It’s the same every year; in winter, people fantasize about cooking on their grills, eating at their picnic tables, relaxing on their porch swings and gliders, and doing a little gardening.  Then, suddenly, summer is in full swing, it’s too hot, and things are growing, blossoming, and ripening so fast that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with them.

Certainly, there’s no such thing as a “little gardening” in July.  Naturally, we wouldn’t mind it if we had only to tend to those gorgeous flowers that we’ve been waiting to see in full bloom, or harvest the fruits and vegetables that we so patiently cultivated.  What we can’t stand are the tedious, repetitive, maintenance chores, and the constant skirmishes with the marplots that have been put on this planet specifically to ruin our landscapes.

Indeed, along with the mouth-watering sight of those plump, juicy berries that are finally ready to be picked, there’s the nauseating spectacle of those rotten, prickly old weeds that seem to have regenerative powers.  They’re not confined to our lawns and gardens, either.  No-o!  They also pop up between and among bricks, stones, cement slabs, and gravel, weaving hideous, insidious unwelcome mats across our walkways, driveways, and patios.

There are many sprays available that will supposedly kill the weeds, and prevent new ones from growing, for the rest of the season.  Some of them contain harsh chemicals (although their labels say that they’re safe after they’ve dried), while others are organic, and, purportedly, non-toxic to people and pets.  Even so, some folks hesitate to use them.  I’m a little reluctant, too, because I have birdfeeders and birdhouses around my patio, and the birds are always pecking about between the bricks.

A lot of people swear by the very simple approach of pouring boiling water into weed-infested cracks.  As a bonus, this method will wipe out colonies of ants, yellow jackets, and other ground-nesting insects that happen to be living within these crevices.  Saltwater is also effective for killing weeds, but it ruins the soil as well; so if you use it, avoid areas that you have pinpointed for future plantings.

If weeds are young, and not yet firmly established, use a hoe or a rake to expose their roots, early on a cloudless day, leave them where they are, and let the sun finish the job.  Of course, you can always remove weeds the old-fashioned way, by digging them up with a spade or a trowel.

Before you decide on a weeding technique, however, consider the type and consistency of the soil in which they’re growing.  For example, if it’s loose, you may be able to pull them up, roots and all, with no more effort than it would take to pluck the aforementioned ripe berries – or to spray the weeds.  This is often the case in gravel driveways, or older brick, stone, or concrete paths and patios, where you may just need one of those little scooter things that you can sit on (or an outdoor ottoman), for your weed-extracting expedition.

Sure, there’s a lot to do in the garden in July; and even though fighting against weeds may be an uphill battle, there’s no reason to throw in the trowel.

Yours Outdoors,

Kathy

We have another Mouse and Trowel Award winning blogger today for our guest post! Kylee Baumle gardens in zone 5b in Northwest Ohio and online at Our Little Acre, her award-winning blog. She also does gardening book reviews at Gardening by the Book and is one of The Soil Sisters. When she isn’t gardening or writing about gardening, she works as a dental hygienist in dental research.  She and her husband of 35 years also care for eight cats, seven of which were rescues.

Has gardening become the “thing to do” or is it just me?  No doubt because I’m totally immersed in the world of gardening, both here at Our Little Acre and online, my radar is set to all things that grow, but it seems to me that there are more people out there than ever, taking up gardening as a hobby.

Many have done it as a way to save food money, by growing their own vegetables. Long before I became a serious gardener, we grew sweet corn, green beans, and carrots.  Now that I’m trying to grow 75% of what’s available – just kidding, sort of – my focus has changed a bit, but I still get great satisfaction out of being able to go to my garden and gather food for the table.

But what makes me really happy is to see all the lovely and varied flowers blooming.  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Earth laughs in flowers,” and as I walk through my gardens this time of year, the laughter is contagious.

Often I’m asked for advice about what to grow where and while design is not my forte, I have some favorite flowers that are sure things in the garden.  If you’re a beginner, let me share a few of those plants that I consider to be no fuss, no muss growers.

