Author: JESSIE KEITH

Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

Holiday Cooking with Fresh Ginger

Gingerbread cookies — Fresh ginger makes gingerbread cookies taste even better!

Whether you cook something sweet or savory, fresh ginger (Zingiber officinale) has a traditional place at the holiday table. Its bright, spicy flavor adds something special to cookies, cakes, and festive starters that will encourage family and friends to keep coming back for more. The key is choosing the freshest roots from the store or (even better) your own potted ginger plant.

Growing Ginger

Ginger is wonderfully easy to grow as a potted houseplant, if kept in a sunny window. Just provide it with a well-drained pot of fertile Fafard Professional Potting Mix, water moderately, feed monthly with an all-purpose water soluble fertilizer and you’ll be set. If planting ginger root for the first time, be sure to plant it with its horn-like buds facing upwards and sink it 1-2” below the soil’s surface. Store-bought roots will work very well or you can purchase plants from retail greenhouses like Logee’s. One choice cultivated variety is the Javanese ‘Sunthi’, which has smaller, more pungent roots, but it is hard to find in commerce.
Starting with the good stuff always makes recipes taste better, so be sure to go for the firmest, nicest ginger roots for your holiday cooking. Here are several fresh ginger recipes that will make the best use of them:

Lemon glazed cake — Tart lemon glaze makes this moist, seasonal cake taste extra good.

Fresh Ginger Cake with Lemon Glaze

This oil-based cake is very flavorful and moist. The addition of tart lemon glaze makes it even more decadent. Begin by buttering and flouring a bread pan and heating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. All wet ingredients should be at room temperature.
Wet Ingredients
2 large eggs (room temperature)
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup hot water
¾ cup granulated sugar
Dry Ingredients
2 cups cake flour
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ cup packed, macerated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Glaze
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup powdered sugar
Directions
Combine all of the dry ingredients (except the sugar) in a sieve over a large mixing bowl and sift the ingredients. Next, add all the wet ingredients, except the ginger, lemon zest, and eggs, to another large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and light.
Combine the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients and fold in the ginger and eggs, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until fully combined. Then transfer the batter to the baking pan. The cake should be baked for around 45 minutes.
Test the cake with a bamboo skewer and make sure it comes up clean before removing the cake. Before the cake cools, whisk the glaze ingredients together, skewer holes across the top of the cake and pour the glaze over the top—allowing it to sink into the cake and harden. Once cool, take a knife along the cake edges and remove the cake from the pan.

Gingerbread with Fresh Orange Zest

This fresh gingerbread tastes extra good with the addition of orange zest. — Crisp gingerbread ready for decorating!

For years I sought out the best gingerbread recipe and finally settled on a conglomerate of recipes gathered from a variety of places.
Wet Ingredients
¾ cup salted butter
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup dark molasses (not black strap!)
¼ cup warm water
1 tablespoon fresh crushed ginger
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
Dry Ingredients
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
A healthy pinch of salt
3 ¼ cups sifted flour
Directions
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy then mix in the molasses and water. Sift the dry ingredients then add them to the wet until fully combined (be sure not to over mix).
Flour your hands and pull the dough together into a flattened ball and chill for at least 12 hours. Before you roll the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Flour up a board and pin and cut your dough in two. Roll out the dough to around 1/4 inch thickness. Be sure to keep the board and pin floured to stop the dough from sticking.
Cut out your shapes and reroll any excess dough, though try not to overwork it as this results in tough cookies. Place the rolled cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for eight to ten minutes, depending on how large or thick your cookies are. The less baked, the chewier the cookie. Allow the cookies to cool before decorating. Royal icing is the best for decorating and gel food coloring provides the deepest colors.

Roasted Eggplant Dip with Ginger

This creamy, nutty, gingery eggplant dip tastes great with pita, crackers, and fresh vegetable crudités.
Ingredients
1 large, fresh Italian eggplant
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon full fat Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons macerated ginger
1 clove finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon flatleaf Italian parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the top of the eggplant, cut it in half and place it flat side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast it until it is completely soft. This should take around 45 minutes. Once cooked, allow the eggplant to cool. Scoop out the soft eggplant and add it to a food processor. Briefly heat the coriander, cumin, and fennel seed in a heated pan with two teaspoons of olive oil—a minute or two should be enough. Add all of the ingredients to the food processor and pulse the dip until smooth—adding salt and pepper to taste.
This dip tastes best if the flavors are allowed to marry for sein the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Winterberry Garden Gems

Berries of cardinal red, golden yellow and orange stud the branches of winterberries (Ilex verticillata) like late-season gemstones. When planted together in masses, they offer clouds of landscape color that can be appreciated both close up and from afar. Cut branches the for festive holiday arrangements or simply keep them outdoors for the birds to eventually devour after more desirable winter food becomes scarce.

Winterberry Origins

Wintergold berries — ‘Wintergold’ is a pretty, gold-berried selection that’s commonly sold at garden centers and nurseries.

These are the shrubs for winter. Native to the whole of eastern North America, winterberries are deciduous hollies that offer little more than inconspicuous white flowers in early to mid-spring and green foliage in summer, but when they produce their bright berries in fall, and the leaves drop, they glow.

Like most hollies, they are dioecious, which means some plants produce male flowers and some produce female flowers. Only the female flowers produce fruit, so it is essential to know the sex of your plants because a male pollenizer is required. For this reason, varieties are sold as either male or female, so be sure to plant at least one of each. For larger plantings of winterberry, plant one male shrub to every five females.

There is no shortage of cool, fun winterberry varieties for the landscape. and each year more are introduced. With the newer, better variants, these shrubs become more and more popular with homeowners. Many have denser, larger berries. Others come in warm shades other than red.

Red Winterberries

Winter Red berries — The bright red berries of the classic Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’ shine through much of the cold season.

