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.

Potted Holiday Trees: Selection and Care

Small or large potted holiday conifers are fragrant, fresh and provide living beauty in the home, but which should you choose for outdoor planting, and how do you care for them after the lights and glitter are shed? The right care will ensure their longterm health. Here’s how to give them what they need for success.

Know Your Trees

When picking a live tree, know what kind it is, and make sure that it will fit into your landscape and grow well where you live. Don’t be fooled by the initial size. Many potted trees sold as tiny specimens grow very large. Truly compact trees sold during the holidays, such as dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’, USDA Hardiness Zones 3-6) or lemon cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Wilma’, Zones 7-10), can be planted in large, outdoor containers for several years. But, those that mature to a large size must be planted in the ground. So, you must know your trees.

Miniature Christmas trees with ornaments — Beware! Many holiday trees sold as potted miniatures will grow very large.

Here are some of the top holiday trees sold in North America. Each grows best in certain areas of the country. All of the full-sized evergreens mentioned need lots of space, sunshine, and well-drained soil.

Firs

Potted fir trees — Be sure to have a planting spot in your landscape for larger potted trees.

Chrismas firs have soft, flat needles, a perfect conical shape, dense branching, and wonderful wintery aromas. They make good landscape specimens, where they are hardy, and all grow to become large, regal trees.

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea, Zones 3-7): The remarkably hardy balsam fir is a fragrant, soft-needled evergreen that grows best in colder climates with cooler, more moderate summers. It has a dense, conical habit and standard forms can reach a whopping 50 to 75 feet when fully mature, so don’t plant one in a small yard or close to the house.

Frasier fir (Abies fraseri, Zones 4-7): Comparable in growth, habit, and fragrance to balsam, Frasier fir is an Appalacian species from the southeastern United States that can take warmer summers, but because it grows in the cooler mountains it cannot take the intense heat of the Deep South. At full size, it reaches 30-50 feet.

White fir (Abies concolor, Zones 4-9): A fir for the Midwest and alpine West, white fir is more tolerant of areas with warmer summers. It has a conical habit with dense branching and soft, attractive, upright needles with a silvery cast. When mature, it can reach up to 60 feet.

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Zones 4-8) is not a true fir, despite its name, but the pine is a good choice for those living from Pacific Northwest down to the Southwest. Soft-tipped needles cover its branches and when grown as a specimen tree it reaches 40-80 feet and has a broadly conical habit with more open branching than that of true firs.

Pines

Potted Christmas tree inside a home — Potted Christmas trees should be well watered while in the home.

White pine (Pinus strobus, Zones 3-8) is one of the most common native pines grown for Christmas trees. It is distinguished by its long, very soft needles, which some homeowners really favor. It makes a good landscape tree with open branching and can reach 50-80 feet.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris, Zones 3-7) is still sold but has fallen out of favor as a Christmas tree because of its painfully prickly needles. As a yard tree, it is equally undesirable because it’s prone to many pests and diseases. This is one to avoid.

Spruces

Dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca ‘Conica’, Zones 3-8) is the most common potted holiday tree and is almost always sold as a pre-decorated, miniature for indoors or outdoors. After the holidays, it can be planted in pots for or in the garden. Eventually, dwarf Alberta spruce can reach 10 to 13 feet high but is very slow-growing, so it can be grown in pots for some time before planting in the ground.

Indoor Care and Transition

Christmas Tree — Indoor conifers should be kept inside no more than ten days.

All of these evergreens need cold winter weather to grow well, so bringing them into the warm indoors for too long can be detrimental to their health. Keep them in a cool garage or covered patio before bringing them inside. Once indoors, make sure that you place a basin below the pot for watering and keep the tree well-irrigated. Maintaining a cooler room temperature will reduce stress. Don’t keep them inside any longer than ten days, a week is better.

After the holidays, remove all decorations and take your tree outside. Very hardy varieties can remain in their pots if kept close to the home. Just don’t let the pots dry out. If the ground is warm enough to be worked, plant your tree straight away.

Planting

Getting ready to plant a potted evergreen.

All of these conifers like their soil to be slightly acid, rich in organic matter, and well-drained. Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and Fafard^® Premium Natural & Organic Compost are the best amendments to use at planting time. (Click here for the Morton Arboretum’s tree-planting instructions.)

Potted holiday trees are a long-term investment. While they decorate your home and bring joy to your family, care for them well. And, once planted, they will reward you with continued outdoor beauty for years to come.

Growing and Taming Jerusalem Artichoke

Gardeners who have grown Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) have a love-hate relationship with it. The tall, fall-blooming sunflower puts on a big show but spreads aggressively by root and rhizome and sends up 8-10-foot stems that tend to fall over at bloom time. Its delicious edible tubers make up for any bad traits. They have a nutty, potato-like taste and can be eaten roasted, boiled, or in soups. When planted in ironclad raised beds, Jerusalem artichokes can be tamed for good fall eating.

Origins and History

Jerusalem artichokes are actually native to North America and Mexico.

Despite its misleading common name, which is hazy in its inception but has European origins, Jerusalem artichoke is North American and a distant relative of artichokes but nothing like them in habit or flavor. It’s widespread across the whole of the continent, illustrating its prolific nature.

