Overwinter Your Amaryllis? Yes You Can!

Here are helpful and clear instructions for overwintering Amaryllis bulbs for blooms next year.  It is easy and so rewarding. (Note - I have no connection to this company). I leave mine in the pot since I don't have the in-ground conditions. But they will need to be put in bigger pots come fall after a season of growth.  Don't forget drainage.  Many attractive "bulb" pots don't have it.  At least use a plastic insert that does. 

http://blog.gardeners.com/2011/12/amaryllis-again.html?SC=YNA7001C&utm_source=direct&utm_campaign=control&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Jan12NEws&email=mv2p04%40yahoo.com&nlid=14191.1324830.0.1.0.5977011&eid=mv2p04%40yahoo.com

I have had the best luck with large, quality bulbs, but they do tend to be pricier.  So experiment with what you have.  Just be sure to buy bulbs that have no soft spots or mold on them.  And remember to fertilize so you don't get all leaves.

I like to start mine for bloom after the holidays for a shot of color in January or February.  Allow six to eight weeks.  Some warmth helps them grow faster but a cool place later on will keep the bloom going longer. 

So save some money and keep your favorites!  Here are mine.

Amaryllis 'Showmaster'

Amaryllis 'Picotee'

Bulb Planting for Busy Gardeners

Bulbs are such a treat in the spring.  Sometimes surprising, always colorful, and a welcome reminder that warmer days are ahead.  However, they have to be planted the previous fall when other garden chores may be keeping you busy or it is getting a bit nippy out.  It is worth planning ahead, but don't fret if you find the calendar flipped over and the bulbs still in their bags. 

Generally we think of mid-October as bulb planting weather here.  But it can be warm late in to the year.  And temperature, not calendar, is what counts.  The bulbs don't know if it's October or November (or occasionally December).  But they do know cold means store up the food for blooms and warmth means start growing.  So planting too early is not recommended nor is planting in fall if too warm.  As a colleague put it, plant bulbs when the weather is cool enough for a sweater and sniffles.   And if the ground isn't frozen late in the year, or too wet, it is worth a try.  Beats looking regretfully at those wasted bags of bulbs

Keep on Growing - Overwintering Herbs Indoors

I love my herbs.  I'd grow them just for their beauty and the lift I get from brushing up against the wonderfully scented lavender or rosemary.  But I also use them to make salves and soaps, and teas and vinegars.  And of course it is nice to have some fresh herbs to toss into salads and pasta dishes.  So it is a real disappointment for me to have to give them up over long Chicago winters.  But I don't have to give them all up and I am experimenting more each season with what may grow inside, just on or near my windowsill.  You may want to try it, too.

As you may know, plants are categorized by their life spans.  Annuals last for one season only, no matter how nurturing you are. Biennials produce foliage the first year and flowers the second.  Perennials come back year after year. And tender perennials are what we call plants that are perennial in warmer climates.

Basil is an annual.  You can bring it in and it will grow well inside but don't expect to put it outside next year.  However, you can take cuttings of your plant and start new ones just rooting in water.  And they are often sold at grocery stores in winter if you didn't get them inside in time or just want more.

Parsley is a biennial.  I have found it grows decently inside but not as vigorously as outside.  By early next spring it is pooped out.  It is worth it though for the fresh taste, and as an indigestion aid I'm told (hence the sprigs put on plates in restaurants).  And a little goes a long way for me.

Rosemary is a tender perennial.  It grows outside all year in warmer zones.  In fact it is a shrub there.  Here it has to come inside to survive, but with our dry heat in winter that's a challenge.  Humidity is key to keeping it healthy.  I mist mine regularly.  And even then I have had mixed results in keeping it alive until spring.  So I have started harvesting it heavily throughtout the winter in case I miss my chance later on. 

Oregano is a perennial and as such, should have a cold period to survive.  This is why I have not tried common sage or English lavender indoors (just a tender lavender that lives outside in France). However, last year, come time to bundle up my pots outdoors, I realized that I had two different oreganos and one was not supposed to be hardy in zone 5.  So I brought it in.  Well that thing took off like wildfire.  I have since read that they are really the same plant with different common names so I kept one inside again.  And again, it is putting on new growth from the get-go.  So all bets are off now and I plan to try thyme this year.