• Gaillardia – You may know it as Blanket Flower.  It’s a daisy-looking native that doesn’t need much to thrive.  Some of the hybrids are quite lovely (‘Oranges and Lemons’, ‘Tokajer’, ‘Golden Goblin’, to name a few), but the basic original is beautiful enough on its own, with its yellow and red petals.  It’s easily grown from seed, but you can find it in your garden center in plant form as well.  It likes full sun and won’t wilt during the hottest part of summer. It’s not picky about soil either. It’s hardy in zones 3-10.

• Daylily (Hemerocallis) – First, let me say that daylilies aren’t true lilies.  They have roots, while lilies come from bulbs. That being said, I don’t know if there can be a flower easier to grow.  As a daylily breeder once told me, “Just dig a hole, throw it in, and cover it with dirt.” It’s just about that simple!  Even though each flower only blooms for a day, the plant has many flowers, so it will be in bloom for quite awhile and some of them rebloom. The variety of daylilies numbers in the thousands, so you’re sure to find one that you like. They’re hardy in zones 3-8.

• Hosta – Need a plant for a shady area? You can’t beat hostas.  They provide color by way of their variegated leaves. Oh, they bloom, too, but the lavender spikes aren’t usually that exciting and once they’ve bloomed, they won’t bloom again until next year.  But that foliage! There are hundreds and hundreds of hostas in all kinds of variations of variegation and sizes ranging for very large to very tiny. Most are suitable for zones 3-9.
• Coneflower (Echinacea) – This is another native for which there is a large assortment of hybrids.  Growing well in a variety of soils and conditions, coneflowers like full sun, and butterflies like coneflowers! They have a daisy look to them and their short-spiked centers feel like plastic!  They grow well in zones 2-10, with some hybrids less cold-hardy.  Check their tags.

• Coreopsis – Also known as tickseed, this perennial has varied foliage forms, from threadlike (‘Moonbeam’) to the more traditional, narrow leaves.  There are some interesting petal forms on coreopsis, too. ‘Jethro Tull’ has tubular gold petals, as does ‘Zamphir.’  Coreopsis can be grown in zones 4-9.

While these are some of the easiest perennials to grow, don’t be afraid to try others, even if you feel like it takes a bit more gardening experience to grow them.  I’ve learned far more from my failures than my successes.  I learn what doesn’t work and many times I also learn why, which helps me in my future plant choices.

Happy gardening!

Can’t get enough?  Check out our post on Kylee’s Our Little Acre Blog!

This week’s guest post comes from Amanda Thomsen, the hilariously irreverent gardener who pens Horticulture Magazine’s Kiss My Aster blog. She’s a horticulturist who has worked for more than 10 years in the industry, enjoying various titles, such as: Herb Specialist, Perennial Know-it-All, Container Queen and Landscape Designer. She’s a Master Gardener and currently works in landscaping in Chicago. Landscaper by day and blogger/podcaster by night, she’s also one half of the podcasting team on Good Enough Gardening. A little funkier and a little punkier, The Kiss My Aster Blog is the winner of the prestigious Mouse and Trowel Award for the best company blog.  Follow her on twitter at @KissMyAster or join the facebook fan page

If I had to pick the best pest to get? It’d be aphids. Easy peasy to find and eliminate. Or wait, maybe slugs are easier than aphids… a bigger target, a more alcoholic bait.

Or what about galls? You just leave them alone to fester until POP GOES THE WEASEL. Nothing is easier than galls.

Whatever you get and sooner or later you’ll get something- it’s going to be better than spider mites, or heck- thrips!
Except you know what pest I wouldn’t wish on my greatest enemy? You know what is usually quite hard to notice, gross to look at when you find it, isn’t that easy to kill and likes to poop on everything?

Scale.

It’s really gross.

This scale-infested Sago Palm bit the dust after this photo was taken.

