Summer Perennial Favorites ~ Bee Balm ~ Mondara

    The summer blooming perennials are calling your name… plant me! Here is my next favorite:

    My fourth favorite summer perennial is an herb, Bee Balm, Monarda. Growing 2’-4’ high on average it is member of the mint family and has its own unique fragrance when you rub its leaves. Any perennial that is a magnet for hummingbirds needs to be a must in your garden. It grows & spreads quickly as you would think any member of the mint family would. There will be plenty to share or it is very easy to control. They are prone to powdery mildew, so choose resistant varieties. Good air circulation is important so, like phlox you can thin these plants. You can also pinch for a bushier plant early in the season before the flower heads form. Also deadhead the spent blooms to encourage new blooms throughout the summer. Staking is not required because their stems are nice & sturdy. Choose at least one wonderful scarlet color to attract the hummers. I have red & a lower growing, shinier leaf purple. They will bloom their first year from transplants which is a plus.

   Enjoy the hummingbird antics!

Summer Perennial Favorites ~ Phlox Paniculata

    Happy Memorial Day! The summer blooming perennials are finding their way to the farm markets & flower centers now. I could see today when I was there, that it was bustling. Nothing like some warm weather with timely showers to get people-a-planting! Here is my next favorite:

    My third favorite summer perennial is Summer Phlox, P.paniculata. This 3’-4’ tall popular summer standard is a best pick for many reasons. Requiring only minimal staking, this phlox is a long-lived perennial and also a robust seeder so you will have many a volunteer, but in a controllable way. The extended bloom time of late June through October (sometimes November) makes it a must for any carefree cottage garden. I have a couple mildew resistant varieties, ‘Bright Eyes’ which is pink with dark magenta centers & ‘David’ which is white. Other colors include light purple & magenta. You can control mildew on any variety with a little early prevention. Simply thin your plants some by taking down a few stalks for better air circulation. You can also control height by taking them down a few inches now before flower heads start to form. These plants will need to be watered in any severe draught situation. (preferably in the morning so leaves can dry properly) Otherwise, they are fragrant, beautiful and a soft looking addition to your perennial back border or center to a circular garden.

    If you need any height to your garden plan, Phlox paniculata is a must!

Summer Perennial Favorites ~ Coreopsis 'Moonbeam'

    The summer blooming perennials are finding their way to the farm markets & flower centers now. I will share with you my favorites (very hard to choose indeed) in the next few blogs.

    My second choice is Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam’, Tickseed. Another full- sun lover it will also bloom in partial shade. For the same reasons I love the purple coneflower, this coreopsis is long-lived. My plants have been with me double digit years & are very easy to divide off in late spring. They bloom here in zone 7a, mid-June through October. Their delicate threadleaf foliage & pale-yellow flowers are so lovely. They grow into a mound about 9-12” high with a 1-2” spread. They are beautiful tucked into the front of you border with other cottagey feeling perennials or as a stand-alone specimen. There is no need to deadhead a threaleaf variety & it is very drought tolerant. I have no luck with the pale purple ‘rosea’ variety for some reason. I have the taller growing ‘zagreb’ with its bright yellow blooms in my garden for many years. This blooms from early June through July. Again, the threadleaf foliage adds so much texture to the garden even when it is through flowering. Just small stems add so much to cut flower arrangements too!

    Seek this one out also at your garden centers. You will love this bit of easy-care sunshine in your life!

Summer Perennial Favorites ~ Purple Coneflower

   The summer blooming perennials are finding their way to the farm markets & flower centers now. I will share with you my favorites (very hard to choose indeed) in the next few blogs.

    My first choice is the Purple Coneflower, Echinacea Purpurea. This perennial has so much going for it. First, it is a long-lived perennial that loves the sun and is drought tolerant with their deep taproot. Second, it has a lengthy bloom time from June through October. Third, when the blooms go to seed, the goldfinches will feast. The stems are sturdy & upright and the goldfinches flock to these seed heads. Fourth, they make a wonderful cut flower and the seed heads themselves are nice in arrangements. Fifth, the butterflies love them. Need I say more?!

     I have tried some of the new varieties in the sunset and sunrise series. Also, I have tried white. I haven’t had any luck getting these to come back for me the following year with maybe one exception. The coneflowers in my garden now came from seeds I planted twenty years ago. They are a wonderful companion plants with phlox, yarrow, daisy, black-eyed susan, bee balm and all your cottage garden flowers. Find a place in your garden & enjoy the butterfly & goldfinch show for the entire summer & fall!

5 Tibetan Rites to Gain Energy & Vitality

    A recently aired episode of the Dr. Oz Show really captured my interest:

“Learn more about the phenomenon turning alternative health world upside down. Dr. Oz reveals the ancient health secrets of Tibetan monks. Discover secrets that will calm your mind, reduce stress, and slow down aging. Also, learn more about the "Chakra Diet" that teaches you what to eat to lose weight and live longer!” – The Dr. Oz Show

   There were many parts to the show including certain color foods to eat. What caught my interest the most were the 5 Tibetan rites to gain more energy and vitality. These are essentially 5 simple yoga moves that work to awaken the chakras in your body & will give you a great start to your day, or a wonderful pick-me-up anytime during the day. Today will be my first day of trying this succession of moves incorporated into my yoga routine. You can also just do these moves alone & with very little time get tons of bang for your time spent. We are all in the market for more energy & a better feeling of well-being. Seeing that this is all free, no gym needed, no further carbon footprint made getting to & from the gym, I say it’s worth the try!! You do not need an abundance of yoga experience to do these moves. There are two instructional videos on the site. Just start our slow, breath & enjoy the benefits that await you! Further explore the other videos from this show. Fascinating stuff!

http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/5-tibetan-rites-ancient-secrets-get-more-energy-and-vitality?video=13114

Useful Tips for Gardeners & Birders!

