant. One hosta with extra lovely flowers is the August lily (Hosta plantaginea), which is renowned for its fragrance. Hosta lovers do have to contend with deer and/or slug damage, but remedies for these pests abound. (Click here to learn more about warding off animal pests in the garden.)

Japanase toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta) — Japanese toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta) is one of the many species to try.

Toad Lily: Toad lily is a whimsical name for a lovely fall-blooming shade lover. Known botanically as Tricyrtis, toad lily, like the amphibian for which it is named, prefers consistently lightly moist soil conditions and partial to medium shade. Arching stems rise 2 to 3 feet and feature oval or oblong leaves that appear to clasp the stems. The flowers, which look a bit like small, spotted lilies, bloom on stalks that sprout from between the stems and leaves. Blooming in late summer or early fall, toad lily varieties may have flowers that are white with spots and splashes of medium to dark purple, pink, or mauve. If given a chance, the plants will also naturalize.

Planting Shade Perennials

When planting your shade perennials, give them a good start by adding a quality soil amendment, like Fafard^® Garden Manure Blend, and prepare yourself for colorful, exciting shaded spaces.

If you plan to plant your perennials in dry shade, be sure to raise the amended soil several inches above the soil line and mulch them well with a fine mulch. This should give them a little more space to grow without smothering surface tree roots.

Download the Nursery-Ready Plant List

Purple Vegetables for Color and Nutrition

Purple Vegetables for Color and Nutrition Featured Image
At various times and places, purple has been the color of royalty, rock stars, and rebellion. It has represented bravery, as well as overwrought prose. A shade of purple—mauve—was even used to describe the 1890’s, a time when the invention and widespread use of aniline dyes made purple fabrics and clothes widely available.
Continue reading “Purple Vegetables for Color and Nutrition”

Wishbone Flowers for Shade Garden Color

Wishbone Flowers for Shade Gardens Featured Image — The flowers of *Torenia* Summer Wave® Large Blue look spectacular close up.

Gardeners the world over have long suffered from a common ailment—we covet plants, climate conditions, and time that we don’t have. This is especially true of gardeners with shady landscapes. Our gardens may support all kinds of ferns, but we want roses. Hostas the size of small houses sprout without any help at all while we pine for sunflowers. The list of “wants” versus realities goes on and on.
Continue reading “Wishbone Flowers for Shade Garden Color”

The Sweetest Spring Carrots

Sweetest Spring Carrots for the Garden Featured Image

Poet John Keats said, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” And a spring carrot is truly a thing of beauty, if even if it is covered with dirt when pulled from the ground. Wash off the dirt and take a bite of that carrot. You will discover its inner beauty. Time spent in cool spring soil gives home-grown carrots a fresh sweetness that store-bought roots will never have.

The key to harvesting tasty early carrots is planting the right types. Fortunately, there are plenty to choose from—even if your “vegetable patch” is just a series of containers.

There are two ways to grow carrots for early harvest: let fall-planted carrots overwinter in the ground and harvest them early in spring before they flower. Varieties planted in fall are specialty winter carrots, like the 7-8-inch long, heirloom ‘Imperator’ carrot (75 days), which is ideal for winter growing. If you did not do that, but want carrots as early as possible, sow them in spring as soon as the ground can be worked. Carrots generally mature in 60-75 days, though faster-growing cultivars are available, which mature in as little as 50 days. When you are checking available varieties online, in print catalogs, or seed displays, pay attention to the number of days to harvest and choose those that mature in the shortest time.

Spring Carrot Types

Nantes-type carrots are among the best for spring planting, and they are easy to grow, even if your soil is less than ideal. Choose a variety like ‘Nelson’, which matures is only 58 days and produces 6-inch, blunt-tipped little carrots with both sweetness and great orange color. ‘Nantes Half Long’, which matures in about 70 days, is another good choice in this category and does not form a woody central core like some other varieties. The finger-sized ‘Adelaide’ (50 days) is another Nantes type favored as a baby carrot. Harvested at about 3-inches long, it is perfect for salads.

