Tag: #Gardens

Create a Focal Point in your Garden Bed 

Another way that you can arrange plants in your landscape is by creating a focal point. Pick a superstar plant that you love or even position a sculpture or other object as the focus of your garden bed. Then arrange plants around the focal point to bring it all together. 

(CC0 1.0), via Pixabay

In landscaping, focal points are plants or objects that stand out from the background. Place focal points within the landscape in a way that will draw attention to a particular area of the garden. The purpose of focal points in a landscape are many. Focal points do several things in a landscape. First, they create a resting spot in your garden. Focal points are a great way to guide a person to a destination. They are an important tool for garden designers. Why? Because they are a way to control how people will view the garden. When used correctly, focal points will create a special moment (or moments) in your garden.

It’s important to note that focal points do not exist in a vacuum. Focal points are always viewed WITH the other plants and elements in your landscape. So, while they are the element that stands out and guides the eye, they also have to fit with the overall aesthetic of the landscape they are placed into.

Try arranging a group of plants around a focal point, like a pot, statue or even a vibrant plant. Illustration by PrettyPurpleDoor.

Source: Arrange Plants In Your Garden – 3 Simple Ways – Pretty Purple Door

Install a Rain Barrel This Summer

If you are concerned about conserving water resources and
have noticed runoff or erosion issues in your community, your
home might be the perfect environment for a rain barrel!
You’ll especially love rain barrels if you are busy gardening.
during the summer months.


According to the United States Geological Survey, a 1-inch
rainstorm over a 40×70 foot roof can equal over 1,700 gallons
of water. Imagine all the ways you could use that water if you
could keep it on your property! That is where rain barrels
come in.

Rain barrels utilize a large container that is designed to collect
rainwater. These can be either store-bought or homemade, but
the purpose is the same: collect rainwater for plant irrigation.
Rain barrels can reduce flooding along with irrigating plants
like woody and herbaceous ornamentals along with lawns.
Rain barrels also direct water away from home foundations
and therefore can prevent basement flooding and save on
costs. In addition, rain barrels reduce the amount of water
running into lakes and rivers, thus reducing erosion and
storm water pollution.
Now is the time that you might ask yourself, “Is the water safe
to use in my vegetable garden?” Unfortunately, there are
limited studies to answer this question fully, but a few have
been done on asphalt roofs. Because of possible leaching from
asbestos roofs, it is generally recommended to avoid using a
rain barrel to catch and use that water. Rutgers researchers
found that heavy metal and pathogen levels did not exceed
EPA standards, but precautions should be taken to minimize
risk. Most notably, the water should be treated with 1/8 a
teaspoon of household bleach per 1 gallon of water. This
amounts to about an ounce if you have a standard 55-gallon
rain barrel. After applying the bleach, wait 24 hours before
using the water.

Rain barrels should be installed on even surfaces that are
slightly raised to increase pressure and encourage the flow of
water when emptying. Be sure to secure the rain barrel to
prevent tipping as they are very heavy when full and can be a
hazard. Be sure the inlet leads is protected by a screen to
prevent debris from clogging your hoses.
To maximize the conversation impact of your new rain barrel,
consider planting drought resistant plants such as native
Illinois prairie plants. These plant roots are deep and can
handle large rainfalls along with the hot dry summers.
Consider planting them along the path of your rain barrel
overflow spout to create a small rain garden and absorb the
extra water

By Gemini Bhalsod for gardeners_corner_2019_summer.pdf (illinois.edu)

Pinching Plants: How to Pinch a Plant for Better Growth

Pinching plants is a surefire way to achieve fuller, lusher plants without a lot of effort by simply removing the top portion. But if the thought of deliberately removing stems from your beloved plants sounds scary, we’ve got your back. Successful plant-pinching all comes down to timing and technique. Here’s how to pinch a plant and why it could be the perfect way to take your plants from basic to beautiful.

What Is Plant Pinching?

Pinching plants is the act of removing the end of a plant just above a node (or bulge) on the stem where the leaves are attached. You remove the end set of leaves or buds and, in response, the plant sends out two new branches (also known as lateral stems), which results in more leaves and flowers. While pinching isn’t absolutely essential, it’s a next-level gardening trick that can help many plants perform better.

Plants You Should Pinch

Certain plants benefit from pinching more than others. Here are a few to prioritize.

Late-season flowering perennials, such as:

  • Aster
  • Chrysanthemum
  • Helenium
  • Perovskia (aka Russian sage)
  • Phlox
  • Sedum
  • Veronica

Flowering annuals, such as:

  • Coleus
  • Cosmos
  • Impatiens
  • Petunia
  • Salvia
  • Snapdragon
  • Verbena
  • Zinnia

Many common herbs, such as:

  • Basil
  • Lavender
  • Oregano
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Tarragon
  • Thyme

Plants You Shouldn’t Pinch

In general, resist the urge to pinch plants with one flower per stem or low-to-the-ground leaves. If you pinch these plants, you could inadvertently remove the only flowers they’ll produce for the year.

Specific examples include:

  • Astilbe
  • Columbine
  • Daylily and other types of lilies
  • Delphinium
  • Dianthus
  • Heuchera
  • Hosta
  • Hydrangea
  • Iris
  • Peony

How to Pinch a Plant

The only tools you need to pinch a plant are your thumb and forefinger. Simply grab on at the end of a node, push your fingernails in and give a gentle tug. For bigger jobs, you can use a pair of scissors or handheld shears.