   Here are some of the gardening & birding tips I have found most useful for a successful vegetable bounty & wonderful birds & blooms!

~ When planting your annuals, perennials & other transplants, remember to really break up the root ball. Remove all the soil if necessary to free up the roots. The peat they are often planted in will repel water anyway. Not a good start.

~ If you don’t have well water, remember to dechlorinate your water before watering those container gardens. (see April blog)

~ Deadhead & pinch your spent flowers regularly for a summer of blooms.

~ Try planting your tomatoes with the buried stem horizontal instead of buried deep vertically. Remove the leaves first. The plant will lean initially but will shoot up towards the sun in no time. I am trying this for myself this year. Will let you know. The roots formed will be able to get water more readily since they are closer to the surface. (And plant far away from any walnut trees).

~ Vegetables no longer thriving? Rotate your crops from past years to a new location.

~ Hand watering can never replace an inch of rain. So, really, really water deeply & consistently any new plantings this season. A rain gauge will help you judge what’s needed week to week.

~ Continue to feed you birds throughout the summer. Not all birds eat insects, so keep up with the seeds & suet. (and what a pleasure to watch!)

~ Buy a birdbath & keep if filled regularly. Birds that won’t visit your feeders will stop by for a drink instead.

~ Keep a record of all your successes & failures so you will remember for next year!

Zinnias

    When it comes to a favorite annual for me, the zinnia has to top the list! The beautiful varieties & colors make it so versatile for your sunny garden. They can be bought (at flat prices too!) or sown right into the ground. They germinate & grow quickly. There is no better butterfly magnet & goldfinch magnet (once they go to seed). There are a couple things to follow to ensure great success with your zinnias. The first is to give them lots of sun. The second is to pinch them like crazy. Once the blooms are a little spent, pinch off the flowers asap. There will quickly be more & more & more buds forming. This will ensure a beautiful, healthy, bushy plant. Last season I wasn’t ready with the areas some of these beauties were going. They sat in the tiny flat 6-pack & practically shriveled away for weeks. Once I did get them planted I figured what do I have to lose by pinching them ALL the way back. They were gorgeous again in a few weeks & blooming like crazy. If you want to attract the goldfinches then let a few taller blooms go to seed, but continue to pinch the side blooms. Zinnias make great cut flowers too. At some point in the season you may need to stake so keep an eye out for that. These really do ‘bloom where they are planted’!

Trial & Error

   In this busy, beautiful month of May it is very easy to find a little self-doubt. As I look at my flats & pots of annuals eager to be planted, I find myself second guessing my choices at times. It is good to remember that gardening, like life is about trial & error. Sometimes you make knowledge based decisions & sometimes you just need to go with your gut. The wonderful thing about the garden is that it is so forgiving! Trial & error has brought me years of backyard joy (and a bit of disappointment). That truly is where the fun lies for us every spring. That is why we weed, dig, plant, water, fertilize… we are feeding our hope, feeding our souls. It is what gets us through the winter months & has us writing that wish list for spring come January. I have had many a perennial failure. I have annuals that never thrive on the edges of my perennial garden, but I try every year with something new. Trial & error is what keeps it fun; we would lose interest if we had all the answers! So I say good luck to all of you. Good luck dividing & moving perennials, trying new ones, planting new container variations & trying something other than impatiens this year. Savor the journey & relish in your successes & failures. The failures are also part of the wonderful human element in your garden tapestry!

Pizza Dip Recipe

It is such a wonderful time of year & the outdoor gatherings have begun!! Here is an old favorite, crowd pleaser recipe from Pampered Chef that is easy to make & bring to any outdoor party.

                      Pizza Dip

1 pkg. 8-oz. softened cream cheese

1 cup (4-oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup (3-oz.) shredded parmesan cheese

8-oz. pizza sauce

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning (oregano or a blend)

Optional toppings of green pepper, green onion, olives, etc.

Combine cream cheese & Italian seasoning. Spread on bottom of 8”-9” round pan. (Aluminum disposables are great) In small bowl combine cheeses. Sprinkle half of mixture over cream cheese. Spread pizza sauce on top. Top with remaining cheeses. Top with optional veggies. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes until bubbly. Serve with bagel chips, crackers, bruschetta slices. Yum!

Peonies

    No late spring, early summer perennial has a showier flower than a peony. With its lovely, fragrant blossoms it is an easy to grow staple for a [cottage] garden. This full sun, light shade plant can live up to 100 years or longer!! With soft pinks, creams, white & yellow to deeper rose & scarlet, there is a color choice for everyone. There are double flower & single flower types. Tree peonies are popular & are considered a shrub. I recommend staking early with a hoop found at garden centers for your freestanding specimens. My peonies are along a fence so I stake with an unrolled bunny wire tied to the fence. All the staking quickly becomes well hidden. I cut blooms for vases all during the flowering season. I cut a short stem & float the blooms in some of the pretty, shallow vases/dishes that I never get to use. They make an extraordinary dish garden. Floating blooms in a birdbath is another beautiful touch to your outdoor space. If you are bringing the flowers inside, do an ant check first. Although the flowers do not need the ants to help pop them open (an old-wives tale), they are attracted to the nectar right before they ‘pop’. So shake them gently to removing any lingering pests!

    If you are planning to grow some peonies this year, check the link below for planting instructions. The plant will take a few years to get to maximum bloom stage.

PS. Sorry, no recent blogs this week. I had a garage sale of my own with much success!!

http://www.theplantexpert.com/peonies/PlantingPeonies.html