Of the red-berried selections, Berry Nice® has bright red, medium-sized berries that heavily cover the branches of this tall shrub and remain for a long time into winter. Another with lots of berries is Berry Heavy®, the difference being that the berries are quite large. The more delicately fruited ‘Sparkleberry’ is an introduction by the U.S. National Arboretum, which has very long-lasting scarlet fruits that appear on large, upright shrubs. And one cannot write about winterberries without mentioning the classic ‘Winter Red’, which is a reliable variety with consistently beautiful red fruit. The dwarf ‘Red Sprite’, which reaches only 3 to 5 feet, is a pretty variety for small gardens. All of these female shrubs can be pollinated by the male ‘Mr. Poppins’.

Orange and Gold Winterberries

Aurantiaca orange berries — The unusual, orange-berried ‘Aurantiaca’ has exceptional good looks.

The tangerine-berried ‘Aurantiaca’, is tall and vigorous and looks uniquely beautiful in winter. Plant it alongside yellow- and red-twigged dogwoods for a real color explosion.

Of the gold and yellow-berried varieties, the classic ‘Winter Gold’ offers consistent good looks with its rich, golden berries. Berry Heavy® Gold is a new variety that becomes so heavily loaded with bright gold berries it literally drips with color.

Growing Winterberries

Winterberries are adaptable, thriving in full to partial sun and moist to average soils on the acid side. Fruiting is most spectacular in plants given fuller sun.

Before planting a new winterberry, be sure to amend the soil with organic-rich amendments like Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend and Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss. New shrubs are best planted in spring but are also cold tolerant enough to be planted in fall

Winterberries of all colors look outstanding when planted together in great swaths. Their bright, cheerful good looks consistently make a big landscape statement that will have your friends wanting to plant their own.

Perennial Sunflowers are Fall Gold

Fall is for gold: golden trees, golden grasses, and golden sunflowers glowing in the fading sun of the season. The many sunflowers of fall are especially glorious, and unlike the common annual sunflowers of summer, they are perennials that come back year after year. Their numerous species are also American natives that deserve a place in our gardens for reasons beyond simple beauty.

Native perennials tend to be tough and easy, and their habitat value is nearly unmatched. Their profuse, daisy flowers draw hundreds of different insect pollinators and they mature to brown, crackling seedheads packed with nutritious seeds for winter birds and other wildlife. There are also lots of different species and cultivated varieties to choose from of varying heights, textures and colors.

Table Mountain Plant Haven — Table Mountain’ is a sweet, low-growing perennial sunflower perfect for smaller garden spaces. Image care of Plant Haven

Willowleaf Sunflower

Of the tall native sunflowers, the willowleaf sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius) is a particularly elegant charmer. Its fine, slender leaves and upright habit provide architectural interest through summer when plants are not in bloom. Then from September through October its stems elongate and become topped with starry, clear yellow flowers. The plants are very large, reaching 8 to 10 feet in height. If gardeners cut them back to 3 feet in early summer, they will be more compact and floriferous by fall. Another option is to choose the popular cultivar ‘First Light’, which only reaches 3 to 4 feet in height. This compact variety looks stunning when planted with the red-hued ornamental switchgrass ‘Shenandoah’. (Read more about ornamental grasses here!) For low, tidy flower borders gardeners can also choose from the super dwarf varieties ‘Table Mountain’ (16-18″ in height) and ‘Low Down’ (1–12″ in height).

Maximilian’s Sunflower

Another tall, prolific sunflower is Maximilian’s sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani), which has strap-like foliage and has upright stems that reach heights between 4 and 10 feet. Flowers appear from late summer to early fall. In the wild, plants are commonly found in prairies as well as limestone-rich soils. As with the willowleaf sunflower, plants can be cut back in June to maintain shorter, denser growth. Otherwise, plants may require staking by bloom time.

Golden daisies top the Jerusalem artichoke and edible tubers are produced at the roots.

Jerusalem Artichoke

The edible tubers of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) make this tall, attractive sunflower a vegetable crop as well. This is a huge sunflower that spreads and needs lots of space, so it truly is better suited to the veggie patch. Stems commonly reach between 6 and 8 feet and become topped with pretty golden flowers by early fall. Thick, tuberous roots are produced by the plants that are crunchy and taste somewhat like a nutty artichoke (another sunflower relative). The tubers can be eaten raw or steamed.

Hybrid Sunflowers

A favorite hybrid sunflower found in garden centers and nurseries is ‘Lemon Queen’, which is a cross between the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus ssp. subrhomboideus). Its tall stems reach 5 to 8 feet and bloom in late summer to early fall. Plant with feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) and New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) for an impressive fall combination.

'Capenoch Star' sunflower — Distinctive, large, golden centers distinguish the flowers of ‘Capenoch Star’ sunflower.

Another garden-worthy perennial sunflower with a more manageable height is Helianthus ‘Capenoch Star’. It bears beautiful single flowers of rich gold from September to October atop 4- to 5-foot plants. Though a hybrid, this variety can self-sow, so expect some seedlings. It looks great planted alongside blue-hued grasses, like ‘Heavy Metal’ switch grass.

Other Species Sunflowers

Many sunflower species are a little wild for the garden and best planted in urban meadows, roadsides or pollinator strips. The airy purple disk sunflower (Helianthus atrorubens) and super tall giant sunflower (Helianthus giganteus) fall into this category.

Growing Perennial Sunflowers

Most sunflowers are meadow plants adapted to bright sunlight. Their soil needs vary from plant to plant, but most grow best in load with average to good drainage. The addition of some rich Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend upon planting will help ensure plants get a good head start. High organic matter is especially important for Jerusalem artichoke yields.

Sunflower blooms attract a wide variety of insects including many bees, Syrphid flies, beetles, butterflies, and other insects. The seeds are eaten by many bird species, such as mourning doves, eastern goldfinches, chickadees, and nuthatches as well as rodents. Whitetail deer are even known to browse the foliage.

