Succulent Globe Winter Care

Caring for succulent globes in the summer is challenging with keeping them watered daily, but it can be confusing when fall comes.  Although the succulents we often use are hardy to zone 3 when they are planted in the soil, these same hardy sedums and sempervivums will not experience a zone 3 winter hanging in a sphagnum covered wire sphere. 

So what is the best way to hold these fabulous globes over in a zone 5 winter?  Well, I think the best way is in a greenhouse!  But I don't have one at home and I've noticed not too many other people do, either.  An attached garage is also a very good option.  This will protect the plants and allow them to be watered as needed during the long winter. 

Start by cutting back any longer trailing sedums and set the globe in a pot so it doesn't roll around on the floor.  Find a spot where the pot and globe won't be accidentally kicked over, can be watched for signs of drought stress and will get at least some protection from the garage door opening daily.   Another option is the basement.  Choose a spot that can get messy and just check it every month or so to make sure it has enough water in the root ball.

Once spring comes back around your globe will grow back faster than when it was first planted and look great all summer.  Enjoy!

Low Point in Fertility

Ever notice how when you see a plant with chartreuse leaves the first thought is "Wow!  Does that plant need fertilizer?"  As a horticulturist, it hasn't been my first thought for many years now, but I can understand how people, especially those not really into gardening, can think this.  So, I unfortunately had a flat of tobacco hidden so well in the greenhouse that even I didn't notice how poorly neglected it was!  When it was found, I thought a comparison was in order. 

On the left is a sun coleus and if memory serves, the cultivar should be 'Gay's Delight'.  This plant has chartreuse leaves when it is happy and growing well.  On the right is a flowering tobacco and I am not sure of the cultivar.  But when this plant is growing well the leaves should be green, no matter which cultivar it is.  But notice the difference in pale coloration of these two plants.  When a leaf is showing signs of lacking nitrogen the green color goes toward a pale yellow-gray green rather than toward a vibrant chartreuse shade of green.

Why is this important?  It is a huge help to know which plants in the garden or garden center are healthy and which ones need a bit of tlc.  The tobacco in this picture is in need of immediate nitrogen added to the soil and even to the leaves if it has a chance of growing any more.  Unfortunately, these plants did return to their former proper green leaf shade, but performed poorly in the garden and didn't flower well. 

Hope this helps make a decision on buying those sale plants from the rack that says something like "low vigor plants: clearance!"  Fertilizer doesn't always bring them back.

In Awe of Gardeners

After a long and stressful summer, I have found myself in a new career, albeit temporary job, and happy to be here!  Over the last nine years, I have been the friend to fellow gardeners as they have been through job and life changes.  All I've been able to do is listen and sympathize.  Now that I have found myself in a big mess, it seems there are a whole lot of folks who care about me.  And I don't feel so guilty anymore about not being able to help my friends much, as now it seems that the best help I've found is in those who are willing to listen and help me keep things in perspective.  So thank you to all of the gardeners out there who been there for me.  We have to stick together because we are awesome!

Pilot Program Connecting People with Agriculture

Vets to Ag video

I was lucky enough to be chosen and available for this unique program that offered mostly Veterans the opportunity to learn about starting new careers in agriculture.  This video explains it well.  My role was simply to be the on-site facilitator for the group.  I was the liason between the educational component and the administrative component as well as keeping the guys in the program on task and in line! 

As you can probably imagine, the educational component of this program was great!  This was handled by the MSU Ag Tech people and they did a fantastic job!  We took people who never really saw the plants around them and changed them fundamantally in just a few weeks to being curious about the plants that surrounded them and actually looking for plants in their environment. 

The Vets to Ag program was held at Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, MI.  KBS is on Gull Lake and was a great host for us.  The food and the staff were excellent!  Once everyone in the program felt comfortable being there, and that didn't take very long, I think they really enjoyed all of the hard work they did to make not only the program successful, but to invest in themselves.

Congratulations to everyone in the program and to everyone who had a hand in this program!

Battle Creek Garden Tour, Stop 1

Like many other gardeners, I love visiting gardens and taking pictures of plant and art combinations. The garden above was created by an artist who is also a school teacher. She and her husband moved many rocks, collected some great sculpture, fountains and plants to transform their home into a place of beauty. Unlike so many homeowners, they just said no to the standard meatball shrubs and lawn. Instead, fun plants like the cow parsnip, pictured here, are part of the garden.

Anytime there is a garden tour, I recommend going. Not only are garden tours great places to get new ideas they are wonderful places to meet new friends with gardening interests.

Giant Butterbur in Michigan

Giant butterbur is no misnomer. Although it is a small almost pathetic looking plant in the early spring, Petasites japonica is certainly giant in the summer!

This plant likes plenty of noon to afternoon sun and lots of water to be a happy and healthy plant. It will survive without these necessities but will not be very impressive. When it is happy and the leaves are impressively large, so is the butterbur's range! Watch out as it will spread.

The plant in the above photo is in a Portage, Michigan garden that has sandy soil and not a lot of shade. We sited this plant where it is protected from summer's worst sun and put an old shower curtain at the bottom of a large hole to hold plenty of water. After the second summer we noticed giant butterbur shoots trying desperately to grow in the lawn, in the shed next to the plant, then the compost pile beyond the shed. It has thick fleshy runners and is not a plant to be used near a natural water source! But in a dry, sandy back yard that can have one wet spot it is perfectly impressive!

Sun vs. Part Sun in the Garden of Perennials

Although sun designations on plant labels can be confusing, plants really do have different light needs in order to grow well and be happy. Think of the designations as a sliding scale of how much sun plants need and it gets easier to understand. It is a common misconception to think if there is full sun at mid-day in the garden then that garden must be a full sun garden. But full sun gardens must get at least eight hours of direct sunlight. Part sun gardens get at least six hours and just four hours or less puts a garden in the part shade category.

Perennials for full sun are rather easy to find. From peony to hollyhock and Coreopsis to milkweed, there is a plant for every sunny spot! For those part sun gardens, try lots of the new coral bells. From black leaves to chartreuse and all the chocolates, greens, silvers and reds in between the color options are amazing. But stunning leaf color combinations are topped by great floral displays that attract hummingbirds early in the season.

In case it seems confusing, try the paper plate method to tell how much sun is in any garden. On a sunny day, mark a paper plate with a permanent marker like the hands on a clock and set it in the garden where amount of sun is in question. Every hour on the hour, make a note on the plate by that hour number if the plate has full sun hitting it. Count up the hours with full sun versus the ones without and that will tell definitively how much full sun the garden is really getting. Be sure to compost the plate after use!

As a quick FYI, Oriental Poppies are great for many gardens. They really prefer full sun, but can be grown in part sun gardens with later emerging deciduous shade. What that means is poppies emerge in spring, bloom by early June and then their foliage goes dormant. Interplant poppies with perennials for part shade like Campanulas or more coral bells!