Through summer, this hardy perennial (USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9) forms tall, broad, rangy clumps of deep green, scratchy foliage. The golden blooms, which feed bees and other pollinators, appear in mid-fall atop stems that range from 6-10 feet. Wild populations favor forest margins, roadsides, disturbed ground, and meadows.

Native Americans of the Great Plains were the first to cultivate Jerusalem artichoke for food and shared it with early colonists. By the 17th century, it was brought to England and eventually cultivated across Europe and beyond for food and livestock feed. Recently, American markets have begun to sell the tubers again, which has bosted their culinary popularity once again. There are several cultivated varieties but these are most available to commercial growers.

Growing

Yellow fall flowers — It’s sunny fall flowers are good for cutting.

Jerusalem artichoke is a worthwhile garden plant if you implement management protocols from the beginning. If left to its own devices, it will run rampant and take over a vegetable or flower garden in a jiffy.

Full sun is a must, as is the case with any sunflower. It is remarkably tolerant of a wide range of soils but will not grow in wet ground. Like most garden plants, a little extra fertility helps. Fafard^® Premium Natural & Organic Compost is a good amendment if your garden soil is particularly poor.

Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend pack — Amend your soil before planting.

Plants are typically sold as tubers, though they’ll grow quickly from seed. Sow seed indoors, being sure to follow the packet’s planting instructions. Tubers should be planted several inches down into worked, loose soil in spring after the threat of frost as passed. Each has multiple protuberant eyes; plant them so most face upwards.

Management

If you don’t live in a rural area with wild space–fenceline, grassy meadow, or sprawling bed–grow one plant in a small raised bed, and expect it to fill the whole thing. The raised beds edges should be set at least 6 inches below the soil level to keep spreading roots in check.

By midsummer, cut the rangy plant stems back by two-thirds to encourage a shorter overall height and more flowers. The technique is much like pinching back a chrysanthemum; it encourages more branching and compact growth. Shorter stems also make harvest easier.

Harvest and Storage

Irregularly shaped tubers — The irregularly shaped tubers are ivory when they are first harvested.

Once the stems start to die back in mid to late fall, cut them back nearly to the ground. Then start digging. A long, sharp space is best.

Expect the tubers to extend a foot or more beyond the place where visible stems appear. Dig as deep as 8 to 12 inches to get them all. The bulbous, irregular, ivory tubers feel like potatoes. Dig most of them out, but leave one small clump in the center, if you want a crop the following year. Keep in mind that if you miss just one tiny tuber, it will sprout in spring, so you may have to dig up a few unwanted plants here and there the following season.

Store the tubers in a cool root cellar or vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. They will keep for two to five months, but as they age they will become less plump and their exteriors will turn brown.

Eating

Cooked Jerusalem artichokes with potatoes — Jerusalem artichokes cook up quickly and taste good roasted with garlic and cheese.

Due to their increasing popularity, there are lots of great recipes for Jerusalem artichokes online. Creamy bisque soups are very popular as are roasted, pan-fried, or sauteed dishes.

Grow Jerusalem artichokes, if you dare. With just a little management, they will reward you with lots of tasty roots for winter. The key is keeping them in bounds.

Growing Winter Pears

Many of the finest pears (Pyrus communis) for growing and eating are harvested to perfection in the winter months. Their fruits become juicy, even buttery, when fully ripe. By late fall, they should start showing up at orchard stands and farmers markets for fresh eating and cooking, but homegrown fruits are even better, if you have the time and yard space.

Like most popular tree fruits, such as cherries, apples, peaches, and plums, pears are members of the rose family (Rosaceae). They originate from Eurasia where their fruits have been gathered and cultivated since pre-history times. In fact, they are one of the oldest grown fruits, with an estimated 3000-year-old cultivation history. Currently, 3000 cultivated varieties exist coming in different hues, sizes, flavors, and textures, but only a handful are commonly sold at markets and grocery stores. Heirloom varieties are harder to come by.

Popular Winter Pears

Common pear varieties are prized for their high-quality fruit, good growth, high production, and suitability for commercial distribution. Many of these are winter pears, producing their best crops from late fall through to midwinter, depending on where they are grown. These popular pears have familiar names, such as ‘Bosc’ and ‘Comice’, to name a couple. Each has fruit characteristics all of their own.

Bosc Pear

Bosc is a very old pear variety with Belgian origins and was first grown in the United States in the early 19th century. Also called ‘Buerré Bosc’, its teardrop-shaped, russet-brown fruits develop a very buttery texture along with juicy sweetness and a heady pear fragrance when ripe. The productive trees are popularly grown in the Pacific Northwest where they are harvested from mid-fall through to early spring.

Concorde Pear

The firm-fleshed ‘Concorde’ is shaped like a ‘Bosc’ but has green skin and distinctly sweet flesh that resists browning. It is an English-bred pear with firmer flesh, which makes it perfect for baking and poaching. Fruits are produced from fall to mid-winter and store well. The exceptionally cold-hardy, disease-resistant trees are recommended for orchardists wishing to grow organically.