It’s not too late to add a little gold to your fall landscape. There are so many rewards to reap for such little investment, and with so much variety there’s practically a sunflower for every garden.

Helianthus atrurubens — The airy stems of purpledisk sunflower look best in a managed meadow setting.

Six Best String Bean Varieties

Purple Podded Pole Beans — The purple beans of ‘Purple Podded Pole’ turn bright green when cooked. (Photo by Marian Keith)

Whether bush or pole, wax or green, string beans are an essential part of any good vegetable garden. Their flavorful pods are rich in protein, and the plants fortify the soil with nitrogen—making them the best rotation crop to follow heavy feeders like tomatoes, potatoes and peppers. Replenishing legume crops are also wonderfully easy to grow, and there are so many varieties available, it’s always fun to and try new, interesting varieties each year in search of an even better bean.
Beyond American standbys, like ‘Blue Lake’ bush beans and ‘Kentucky Wonder’ pole beans, there are heirloom cultivars and European favorites galore. Many come in unique shapes, sizes, and colors making them that much more interesting at the table. Flavors vary considerably as well. Variability in pest and disease resistance also make trialing an important practice because you never really know how a new variety will perform until you actually grow it in your garden.
Through years of trial and error, I have fixed on several less commonplace bean varieties that are delicious, pretty and perform well in home garden. They include a selection of pole and bush types able to grow in gardens large or small.

The beautiful, slender filet beans of 'Emerite' are tender and flavorful. — The beautiful, slender filet beans of ‘Emerite’ are tender and stringless.

Pole filet bean Émérite

Pole beans require a little more work because they must be trellised, but they are often more productive. The wonderful haricot verts pole filet bean Émérite, produces lots of slender, crisp beans that can be harvested in the baby stage or when fully mature at 7 inches. Either way, they are never stringy, and when roasted with butter and herbs they almost develop a meaty taste. As an added benefit, their pretty, leguminous blooms are pink. This outstanding bean can be purchased through John Scheeper’s Kitchen Garden Seeds.

Pole Bean ‘Green Anellino’

The unusual short, curved beans of 'Green Anellino' are also visually appealing on the plate. — The unusual short, curved beans of ‘Green Anellino’ are very flavorful.

The unusual, curved pods of ‘Green Anellino’ (sometimes sold as ‘Anelino Verde’), are truly delicious, though the pods are small. This prolific pole bean originates from northern Italy and thrives in warm summer temperatures. Its beans are best picked when young and crisp. They have the deep, beany flavor of a larger, meatier Romano type. The plants are highly productive, producing beans into late summer and even early fall.

Pole Bean ‘Purple Podded Pole’

Slender, deep purple beans are the highlight of the ‘Purple Podded Pole’ bean. The long, vigorous vines start by bearing loads of purple-pink blooms followed by deepest purple fruits. Once cooked, the flavorful beans lose their purple color and turn bright green.

'Soleil Filet' produces slender, pale yellow beans that are best picked young and tender. — ‘Soleil Filet’ produces slender, pale yellow beans that are best picked young and tender.

Bush Bean ‘Soleil Filet’

Mild, buttery wax beans have always been a favorite and the slender filet-type wax beans are often superior to beefier standards. An exceptional golden filet is ‘Soleil Filet’ (translates to “sun filet”). Offered by seed companies like Territorial and Vermont Bean Seed Company, its super straight, slender beans add exceptional color, texture and taste to summer bean salads.

Romano Bean ‘Super Marconi’

Of the Romano-type broad string beans, ‘Super Marconi’ has tender and stringless beans with very rich flavor. The large, flattened pods are deep green and vines are prolific, so expect big harvests. I get my seed from Franchi Sementi.

Tricolor Bush Bean Mix

Gardeners unable to decide on one variety may want to choose the Tricolor Bush Mix from Renee’s Garden Seeds. Each packet contains three bush bean varieties in equal proportions: golden ‘Roc d’Or’ haricot verts, purple podded ‘Purple Queen’ beans, and the perfectly straight, slender, bright green ‘Slenderette’ beans. All are space-saving, flavorful and pretty.

Growing String Beans

Only a few simple cultural requirements need to be met for successful bean growing. All string beans need full sun and fertile soil with good drainage. Pole beans require trellises of poles for best production and development. Fortifying your garden soil with Fafard Sphagnum Peat Moss will provide a good foundation for your bean beds. Additional amendment with Black Gold Tomato & Vegetable fertilizer is also beneficial.
Mexican bean beetles are the most common and destructive pests of green beans. In their larval form they are spiky, yellowish-orange, voracious bean destructors able to quickly devastate beans and plants, if beetle populations are too high. The adults look much like large, golden brown lady bugs and lay masses of orange-yellow, ovoid eggs on bean leaf undersides. The University of Florida’s Entomology Department offers a very good guide for the management of these pests as does Cornell’s Insect Diagnostic Page.
Where your tomatoes and peppers are growing this year is where you should plant one or more of these stellar bean varieties next year. Give at least one a try to hone your own “best bean” list your garden.

Top 10 Best-Tasting Cherry Tomatoes

'Matt's Wild Cherry' tomatoes in hand — ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’ is a super sweet currant tomato with a Brix of 11.5!

Cherry tomatoes are garden candy. In summer, my girls scour the vines daily looking for full-colored fruits at the peak of sweetness. We grow several new varieties each year for snacking and salads (this year’s pickings include ‘Blue Cream Berries’ and ‘Sunrise Bumblebee’), but there are several varieties we return to for amazing flavor and sweetness. These cherries comprise our top 10 list.

