http://statebystategardening.com/al/blog_01_summary/ en oliver@hiwaay.net Copyright 2012 2012-04-16T15:42:28+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/show_me_the_money_plant/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/show_me_the_money_plant/ An old-fashioned biennial, Money Plant (Lunaria annua) is also known as Honesty and Silver Dollar Plant. Native to central and southern Europe, it was brought to the United States by the Pilgrims. The attractive purple (or white) flowers appear in early spring, from 1 - 3' feet tall. After flowering, the seedpods develop. They start out green and turn to silvery white or translucent orbs that resemble coins. The seeds inside can be dried or simply removed and scattered (nature will also do this for you as it is a notorious re-seeder.) They also are popular in dried flower arrangements. A member of the Mustard family, it is said that the white tapered roots can be eaten raw or boiled. Easy to grow, just sprinkle seeds in the fall or early spring. It flowers the second year from seed and will probably re-seed for you. You can always scatter more seeds to assure successive flowers. 2012-04-16T14:42:28+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/winter_berries/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/winter_berries/   Beauty Berry (Callicarpa)     Holly (not sure about the variety) Mahonia   2012-01-10T17:35:03+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/the_last_roses/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/the_last_roses/ The last roses      We've had our first frost but a few roses are hanging on. Nearly Wild             La Marne Buff Beauty   2011-12-02T15:04:47+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/inside_views/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/inside_views/ Today was rainy and stormy, a good day to be indoors. I kept glancing outside the windows. There are still a lot of leaves left to fall and the overcast day really brightened the colors.   This is the view from one of the living room windows. The "Bloodgood" Japanese maple has almost dropped all of its leaves. They are so vibrant and red this year. The view in the back looking out the big window in the little breakfast nook. The hydrangeas in the circle were pretty and green this fall and most of the leaves are still hanging on. The tree is a Sawtooth Oak.   2011-11-28T21:19:29+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/angels_trumpet_brugmansia/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/angels_trumpet_brugmansia/ Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia)   The Angel's Trumpet is one of our most spectacular plants. It is one that can stop non-gardener's in their tracks to inquire about it. We have a glorious yellow one (most likely "Charles Grimaldi") growing in our vegetable garden area in a raised bed next to the street. It grows tall and stately, extending above the hedge, and the blooms are on display to anyone driving or walking past. I'd often had people stop and ask me about it when I'm out there working.   They are very easy to grow but oddly, you don't see many in people's gardens. This could be due to their reputation. All parts of the plant are poisonous to both animals and humans if ingested. We've always had pets around and I've never seen one munching on one so I suspect they have enough common sense to stay clear of them.  Brugmansia (and the closely related Datura) are in the Nightshade family and are well known as plants that can induce wildly hallucinogenic states. The American Indians used the plant to bring about a change in conscience and thought that the intoxicating effects could put them in contact with the Gods and the spirits of their ancestors. Peruvian Indians called it "the plant of the grave" and thought that if a person feel asleep under the shade of one, they would go mad.  Medicinal purposes of the plant have also been touted and it was once used to make Hyoscine, a drug for motion sickness, although Datura is mainly used as a source for it today. The Angel's Trumpet is a native of South America. Blooms are usually yellow, pink or white and are the main attraction of the plant. They begin to bloom in Summer and last on and off through the Fall. They always put on a dramatic show in the Fall right before the first frost. They can be grown either in the ground or in a container but either way, they must be brought in during the winter months or protected somehow because they are not hardy below freezing. I have successfully over-wintered plants during mild winters under thick layers of mulch but a harsh winter (like our last one) will surely do them in.  