'Adelaide' baby carrots — Baby carrots, like ‘Adelaide’, develop faster and are extra sweet and crisp. (Image by Nanao Wagatsuma)

There are other baby carrot varieties that are fun to eat, easy to grow, and perfect for early planting and harvesting. These are not the “baby carrots” that you buy in the supermarket, which are often processed from broken carrot pieces, but carrots bred for compact size. Not only do these carrots mature quickly, but they are also the right size for raised beds or containers.

The Dutch-bred ‘Yaya Hybrid’ carrot matures in as little as 55 days, producing roots that are 4 to 5-inches long. They are quite sweet, and if you don’t eat them out of hand, they also work well in carrot cakes or muffins. The ‘Caracas’ hybrid is even shorter and rounder than ‘Yaya’, reaching 2 to 3-inches long. At only 57 days to maturity, it will be ready in a hurry. Though not as perfect as the supermarket babies, they are much tastier. ‘Thumbelina Baby Ball’ matures in as little as 60 days and boasts round, 1 to 2-inch carrots with smooth skin. Once washed, they do not need peeling

Long-rooted, specialty varieties, like the red ‘Malbec’ (70 days), crisp, golden ‘Gold Nugget’ (68 days), ivory ‘White Satin’ (68 days), and the award-winning, reddish-purple ‘Purple Haze’ (73 days) are all good choices that will bring extra color to your table.

Growing Spring Carrots

Pulling out carrots — It is important to space carrots 3-inches apart for full development. Otherwise, they will grow in irregular sizes.

Fafard Natural & Organic Potting Soil pack

Whatever variety you choose, soil preparation is important. Since carrots are roots that have to push down through the ground, give them an easy time by making sure the soil is loose, rich in organic matter, and free of stones. If you live in an area with clay soil, incorporate lots of well-aged compost, like Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost, into your soil and work it in well

When soil conditions are simply impossible, plant carrots in raised beds, or grow them in containers filled with rich potting mix, like Fafard Natural & Organic Potting Soil, which is OMRI Listed® for organic gardening. The baby types are excellent for container growing. Follow the seed packet directions for your variety and make note of their days to harvest.

Whether you grow in-ground or in containers, plant carrot seeds in early spring as soon as the soil can be cultivated. They will start growing their best when temperates reach 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Carrots like a sunny spot and regular moisture. In garden beds, make sure the soil has been loosened to a depth of at least 9 inches. (Click here to learn how to double dig for better root crops.) Sow the seeds in rows; spacing is not an issue because seedlings can be thinned after germination. If you feel uncomfortable handling the tiny carrot seeds, you can purchase larger, pelleted seed. Make furrows about 1/4 inch deep, and cover the seed with a thin layer of soil (adding a top layer of water-holding peat can aid germination). Water gently so that the little seeds stay put. In as little as 14 days, they will germinate, and your carrots will be on their way

Novice gardeners are always hesitant to thin seedlings, but it is important to give your carrots some elbow room. When the seedlings are about 1-inch-tall, thin them so they are spaced 3 inches apart.

Protecting Carrots

Carrots in various colours — Carrots come in all colors and sizes, so be creative when choosing varieties.

To keep Peter rabbit and his vole friends away from your garden carrots, plant them in tall pots or surround them with chicken wire fencing that is at least 3-feet tall. The bottom 6 inches should be below soil level, with the ends of the wire bent away from the garden bed. When you water your plants or check on them, make sure that there are no gaps in the fencing where animals have found their way in.

Mark your calendar for the number of days that your carrot varieties need to mature. When they are ready, let your kids join in the harvest! Before harvest, loosen the ground around the carrot a bit with a garden fork and then pull. Otherwise, the carrot tips may break off in the soil. Harvest what you need immediately. The rest of your crop can stay in the ground a few more weeks, or a bit longer if you live somewhere with very cool early spring and summer temperatures\

Growing carrots is easy and will increase your horticultural self-confidence. It is a great thing to do with kids, and it will bring out your inner kid. You may never want a supermarket carrot again.