Isis Candy tomatoes — ‘Isis Candy’ is pretty and has a Brix of 8-9. (Image by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)

Cherry tomatoes are natural tomato variants (Lycopersicon esculentum), that are sometimes distinguished as Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme. Another popular small-fruited species is the tiniest of the tiny current tomato (Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium) with its fruits that reach the size of large peas. These, and other tomatoes, are believed to have been domesticated in Mexico or Peru, though there is an unresolved argument regarding their exact origins. Still, the popularity of cherry tomatoes among breeders, growers, and consumers is undeniable. Over one hundred cultivated varieties exist with new types being developed each year.

Candyland Red tomatoes — ‘Candyland Red’ us a new, super sweet currant tomato. (Image by AAS Winners)

There are several things to consider when choosing a prime cherry tomato. Of course there’s size (from pea- to ping-pong-ball-sized), shape (cherry, teardrop, or pear) and color (red, pink, orange, ivory, purple, or near black), and disease and cracking resistance, but the more essential characteristics to select for are flavor and sugar content (degrees Brix=°Bx). And, generally speaking, the sweeter the cherry tomato, the better.

Top 10 Best-Tasting Cherry Tomatoes

1. ‘Golden Sweet‘: Touted as the sweetest and best-tasting yellow grape tomato, the indeterminate vines produce lots of glossy gold fruits that are crack-resistant, firm and meaty.
2. ‘Isis Candy‘: This is a very pretty cherry tomato with golden fruits streaked with red. They are equally delicious and sweet with a 8-9 °Bx. The vines are high-performing and indeterminate.
3. ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry‘: This is one of the sweetest of the currant tomatoes with an 11.5 °Bx. The large vines produce lots of bright red, pungent fruits so one is all you need.
4. ‘Fantastico’: Slightly elongated grape tomatoes still fall into the cherry tomato category, and the bright red, AAS-winning ‘Fantastico’ is one of the best. The glossy sweet tomatoes have a 12 °Bx and are firm, crack-resistant, and sweet. The bushy, determinate vines are also high-yielding and resistant to late blight.
5. ‘Sun Gold‘: This is the classic for cherry tomato lovers because it offers both remarkable sweet, tangy, delicious tomato flavor. The golden-orange fruits have an 8 °Bx, are borne on long trusses, and taste best when growing conditions are slightly dry. Vines are indeterminate.
6. ‘Sunpeach‘: This pink-fruited relative of ‘Sun Gold’ has super long trusses of slightly oblong fruits with excellent sweet, well-rounded flavor. The fruits are crack-resistant, and the high-performing vines are indeterminate.
7. ‘Favorita‘: The glossy, deep red, fruits have a 8.8 °Bx sugar rating and produce early. The indeterminate vines resist Fusarium wilt, Tobacco Mosaic Virus, and nematodes.
8. ‘Sun Sugar‘: The tangerine-orange fruits of ‘Sun Sugar’ are some of the sweetest, tartest, and best tasting around. The disease-resistant, indeterminate vines will stand up to fusarium wilt and tobacco mosaic virus, and they produce long trusses of crack-resistant fruits.
9. ‘Candyland Red‘: Large, rambling vines produce lots of super sweet, firm, currant fruits that are tiny and deep red. Of all the currant tomatoes available, it’s the sweetest with 12 °Bx. It is also a 2016 All-America Selections winner!
10. ‘Supersweet 100‘: The super-sized, disease-resistant, indeterminate vines can reach over 12’ and produce loads and loads of bright red and very tasty. The fruits are the least sweet of the bunch, with a 6 °Bx, but they are still very good and super prolific.

Sun Gold tomatoes — ‘Sun Gold’ is a classic cherry that seasoned growers swear by.

Growing Cherry Tomatoes

Before planting these or any tomatoes, amend planting beds by digging and turning the soil deeply and adding rich Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend and organic granular fertilizer formulated for tomatoes, such as OMRI Listed Black Gold Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer. Plant vines around 4 feet apart and mulch with a two- to three-inch layer of compost. Young plants can be planted deep, with only a couple of nodes with foliage above ground, but leaves should be gently removed from all stem parts that will be covered with soil. Indeterminate tomatoes should be fitted with large tomato cages right away. Water regularly to keep plants moist, not wet. Days to harvest vary, but plants usually begin to bear fruit 65 to 85 days after planting.
Each year I add to my cherry tomato knowledge with a new cultivar.This year’s experimental variety is Wild Boar Farm’s ‘Cream Amethyst’, which they say is mild, sweet and pure ivory with a purple blush. It may be a keeper to add to the list or a common variant with run-of-the-mill flavor. It’s always a gamble. But, if you choose from this top ten you’ll never go wrong.

Fantastico grape tomatoes — The beautiful red ‘Fantastico’ grape tomato has a fantastic 12 Brix! (photo thanks to AAS Winners)

Zinnias for Colorful Containers & Cut Flowers

Pink and apricot profusion zinnias add soft color to this midsummer flower garden.

Zinnias are summer workhorses in the flower garden. They keep producing radiant flowers—even in the worst heat—and come in a wide range of sizes and colors making them adaptable to practically any garden space. Their value as premium cut flowers and favorite bee and butterfly plants makes them that much more appealing to gardeners. No summer garden should be without a few zinnias.

Tall cactus flowered zinnias are some of the nicest zinnias for bouquets.

Tall Zinnias

The long stems, large flowers and bushy stature of tall zinnias (Zinnia elegans) have led to their wide popularity. These easy-to-grow Mexican natives will bloom from summer to frost, if they are deadheaded and moderately maintained. Their flowers have single, semi-double, or double petal arrangements and come in many forms including cactus, dahlia, button, button-like pompons and ruffled forms. What’s more, there are tons of colors available. The pallet includes red, pink, white, green, orange, salmon, yellow and lavender. There are also many bicolored and tricolored varieties. One of the best color combos – for garden or case – is a vibrant mix of pink, rose, green and apricot colored flowers.