Container Plants Angel's Trumpet can easily be grown in a container and the type of container does not matter (although clay pots may have to watered more frequently than plastic ones). The container should be large and wide to accompany the root growth and a layer of rocks in the bottom is advisable to keep plants from tipping over. A general potting mix is fine and it should be mixed with 1/3 garden loam. These are thirsty plants and have to be watered almost daily, especially in hot summer months. Good drainage is essential. Weekly fertilization, with a mineral and nitrogen‐rich fertilizer, is needed for good bloom development. Place containers in a partly sunny location although sun during the hottest part of the day can fade the flower color. Protect from wind! A beautiful pink Angel's Trumpet grows in a container on our patio and gets bright light but very little direct sun and does quite well there. Pruning Pruning is not necessary but can be done if you want more blooms or want a tree form. If you decide to prune, wait until the plant has formed a "Y". You can then force the plant to form more limbs (and thus more flowers). Cut out all but the newest growth and allow it to grow before pruning back to 1/2 to 1 inch from the node. If you prefer a bushier tree, then you must prune a lateral branch. Make the cut at the joint and each joint can produce up to two new branches. Over-Wintering  Plants can be over-wintered either in a cool or warm environment.    Cool environment: Leave the plant outside as long as possible so that they can harden off and acclimate to the cooler temperatures. They can be stored in a basement or garage as long as the temperature stays in the 40-50 degree range. Remove any remaining leaves and prune shoots back to healthy tissue. They usually will not need much watering but do not allow the root ball to dry out. In the Spring, after the danger of frost, the plants should be re-potted in a larger pot and brought back outside. Warm environment: Angel's Trumpet can also be over-wintered in a warm area, such as a greenhouse or sun-room. The area should have plenty of light and temperatures should be in the 55-65 degree range. Bring the plants in when outside temperatures fall around 50-55 degrees. Reduce watering and fertilizing by half during the winter months. Propagation Angel's Trumpets are one of the easiest plants to propagate by cuttings. Cuttings can be taken year round and both leafy and woody cuttings can be used. Six inch cuttings will develop roots in just a few weeks (rooting hormone will hasten the process). Insert 1 1/2 inches of the cutting in a peat and sand mixture and maintain high humidity by covering with plastic. Rooting can also be easily done in water. Take a 6" cutting and place in a glass of water with the water only covering the lower 1 1/2 inch. Roots will sprout quickly and the cutting can then be put in a small container of soil. Mist with water frequently for several days until the roots take hold. Fall cuttings - Take 10" cuttings and place in a peat and sand mixture or vermiculite. Keep the soil moist but don't over-water. Place in an area with good light in the 55-65 degree range. Roots will develop by next spring in time for planting. 2011-10-24T14:17:56+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/fall_and_winter_containers/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/fall_and_winter_containers/ Fall and winter containers   I've been working on the fall and winter pots for the past few weeks. Pansies are really the only flower you can have through the winter. Snapdragons will bloom through the fall and come back again in the spring. And then there is ornamental kale and cabbage. I remember growing it once before when I was pleased with how it looked. Other years it would bolt and look awful and not display much color. I decided to try again this year.  The major problem I have with planting the fall pots is that I can't bring myself to tear out the summer plants that are still looking good. I would hate to work a public place where you have to rip out perfectly good plants to put in the next season's display. I can see why it has to be done but it hurts me to do it. Therefore, I'm searching for pots all over the place and trying to decide which plants I should throw out. I have an inner conversation in my head that goes something like this: "Oh, I forgot all about all the pots down by the waterfall - I can use those! --- "No, the impatiens there are still beautiful. I can't pull those out." --- "They are down here in the lower forty, no one ever sees them anyway." And I go back and forth. In the end, I left the impatiens but I also have quite a few pansies that are not planted. I suppose I should just buy more pots.   There are quite a few containers that are still looking good.  These white begonias are too pretty to rip out. Of course when the frost hits, I'll regret it.   The Dragon Wing begonias in the patio pots are huge and they will bloom until frost. If anyone can give me some tips on overwintering them or how to root them, let me know! Euphorbia "Diamond Frost" lives up to its name. A fantastic plant!   