Comice Pear

The classic ‘Comice’ (aka. ‘Doyenné du Comice’) pear is an old French variety known for its sweet, melting flavor and texture. The stout, fleshy pear has green skin flushed with red, and its white flesh is very soft and juicy when ripe. It is best reserved for fresh eating and first becomes available in early fall, though it is also considered a favorite holiday pear. The fireblight-resistant trees are very productive.

Forelle Pear

A very old variety that originates from Germany, ‘Forelle’ has very sweet fruit with soft, juicy flesh. It has green skin with distinctive red speckling (“Forelle” means “trout” and refers to the speckling). The fruits are produced in quantity by vigorous trees and are great for fresh eating.

Magness

A juicy eating pear with soft, sweet, aromatic flesh and beautiful reddish skin is the American variety ‘Magness’, which was developed in the 1960s. The russet fruits have tougher skin that resists rot and insect damage, and the trees are very disease resistant and productive.

Pear Tree Sizes

toPear trees may be grafted on dwarf rootstock to keep trees smaller in stature, but typically pears trees are moderately sized, upright, pyramidal, deciduous trees that are hardy and native to temperate regions. Unlike some other fruit trees, they are often very long-lived. They produce white blossoms in spring. Varieties may bloom in early-, mid-, or late-spring. It is essential to know when yours will bloom because most pears require a pollinizer (another tree for fruit pollination) to produce fruit. The fragrant, white, five-petaled flowers are attractive to bees. Fruits are ready to eat 90 to 200 days after pollination, depending on the variety, and be produced from midsummer to early winter.

Growing Pear Trees

Pears produce the best fruit in full sun and require good to average soil with ample drainage. Newly planted trees benefit from the soil amendment at planting and the application of mulch around their base. We recommend amending and top dressing with F afard^® Premium Natural & Organic Compost. When choosing a variety, be sure to choose a disease and pest resistant variety, as many are sensitive to ailments, particularly fireblight.

Enjoying Winter Pears

The holidays are the best time to enjoy winter pears, whether fresh or cooked. USA Pears has the best collection of pear recipes to be found. For the holiday season, I recommend checking out their Bread Stuffing with Pears, Bacon and Caramelized Onions, Almond Pear Tart (gluten free), Pear and Arugula Pesto Stuffed Chicken, or Mache, Pear, and Wild Mushroom Salad.

Fall or spring are good times to plant pear trees. Choosing winter varieties will ensure that you will have something sweet to look forward to later in the season when the harvest is waning and holidays are just around the corner.

Halloween Plant Lore

All ancient festivals relating to Halloween involved the harvest as well as fruits, herbs, trees, and vegetables that were believed to have mystical properties. Plants historically linked to Halloween were most often used to ward off evil, gain good health, or even tell the future. Some classic examples include/d fruits and vegetables carved into Jack ‘O Lanterns as well as apples, elderberries, hazelnuts, and rowan.

The Celtic Feast of Samhain

Halloween is tied to ancient Roman harvest festivals as well as the Celtic feast of Samhain, a festival held at summer’s end. The Celts believed that the dead ascended from their graves on the eve of Samhain and communicated with the living through druid priests. When the Romans conquered the Celts, and Christianity became the dominant religion in Europe, traditions hybridized, and over the centuries culminated into Halloween as we know it today. With each new tradition, a new symbolistic use of plants was employed.

Vegetable Jack ‘O-Lanterns

Pumpkins are the ultimate symbol of Halloween in North America.

A combination of Old World and American traditions led to the hugely popular Halloween Jack ‘o-lantern. The Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a character that fooled the devil using devious, unorthodox means, inspired the first Jack ‘o-lanterns. As the story goes, when Jack died, neither God nor the devil wanted him, so they turned him away with nothing more than a burning ember for light. Jack hollowed out a turnip to hold the ember, and Jack of the Lanterns has been wandering the countryside with his glowing turnip ever since.

The Irish, Scots, and English carved faces into turnips, rutabagas, potatoes, and beets, and lit them on All Hallows’ Eve to frighten away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits. This tradition was then brought to the Americas. It was the influence of mid-nineteenth century Irish immigrants that lead to the carving of pumpkins for jack ‘o-lanterns. Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) are New World vegetables, so they are true symbols of American Halloween.

Apples on All Hallows’ Eve

Halloween also has roots in the ancient Roman harvest festival, Pomona, named for the Roman goddess of apples and trees. Pomona and her fall fruits symbolized romantic love and fertility.

Most European pagan religions applied important symbolism to the apple. During Samhain festivals, the druids are said to have used apples to foretell the future in divination ceremonies. The ancient practice of using apple peelings for divination was a common Halloween game until the early twentieth-century. The length of the peel and pattern it created when falling were used to determine one’s longevity.

Other age-old apple games are still popular today. The Halloween traditions of bobbing, ducking, or diving for apples, have been American favorites since Victorian times (1830s – 1900). Most of these games are thought to have originated from seventeenth-century Ireland. Apples were put in a tub of water, and those able to bite a bobbing apple hands-free would be blessed with good health and luck for the coming year. Others used it as marriage divination; the first to bite an apple would be the first to marry. A similar game, called snap apple, was played with apples hung from strings.