What does it look like?: There are thousands of kinds of scale, including mealybugs (yuck), but the kind I see most often look like little scabs (flat and reddish) on the undersides of leaves. Chubbier ones frequently hang out on stems and sometimes on bark. Sometimes they look like someone dribbled wax on the underside of a leaf.

What does it do?: It sucks the life out of your plants. If you have a plant that looks a little weak, check under the leaves.

What else does it do?: Well, everything that eats- eventually poops.Most scale are serious little poopers. They excrete a clear but incredibly sticky substance anywhere they hang out. You may have parked under a tree that had a bad case of scale and had this honeydew drip all over your car and you thought it was sap. Remember how hard it was to get off the windshield?
Scale fact: Scale poop is called “honeydew” for some ironic reason.

How to get rid of it?: Well, it really depends on what you’ve got it on. I like to be chemical-free so I try to go with horticultural oils, insecticidal soap and removing them by hand- with q-tips or thumb nails or lots of pruning. If you have scale on a very tall tree, it gets a little harder. You may need to resort to chemicals if your infestation get icky enough. Foliar sprays or systemics can work- but if the infestation is bad enough you may be out of luck. As with anything, make sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions, even if it’s organic.

My first run-in with scale was on the job a billion years ago. They were big, fat, juicy things on a big, fat, juicy King Sago Palm. The task given to me was to dip q-tips into rubbing alcohol and swab the scale off or the option was given to me to flick them off with my thumbnail- I passed on that option. It took weeks of q-tipping, but it worked. I just lost a Sago to scale this winter, I just wasn’t willing to do the work. Keep in mind that a happy, healthy plant isn’t susceptible to pests and diseases- it’s only when they aren’t getting what they need that they become food for every tiny sucker around.

A few years later I was tasked with ridding some Euonymus coloratus of it’s habitual scale. I had to put on latex gloves and rub each leaf with horticultural oil. Yes, each leaf. It was no small task.
BTW- Euonymus has its very own scale, Euonymus scale, so I grow no Euonymus.

Now I just scratch them off with my nails- getting a red, dead scale body residue under my nails. It doesn’t bother me anymore… until I forget to wash my hands and go to eat lunch!

For more information about scale, try this.

This guest post is, in part, in celebration of our new partnership with Horticulture Magazine.

One of Kathy Peterson’s new designs is the grand prize of the Horticulture Magazine sweepstakes.  To enter to win this FABULOUS garden bistro set, hop on over to their page (just click that big picture!) and sign up!

This week’s guest post comes from Lisa Gustavson.  Lisa, head of the Get In The Garden blog, is an avid gardener that loves the joy of watching seeds sprout, the challenge of nurturing seedlings into mature plants, and the blessing of every harvest.  GetInTheGarden.com is a dynamic and holistic blog that delivers everything from updates and articles as well as favorite books, recipes, and projects for your garden and home.  Plus, the always relatable day-to-day adventures of  being a wife, mom to four kids and zookeeper to three pets!  Nominated for the prestigious Mouse and Trowel Awards, Lisa’s GetInTheGarden.com is certainly worth a good, long read…and daily visits back!

The moment has arrived in spring when I step back and observe the new season’s gardens. The spring chores of trimming, weeding, planting and mulching are all but completed and the luxury of enjoying the results of my labor is at hand. While I’m relaxing on the patio, walking the grassy paths and gazing out the windows from inside I picture the inevitable perfect “garden moments” that will come alive through the season. What makes them “perfect?” The answer differs for everyone, but for me there are five “must-haves” for our gardens:

Wildlife. Pastoral sheep and exotic peacocks aside, the high jinks of squirrels and chipmunks romping through beds and leaping across tree tops add a spark of life and fun to our gardens. Robins splashing in the birdbath, finches pecking at seedheads and butterflies and bees flitting and sunning themselves bring life to the garden that plants alone can’t. Providing host plants for butterflies and food sources for birds is one way we attract them. Houses for birds, butterflies and bats is another. Even the smallest garden can have a toad house or roosting pocket for a wildlife friend to find. A garden alive with flora needs fauna to feel complete!