Pots on the steps to the back door. That is Camellia "Bonanza" beginning to bloom on the side. Since the back door is where everybody comes in and out, I decided to place a lot of pots here. Oh yeah, I didn't mention mums. Actually, I'm not crazy about them. They are expensive, they don't last long enough and I'm rarely successful when putting them in the ground. They do bring a lot of color though and nothing says fall like mums and pumpkins. It does pay to shop Home Depot first thing in the morning. I got this huge orange mum for $3.50! It was a tad wilted but after I brought it home, planted it and watered it, it looks as good as new. 2011-10-14T12:28:14+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/planting_fall_vegetables/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/planting_fall_vegetables/   I can't remember a September as nice as this one. It is usually blazing hot and dry, even into October. This year (and I hope this doesn't curse it), temperatures have stayed in the 70s and low 80s and we've had regular rain. And, best of all, no humidity. This is how Fall is supposed to be! I've managed to get some fall crops in the ground at an appropriate time. The raised beds I have at my mother's house is 20 miles away so I can't tend to them like I should. Two weeks ago, I planted radish seeds and seedlings of lettuce, cabbage and onions. I think seedlings are the way to go. I planted lettuce seeds last year and I'm not good at thinning them out. We had plenty of lettuce but it was a crammed mess. Other fall crops that can be planted now are carrots, collards, turnip greens and other greens. The cooler nights help them grow well and if a freeze should threaten, they can be covered to protect them. I've also planted lettuce in containers in the small vegetable garden at our house since the tomatoes are still taking up most of the beds. The summer vegetable garden was more successful than last years. The cantaloupe "Ambrosia" did well again although last year we were still getting cantaloupes up until late October and this year's vine is about done. I'm guessing the wetter weather has affected them since they prefer drier soil. My last attempt at cucumbers was disastrous but this year was better. I also grew a row of okra and purple hull peas. Less successful was the eggplant - I think there were a total of 3 eggplants. Also, another failed attempt at squash, which promptly died. I also tried watermelon and got 2 melons but I think it about over too. Radish seeds sprouting   2011-09-26T13:03:08+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/snakes_and_hummingbirds/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/snakes_and_hummingbirds/ With the exception of having to go get a poison ivy shot first thing this morning, today was a lovely day. At 3pm today, the temperature was 81! That is not a typo - 81 in August. Heaven! I didn't want to do anything strenuous and get sweaty since it interferes with the poison ivy so I put the hedge trimming on the back burner and just enjoyed the day at a leisurely pace, watering and fertilizing, mowing and some light pruning here and there. I am not a snake lover so I got quite a jolt when I walked up the side gate to water the portulaca and saw this -   This green snake is quite harmless and it eats insects in the garden. I know that now so when I come across one, I don't panic. I watched this guy for about 30 minutes. He stayed in this position for quite a while slowly making his way down the opposite side.  He actually looks like he is smiling, doesn't he? He lingered here before turning back up and heading toward the pots of portulaca. He crawled halfway in them and lingered - He then left the pot and started crawling up the archway over the gate - And across the top - In the meantime, I think the hummingbirds were miffed that I was invading their territory. One finally showed up - After photographing the hummingbirds, I started looking for the snake again and couldn't find him. If he was in the roses and vines on the archway, his camouflage was excellent. Or he may have got in a hurry and crawled down really fast. 2011-08-24T19:51:58+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/ornamental_grass_adagio/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/ornamental_grass_adagio/ Miscanthus sinensis "Adagio" - a smaller ornamental grass that grows to about 3-4 ft. tall. 2011-07-25T18:24:06+00:00 http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/summer_lilies/ http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/al/blog_01/summer_lilies/ For the past month, the lilies have been putting on a show in the garden. I grow several varieties. My favorites are the Orienpet lilies which are very showy. They grow tall - at least 5 or 6 feet - and have to be staked or else they end up on the ground. Lilies are best planted in the fall and they like rich, well-amended soil. Here are some of my favorites: 'Silk Road' 'Pizzazz'   'Star Gazer' 'Scheherazade' 2011-07-06T18:21:19+00:00