Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2021 i Garden Gate

Fourlined plant bug Poecilocapsus lineatus Colorful bright red to tan nymphs hatch from overwintered eggs in late spring to feed on tender emerging leaves of many perennials and vegetables. As the nymphs grow, they change appearance, and eventually adults have bright yellow wings with stark black lines. They are common in the East and the Midwest but are present in all parts of the United States. Damage Nymphs and adults feed on the juices within the leaves, causing cosmetic damage like the clusters of dark brown pock marks in the photo of the nymph above. The damage rarely affects the health of the plant overall, except in cases of intense infestation. Females slice a slit around 2 inches long on a tender stem and deposit six to eight banana-shaped…

These go-to grasses won’t spread aggressively around your garden. • Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Warm-season prairie native with an upright habit, tolerates a range of soils, purple-tinted flowers in late summer; full sun; 4 to 6 ft. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 • Frost grass Spodiopogon sibiricus Upright warm-season grass that looks a bit like bamboo, needs consistent moisture; blooms in summer; full sun to part shade; 36 to 60 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9 • Giant sacaton Sporobolus wrightii Drought-tolerant warm-season native with an upright habit and late summer to fall flowers; full sun; 5 to 7 ft. tall, 3 to 5 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8…

There’s no better way to have a gorgeous spring than by planting plenty of bulbs in fall. They may not look like much when you buy them, but these little packages are packed with potential! Tulips bloom in a rainbow of colors; cheery daffodils come in every shade of yellow imaginable; petite crocuses and snowdrops provide some of the earliest color you can grow, and that’s just the beginning. While many of these spring bloomers are bulbs, some are technically tubers, corms or rhizomes. I’m going to call them all “bulbs” here just to make it easy. For the most part growing bulbs is super simple. But if you’ve ever been disappointed in your bulbs’ performance or haven’t planted them because you weren’t sure where to start, help is here.…

TOMATOES Saving seeds from tomatoes is a great way to preserve your favorite heirloom and open-pollinated varieties. Tomatoes are self-pollinating, and you can expect saved seed to grow true to type the following year. Harvest ripe fruits and ferment the seeds for a couple of days to dissolve the gel that surrounds the seeds. LETTUCE Lettuce is a cool-season green, and as spring switches to summer the plants bolt and turn bitter. I let one or two plants in each bed flower and set seeds so I can collect hundreds of the tiny seeds for future harvests. BEANS & PEAS Beans and peas are self-pollinating, and seed that is saved grows true to type. I leave the pods of my open-pollinated varieties to dry on the plants. Once they’re papery…

Large-leafed geum Geum macrophyllum Perennial; sunny yellow flowers above distinctive reddish stalks and vibrant green leaves from spring through summer followed by attractive fuzzy seedheads that hold on all season; full sun to part shade; 1 to 3 ft. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7 Bee balm Monarda ‘Mojo’ Perennial; chocolate-red, mildew-resistant foliage emerges with short silvered hairs and chocolate-red stems topped in late spring with showy purple flowers followed by purple seed heads that persist into winter; full sun; 24 to 30 in. tall, 12 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata Perennial; rounded clusters of green-white flowers in summer atop very skinny, “whorled” leaves followed by delicate 3- to 4-in. pods later…

1 | Digz® Garden Gloves This reasonably priced and easy-to-find line of gardening gloves has something for almost everyone, and they come in different sizes to fit all hands comfortably. The Duck Canvas Utility Gloves above have cushy foam padding on the palms, as well as touchscreen compatible forefinger tips. The Digz Goatskin Garden Gloves are extra soft and flexible but tough enough to protect your hands while pruning thorny branches or moving stone. Home Depot, homedepot.com ($4.98 to $10.97) 2 | Audubon Birdhouse Book Ever wonder why birds don’t nest in your fancy birdhouse? Maybe it isn’t as appealing to them as it is to you. This updated edition of the Audubon Birdhouse Book is full of facts about many North American birds and how they nest, so you can build…

Save $$ next spring on tender bulbs See the secret to saving all of your favorite cannas, dahlias, gladiolas and more. GardenGateMagazine.com/articles/how-to/ Don’t put those seeds away yet! Keep the vegetables coming well into winter when you sow these cool-weather-loving veggies. Here’s how. GardenGateMagazine.com/articles/vegetables/ See what we’re up to… Follow us on Instagram to see the latest giveaways, join us on our travels and learn what gardens and plants are inspiring us every day. @GardenGateMagazine…

Ornamental grasses have a subtle quality that might not land them in the spotlight. But they deserve far more attention than they usually receive. One look at the backlit blooms of maiden grass at left and you can see how enchanting this group of plants can be. Just in case that doesn’t convince you, let me share a few more reasons to love ornamental grasses. A GRASS FOR EVERY GARDEN The best thing about these hard-working perennials is that there’s a species or variety for just about any garden situation. Whether your garden is large or small, sunny or shady, wet or dry, an ornamental grass can grow there and look great for months! Ornamental grasses are grouped into two categories: Cool-season types start growing in spring and look their…