Cool House Plants for Hanging

Are you a house plant fanatic who wants new and different ways to show even more green specimens? Do you live in a small space with limited room for indoor greenery? Are you looking for new and different living accents to perk up your decorating scheme?
Continue reading “Cool House Plants for Hanging”

Bananas for Indoor Growing

Banana plants (Musa spp.) are tropical, tree-like perennials that produce some of the world’s best-loved fruits. In their native regions, they often soar high into the sky, crowned by giant paddle-shaped leaves, which can be 6- to 10-feet long, and pendulous bunches of fruit. A mature plant bearing a bumper banana crop is an inspiring sight.
But, bananas don’t have to reach the stratosphere or live in the tropics. Dwarf and compact favorites can also do star turns as dramatic house plants, even in limited indoor spaces. All you need to do is choose the right banana, the right spot, and provide a modest amount of care and feeding. You may or may not harvest fruit, but you will have a fast-growing specimen that will bring a touch of the exotic to your indoor environment.

Choose Your Indoor Banana

'Pink Velvet' banana — The 4-6-foot pink velvet banana (*Musa velutina* ‘Pink Velvet’) grows well in large, indoor or outdoor pots.

Some of the best bananas for indoor culture are varieties or hybrids of the Cavendish banana (Musa acuminata). These are also the most likely to produce edible fruit if provided with optimal growing conditions. In the wild, the species can reach 20 feet tall, but popular varieties like ‘Super Dwarf Cavendish’ and ‘Dwarf Lady Finger’ top out at 3 to 6 feet, respectively.
If you are buying your banana for beautiful foliage, the range of choices is larger. Japanese fiber banana (Musa basjoo), can survive outside in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 10, but it is also happy grown as an indoor plant. The large green leaves have the characteristic elongated profile, sprouting from thick stalks that can grow up to 8 feet tall indoors. If your indoor space has high ceilings, Musa basjoo might be just right.

Scarlet banana (*Musa coccinea*) has brilliant red ornamental spikes.

The hybrid banana known as Musa ‘Dwarf Red’, ‘Dwarf Jamaican’ or ‘Macaboo’ bears green leaves with pink to red midribs. The plant’s “trunk”, which is actually a thickened stem, is a dramatic dark red. Confined to an indoor container, ‘Dwarf Red’ may reach up to 6 feet in height.
On the smaller end of the banana spectrum is another hybrid, Musa ‘Truly Tiny’, which tops out at just 2 to 4 feet tall. The plant makes up for its small size with big green leaves, occasionally splashed with red. It is perfect for a corner, pedestal, or even a table accent.
Scarlet banana (Musa coccinea) is another low grower that reaches about 4.5 feet tall, with large green leaves. The “scarlet” in its name comes from the brilliant petal-like bracts that enclose the small, true flowers and provide maximum visual interest. Another compact beauty with red color is the 4- to 6-foot pink velvet banana (Musa velutina ‘Pink Velvet’), which quickly bears pinkish-red bananas. The fruits are very sweet but contain large, tough seeds.

Growing Indoor Bananas

Like most other plants, bananas do best in conditions that match their native habitats. Indoors a greenhouse is probably the best situation. In the absence of a greenhouse, you can still grow banana plants in comfortable living situations with bright light.

Start with cozy temperatures. Bananas thrive at temperatures that are equally congenial to humans, 60 degrees Fahrenheit and above, but the warmer, the better, especially in the daytime. High humidity is also helpful. Place the plants in saucers filled with pebbles and water, or position shallow pans of water near the plant. Mist regularly.
Choose the right pot for your banana. Online vendors often sell young plants in four-inch containers. Transplant to a six or eight-inch container and watch for signs that the plant is becoming root-bound (roots emerging from drainage hole). Installing your new banana in a very large container immediately is not a good idea, because a large amount of potting soil will retain water and potentially cause root rot. Instead, increase the container width by two inches each time you repot.

