Great Plants for Shade

My small yard doesn't have much space for shade unfortunately so it's not all the time I get to enjoy beautiful plants that thrive in lower light conditions. However, my lovely Mother In Law, Cathy, has a larger property with lots of wooded spaces that are just perfect for some of these beautiful plants. If you find yourself with a lot of shaded space and in need of some plant inspiration, look no further! Here are some great finds from Cathy's garden.

Rhododendron bushes are a beautiful understory shrub, particularly great if you have acidic soil. 

Sweet Woodruff is a lovely ground cover for shade. 

Pieris on the left and foam flowers on the lower right also enjoy lower light conditions. 

Ferns and hosta's are classic choices for shade. 

There are other uses for shady spots in the lawn, like play areas for your grandchildren!

Do you have great plant choices for shade? Please share them in the comments below!

Taking Care of Easter Flowers

 Two of the best parts of Spring are celebrating Easter and flowers. So of course it's only natural that we should combine the two. When I was growing up, churches decked themselves out in Easter lilies and

everyone had daffodils and tulips in their gardens. To this day, grocery stores all carry various potted flowers for Easter so I know lots of you must be enjoying them. They also make a wonderful hostess gift. However, you may not know what to do with potted spring bulb flowers. Here is everything you need to know. 

When you bring them home, you can keep them inside or keep them on a protected porch. Don't try to repot them or plant them right away as it may shorten their bloom time. Check the soil frequently to be sure it's damp but not water logged (the plastic many plants come in will hold water so be sure the plants aren't sitting in a puddle!). The plants will also enjoy sunshine but too much heat can also speed up the bloom time. You want to keep those flowers looking good for as long as possible. 

When the plant is done flowering, you can then plant it outside. You can dead head the flowers but you MUST leave the leaves on. The plants will continue to create food via photosynthesis and they need to store it in the bulb so they can rebloom next year. A while back there was a trend where folks would bend leaves over and rubber band them. I don't know who's idea that was but don't do it. It looks bad and it's not good for the plant. 

Choose a location with good drainage (water rots bulbs) and plant the bulbs 2-6 inches deep depending on how large the bulb is (the bigger the deeper it goes). I like to plant spring bulbs behind herbaceous perennials so as the leaves die back naturally, they are hidden from view by the other plants. 

The only exception to all of this are pansies. They aren't bulbs at all but cold tolerant annuals. You can keep them in the pot they came in or plant them out in the garden right away. They will not enjoy the warmth of your house for very long. Just know that even if you plant them out, they will brown up this summer when it gets too hot. It's just their way. 

So, that's all there is to it. You can really get a lot out of these plants with just a little effort. Do you have spring flowers blooming? Feel free to share about them below!

Figuring Out Why Your Plants are Sick

 Everyone who has a plant for any length of time will have to deal with it being less than perfect. Even the most experienced gardener will have to deal with plant problems. Most home owners are busy and just want a quick fix to make their plants all better. Here's what you need to know when your plants change color, loose leaves, wilt or make other signs of distress. 

Powdery Mildew on Zinnias

First, you must accurately identify the plant. Not all evergreens are pines. Red raspberries and black raspberries grow differently and can have different problems. Be sure you know what plant you're working with. 

Second, make a lot of good observations. What is the overall situation of the plant? What kind of light and water does it get? What is the soil like? What, exactly, is the problem? How long has the problem been going on? Is it affecting the plants around it? What time of year is it? You may want to take a picture of the plant and the problem as well. 

Third, do some diagnostic work on your own. Search online or get a good book on plant problems. 

It's helpful to know that, statistically speaking, plants suffer far more from abiotic problems then from biotic ones. This means there's a really good chance that you don't have a bug or pathogen problem but the plant is in the wrong spot or your just not taking care of it well. Once you know what kind of a plant you have you can learn all about what it needs to be happy and determine if it's getting it or not. 

It's also helpful to know that if you have a pathogen of some sort, statistically speaking, it's probably a fungus. Fungal problems are far more prevalent than bacteria or viral infections. That's good because they're easier to treat. Viral problems usually mean destroying the plant. 