Rowan, Elderberry, and Hazelnut to Ward off Evil

Rowan twigs and berries — Long ago, crosses made of rowan twigs were carried for protection on Halloween.

European rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), elderberry (Sambucus nigra), and hazelnut (Corylus spp.) are three woody plants once believed to ward off witches, evil spirits, and offer protection on All Hallows’ Eve. The ancient Celts believed that rowan berries magically gave good health and that rowan trees planted near gravesites would help the dead sleep. Branches were also used as dowsing rods, and crosses made of rowan twigs were carried for protection on Halloween.

In old Europe, elderberry branches held above doorways were thought to protect homes from malevolent spirits and witches. And, though bonfires are still a part of many European Halloween celebrations, tradition dictates that elderberry should never be burned as this will invite death or the devil.

Hazelnut trees and their nuts were thought to hold equally potent powers on Halloween night. Strands of nuts worn or kept in the home would bring good luck. They were also used in divination practices and carried by young women to ensure fertility for the coming year.

These are just a few of the many plants and fruits with roots in the ancient and interesting holiday of Halloween. Knowing them makes the holiday a little richer and helps us understand the importance and role of seasonal plants in our traditions.

Managing the Five Most Common Apple Diseases

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Don’t be afraid to grow your own apples. Sure, most varieties are rife with disease problems, but there are varietal exceptions, and smaller trees make management easier. Choosing disease-resistant apples and understanding care requirements will make for a reliably healthy harvest. Aspiring orchardists need not be discouraged.

Before and after steps can be taken to ward off common apple diseases. Preliminary steps include planting and caring for your trees correctly and applying preemptive horticultural oils and other natural pesticides. After problems appear, there are other sprays for disease management. To understand what steps to take, a gardener must be able to identify and understand each disease for management.

Five Common Apple Diseases and Management

Apple Anthracnose (Neofabraea spp.): Cool, wet weather encourages this fungal disease that causes reddish or orangish circular cankers on the bark, which can open to show the interior wood. Leaf spots and bull’s-eye fruit rot are also expected features. The disease is rarely deadly. Solution: Use a strong copper-based fungicide during a rain-free spell at spring bloom and just before harvest. Remove and burn cankered branches and stems when plants are dormant in winter.

Apples with anthracnose develop bull's eye rot. (Image by Gohnarch) — Apples with anthracnose develop bull’s eye rot. (Image by Gohnarch)

Cedar Apple Rust (Gymnosporangium juniperivirginianae): When trees are infected, orange spots develop on the leaf tops with odd-looking brownish fungal spikes below. The spots weaken trees. Infected cedars and junipers spread the disease to apples, pears, and other related hosts, so fruit growers must avoid planting these evergreens. Solution: Apply a fungicide for rust, such as Neem oil, when the trees are in bloom if a tree has shown signs of the disease in the past.

Cedar apple rust spots are orange on top with fungal spikes below.

Fireblight (Erwinia amylovora): Fireblight is an easily identifiable bacterial disease that’s spread when it’s rainy. It gives leaf tips, flowers, and stem tips a scorched look. Stem tips curl as they die. Infected leaves dry up and turn brown or black. Badly infected trees develop cankers with orangish bacterial ooze on branches and twigs. Solution: Remove and burn branches with signs of the disease when plants are dormant in winter. If weather conditions are moist at bloom time, spray them with a fireblight bloom spray. Throughout the season, look for the early onset of symptoms and cut and burn infected stems as they appear.

Fireblight leaves and stems — Leaves and stem tips look scorched when they have fireblight.

Apple Scab (Venturia inaequalis): Both fruits and leaves are damaged by this fungal disease. Apple scab overwinters on leaf buds and shows itself when weather conditions become warm and moist. Leaf spots are green and velvety and then turn black. Eventually, whole leaves succumb and die. Infected fruits have scab-like cracked or bulbous spots. Solution: Apply copper fungicide spray or Bonide® Citrus, Fruit & Nut Orchard Spray, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, just before bud break and through to early fruit set.

Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha): Warm, moist or dry weather favors this fungal disease. A powdery substance cover young leaves and new shoots, causing them to crinkle and curl. Solution: Apply the all-natural, potassium bicarbonate-based Greencure® foliar fungicide spray until symptoms are gone.

Apple leaves infected with powdery mildew — These apple leaves are infected with powdery mildew.

Note when you spray different pesticides. For example, copper fungicide sprays should be applied 10 days after an application of dormant oil spray. Use home pressure sprayers for application. (Click here to learn more about horticultural soil sprays and their use.)

Disease Resistant Apple Varieties

Espaliered apple on disease-resistant, dwarfing rootstock — This espaliered apple is on disease-resistant, dwarfing rootstock.

Disease-resistant apple varieties and root stocks make control much easier. Different root stock varieties can also impart vigor and productivity. Tree size is also dictated by the rooting stock, resulting in dwarf, semi-dwarf, or mid-sized trees. (Even the smallest garden can accommodate a couple of dwarf apple trees in large pots or espaliered against walls.) Nursery-purchased apple trees are generally grafted onto good stock with just tree size being variable. (Click here to learn more about apple root stocks.)