Dwarf Zinnias

Zinnia plants vary in height from 1-4 feet, depending on the cultivar. Shorter “tall zinnia” varieties, such as the many large-flowered, short-statured varieties in the Magellan Series, are perfect for containers and low flower borders while wild, free, long-stemmed forms look great in tall borders, vegetable gardens and cutting gardens. The ever-popular chartreuse green ‘Envy‘, rose and green ‘Queen Red Lime‘ and ruffled salmon apricot Senora™ are three complimentary long-stemmed, double-flowered varieties ideal for making quick, vibrant flower arrangements.

The vibrant Double Zahara Fire is one of the best zinnias for containers and borders.

Bedding Zinnias

Hybrid bedding zinnias are the best for container gardening. These include the wonderfully versatile and lovely single-flowered Profusion zinnias, which come in all colors, and award-winning double-flowered Zahara™ zinnias. The bushy, spreading, slightly taller (18″-24″) ‘Uptown Grape‘ is also a new variety lauded for its prolific blooms and exemplary disease resistance. Another wonderful compact species is the Mexican native Zinnia angustifolia—with ‘Star Orange‘ and the hybrid Raspberry Lemonade Mix being top sellers.

Growing Zinnias

Getting started with zinnia growing is simple. Each spring, in late April to early May, choose the best sunny spot for your zinnias. Clean out the weeds and debris from the area, then work up and smooth the soil. Amend the beds with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend until the soil is light and friable. Finally, surface-sow the zinnia seed, lightly pat them in and gently water. Then keep the planted area evenly moist. Within a week or so your seeds will start sprouting up. From there, it’s just a matter of keeping the plants reasonably hydrated and thinned to a foot apart. Purchased, container-grown zinnias thrive in large pots filled with moisture rich potting soils, such as Fafard® Natural & Organic Potting Mix. Growing zinnias is that easy!

Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend pack — Amend zinnia beds with a fertile amendment like Fafard Natural & Organic Compost Blend.

Cutting Zinnias

Zinnia flowers are most spectacular in mid to late summer, so this is the best time to make beautiful table bouquets with long-stemmed varieties. To make a simple zinnia arrangement, choose newly opened, fresh stems and cut them to around 8-12 inches in length. Remove the leaves from the lower part of the stems and then gather the flowers into a tidy, mounded bunch; trim the bottoms uniformly and place them in a vase filled with about 2 cups of water spiked with 1 tablespoon of sugared lemon soda (a great cut flower food). That’s all there is to it!

Zinnia Pests, Diseases, and Problems

Zinnias can have a few troubles. Really tall cultivars can flop in the wind and may need to be staked. The leaves may also develop powdery mildew and leaf spot while also attracting hungry Japanese beetles. To keep my zinnias mildew-free, I gently hand-wash their leaves and space plants well to encourage good air flow. This also discourages outbreaks of fungal spotting. The all-natural GreenCure is also a wonderful remedy for powdery mildew. Another option is to plant disease-resistant selections like the Dreamland Series. To control Japanese beetles, simply pick them off and drown or squash them.
Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll have spectacular zinnias until frost. Whether enjoyed from a patio or balcony or cut and brought indoors to dress up a table, zinnias will bring rich, easy color to your summer life.

Zinnia angustifolia 'Star Orange' flowers — Zinnia angustifolia ‘Star Orange’ Flowers growing in a large container.

Pretty button zinnias (left) add bright color to this cutting border.

10 Terrific Flowers for Honey Bees

Rudbeckia lacinata 'Autumn Sun' — *Rudbeckia lacinata* ‘Autumn Sun’ is a late-summer bloomer that bees love.

The decline in honey bees (Apis mellifera) has heightened the popularity of honey bee plants. Many favorite flowers for honey bees, like sweetclover, thistle, alfalfa and dandelion, are Eurasian plants too weedy for flower beds. Thankfully, there are some beautiful summer garden flowers, many being North American natives, which are also great nectar and pollen plants favored by these Old World native bees. Regional natives are also superb forage plants for regional bees.
The best honey bee plants provide a good supply of both sugary nectar and protein-rich pollen sought after by these and other long-tongued bees. Lots of beautiful garden flowers provide both in high quantities. Here are our top 10 favorites organized by bloom time. Choose one for each blooming period and you’ll have great bee blooms throughout the growing season! All are sun-loving and grow best in good soils with regular to good drainage. Amend with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend and feed with a fertilizer for flowers, such as Black Gold Rose & Flower Fertilizer, for best results.

Early Summer Bee Flowers

Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida, perennial): An elegant beauty with fine, drooping petals, the pale purple coneflower is a bee favorite that also produces seeds much loved by finches. A native of grasslands and savannahs across the Eastern United States, this tough coneflower will bloom for up to three weeks from June to July. When in bloom, its flowers will feed lots of bees. You might even see a few butterflies on them as well.

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium, perennial): The bright, flattened heads of common yarrow are covered with tiny daisy flowers that bees really favor. Native to both Eurasia and North America, this plant attracts loads of pollinators no matter where it’s planted. There are many beautiful varieties for the garden; two of the better variants are the rich red ‘Strawberry Seduction’ (image left) and ‘Wonderful Wampee’, which has pink flowers that fade to nearly white.

Summer Bee Flowers

Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus, annual): Nothing attracts and feeds bees like good old sunflowers. Their massive and prolific blooms come in shades of yellow, gold, red and orange and give way to lots of oil-rich seeds enjoyed by seed-eating birds and humans alike. There are literally hundreds of varieties to choose with various flower colors, heights and flower sizes. The dwarf varieties ‘Little Becka‘ (image left; 3-4’ tall with gold and brown flowers) and ‘Big Smile’ (1-2′ tall with classic golden flowers with black centers) are choice selections for any garden.
Blue Giant Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum, perennial): The pretty spires of purple flowers produced by the giant hyssop become simply covered with bees. A native across the northern regions of North America, this fragrant perennial in the mint family it tough and very hardy. The hybrid Agastache ‘Blue Boa’ (image left by Terra Nova Nurseries) is an exceptional variety from Terra Nova Nursery that is exceptionally beautiful.