Fourth, if you can't determine the problem on your own, then reach out to your county extension office. They are there to help you. Just know that there are so many potential problems out there that no one knows all of them right off hand and it will require a bit of investigating for anyone. 

Finally, always try the least toxic, most environmentally friendly solution first. A broad spectrum insecticide will probably kill your Japanese Beetles but it will also kill your pollinators and other beneficial bugs. 

I hope that's helpful. Right not it's February so we're not dealing with any of this now but before you know it, Spring will be here and we'll be busy in our gardens again. Do you have any tips for diagnosing plant problems? Feel free to comment below. 

Understanding Soil PH

 One of the most important bits of gardening advice I give people is to read plant tags at garden centers before buying anything. It's very good advice. If you've done this, you've probably read how some plants prefer acidic soil and you wonder what that means. Acidic soil is any soil with a PH less than 7. (If the PH is above 7, it is said to be alkaline). However, when a plant is said to like acidic soil, it usually means a PH of 6 or less. Most plants prefer a PH between 6 and 7.5 and you've probably been growing them just fine and haven't given it a second thought. However, there are some plants out there that will only ever be happy with a very low PH. 

Azaleas love acidic soil

How can you tell if you have acidic soil? There are three ways to tell. 

1)The least scientific is to just see what plants thrive in your yard already. My in laws have a yard full of rhododendrons and eastern hemlock so I"m fairly certain they have a lower PH than I do. 

2)You can get an at home chemical test or an electric meter to test PH levels. It still won't give you a precise measurement but it will get you in the right ball park. You can find one similar to mine here. 

3)To find out EXACTLY what's in your soil, you can send a sample (with a check) to your local extension office and they will send you a report on it. Every county is different so you'll have to see what your county extension office website says. I've never done this but all the experts recommend it. 

What plants grow in acidic soil? Well blueberries and cranberries for starters. As mentioned above, rhododendrons, azaleas and hemlock do too. Magnolias and flowers in the heather family also enjoy acid. 

Can you change your soil PH? Yes, but I don't encourage it. I've been trying FOR YEARS to grow blueberries and just getting ONE raised bed to a low enough PH has cost a lot of money, taken time and effort, and has brought pitiful results. You really are best off just embracing the type of soil nature gave you and choosing plants accordingly. 

It's always good to know what kind of soil you have so you can buy the right plants for you. Please take some time to know what you're working with so you can enjoy gardening success. Have any tips for soil PH? Please post in the comments below!

Reclaiming an Overrun Garden Bed

Before

We've all done it. Life gets busy and before you know it, it's June and one (or more) of your garden beds is completely overrun by weeds and who knows what else. No worries! I'm here to walk you through how to reclaim your garden area.

Step 1: Determine what you want to save. We kept the two azalea bushes, despite their sickly appearance and transplanted some daffodils and bleeding hearts to another spot.

Step 2: Rip out everything you don't want. In this case, we tore out lots of weeds, dead leaves, rotted logs and two snakes. (They were tiny, no problem!) Of course, when pulling out weeds, get as much of the roots as possible.

Step 3: Be sure to outline your bed the way you want. We just used spades and, at the end, a string of rocks from the woods. However, you could also use any number of different edging from your local hardware store.

Step 4: Add any plants you want. We were going for a Japanese inspired look so in addition to the Azaleas, we also added small hostas. (Azaleas and hostas are from Japan)

Step 5: Baby any of the plants that are original to the bed. If the plants have been over run with weeds and forgotten, odds are they are going to need a little TLC. I pruned the Azaleas, fed them with an organic fertilizer and treated the plant with a fungicide. (If you interested, it's called Green Cure and you can order it here.)

Step:6: Lay down cardboard between plants. This will repress the weeds. You will thank yourself later.

After

Step 7: Mulch over the cardboard. In this case, because we are going for a Japanese look, we used rocks but you can also use wood chips.

Step 8: Water if needed. Be sure any new plants don't dry out.

That's it. I did the pictured garden bed in one afternoon with some help. Don't give up on a garden because it's over grown. The feeling of accomplishment is so worth the effort of cleaning it up. You can do it! If you'd like more information on Japanese gardens, then check out the links below.