Newly cultivated apples are bred for disease resistance as well as flavor. These are the best apples to grow organically because they require little to no spray. Sadly, most heirlooms are very disease susceptible, though a few show some resistance. The 19th-century cultivar ‘McIntosh’ (19th century) is resistant to cedar apple rust and powdery mildew, and ‘Winesap (18th century) is resistant to cedar apple rust. Here are five of the best newer disease-resistant varieties available:

Dwarf apple trees are space-saving and can be very productive.

CrimsonCrisp™: A sweet, crisp apple with deep red skin that’s highly resistant to apple scab and moderately resistant to fireblight and powdery mildew.
‘Enterprise‘: A firm, crisp, tart red apple with high resistance to apple scab and moderate resistance to cedar apple rust and fireblight.
‘Goldrush‘: A tangy, sweet golden apple with high resistance to apple scab and moderate resistance to fireblight.
‘Jonafree‘: A flavorful, low-acid, red apple that bears heavily and is very resistant to apple scab.
‘Liberty‘: A yellow and red apple that’s crisp, sweet, tart and shows great resistance to apple scab, cedar apple rust, fireblight, and powdery mildew!

All apples require cross-pollination, so you need to plant yours with compatible varieties for fruit set. (Click here to view compatible apple varieties for cross-pollination.)

Planting and Care

Adding bark mulch or compost around a newly planted tree — Add 2 to 3 inches of bark mulch or compost around the newly planted tree.

Plant apples in spring or fall. You can buy either nursery or online stock. Trees purchased online will be smaller and take longer to establish.

At planting time, dig a hole to the same depth as the root ball and three times as wide. Place the backfill on a large tarp or in a wheelbarrow and mix it with Fafard Premium Natural and Organic Compost at a 1:2 ratio. Sprinkle in an all-purpose tree fertilizer, using the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Center and hold the tree straight in the hole. Make sure the top of the root ball meets the lawn’s soil line. Then plant it with the amended backfill and tamp it in to remove air pockets. Water deeply after planting, filling in any low spots as they appear, and then add 2 to 3 inches of bark mulch or compost around the newly planted tree. Continue watering one or two times a week for at least two months during dry spells.

Good apple selection and disease management will leave growers with few disease worries. Apple pests are another matter, but they are often far less destructive if populations are low to moderate. Planting compact apples will make care even easier. So be daring and plant one or more apple trees this fall.

Perennials with Brilliant Fall Foliage Color

Perennials with Colorful Fall Leaves Featured Image

Of course, colorful trees produce the biggest show of fall, but it doesn’t have to end there. Lots of non-woody plants change color and pack just as big of a punch in a smaller package. Here are plants that you need if you want to electrify your waning garden with impressive shocks of perennial leaf color.

Perennials With Colorful Fall Leaves

Autumn Fern

Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora, USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8) is an attractive, vigorous fern from Asia that develops golden or russet-orange tones in fall. It is ideal for a shaded or partially shaded garden. The variety ‘Brilliance‘ is especially colorful with reliably bright orange fronds.

Autumn fern grows best in fertile, highly organic soil and reaches an average height of 2 feet when fully grown. Consider amending its soil with fertile Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost before planting.

Barrenwort

Epimedium x rubrum leaves — The leaves of *Epimedium* x *rubrum* can turn very bright fall shades.

Known for remarkable deer resistance and tolerance to dry shade, deciduous or evergreen barrenworts (Epimedium spp.) offer more than delicate stems of spring flowers and attractive summer foliage. Many have fall leaves that turn the hues of the sunset. These are arguably some of the finest perennials for spectacular fall color. Most color up best if provided partial sun in summer, fertile soil, and average moisture.

The common yellow-flowered barrenwort (Epimedium x versicolor ‘Sulphureum’, Zones 5-8) produces pale-yellow flowers in spring and punctuates season’s end with orange-red leaves. Another variety with pale flowers of lavender is the compact Aurora barrenwort (Epimedium sempervirens ‘Aurora’, Zones 5-8), which has small, glossy, semi-evergreen leaves. When plants are grown in partial sun, they develop orange-red fall color.

'Thunderbolt' barrenworts — Many barrenworts have leaf color that is brilliant in summer and fall. ‘Thunderbolt’ is one.

For bright color all season choose red barrenwort (Epimedium x rubrum, Zones 5-9) with its pendulous red and pale yellow flowers and reddish-purple fall leaves. Red Queen barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Red Queen’, Zones 4-8) is another option with large spring flowers of bright rose-red that are further beautified by a mound of very large 4- to 6-inch leaves. In fall, these turn shades of pinkish-orange with some red.

The well-named Thunderbolt barrenwort (Epimedium pinnatum ssp. colchicum ‘Thunderbolt’, Zones 5-8) has sunny yellow spring flowers and somewhat glossy, evergreen leaves. These turn dark purple or deepest mahogany-red with striking contrasting green veins that brighten in fall.

Bloody Geranium

Pink or magenta flowers appear on the bloody geranium (Geranium sanguineum, Zones 4-8), not red ones. Instead, the name comes from its mound of intricate palm-shaped leaves that turn orange-red or blood-red in fall. Plant them in full sun.