Horsemint (Monarda punctata, perennial): Few garden perennials draw bees as efficiently as the long-blooming horsemint. A native of much of the United States, this sun-lover produces tiers of unique pink to white bracted flowers through much of summer and into fall. The blooms of these fragrant plants last a long time and become completely covered with pollinators. Plant in very well-drained soil for best performance.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, perennial): The popularity of purple coneflowers and their many hybrids serves as a testament to their beauty and resilience. All are a favorite of bees, and like the pale purple coneflower, seed-eating birds enjoy the seedheads that follow. The purple-pink daisy flowers begin blooming in summer and will easily continue into late summer and even fall if the old flowers are removed. Some of the better new variants for big, long-blooming flowers include ‘Dixie Belle’ (left, image by Terra Nova Nurseries) and the super heavy blooming ‘Pica Bella’
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp., annual or perennial): Nothing says summer like a beautiful black-eyed Susan, and bees appreciate their prolific flowers just as much as we do. One to seek out is the heavy blooming dwarf ‘Little Goldstar’ (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Little Goldstar’).

Late-Summer and Fall Bee Flowers

Asters (Symphotrichum spp., perennial): The pinks, blues and purples of late-summer and fall aster flowers are a delight to all bees. There are so many wonderful varieties to choose from it’s hard to know where to start. The classic ‘October Skies’ (image left, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘October Skies’) is a wonderful late bloomer with lavender-blue flowers and orange centers, and the dusty sky blue ‘Bluebird’ (Symphyotrichum laeve ‘Bluebird’) is an earlier bloomer with prolific flowers.

Joe-Pye Weeds (Eutrochium spp., perennial): This group of mid-to late-summer bloomers produces big, fuzzy heads of purplish-red flowers filled with nectar and pollen. Native across North America, many of the sun-loving perennials are adapted to moist ground. One of the finest garden varieties is Eutrochium purpureum ‘Little Red’ with its 4′ tall stature and pretty reddish-purple flowers.

Goldenrods (Solidago spp., perennial): Lauded as one of the best bee flowers for late summer and fall, goldenrods become a buzzing mass when they open. In fact, goldenrod honey is a delicacy, known to be darker with a distinctive bite. Excellent garden-worthy goldenrods include the dwarf forms ‘Golden Fleece’ (Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’) and ‘Baby Gold’ (Solidago ‘Baby Gold’).
With just a few of these garden beauties, feeding the bees all summer long is easy.

Top Flowering Vines for Garden Color

Vining gloriosa lily — The vining gloriosa lily has unique leaves with tendriled tips that allow it to ramble upwards.

Heavenly blue morning glories catching the first light of day, iridescent purple hyacinth beans hanging like summer jewels, delicate trumpets of the cardinal climber drawing hummingbirds in charms—these are just three of the finest vines for garden color. Each year we erect trellises and tall tipis just to grow our favorite climbing flowers. Summer just wouldn’t be summer without them.

The best flowering vines for our warm summer climate are tropical to subtropical. And even though they may not live through our cold winter, they are fast-growing, vigorous–able to reach tall heights by midsummer. Even better, they bloom and bloom and bloom offering flowers and ornamental pods in an array of bright, cheerful colors. Here are nine of the best vines to add vertical color and interest to any sunny summer garden:

1. Morning Glory ‘Heavenly Blue’

The queen of the summer climbers is the heirloom ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’). It’s large, funnel-shaped flowers of clear blue cover the vine from mid- to late-summer when many other flowers flag in the heat. (Ipomoea tricolor is native to the New World tropics, so humid heat is not a problem for this vine.) Towards fall, the flowers become even bluer and more prolific. The twining vines become thick and robust when happy, so provide plenty of room for this old-fashioned classic vine. A strong fence, trellis or pergola is recommended for support.

2. Hyacinth Bean

Space is required for this rambling, vigorous, flowering vine but the purple-hued leaves and purple flowers and pods of hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) make it a summer standout. Even in the hottest days of summer this African-native vine will shine. This bean is just for looks and not for eating. Be sure to give it a lot of space to twine and roam and feel free to gently prune it back as needed.

3. Black-Eyed Susan Vine

Pretty, dark-centered flowers of yellow, orange, white or peach dot the ever-beautiful black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) when the weather is warm. The vines, though not as fast-growing as morning glories or hyacinth beans, become dense and lush when healthy and happy—offering lots of nice flowers that attract bees. The twining stems of this African native need a good trellis and out-of-bounds stems may need to be trimmed on occasion.

4. Creeping Gloxinia

Tolerance to partial sun makes creeping gloxinia (Asarina lophospermum) a good vine for patios and porches. Native to Mexico, its delicate, tubular flowers of white, russet red or pink, attract hummingbirds and rise from thin, twining stems lined with spade-shaped leaves with ragged, incised edges. This one is tame enough to plant in a large hanging basket or container. The popular selection Great Cascade™ Wine Red is very pretty.

5. Cardinal Climber

Hummingbirds cannot get enough of the hybrid cardinal climber’s (Ipomoea x sloteri) many tubular, red flowers produced along stems decorated with feathery leaves. The airy vine is deceptively delicate because its twining stems can reach up to 20’ by summer’s end. Expect it to be its most beautiful and flower-covered later in summer.

6. Spanish Flag

The flowers of the Spanish flag (Ipomoea lobata) are like no other. Designed for hummingbirds, the flowers of this Brazilian vine are borne in one-sided clusters of pocketed blooms that are red in bud and open to palest yellow. The massive vines will completely cover a large trellis of the course of a summer, so plan big. The sunny flowers begin to appear in late summer and will continue until frost.