Eventually, your banana will need a roomy container—at least five-gallon capacity and possibly larger for taller specimens–in order to thrive.
Fill containers with a quality potting mix, like Fafard® Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed or Fafard® Natural & Organic Potting Soil combined with perlite in a ratio of four parts soil to one part perlite. If you use a potting mix without built-in fertilizer, feed your banana every month with a balanced fertilizer following package directions. Stop fertilizing in the winter months when the shorter days and somewhat cooler temperatures slow growth.

Indoors, bananas need as much light as possible and will do best in a south, east or west-facing window. Position the plant away from drafts and rotate the container on a regular basis for even growth. Water thoroughly whenever the top of the soil is dry to the touch.
Bananas appreciate a summer vacation outside, provided the container is not too heavy or awkward to move. Be sure to return the plant to its indoor home when night temperatures fall below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Getting Indoor Bananas to Fruit

This ‘Super Dwarf Cavendish’ banana has produced a nice bunch of bananas indoors.

Bananas grow fast, but fruiting is slow. If you choose one of the varieties that produce edible fruit, you may have to wait two or three years for the pendulous flower stalk to appear. When flowering happens, don’t worry about pollination. Bananas don’t require pollination to set fruit. The fruit bunches will not be as large or plentiful as those that hang from outdoor banana trees, but they will be a source of much greater satisfaction.
And if you never get any fruit from your banana, take pleasure in its elegant leaves and the fact that with the addition of only one plant, you have established a little corner of the tropics in the temperate confines of your home.

Clivia for Glorious Winter Flowers

Clivia for Gorgeous Winter Flowers Featured Image — Orange clivia are most common but yellow forms, such as ‘Longwood Debutante’, are also available. (Image by Jessie Keith)

From the last week of November through the first of the New Year, many of us are surrounded by colorful seasonal decorations. But then January arrives and all that glitters is gone. To stave off Seasonal Affective Disorder, or at least help tide you over until the first crocuses push up through the cold earth, invest in house plants that bloom naturally during the winter months. Clivia miniata, occasionally called “Natal lily” or “fire lily”, but most often known as just plain “clivia” is one of the best.

With bold orange or yellow clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers blooming atop tall (18-24”) stalks and strappy green leaves, clivia is reminiscent of other well-loved Amaryllis family members, like amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrids) and Jersey lilies (Nerine spp.). In fact, the upward-facing clivia trumpets look somewhat like small amaryllis flowers. The tender perennial is only winter hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11.

Clivia History

The genus was named in honor of an Englishwoman, Lady Charlotte Florentia Clive, wife of an early Nineteenth century Duke of Northumberland. Clivia is native to coastal areas in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa, where the orange-flowered form was discovered by English plant hunters in the early 1820s. The first plants to bloom in England did so in 1827 in a greenhouse at Syon House, one of the Northumberland residences. Much later, in 1888, a rarer, yellow-flowered clivia was discovered, also in the Natal.

The colorful flowers were a hit and clivia became a “must-have” for wealthy Victorian plant collectors. As the Nineteenth century progressed, the cheerful orange blooms became common in conservatories and greenhouses. Fast forward nearly 100 years to the second half of the twentieth century, and breeders in the United States, Australia, and elsewhere were hard at work enlarging the number of forms and colors, especially in the yellow range. Hybridization has also resulted in peach, pink, and, orange-red flowered forms, though they are quite expensive. While clivia hybridizing is not difficult, it takes many generations to produce strong, reliable new strains.

Clivia Sources

These days, orange and yellow clivia are available at reasonable prices from many traditional and online outlets. Blooming specimens are the most expensive, however, if you are willing to be patient and play the long game, you can get a smaller plant for relatively little, and nurture it to blooming size. Remember that the pictures you see online or in catalogs are probably photos of mature plants. Your smaller clivia may not have as many blooms, especially in its first year or two of flowering.

Clivia Care

Orange-red clivia — This deepest orange-red clivia is a real show stopper.