Children. You haven’t truly seen a garden until you’ve experienced it through the eyes of a child. Their fascination in even the smallest scarlet ladybug reveals the hidden, simple wonders we sometimes miss or take for granted as we toil away pruning, watering and tending the beds. Children’s laughter drifting across the garden as they chase  butterflies or their screams at discovering a buzzing bee in a bloom aren’t to be missed! Kids of all ages bring an infectious curiosity and unique energy to our garden that is inspiring! Welcome a few children to your garden for a “tour” or a “taste” of what’s growing. They may just convince their parents to plant a small garden, too.

Ornaments. Every garden needs something that says “I garden here.” It doesn’t have to be rare statuary or expensive urns (unless you prefer those) but something that echoes your personality. Build a trellis from twigs, re-purpose a found item, hand paint a sign or create custom plant labels… something, somewhere in the garden, should reflect you. A garden is an extension of the gardener. Friends, neighbors and visitors often express delight in seeing my personality revealed in our gardens. Whether it be whimsical or refined, silly or sublime…your personal touch is what makes your garden unique from all others. That’s a good thing!

Edibles. Walking into a garden and plucking something fresh to eat is a pleasure everyone should experience! Tuck a few edible flowers, herbs and vegetables into your garden…it isn’t only beautiful it’s also sensible and easy! A wide variety of mini and dwarf-sized vegetables, flowers and herbs are happy growing in pots so not even the smallest garden has to go without fresh vegetables, herbs, berries or even fruit trees!  I use vegetables and herbs as I would other plants in the garden. Shapes, colors, size and fragrance add interest as well as healthy, edible delights to enjoy throughout the season. You’ve made your garden beautiful, why not make it edible as well?

Water. Almost as if on schedule the robins arrive each day at the same time to bathe until all but the last drops of water have been splashed out of the birdbath. Their duties fulfilled, they’ll hop out to fluff and preen in the warm sun until dry while nearby a butterfly alights on puddling dish set in the garden. Warm spring evenings bring the loud trilling of toads from our small pond as they glide across the surface snatching insects from the surface. Water is life for every living thing and providing a source in your garden will reward you with endless opportunities for entertainment and incredible photos!

As spring wears on and summer approaches I’m looking forward to wandering through the garden picking peas or watching our son hunt for toads while we sit and chat with neighbors and friends. The sounds of squirrels scampering up trees, birds chattering, bees humming and wind chimes clinking provide the musical backdrop for sweet garden memories alive with friends, fun and garden magic. Happy gardening!

Read more from Lisa by following her on twitter and reading her blog!