One of the better varieties is ‘Max Frei’ with its brilliant magenta flowers that appear in late spring and will rebloom if deadheaded. In fall, the foliage becomes a riot of red. Another is the pale-pink-flowered Striated bloody cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum var. striatum), which develops deep burgundy-red fall color.

Bluestar

Bluestars (Amsonia spp.) are well known for their bright gold or orange fall color, but the elegant Hubricht’s bluestar (A. hubrichtii, Zones 5-9) takes center stage. Its clusters of palest blue, starry, late-spring flowers give way to flowing mounds of fine foliage. Then in fall, the whole large, fluffy plant turns to gold and orange. Plant this among late-blooming asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) for pleasing color contrast. It grows best in full to partial sun and average garden soil.

Plumbago

Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Zones 5-9), is a rambling, low-growing groundcover with pretty, violet-blue flowers that bloom from summer to fall. As its leaves die back, they turn purple, red, and orange, especially if planted in partial sun.

The less common Chinese Plumbago (Ceratostigma willmottianum, Zones 6-9) forms a bushy, shrubby mound reaching 2 to 3 feet. It has the same beautiful, violet-blue flowers that begin blooming in summer and continue through fall. Its leaves consistently turn shades of deep magenta, crimson, and orange towards the end of the season.

Sedums and Sempervivums

Sedum 'Angelina' — The low, spreading Sedum ‘Angelina’ is gold and turns more russet shades in fall.

Some evergreen sedums have good fall color that is maintained through winter. Ground-hugging spreaders, such as the golden-orange-hued Sedum ‘Angelina’, which has spruce-like foliage that turns darker in fall and winter, and red-hued Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’, which turns deep red in fall, make colorful additions to sunny border edges. Another that spreads to form an attractive mat is Sedum ochroleucum ‘Red Wiggle’, which has fine, spruce-like foliage that is red-green in summer and turns bright red in fall. All of these grow well in well-drained sunny spots or rock gardens and are hardy to Zones 4 or 5.

Sempervivum helveticum (Image by Mountain Crest Gardens) — *Sempervivum helveticum* turns dark burgundy in fall and winter. (Image by Mountain Crest Gardens)

Hens-n-Chicks (Sempervivum spp.) are hardy, succulent, evergreens that form spreading clumps of ground-hugging rosettes. Some turn bright colors in fall. Try any of the red, burgundy, or silver-green varieties. These often darken in winter and remain evergreen and beautiful. Two to try are ‘Red Heart‘, which has large reddish-green rosettes that turn red in winter, and Sempervivum helveticum, which has fuzzy-edged rosettes with red tips. These turn dark burgundy in winter.

Grasses

Shenandoah switchgrass is renowned for its brilliant fall color.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’, Zones 5-9) is a tall, clump-forming grass that reaches 3 to 4 feet. It has intermittent blades of reddish-purple through summer and develops airy seedheads by late summer. Then in fall, the whole clump brightens to red. The foliage then turns tan and maintains an attractive presence through winter. Give it average soil and full sun.

Prairie Winds® little bluestem (Image by Proven Winners) — Prairie Winds ® little bluestem reliably turns burgundy-red in fall. (Image by Proven Winners)

Prairie Winds^® ‘Blue Paradise’ Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Blue Paradise’) is a tidy, upright, clump-forming grass reaching 4 feet. Its blades are blue-green through summer and turn burgundy-red in fall. Plant it in full sun and well-drained soil.

When your changing trees and garden perennials both show the prettiest fall colors, the garden looks that much better. Consider planting some of these garden beauties for next year’s end-of-season show.

10 Worst Garden Weeds and Their Management

Managing the Worst Perennial Garden Weeds Featured Image — Burdock is a very difficult weed that pops up along yard perimeters and in gardens.

What makes a garden weed the worst? Four attributes make weeds very difficult to manage. These are 1) deep perennial roots, 2) re-sprouting roots, 3) lots of fast-to-germinate seeds, and 4) fast robust growth. Then you have the added bonus of weed nasties that are toxic and prickly. These are the weeds that take a productive garden bed and turn it into an impossible mess fast. If you have any of these in your garden, weekly weeding will be a necessity until they’re eradicated.

Noxious garden weeds vary based on where you live nationally, so those covered are ubiquitous across the whole of the US, though some are more regionally problematic.

Field Bindweed

If you have a field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) infestation, you are in trouble. This fast-growing vine is one of the most aggressive, difficult perennial weeds to remove, and its little white morning-glory-like flowers produce lots of seeds. The main problem is with its white-rooted runners that spread deep and wide, making it very difficult to dig out. Leave just a piece, and it will resprout. These roots then become mixed up with shrub and perennial roots and are hard to reach. Moreover, weed killers won’t touch it. Managing the weed in a three-step process is the only way to get rid of it.

Methodically dig out the white underground runners. Gently loosen the soil around each with a trowel, following them until the growing points are reached and the roots are fully removed. If you keep even a small piece in the ground, it will regrow.
If the runners are intertwined with perennial roots, dig up the perennials, and remove the bindweed roots in full. (Before replanting, amend the soil with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost for faster re-establishment.)
To keep underground roots from returning in really infested areas, cover the area with mulch cloth and mulch it over. After a season, all parts should be smothered, and you can pull up the mulch cloth and resume gardening as usual.