Just to clarify, I am not using grow lights. I did not have one when I first started doing this and I reserve my tabletop one now for edible and annual seedlings to come.  One thing that is important though, besides as much natural light as you can give them in winter, is warmth.  Many sills are cold or drafty.  Putting the plants on sills near radiators helps but they can fry.  And the rosemary will definitely dry out there.  So try to place them away from the sill if you can and keep tabs on their watering needs.  It may be less in winter but maybe not if it's dry inside or they are near a heat source.  Also fertilize them.  This year I am using a water-soluble seaweed fertilizer every two weeks. 

And don't forget to use and enjoy them.  Even if you just have them a few more months, it sure helps get you through a cold, gray winter.

Pollinator Plant Preferences - Say that three times fast!

Here is an excellent guide to pollinators and their preferred plants. Most of our flowers and much of our food are dependent on pollinators. Honeybees especially need help since they are vanishing. It is interesting to see what colors and shapes different pollinators prefer.
 

http://pollinator.org/PDFs/Guides/EBFContinentalrx13FINAL.pdf

Fall Gardening Tips And To Dos

Fall is a great time to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs.  The air is cooler but the soil is still warm which invites root growth.  Do remember to water the plants though.  Even though temps may have fallen, roots still need help getting established.

Plant and divide spring and summer blooming perennials now.  Over the winter, newly planted or transplanted perennials will put their energy in to below ground growth, resulting in an improved root structure over those planted next spring.

Mulch before the ground freezes.  This helps avoid shallow-rooted plants heaving out of the ground during frost and thaw cycles.  This is especially important for newly planted perennials with shallow roots such as Heucheras. The mulch should go up to the plant but not touch stems or trunks. 

Organic mulch will break down over winter, improving your soil structure and fertility.  Shredded leaves can be used as a free mulch.  Passive soil amending rocks!

You can cut back perennials in the fall or do it in spring instead.  The latter cuts down on work and leaves some structure in the garden over winter. 

Do cut back any unhealthy plants and remove diseased leaves that have fallen.  This discourages soil-borne diseases.

Pruning summer and fall blooming trees and shrubs now is fine, or wait until leaves fall to see the structure better.  Do not prune spring flowering woodies or you will cut off your buds for next year.

Roses are best pruned in spring, not fall.  You can protect them with thick mulch or soil, and in this case pile it over the root ball.  Don't fertilize after September.

Perennials That Carry Your Garden From Summer To Fall

Most, if not all of us gardeners, have experienced a lull in our garden's glory during the summer.  Many plants are done blooming by then and others are not quite ready to start.  Sometimes too we find that everything seems to be blooming the same color.  Yellow is big in July.  Here are three suggestions to help keep color and interest in your garden during that transitional period from summer to fall.

* Perennial Black-eyed Susan (Rudbekia fulgida or its cultivars):
This is an upright plant with bright yellow daisy-like flowers and a brown cone (despite the name).  It will bloom in full to part sun. It does spread quite a bit however, so be sure you have the space.  That being said, it is a good candidate for tough spots such as along alleys or high traffic areas.  And it is very easy to transplant. 

* Wood Aster (Aster divaricata):
For full to part shade, consider this underappreciated gem.  It is a native with small, white daisy-like flowers blushed with pink, and gorgeous mahogany stems. It starts upright but its nature is to cascade.  Let it ramble among other perennials or plant it under shrubs.  

* Heuchera villosa 'Citronelle' : Heucheras also go by the name Coral Bells.  This harkens back to the days when the flowers bloomed in coral but the leaves were green.  Many, many hybrids have been bred now for their colored leaves (although they often have ivory blooms). Not all the early hybrids showed vigor, especially some in chartreuse.  'Citronelle' is a chartreuse heuchera bred from the native villosa species which tolerates our heat and humidity well.  It stays bold even in full shade. What has really impressed me in using this in gardens is how the color hangs on very late in to the season. 

If you have favorites that hang on or at least make the transition more colorful, please share them here.

Featured Perennials continues...Blackberry Lily

Belamcanda chinensis is also known as Blackberry Lily.  Like many common names, this is a misnomer.  It is not a lily and it is in the iris family.  The fanned, sword-shaped foliage is a giveaway.  The flowers are unique though.  Some say they look like lilies but they are more open and very small, and appear on branched spikes.  Perhaps it is the orange spotted coloring reminding some of tiger lilies.  To me they look tropical.

Blackberry lily is a full sun to light shade plant.  It grows 2-3 feet tall, with flower stalks held above the foliage.  The flowers appear in late summer and the plant keeps blooming for weeks. The flowers twist on top of the seed pods when spent.  The pods open to expose shiny black seeds that look like blackberries.  They dry on the plant nicely adding fall and winter interest.  I like to cut them for indoor arrangements.