1. Feed the birds! This was mentioned before, but it’s worth bringing up again.  Many birds and small creatures are having an awfully hard time finding food in the snowy cold.  Put out birdfeeders and birdhouses full of seeds and birdfeed.  Without spending a lot of money, you can help a wide variety of creatures.  For our non-feathered friends, try putting out a piece of old plywood on the ground and spreading nuts, seeds, beans, oats, corn, or other wildlife friendly foods.  And don’t worry, your work won’t be completely selfless (though you can tell everyone how charitably kind you are), because you’ll get to enjoy a show of birds and other animals right in your own backyard! Note: Urban Gardeners Beware, birdfeeders will work great, but plywood left out with food might be a project best left to more rural dwellers.
2. Keep an eye on your bulbs! While weather changes that create one or two warm days can sometimes trick bulbs into thinking spring is on its way, we know that frigid weather is not finished yet! So, if you see your bulbs peeking out of the soil, cover them with a thick layer of mulch and compost to protect them from the snow and ice.  And remember, this is a great way to reuse the branches of your old Christmas tree!
3. Turn your soil! Now is the perfect time to turn your soil (assuming the ground is not frozen or sopping wet).  A rich loose soil is vital for ideal gardening.  To keep it rich and crumbly in the spring, remove any grasses or weeds from the area you are planning to garden and spread two or three inches of compost or other organic matter (old Christmas Tree branches?) on top of the soil.  Then, using a garden spade or fork, break up any heavy clods to keep the soil movable.  Good garden soil should have the perfect balance of air, water, and nutrients to support a strong system of roots.
4. Prepare to work! Now is a good time to start inventorying your tools.  Make a list of tools you want to buy or replace.  Willi Galloway outlines ten basic tools every gardener needs: a sturdy hand trowel, a stirrup hoe, a square blade spade with a D-shaped handle, bypass hand pruners, a garden fork, a leaf rake, a bow rake, a hand cultivator, a wheelbarrow or garden cart, and a hori hori knife, which is a serrated Japanese garden knife used for dividing plants, making furrows, and weeding.  In a few months, many garden supply stores will start jacking up prices.  But, if you start early and plan well—you won’t have to spend a lot of money to have the proper tools for your garden.
5. Prepare to Enjoy! So, you’ve helped the animals, you’ve protected your bulbs, you’ve turned your soil, and you’ve prepared your tools.  Now– help yourself.  It may seem like the warm weather will never come… but just as we have to work hard to prepare to… well… work hard, sometimes there are simply delightful tasks to prepare us to enjoy our gardens.  You envisioned the different vegetables and flowers you will grow in the “just right places” as you turned your soil, and you planned which plants will get the most use out of each tool.  But, have you taken time to arrange your patio furniture?  A garden can be more than just plants: add a garden bench, rocking chair, or porch swing for a small place to sit and enjoy your hard work quietly.  Consider a picnic table, outdoor dining set, or patio group if you’re hoping your whole family will come out and enjoy the beauty over the spring and summer months.  And, if you’re planning a garden so wonderful you could practically live in it… a gazebo, cabana, or pergola would be the perfect structure for your outdoor parties and afternoons to revolve around.  And, unlike jeans… garden structures and furniture are FUN to shop for!

See You Outside!

Hazel

We’ve all heard novice gardeners lament that they can’t get anything to grow.  This sentiment is all too common, and if you have never heard it, it means that you are (or, at one time, were) the amateur saying it.  Of course, it’s nothing to be ashamed of; we all have to start somewhere, no matter what it is that we’re trying to master. 

Furthermore, working with soil and seed (or even sapling) requires a delicate balance of many elements.  Just as grilling involves more than simply throwing meat onto a grill and adding fire, gardening means more than merely throwing seeds into the ground and applying water.  Indeed, there are many things that can frustrate you if you’re just starting out; and one of the worst is comparing your garden with one that’s in showcase condition. 

So, when you’re sitting at a friend’s picnic table, or taking a lounge on someone else’s patio chair or porch swing, don’t bemoan the fact that that person possesses picture-perfect posies and pansies, while your peonies and petunias are pathetic.  It just means that, either your friend is an expert, or the fantastic flora is the creation of a professional landscaper.  This should cheer you up because, for one thing, you certainly can’t feel bad about not being up to par with a specialist, and, for another, if it’s your friend’s handiwork, there you have your mentor.

Then, there’s something else that should really boost your spirits; you don’t have to know a thing about gardening to make your yard spectacular.  You only have to know the magic password: CedarStore.com.  Just punch it up on your computer, and you’ll immediately enter a world of outdoor furniture that can help you to put color, beauty, and comfort into your yard.

With over 6,000 products to select from, including porch chairs, gliders, outdoor dining sets, patio umbrellas, and hammocks, in over a dozen materials, and countless colors, color combinations, and patterns, you’ll be too enamored to care about yard work. 

Best of all, it won’t even matter, because everyone will be too busy admiring your new furniture to even look at the garden.

 Yours Outdoors,

 Kathy