The Elements of the Japanese Garden

9 Traditional Japanese Plants

How To Choose A Plant

One of the questions I get the most often is what plant to choose for a given garden space. This time of year, folks are getting out of the house and wanting spruce up their curb appeal. I'm always happy to offer suggestions but anyone can make a few observations and then find an appropriate plant on their own. Here is what to pay attention to.

1. How big is the space you have to fill? If your garden bed is only 3 feet deep, then don't buy a plant that will grow to 10 feet wide. My pet peeve is seeing windows overgrown by bushes that are far too big for their space. Take measurements first!

2. How much light will the spot get? Be sure to watch the spot at multiple times a day, ideally at different times of the year. If you plant a cotoneaster in full shade, it will struggle horribly and planting hostas in full sun will burn them up by July.

3. What is the dirt like? Is it sandy, clay or somewhere in between? Does the soil tend to dry out quickly or stay wet?

4. What other plants are growing near by and are thriving? If you know what other plants are already happy, it will give you a clue as to what else will do well.

Once you've got this stuff written down, you are ready to head over to the garden center. I'm not against big box stores but in my experience, a garden center or green house will have better trained staff. You can choose to find someone to help or you can venture on your own. When asking for input, be sure to ask about ease of care. If you're not into regular pruning or spraying, be sure to get a low maintenance plant.

No matter what - read the tag on the plant you're interested in. Don't skip this step! When you bring the plant home, keep the plant tag somewhere for future reference.

What questions do you have about how to pick out a plant? Feel free to post in the comments below!

When Can I Plant...

One of the most frequently asked questions I get this time of year is: When can I plant ____________? So, I'm going to answer that question. For the record, I live in York County, PA and we're right on the line between zone 6 and 7. If you live in a different part of the country, you can find out what zone you're in and when your last frost date is by clicking here. 

As a general rule of thumb, I plant cold hardy veggies starting around St. Patrick's Day, depending on the weather. I plant onions, lettuce, spinach, peas and carrots. Of course, two years ago we had a blizzard the week of St. Patrick's Day so everything got pushed back. The plants I mentioned will tolerate a light frost.

A frost is any temperature below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. 

A hard freeze means it will get below 28 degrees for at least four hours. 

Cool weather crops will easily tolerate a light frost, even some snow. However, a hard freeze means you should cover them up for the night.

Generally, I plant perennial flowers and herbs in April. However, I've planted dormant trees, strawberry roots and raspberry plants in February. Perennial plants are hardier than you might think.

However, usually when people ask when they can plant something, they mean tomatoes and peppers. These are warm weather plants as are squash, beans, and most annual flowers. The bottom line is this: if you plant a tomato and the temperature hits 32 degrees, the water in the plant cells will expand and destroy the cellular structure of your plant. There is no coming back from that. Yes, you can cover the plant for a night to protect it but most people aren't paying close enough attention to the weather to do that. 

Here in the greater Harrisburg area, it is safe to plant your warm weather plants after Mother's Day. I start planting things at St. Patrick's Day (onions and such) and stop planting in mid-November (Spring bulbs).

Finally, I'm getting questions now about seed starting indoors. You should know I don't get into that myself as the equipment is expensive and we don't have a good area for that in my house. For more information on seed starting indoors, click here. 

Do you have any questions about when to put out plants? Let me know in the comments below!

Identifying Weed Seedlings

Did I plant this? It's generally easy to tell once the plant is large enough to bloom but what about when they're just seedlings? One of the most common frustrations I hear from beginner gardeners is the difficulty in telling what is a vegetable or flower seedling and what is just a weed that needs to be removed.

Even I can't always tell for sure what a plant is when it's only a few inches tall but there are some weeds that are so common I know them when I see them and I can promptly pull them out. Here are six very common weed seedlings that you can always pull out at any size. Interestingly enough, these pictures all came from my daughters flower bed. Guess we should be pulling weeds...

Lambs Quarters, It's edible but you definitely didn't plant it.

Dandelions, They're also edible but you didn't plant them either.

Grass

Plantain, No relation to the fruit in the grocery store.

Oxalis or Clover, probably the easiest to identify.

Pig Weed or Red Root

Well, I hope that helps you in your weeding endeavors. Feel free to post your weeding tips in the comments below!