When to Pinch Plants

When to pinch depends on the type of plant. As a general rule, most pinchable plants benefit from one or two good sessions per growing season.

Pinch back fall-blooming perennials, such as asters and chrysanthemums, every several weeks, but stop by the 4th of July so they have enough time to produce their signature autumn colors. The University of Nebraska Extension recommends pinching flowering annuals when they reach 12 to 18 inches tall and start to look a bit leggy — most likely sometime in June through August. Prioritize pinching herbs earlier in the growing season to set yourself up for a bigger harvest down the road (and as a bonus, you can top your pizza with whatever you pull off).

Benefits of Pinching Plants

Gardeners pinch plants primarily to encourage a fuller growth habit and more flowers. You can also use pinching as a method to stagger and extend your plants’ bloom time. By pinching back a third to a half of your stems, they’ll bloom later than those left unpinched. Instead of one big burst of color, you’ll have waves several weeks apart. It’s also a great way to even out your plant if one spot had a growth spurt and now looks uneven.

Other Ways to Cut Back Your Plants

In addition to pinching, you can use other methods to cut back plants. While the techniques differ, they’re all ways to help plants achieve a desired look and shape.

  • Deadheading: While it may sound frightening, deadheading is simply the act of popping off flowers that are past their prime. It encourages plants to either produce more flowers or develop stronger roots, stems and foliage instead of producing seeds. As with pinching, simply pop off spent blooms with your fingers.
  • Pruning: More commonly used to maintain shrubs and trees, pruning is the act of cutting back or removing stems, branches or portions of the plant that are dead, unhealthy or otherwise unwanted. Some gardeners also prune to encourage new growth or achieve a specific shape on established plants. Unlike pinching and deadheading, gardeners typically prune using shears or loppers.
  • Shearing: Shearing plants is akin to a buzz cut. You’re simply removing the outer layers in a uniform manner. Picture a square-shaped hedge in a formal garden — chances are its signature shape is maintained through shearing. It’s most commonly performed on evergreens and shrubs using — you guessed it — shears to achieve a uniform, tailored look.

It’s understandable that it can be challenging to bring yourself to pinch back the stems you worked so hard to grow. But you’ll experience the payoff in the form of fuller, lusher plants in just a few weeks.

Article by Kelly Reilly for Burpee©

Source: Pinching Plants: How to Pinch a Plant for Better Growth – Burpee

Designing a Sensory Garden

Sensory gardens are areas designed to stimulate one or more of the five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. While often geared toward young children, sensory gardens can be enjoyed by all ages. They can also be therapeutic for individuals with developmental or physical disabilities, sensory processing disorders, or cognitive challenges. While exploring any garden, you are already connecting with some of your senses, but a sensory garden has a more mindful approach by including and arranging specific plants to engage the senses.

Sight

Contrasting color, texture, light, shadow and form in the garden can all stimulate our sense of sight. Warm colors, like red, orange and yellow, are energizing, while cool colors, like blue, purple and white, are relaxing. The plants selected should be both stimulating and calming. Bright mixes of garden zinnias (Zinnia elegans) or giant yellow sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) towering above the garden make for an invigorating pop of color, and both will attract beautiful butterflies to the garden. 

Smell

Smell is often the strongest human sense, with the potential to bring back specific memories and experiences to individuals. Some plants release scent naturally without the need for touch (roses), while others do not release a scent until they are rubbed or crushed (geranium). Catmint (Neptea mussini), a hardy perennial that produces pale purple flowers from May to September, releases a light lavender-like scent when the leaves are rubbed. 

Sound

Some sounds in the garden occur naturally—wind blowing through the plants, or leaves crunching beneath our feet. Wind chimes and water fountains can add a calming sound, as well. Bird feeders and baths can attract our feathered friends to visit the garden to play their song. Ornamental grasses, like switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), rustle in the wind. Dried seed pods on false blue indigo (Baptisia autralis) can make natural maracas as the seed rattles against the hard pod. 

Taste 

A variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs can be added to a sensory garden to explore tastes. Edible flowers, including nasturtium and pansy, also make tasty additions. Be sure to clearly identify which plants in the garden are edible.

Touch

A variety of textures to explore, including rough, smooth, fuzzy and even sticky, should be offered through plant bark, foliage, flowers, seeds, and fruits. Tough plants that can withstand frequent handling should be selected. Lambs ear (Stachys byzantine) is a favorite fuzzy-leaf plant to include. 

Just like with any garden, select plants that are hardy to your area and of various color, height, textures, and bloom times. To ensure safety in the garden, plants should be non-toxic, and pesticides should not be applied. A sensory garden is a great place for anyone to explore their senses and to learn about nature and plants.

by Brittany Haag, Extension Educator – Horticulture 

Source: Gardener’s Corner Spring 2020: University of Illinois Extension

Early Spring Blooming Perennials

Several perennials that bloom in early spring are often forgotten about among flowers like crocuses and daffodils. Learn how pig squeak, heartleaf brunnera, Lenten rose, candytuft, crested iris, Virginia bluebells, moss phlox, lungwort or Bethlehem sage, pasque flower, and bloodroot could enhance your garden.

http://www.michiganbulb.com/

Source: Extension Store (iastate.edu)