7. Malabar Spinach

It’s attractive, heat-tolerant and edible, so what’s not to love? Malabar spinach (Basella alba) is a tropical vine native to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. Its thick twining purple-red stems and glossy leaves have a pleasing garden appeal, and they can be regularly harvested for eating. The flavor and texture of the leaves are spinach-like. Provide stout support for this twining vegetable. Inconspicuous flowers give way to berry-like black fruits that are subtly attractive.

8. Moonflower

Night bloomers like the moonflower (Ipomoea alba) use big size, white color and fragrance to attract moths in the fading hours of the evening. The enormous, funnel-shaped flowers are true novelties best enjoyed along a gazebo, pergola or a porch where they can best be viewed into the evening. The Mexican natives are quite heat tolerant and will bloom until frost.

9. Gloriosa Lily

The tender, tropical gloriosa lily (Gloriosa superba) is a true anomaly. It’s delicately twining stems and unique lives with tips that look and behave much like tendrils but its orange-red and yellow flowers look 100% lily. The tuberous roots can be stored in a cool place over winter but will not survive the harsh cold of northern winters. This native of Africa and Asia is a little less heat tolerant than some of the other vines we have mentioned. All parts of this plant are toxic, so it is not recommended for growing where children or pets might become attracted to the plants or flowers.
Summer vines appreciate good, friable soil that drains freely. Moderate to good fertility will do, so I recommend amending with Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend before planting. Container-grown vines should be planted in Fafard Ultra Outdoor Planting Mix. All of these vines will appreciate a little food for garden flowers upon planting as well.
To learn more about classic trellising for summer flowering vines, click here.

Easy Spring Container Gardening

Simple pots of colorful annuals can be placed in the spring garden to add color and interest.

Bountiful spring containers are a joyous way to reign in the new season. Nothing welcomes spring better than exquisitely orchestrated collections of potted flowers. The key is choosing suites of plants and pots that are seasonal and complimentary—whether the compositions are simple or flamboyant.

Some gardeners take their spring container gardening very seriously—planting up bulb and perennial pots in fall for spring show. But, this practice can be problematic, if gardeners don’t take care. Tulip bulbs in pots are highly vulnerable to rodent attack, and some bulbs or perennials may not survive hard winters or can heave in pots. Both potential problems call for protective pot covers and storage of containers in protected spots in a cold garage or in a protected spot beside the house. Or pre-planting can be bypassed entirely. As more and more potted bulbs are offered at spring planting time, fall container prep is no longer a prerequisite.

Early season perennials, including Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’ (center) — Early season perennials, like Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’ (center), can add a lot of interest to spring pots.

Choosing Containers

When designing spring container plantings, start by choosing the pots. Pretty glazed pots in subdued earthy or mossy tones create a pleasing base for brightly colored flowers. Pots of different complimentary shapes and sizes look the nicest when arranged in groups. For symmetrical groupings choose an even number of pots, and for asymmetrical groupings choose an odd number. Once pots are chosen, artfully place them together, considering height and shape.

Choosing Container Mix

Next, choose your container mix. Fafard Ultra Container Mix or Fafard Ultra Potting Mix with Extended Feed are great choices for potted outdoor plantings. Not only does it feed plants for up to six months, but it contains moisture-holding crystals that reduce the need to water as often.

Choosing Container Plants

Finally, establish your color pallet and choose your plants—considering height and texture as well as bloom time. More often than not, bright, gregarious colors are what people like to plant in spring (enough with dreary subdued landscapes), but pastels are also popular. Cheerful combinations of yellow, orange, red, pink and blue flowers make spring container gardens pop.
Past plant combinations that have worked well for me include mixes of hardworking annuals, such as pansies, violas, stocks, trailing lobelia and twinspur (Diascia spp.), in addition to choice perennials like colorful golden bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’), Heuchera, and any bulbs that I can get my hands on. Less common perennials, like Tradescantia ‘Sweet Kate’ or trailing bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana), also add polish and oomph to containers. Even miniature roses can be added for color and flair.

Variegated tulip leaves mingle beautifully with pretty Sorbet violas.

Planting Containers

Before planting up my containers, I fill the pots ¾ full with potting mix to allow space to arrange my planting before bedding them in. This step is essential to visually balance the plantings and can make the difference between your plantings looking like a hodgepodge or a well-planned container garden. Cascading plants always look best along the edge of the pot while upright plants should be centered. During this process I also consider how different potted plantings will complement one another. Once my design is set, it’s time to start planting.
When transplanting bulbs, be sure to move them without allowing the rootball to lose its shape; then firmly press the soil down around the roots to keep the foliage and flowers tidy and upright. Perennials and annuals are often “pot bound”, meaning their roots have become densely intertwined. Before planting, gently tease apart tightly bound roots a bit to loosen them. Then, sprinkle the pots with a little slow-release fertilizer. Finally, irrigate the pots until the water flows out of the drainage holes.
It’s a joy to watch spring container creations fill in and burst forth. Once bulb flowers are spent, be sure to cut the old stems back to keep pots looking clean and pretty. Then as summer approaches, move out the flagging cool-season plants and replace them with vibrant warm-season ornamentals that will shine until fall.

Flower Traits for Pollinators: Understanding Pollination Syndromes

Flowers are pollinator magnets—each holding the secret for pollinator attraction. Flowers communicate to birds, bees, bats, or butterflies through special cues. These cues are essentially groups of traits relating to things like flower size, shape, color, scent, as well as nectar and pollen characteristics. “Pollination syndromes” is another term for these trait groups, and they can be helpful for gardeners, too. If you know them, you can better understand how to design your gardens and containers to draw specific pollinators.