• Black mondo grass Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ Evergreen ground cover that prefers moist, slightly acid soil; small pink bell-shaped blooms in summer; full sun to part shade; 6 to 9 in. tall, 10 to 12 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 6 to 10 • Hakonechloa Hakonechloa macra Cascading foliage and yellow-green blooms in summer; warm-season grass that does best with humus-rich, well-drained soil; part shade; 12 to 24 in. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9 • Prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis Tall blooms rise above the foliage in late summer; drought-tolerant warm-season native that tolerates most soil, including clay; full sun; 2 to 3 ft. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8…

These midspring daffodils (March in Chris’ zone 8 garden) will return every year. Campernelle Narcissus x odorus Classic heirloom jonquilla type with fragrant yellow blooms; 12 to 14 in. tall; cold hardy in USDA zones 6 to 8 ‘Golden Dawn’ Narcissus hybrid This tazetta type has up to 8 fragrant yellow blooms per stem; 8 to 10 in. tall; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9 ‘Grand Primo’ Narcissus hybrid White tazetta with a yellow cup and a light, sweet fragrance; 12 to 14 in. tall; cold hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10…

Shooting star Dodecatheon meadia Perennial; leafless single stems rise from narrow leaves and are topped with white, pink or pale purple flowers in late spring with five swept-back petals and a cluster of yellow stamens; part shade; 12 to 18 in. tall, 12 to 16 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7 Wild hyacinth Camassia scilloides Perennial; pale blue-violet flowers bloom from the bottom, progressing toward the top of the spikelike central stalk above grasslike pointed leaves that turn yellow and wither after flowering in spring; full sun to part shade; 1 to 3 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 Daffodil Narcissus ‘Moonlight Sensation’ Perennial; an abundance of sweetly perfumed, soft yellow blooms (up to 6…

Tired of garden mums for your fall combos? Give Montauk daisy a try. This underused perennial is covered in 2- to 3-inch white flowers from summer to frost, makes a great cut flower and has saw-tooth leaves that add texture to the garden until it blooms. Paired with ‘Rozanne’ geranium, at right, it provides a cheerful greeting along this path to the front door. GET GROWING Montauk daisy grows best in full sun but can tolerate part shade. It does need a spot with well-drained soil. Let the plant dry out between waterings to avoid rot—Montauk daisy is quite drought-tolerant. You might think that with all those flowers you’d have to feed Montauk daisy a lot, but not so. You can add a shovelful of compost or some slow-release fertilizer…

GET CLOSER From the curb, multiples of large, bold plants make an impact. But as you reach the entrance, you can start to play with finer-textured plants and touches of personality. It’s not just the first impression that counts, after all, but the whole experience of approaching the home. If you’re a plant collector, plant something you’re proud of in a visible spot by the front door, or if you like to change up the look, include some container gardens that can be filled with something different each year. The mostly green-and-white color scheme in the photo at left doesn’t steal attention from the home, but the variation of foliage and texture does get more interesting up close. A vine climbing the post, shrubs tall enough to hide the foundation…

If you hate cleaning up mushy stems of frostbitten hosta and tomatoes, but don’t want to pull them out until you absolutely have to, try Trisha’s tip: She heads to the garden with her pruners first thing in the morning after a frost and cuts them back before they thaw and while they’re still frozen and brittle. It makes the task quick and easy.Trisha Burdick, MN Repurpose knitting needles Jessie King, ME If you have more knitting needles than you need, or you stumble into old ones at a garage sale like Jessie did, reuse them in the garden. With a permanent marker, write the name of the plant on a used wine cork, then pierce the cork with the needle. The other end goes into the ground a couple…

Wrangling maiden grass foliage can be a challenge — they aren’t called leaf blades for nothing! Cut the dead foliage back to within a few inches of the ground in late winter or early spring and use these tips to make the job easier. • Wear long sleeves and gloves to avoid nicks and cuts from the sharp foliage. • Use twine or a bungee cord to hold the clump together and make hauling it away easier. You may have to divide large clumps into several smaller sections. • For large varieties, electric hedge shears make quick work of cutting through the dense clump of foliage.…

Aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Dream of Beauty’ Perennial; densely arranged low, spreading gray-green leaves provide a sturdy framework for masses of pink daisies with burnt orange centers from late summer into fall; full sun to part shade; 12 to 15 in. tall, 22 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 Narrow-leaf sunflower Helianthus angustifolius ‘ Autumn Gold’ Perennial; golden-yellow flowers in fall until hard frost (this is the latest-blooming sunflower) above narrow, dark-green leaves followed by golden-brown seedheads that remain into winter; full sun; 24 to 26 in. tall, 20 to 24 in. wide; hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10 Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii ‘Red October’ Perennial; upright clumps of stems with flattened leaves emerge gray to blue-green in…

Wild garlic Allium vineale What it looks like Wild garlic sprouts in late fall from a perennial bulb, overwintering as a clump of round, hollow stems that look like a tuft of grass. In late spring, a globe of lavender flowers grows atop a long stem, where aerial bulbs and seeds form. After blooming, the plant dies back and new sprouts emerge again in fall. Where to find it Wild garlic is common in fields, lawns and gardens in almost any type of soil. How to get rid of it Pulling or digging works, but be sure to get the whole bulb or it will come back. It’s best to pull when the soil is moist, and clumps tend to come out easier as a group. Cutting back or mowing…