Burdock

Burdock (Arctium spp.) is a huge, pesky weed of landscape and garden that has the added annoyance of developing giant burrs that attach to pet fur and are hard to get out. If you let a burdock plant go, it will develop a giant clump of huge leaves supported by a giant taproot that reaches deep into the ground. The flower heads look like little thistles and develop into large barbed burrs. The only way to remove a mature plant is with a long, sharp spade. Be sure to dig the root out in full.

Burdock seed heads on pets — Burdock seed heads are huge burrs that attach to pet fur and are difficult to remove.

Ground Ivy

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) aggressive member of the mint family is a low grower with creeping stems that form a weedy mat over your garden in no time. It also thrives in lawns, so you will need to rely on a broadleaf herbicide for the lawn if you want to truly get rid of it. (Corn gluten is an organic broadleaf herbicide option.)

Thankfully, this weed is very easy to pull, but it seeds in fast, and if you leave even the tiniest piece in the ground it will root and regrow. The best way to manage it is to remove it from garden beds first thing every spring and then apply a good layer of mulch. If some little pieces try to break through, pull them out quickly.

Canada Thistle

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is another of the most notoriously difficult garden weeds. The painfully prickly plants produce copious puffy seeds that get caught in the wind and spread everywhere. Once they become established, a single plant will create a dense colony connected by deep, rooting rhizomes that are impossible to dig out entirely. If you leave just one piece, it will form a whole new plant. Plus, it is resistant to herbicides.

To remove Canada thistle, the best method is smothering plants with weed cloth and mulch until they are gone. This one will also creep into the grass, so try to keep lawn specimens under control with broadleaf herbicide. You also don’t want to let this one go to seed anywhere near your yard or garden.

Johnsongrass

The pattern with these perennial weeds is that most have underground stems and roots that spread and resprout if one piece is left in the ground, and they all produce tons of seed that gets quickly spread hither and yon. Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) does this, too. This tall, tough grass requires a spade to remove, and gardeners must follow the trailing stems to capture all underground parts. The tip of each root is sharp, so beware.

Thankfully, most of its underground runners stay close to the soil surface, so they are easier to remove. You also want to get rid of specimens before they bloom and set seed in summer.

Mugwort

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is another massively aggressive spreader. And, sadly, this plant was brought to the states as a medicinal herb and flavorant for ale. It has since spread across the eastern United States and the whole of Canada.

The plant has a strong, resinous smell and spreads by the most aggressive lateral underground runners ever. Like Johnsongrass, these mostly remain near the soil surface, but they are so numerous that one has to dig extensively to remove the whole underground plant. I suggest a sharp spade and trowel and lots of elbow grease. Manage it as you would field bindweed.

Nutsedge

There isn’t a gardener that has not had the “pleasure” of weeding out nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus). This aggressive sedge establishes itself in the garden via copious seeds and fine, spreading roots that develop small, brown nutlet tubers. Leave just one of these tubers in the ground, and they will sprout into a whole new plant. (One side note is that the nutlets can be harvested and eaten.)

This sedge is not herbicide resistant, but its tubers are resistant. For this reason, dig out the plants rather than just pulling or spraying them. In the process, be sure to get all of the tubers. Then mulch the area over and diligently pull any small sedge sprouts as you see them.

Poison Ivy

Safety and knowledge are needed when removing this toxic, much-feared weed. First, it is important to realize that you can get a poison ivy rash from any “dead” portion of the plant, from stem to root, and dry plant pieces will remain toxic for years. This is because its toxic oil (urushiol) is very chemically stable and remains potent for ages. That’s why you need more than a bottle of herbicide to remove it. Careful removal by hand is surprisingly the safest method, but you have to prepare well and do it carefully.

There are several things you will need to remove poison ivy without putting yourself in danger. Body Coverings: long thick pants, a long thick shirt that covers your wrists and body, long rubber gloves, and closed-hole shoes (rubber gardening boots are perfect). Tools: a sharp spade or trowel, pruners or loppers, and hole-free plastic bags large enough to contain all plant parts.

All plant parts must be removed. For smaller plants, fully dig them up and cover them with a plastic bag. Grab them with bag and enclose them without touching them. For large vines, cut the base with pruners or loppers, and remove as much of the upper part of the vine as you can. Do not pull it for fear it may fall on you. Once again, cover and grab the plant pieces with a plastic bag to reduce contact. Then dig out the roots with a spade and bag the pieces, too. T=Secure and trash all of the bags when finished.

Cleaning Up After Poison Ivy

During the removal process, watch everything that may have come in contact with the plant (tools, clothing, gloves, trashcan lid handle, door handles, etc.) You will need to clean everything properly.

Clean up: Toss the gloves and wash all possibly contaminated tools and surfaces with a coarse cloth and soap. Degreasing spray can be very effective. Remove all contaminated clothes and washcloths and wash them in a hot water cycle with the maximum amount of a strong detergent. (If you are really worried, you can prewash them in a bucket of hot water and detergent.) Lastly, wash and shower up completely using strong soap, a textured washcloth, and lots of friction. (Friction and good, strong soap should remove all the oil from your skin. If you are really sensitive, wash twice.) Technu soap is made to remove poison ivy oil and is a good choice. [Read here for further information from the USDA about rash prevention.]