Pollination Syndromes

A tiger swallowtail butterfly takes nectar from a summer zinnia. (Photo by Jessie Keith)

Showy flowers are displaying their NEED to be pollinated by insects, birds, or other pollinators. Truly, floral displays are about two things: sex and competition. Pollination is required for cross-fertilization (gene exchange to keep plant populations healthy and species surviving). Flowers also offer essential food rewards for pollinators. So as pollinators compete for flowers and flowers compete for pollinators our gardens reap the reward of color and movement. Types of pollinators are many, and some flowers and pollinators are specially designed for one another. One pollinator to one plant species relationships are very rare. More often plants have pollination syndromes directed towards broader pollinator groups, like bee, bird, butterfly, and bat. Once gardeners know these, they can choose flowers with specific pollinators in mind.

Bee Pollination (Melittophily)

Highly fragrant flowers in blue or yellow shades that are designed for landing are bee favorites. (Image by Jessie Keith)

There are lots of bees with around 20,000 known distinct species. Nonetheless, specific floral traits attract them all. Bees are attracted to yellow, blue and ultra-violet colors, they eat pollen and sugary nectar, have a strong sense of smell, and they land on the flowers they pollinate. In turn, most bee flowers are either in yellow or blue shades or have nectar guides (petal marks indicating nectar) in these colors or ultra-violet; their nectar is sugary nectar, the flowers are fragrant and they produce lots of pollen. Finally, the flowers are designed for landing, offering bell or bowl shapes like bellflowers (Campanula spp.), heads like sunflowers (Helianthus spp.), or wide tubes like snapdragons (Antirrhinum spp.). Planting for bees has become more and more important as bee populations decline.

Bird Pollination (Ornithophily)

Flowers pollinated by birds are usually red or orange because birds are more sensitive to red and insect pollinators are less sensitive to it. Red and orange also indicate big nectar rewards, another trait of bird-pollinated flowers. Hummingbirds are the most specialized bird pollinators on the planet. Hummingbirds are very sensitive to red, hover while feeding, have long beaks/tongues and must consume lots of nectar to keep their wings flapping at 18 to 200 beats per second. They also have no sense of smell. So hummingbird flowers are odorless, typically red or orange-hued, tubular, nectar-filled and lack landing pads. Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), red beebalm (Monarda didyma) and fuchsia (Fuchsia spp.) are all hummingbird-pollinated flowers.

Butterfly Pollination (Psychophily)

Monarch butterflies love milkweed! (Image by Jessie Keith)

There are nearly as many butterflies as bees with around 17,500 different known species. As a group, they have a sense of smell, long curled tongues (proboscis), sharp color vision, and they must perch to feed. So, most butterfly flowers are brightly colored, lack a scent, are shaped for perching and have long, tubular nectaries perfect for a butterfly’s proboscis. Everyone wants to invite butterflies to their garden, and there are lots of garden flowers that attract them. Madagascar periwinkle, Lantana and phlox blooms are just three examples of the many flowers uniquely designed for butterfly pollination.

Moth Pollination (Phalaenophily)

Pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa) attracts a hawkmoth in the evening. — Pink evening primrose (*Oenothera speciosa*) attracts a hawkmoth in the evening.

Nighttime pollinators like moths have good night sight and an excellent sense of smell. So, moth-pollinated flowers are always highly fragrant and pale or white. Lots of moths are also hover feeders, so many moth-pollinated flowers are funnel-shaped and large, in addition to being very fragrant at night. Some classic moth flowers include angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia spp.), moonflower (Ipomoea alba) and woodland tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris). (Click here to learn more about moth gardening.)

Bat Pollination (Chiropterophily)

Bats pollinate large, fruity-smelling flowers with lots of nectar.

If you live down South or out West, you can expect to be able to invite a bat or two into your garden, if you choose the right flowers. Most bat pollinators are nocturnal and rely on echolocation, as well as smell, to find food. These fruit and nectar feeders have very high metabolisms, so they are attracted to large lightly colored nocturnal blooms that smell strongly of fermenting fruit and have lots of dilute nectar. The fruity flowers of mangoes, bananas, and guava are all bat pollinated. Many species of cacti have flowers that draw bats as well.

Pollination Generalists

Some flowers are “smart” and appear to have lots of bells and whistles to attract lots of different pollinators. These flowers are generally very successful and buzz with activity when in bloom. Flowers like goldenrod and thistles draw diverse groups of beetles, bees, butterflies and even flies.
Many other pollination syndromes exist, but these are the most common for gardeners. Knowing the basics allows garden planners to plant for the birds, bees, and butterflies to make our gardens and world a better place.

Pollinator Container Plan:

This trio of everblooming, sun-loving flowers look great together—with their warm and cool hues—and will attract lots of pollinators. Begin by choosing an attractive, 5-gallon flower pot and fill it ¾ of the way full with Fafard Ultra Potting Mix with Extended Feed. Then plant together the following:
1. Gaillardia Heat it Up Scarlet (12 to 24 inches, bushy perennial, attracts bees and butterflies)
2. Lantana montevidensis Luscious® Grape (10 to 14 inches, trailing bloomer, attracts butterflies)
3. Agastache ‘Kudos Ambrosia’ (16-22 inches, upright perennial, attracts hummingbirds (seen left))
With good care, this perfect summer pot will look great all season long.

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1. Morning Glory ‘Heavenly Blue’

2. Hyacinth Bean

3. Black-Eyed Susan Vine

4. Creeping Gloxinia

5. Cardinal Climber

6. Spanish Flag

7. Malabar Spinach

8. Moonflower

9. Gloriosa Lily

Choosing Containers

Choosing Container Mix

Choosing Container Plants

Planting Containers

Pollination Syndromes

Bee Pollination (Melittophily)

Bird Pollination (Ornithophily)

Butterfly Pollination (Psychophily)

Moth Pollination (Phalaenophily)

Bat Pollination (Chiropterophily)

Pollination Generalists

Pollinator Container Plan: