Stained Glass Hosta

My Stained Glass Hosta is starting to bloom! I didn't think it would this year, largely because I got the plants (two of them) quite late.

Here's what I've found out about this new addition to my garden:

• They grow in zones 3 - 9.
• They are perennial.
• They bloom in late summer or fall (mine bloomed near the end of September).
• The blossoms are very fragrant.
• They are very sun tolerant, although prefer some shade.
• They prefer rich and moist, but well drained soil.
• They attract bees, birds and butterflies.
• They divide easily, and root easily in water.
• Here's how Wikipedia defines "hosta": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosta

Plant Avenue Home

PH Scale (My Version Of)

This chart is a work in progress, and I'm not a botanist or chemist... I put it together as a guide for myself re: my plants and how they are compatible with the soil in my garden based on some of the types of things I compost. There are a few items on there that I don't compost, such as milk, that I've included just for interest.

(If you double click on the chart you'll be able to see a larger version of it.)

I've noticed an interesting thing: I drink a lot of coffee, which is acidic, and I compost all of the grinds and filters. On the other hand, we eat very few eggs (the shells of which contain lime, which can make your soil more alkaline).

I haven't been able to grow lettuce for the past two years, and you'll notice on my chart that lettuce tends to prefer less acidic soil. My strawberry plants, on the other hand, are thriving (they apparently appreciate my morning cups of java ;)

This adds an interesting element to garden bed planning and composting. I could create two compost piles (one for coffee grinds and one without) but that complicates crop rotation (i.e. potatoes). Instead, I think the easiest thing to do at this point is to not compost all of my coffee grinds...

Oh and look where Geraniums are on the scale - they really don't like coffee!! On an impulse one day (before learning about PH) I dumped some cold coffee over the soil of a couple of geranium cuttings I have on my counter. Now they're not so happy. Oops...

Plant Avenue Home

Can You Root A Rosemary Cutting?

This is my second attempt to root a Rosemary cutting. The first time was successful, only to eventually die after it was planted in soil (not sure why - it might have been too small to survive the winter outside?).

I thought I'd try again, this time indoors. I checked my cutting today and noticed something interesting.

Last time the roots formed at the very bottom of the cutting, but this time the roots are growing out from where the green needles are, with no trace of roots at the bottom.

I'm curious to see how this cutting fares once I plant it (maybe tomorrow?). I'm planning to keep this one indoors over the winter. Wish me luck!

Plant Avenue Home

Saving Garden Peas For Next Year's Seeds

I purposely left my peas planted this year, long after I'd finished picking them, so that the leftover peas could dry out enough to be saved for next year's planting. (This took longer than I thought it would, as interestingly enough the pods were the last part of the plants to stay green - the plants seemed to direct most of the water and nutrients they absorbed to the pods and peas).

Today they were finally dry enough. I managed to find about 20 (see pic) that I can save for next year, and as I was scrounging around I pulled up what I though must have been a weed... nope! A fallen pea had started the next generation of plants already (foreground of pic).

Nature definitely knows how to take good care of things :)


Plant Avenue Home

My Asters And Other Ways To Attract Bees

A quick footnote to my last post about Asters: the bees love my new plant! I've noticed an increase in their numbers since its arrival, and every time I stop to look at the flowers, I see several bees hard at work.

This got me thinking about pollinating my fruit and veggie plants in the back yard (I planted my Asters in the front), and I thought what a shame that Asters are late bloomers. But wait, I could certainly look into other bee-attracting tips, couldn't I?

Here's what I found out:

• Plant a variety of florals that will bloom in stages all season, that way you always have a place for bees to come.
• Bees like a wider variety of blooms (as opposed to many of the same kind).
  
• There are many herbs that attract bees (check! I have some in my garden already).
• Provide a water source (like a small pond). Bees need water as well as nectar.
  
• Do not use pesticides. I already don't, but it's still an important point (and one that makes sense).
• Leave a portion of your garden as bare dirt (i.e. mulch and plastic free) to allow for bees that lay eggs in small tunnels under ground.
• Leaving blooming weeds, such as dandelions, buttercups and white clover, can attract bees as well.
• Here's a link to an article that lists good bee-attracting plants: Buzzworthy Plants That Attract Bees, by Brian Clark Howard.

The wheels in my head are turning now, generating a to-do list:

1. Get a bird bath for the veggie garden.
2. Plant some marigolds all around the perimeter of the veggie garden, and maybe some black eyed susans inside.
3. Add more herbs, and spread them out throughout the garden instead of having them clumped in one area.
4. And the list goes on...
   

Happy bee luring!!

Plant Avenue Home

Asters

I have yet another addition to my garden! I bought a small Aster plant recently, and now wish I'd bought two or three. I chose this colour (see picture) because it's my daughter's favourite :) Here is some information about Asters:

• They are late bloomers, brightening up the garden in late summer and fall, and blooming until frost.
• They attract butterflies, moths, bees, and even birds if they're left to go to seed.
• They are perennials :)
• If you divide your Aster plant every two or three years, it's appearance will benefit. Divide plants in the spring once they have finished blooming: remove older less healthy areas and replant the fresh, newer growth.
• Watch out for powdery mildew: don't crowd plants, as this will prevent air circulation, and try to keep the leaves dry when watering.
• Asters can be propagated from seeds or cuttings (at the moment I have a cutting from the plant I bought, in some water :)
• Asters can grow in zones 4 - 8.
• They prefer full sun.
• "Aster" is Greek for "star".

Plant Avenue Home

Can You Grow A Japanese Maple From A Cutting?

I love Japanese Maples! We have one in our back yard, and I'd love to have one in the front as well. I hadn't even considered the option of propagating a new tree from a cutting, until I stumbled upon the idea here. I surfed around again and found more info here.

I think I'm definitely going to try. I'll have to look at our tree to see if there is any new growth I can clip to use - otherwise I might have to wait until spring.

Here's a summary:

• Use a cutting from new growth, between 6 and 8 inches long.
• Cut at an angle where a leaf meets the stem.
• Remove all but the last two or three leaves.
• Dip in a rooting hormone (such as Rootone).
• Put cutting in moist perlite.
• Maintain humidity (seal in plastic, or mist regularly).
• Place somewhere with good light.
• Once roots have appeared (about 8 weeks later), you can then move the cutting out doors, if you allow it to gradually adjust to the new temperature.
• Plant in the ground at least a month before the first frost.

Rooting success is apparently related to the age of the tree - the younger the tree, the more likely your cuttings will be to survive. I'm not sure how old our JM is, other than the fact that it was an established tree when we bought our house, eight years ago. Hmmm. (I'm still going to try ;)





Plant Avenue Home

Nonstop Mocca Yellow Begonia

Here's another addition to my front garden! It is a Nonstop Mocca Yellow Begonia. It's a new floral for me, so I thought I'd do some research to aid in its care. Here's what I found out about Begonias:

• They like well drained soil, as they will rot if they become too moist, but the soil should not be left to dry out completely between watering.
  
• They like sun, but should be protected from the most intense sun if your climate is hot and dry.
• Bring inside before first frost, but not into a room that's too warm.
  
• When you bring them inside, start with the sunniest location you can find and then gradually allow them to get used to reduced amounts of light.
• Zones: 3-11 (Annual in zones 3-8; Perennial in zones 9-11).
• Tubers can be saved over the winter to start new plants the following year.
• Leave foliage in place after blooming has finished for the season, as the leaves can continue to generate food for the bulbs/tubers. Foliage can be cut back once it turns yellow.
• Begonias can be propagated from cuttings.
  

Plant Avenue Home

Mold On Zucchini Leaves

This is my latest gardening hurdle: there is powdery, grayish mold on many of my zucchini leaves. As it turns out, there are a few simple things you can try to combat this.

First and foremost - never put moldy leaves in your compost. The spores will survive and spread.

As for getting rid of mold on leaves, I was able to find three different organic solutions that can be sprayed directly on the plants to alleviate mold:

1. Chamomile tea. Make a strong brew and let it cool first before spraying. Chamomile tea is high in sulfur and is a natural fungicide.
2. Baking soda and water. Mix 1 tbsp of Baking Soda and 1 gallon of water and spray on leaves.
3. Skim milk and water. Combine at a 50/50 ratio and spray on. This remedy supposedly changes the pH of the surface of the leaves, which prohibits the mold from surviving.

PS - here's a handy link http://www.ghorganics.com/page15.html with more remedies for other plant diseases (in addition to mold).


Plant Avenue Home

Cabbage Worm

Aw, he's cute!!! Too bad he and his lil' buddies are devouring my pretty blue ornamental cabbage.

I picked off all the worms I could find yesterday, and tossed them in the yard as far away from the garden as I could (they turn into the Cabbage White butterfly so I didn't have the heart to kill them).

My edible cabbage in the back garden has also been devoured, and although I can't find any worms, I do recall seeing these lovely little white butterflies flitting about (ah-HA!).

The butterflies deposit their small eggs on the underside of the leaf. After a short time (about a week), the eggs hatch and the worms start munching away, nourishing themselves to make their chrysalis for the next generation of butterflies.

Hmmm.

I found a great article on this topic at EcoSMART, which includes a photo of the eggs, as well as several solutions including:

• Use floating row covers and/or nylon stockings to cover your plants.
• Remove and destroy the worms (does throwing them across the yard count? I'm thinking not, lol).
• Plant other things to deter these pests (such as RED cabbage, Mint, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme or Hyssop).
• Catch the butterflies with nets or sticky tapes.

They also sell their organic insectide, which is another option to try.

Another spray option, which I might try because I can mix it myself and is chemical free, is the combination of 1% garlic, 1% fish oil and 98% water. You can visit this site for more information on this.

Flour, dusted on the leaves when they're damp from dew or rain, also works. The worms eat the flour, become bloated, and die. I'm considering trying this as well, since it's a totally non-toxic option. This e-How article by Chris McLaughlin describes the flour method.

There are many things you can do to combat the Cabbage Worm - I'm planning to add to this post as I come across more information. Meanwhile, I guess I'll try one of the remedies described above and see what works!
_____________________________

PS - I just went out back and inspected my cabbage - I saw some eggs, although no big clusters of them - AND I saw some that had hatched into tiny baby worms (about 1-2 mm in length)!! Previously I had scanned for full grown worms and not seen any, but this time I looked closer...

Plant Avenue Home