Two more essential poison ivy warnings: Poison ivy will contaminate compost, so never add it to your pile. And, if burned the toxic oils of poison ivy become airborne, causing an extra dangerous rash on the skin and in the lungs.

Mowing and chemical sprays can cut poison ivy back, but they will not remove it, or its dangers. Take the time to carefully remove your plants, and your yard will be poison ivy free in no time.

Vegetable Companion Plants that Repel Insect Pests

Some attractive and useful companion plants really do help ward off certain insect pests from specific crops. Plant these companions in quantity, and they can serve to reduce the populations of common insect pests of vegetables.

Research has shown that some companion plantings reduce the number of insect pests that attack vegetable crops. Some companion plants are trap crops that attract insect pests, luring them away from your favorite vegetables. Others are insect-repelling companion plants that produce aromatic chemicals that some pests dislike.

Trap crops take up a lot of space and are not practical for most home gardeners, while desirable repellant plants are more viable to grow. These are the plants covered. Companion with some value to gardeners, in addition to protective properties, are a win-win.

Insect-Repelling Companion Plants

Note that repelling plants will never totally protect vegetables from the pests that attack them, but they can reduce the number of pests. Here are a few good examples of protective plants (mostly herbs) and the pests they repel.

Basil

A few key culinary herbs have been shown to offer repellent protection to specific veggies. One of these is everyone’s favorite herb, basil. Research has shown that rows of tall basil (Ocimum basilicum) around tomatoes can reduce the number of tomato hornworms on tomatoes and eggplant. Tomato hornworms are very damaging, defoliating tomatoes in no time. They are also so large, they are very unpleasant to kill.

Basil also wards off thrips from developing flowers and other plant tissues. The little insect pests suck juices from flowers, fruits, and leaves causing ugly mottled spots.

Good basil varieties for the task include the tall, Italian Genovese basil, purple ‘Opal basil, hybrid lemon basil (Ocimum × africanum), and beautiful ‘Pesto Purpetuo‘ basil, which is tall, highly fragrant, non-blooming, and has beautiful variegated leaves.

Catnip

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) can reduce damage by flea beetles, a pest that attacks eggplant, brassicas ( like collards, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower), tomatoes, and other common crops. There is also some evidence that it wards off cabbage loopers, which also attack brassicas. A series of predating beetles, including Colorado potato beetles, cucumber beetles, and Japanese beetles, which can attack okra and beans, are also repelled. Squash bugs also avoid these plants.

Another benefit of catnip is that it repels mosquitoes very well.

Chives and Onions

Chives, leeks, and onions (Allium spp.) are welcome additions to any garden and some vegetable pests really dislike them. The pests they deter include damaging moths (like cabbage moths), aphids, and spider mites. All three of these pests attack a wide host of vegetable plants, such as brassicas, beans, and squash, so a border of chives or onion relatives can really help in the garden.

Evergreen Culinary Herbs

There is a host of favorite culinary evergreen herbs that repel certain pests from brassicas. Many of hese effective herbs in the mint family. This should come as no surprise because they are all strongly aromatic and resinous, which is why they tend to have few to no insect predators. Three of the best include sage (Salvia officinalis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris).

Sage has been shown to protect brassicas from cabbage moths as well as carrots, parsley, and parsnips from carrot flies. Rosemary also protects against carrot flies in addition to snails and slugs. Finally, whiteflies, which damage the foliage and overall health of many crops, disfavor thyme.

Daisy-Family Herbs

Collecting chamomile — Chamomile makes delicious tea and provides brassicas some protection from cabbage loopers.

Strongly aromatic herbs in the daisy family can really pack a punch against pests. Some are very large, so they need space to grow, but they are reliable companions to many vegetables.

From spring to midsummer, chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) shines in the garden providing some protection to brassicas from cabbage loopers. The dried flowers of chamomile can also be used to make a flavorful, soothing tea.

Marigolds of all kinds help ward off a serious underground pest of tomatoes, tomato root-knot nematodes. These attack the roots of tomatoes, stunting the plants and reducing their productivity. Planting tomatoes and marigolds in rotation from year to year can help keep these pests away. (C lick here to learn more about marigolds and root-knot nematodes.)

Even more effective members of this family include the non-culinary, herbs wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), the herb used to make absynthe, southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum), and tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). All are strongly fragrant and have been shown to reduce damage by flea beetles, a pest that attacks eggplant, brassicas, tomatoes, and other common crops. Southernwood and wormwood also protect against cabbage loopers and cabbage butterflies. And, Japanese beetles and Colorado potato beetles don’t like tansy.

One downside to these three non-culinary repellent plants in the daisy family is that they tend to spread and become weedy. So, be sure to clip back their flowers to keep them from setting seed.

In general, herbs grow best in fertile to semi-fertile soil enriched with compost. Companion plantings are most effective if you plant them in rows or rings surrounding the vegetables that you want to protect. And, if you plant favorite culinary herbs, you can harvest and enjoy these as well.

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