Whether your clivia is mature or somewhat smaller, pot it up using a high-quality potting mixture, like Fafard® Professional Potting Mix. The size of the decorative pot should only be a little larger than the nursery pot. Clivia is fond of close quarters.
The care regimen is reasonably easy. If yours is already in bloom, position the pot where you can see the flowers best, water when the top of the soil feels dry, and enjoy the show for up to a month in midwinter. Afterward, place it in a sunny window and continue to water and feed it regularly with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer according to package directions. If you can do so, let your clivia have a summer vacation outside in a lightly shaded location that is protected from wind and other weather-related disturbances.

If you live in a cold-winter area, bring the plant indoors before the first frost. To stimulate winter bloom, stop watering around October first, and put the clivia in a cool place, ideally with a temperature between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, for at least five weeks, preferably a bit longer. When the dormancy period is over, bring the plant back into the warmth and light and begin watering again. Flower stalks should appear after a few weeks. Keep up this routine for a few years, and you will most likely see more flowers every year. When repotting, which should only happen after several years, do not increase the pot size dramatically or flowering may be affected.

Unlike some other decorative plants, clivia is an excellent long-term investment. It is well worth it to see some floral light at the end of the midwinter tunnel.

10 Best Trees for Year-Round Interest

Everyday trees provide beauty, shade, air purification and windbreaks, not to mention food and shelter for birds and animals. In spite of all that, we gardeners sometimes ask for even more—four seasons of interest.
The following 10 trees are great landscape performers, adding something special to the landscape in every season, including varying combinations of significant flowers, fruit, colorful leaves, and interesting bark. All are great garden investments that guarantee years of good horticultural returns.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)

Serviceberry Amelanchier lamarckii — Serviceberry (*Amelanchier lamarckii*)

These small deciduous trees are also known as serviceberry, Juneberry and shadbush. Whatever you call them, they are especially useful in small- to mid-size gardens. In spring, fragrant white flowers bloom in drooping clusters just before the leaves appear. The leaves are dark green by summer, setting off the small blueberry-like fruits that ripen gradually to dark-reddish-purple. Birds love them and humans have been known to harvest them for pies, jams, and other treats. When fall rolls around, the leaves turn shades of yellow, orange and red before dropping. Smooth gray bark, which is marked with reddish fissures, shines in the winter light.

Japanese Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia)

Best known for its gorgeous flowers, Japanese stewartia also has spectacular bark. As the Latin name suggests, its flowers look like camellia blooms, with pure white petals and golden anthers. Unlike many flowering ornamental trees, Japanese stewartia flowers in early summer. Topping out at between 12 and 40 feet, this member of the tea family features oval-shaped green leaves that turn dark red, gold, and orange in the fall. Winter light reveals the smooth exfoliating bark that peels away to reveal dappled patterns of tawny brown and gray.

Lacebark Pine (Pinus bungeana)

This distinctive pine has all the landscape virtues associated with evergreens. Holding its needles through even the harshest weather, the large tree can be grown as a spreading, multi-stemmed specimen or trimmed into a single-stemmed tree that assumes a conical shape at maturity. What makes the lacebark pine distinctive is its exfoliating bark, which showcases patches of silvery-white, olive, and pale gray. Lacebark is an investment evergreen that will begin exfoliating at about the ten-year mark. By the time the tree reaches its mature size of 30 to 50 feet, the exposed portions of the bark will be gleaming white.

Coral Bark Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Japanese maples in the coral bark group, like ‘Sango-Kaku’, feature palm-shaped foliage characteristic of these ornamental members of the maple clan. Growing to a maximum height of 25 feet, the trees are distinctive for their vibrant pink or red bark, which is brightest on young growth and most prominent in the winter. When leaves emerge in spring, they are light green with eye-catching reddish edges. The red gives way to darker green in summer, followed by a brilliant yellow fall color.

Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica)

Tree guru Dr. Michael Dirr calls Persian ironwood, “one of the most beautiful trees for foliage effect”. As temperatures cool in the fall, the small tree’s lustrous green summer leaves turn vivid yellow, orange, and red. The effect is magnified by the leaves’ relatively large size—each one is up to five inches long. When the foliage has disappeared, ironwood’s exfoliating bark reveals a camouflage-like array of gray, green, white and brown. The beauty of that bark is complemented in spring when ironwood trees sprout curious flowers reminiscent of those of their other relatives in the witch hazel family. Though the flowers lack true petals, showy red stamens add visual interest, while the leaves wait in the wings.

Sargent Cherry (Prunus sargentii)

Once you have seen the bark of the Sargent cherry in winter, you will never forget it. It is the color of highly polished mahogany, interspersed with lighter brown lateral striations. But glorious bark is only one of the small tree’s attractions. The rounded, lightly toothed leaves are bronze-purple as they unfold, turning to green in summer, and dark red in fall. Like many ornamental cherry trees, Sargent types cover themselves with masses of single pink blooms in mid-spring. These are followed by nearly-black fruits, beloved of birds.

Green Hawthorne (Crataegus viridis)

Native to central to southeastern North America, green hawthorne is a handsome tree, growing 25 to 30 feet tall at maturity with a rounded crown. It begins the growing season covered in clusters of fragrant white flowers. These are succeeded by toothed, slightly lobed leaves that are green in summer and red-purple in fall. Hawthorne fruits, sometimes known as “haws”, are bright red, assuming that color in early fall and persisting through the winter. Trunks of mature green hawthorns exfoliate to reveal tawny brown inner bark. ‘Winter King’ is a favorite selection because of its numerous fruits and scarce thorns.

Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)

The dogwood clan is full of beautiful trees, but the kousa dogwood stands out. Kousas are relatively small, topping out at about 30 feet tall. Blooming in spring, the trees feature characteristic dogwood “flowers”, each of which consists of a cluster of small, true flowers surrounded by four large, petal-like bracts that are pointed at the tips. The bracts start out white but turn dusty pink as they age. Kousa dogwoods produce unusual, decorative fruits that resemble small pinkish golf balls. The oval leaves are dark green in summer, turning red or red-purple in fall. Afterward, the exfoliating bark takes center stage in shades of gray, brown and tan.

Hybrid Holly (Ilex hybrid)

Of the hundreds of available hybrid hollies, evergreen ‘Nellie R. Stevens’, a hybrid of English and Chinese holly species, is a standout for hardiness, beauty, and four-season interest. Rising between 15 and 25 feet at maturity, ‘Nellie’ has a pleasing conical shape and abundant, shiny green leaves on densely branched trees. If you look carefully in April, you will notice small, greenish-white flowers. These give way to quantities of bright red holly berries that persist through the winter.

Chinese Tree Lilac (Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis)

If you love the shape and fragrance of lilac flowers, Chinese tree lilac is the four-season tree for you. The small, deciduous tree lilacs grow to about 15 feet tall and produce masses of creamy white, fragrant flower clusters in late spring or early summer, in addition to the dark green leaves typical of the lilac family. The brown seed capsules that come after the flowers persist through the winter when trees also reveal furrowed, reddish brown bark that often exfoliates.

Tree Planting Instructions

To make the most of any four-season tree, plant in spring or early fall in well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. Before choosing a location for your young tree, make sure that there is ample space to accommodate its mature dimensions. When planting, remove burlap or other covering on the tree’s root ball. Give your specimen a good start by amending the soil from the planting hole with equal parts of a quality amendment, like Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost. Water in thoroughly while planting and water regularly while the tree is establishing its root system. Apply at least two inches of mulch in a three-foot circle around the tree to conserve soil moisture, but do not allow mulch to touch the trunk.

Bringing Herbs Indoors for Winter

Summer vacation is wonderful for people with culinary herbs. While you enjoy longer days and uninterrupted stretches of shorts-and-sandals weather, your plants are basking in summer sunshine and warmth. Basil grows bushy, thyme exudes powerful fragrance, and mints threaten to take over the landscape. You can harvest herbs whenever you need them, secure in the knowledge that the summer garden will provide an ever-ready supply.
Continue reading “Bringing Herbs Indoors for Winter”

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