Surviving the Scorching Heat in Style

It's been a blistering few days here at Blessing Hill as we've tried to survive not only the heat but the humidity as well. Luckily for us (me, the flowers, the dog) God sent some rain to intervene. We've had rain both Tuesday and Wednesday nights after some really unbearable temperatures. I'm talking daytime heat indexes of 110. It's a real testament to what holds up well in the garden. Of course there's always the tropical plants like elephant ears which thrive on this weather. My dwarf uprights have filled this swan planter with an abundance of foliage. Nice. But there are plants, perennial workhorses, who keep the garden fresh and beautiful no matter the degree of the inclemency. Here are some of my favorites:

Echinacea or Coneflower

A native of central and eastern North America, this hardy perennial survives diverse weather conditions from dry prairies to open woodland. It's being bred so that almost any color is available. My favorite varieties are white swan pictured, pink double delight, and coconut lime. However, I have several of the simply normal purple sprinkled through my gardens. They perform. When other flowers are wilting under the glare of an obtrusive sun, coneflowers are in their glory. Because coneflower is such an old garden standby, it can be dismissed for being too common. But, when the heat is scorching every parcel, you'll be glad you planted them. Zones 3-9, from Michigan to Louisiana.

Achillea or Yarrow

With around 85 species of this versatile perennial, I have to wonder why we don't see more variety in our nurseries. I would love to see a nursery carry a. clypeolata or a. ptarmica. Maybe I've just missed them when shopping. Anyway, I have several varieties in my own garden from pink grapefruit to moonshine, pictured is apricot. This season I've planted paprika and King Edward, red and light yellow respectively. There's a size, color, and light requirement for every need. The King Edward is a tiny yarrow, growing no more than six inches tall and spreading no more than nine inches in diameter whereas Moonshine can get up to three feet tall and two feet wide. Most flower all season with regular deadheading. Wonderful.

Hemerocallis or Daylily
This perennial can boast that it has over 50,000 named cultivars. If a person cannot find a size, color, and light requirement to fit the bill then maybe that person should just not grow daylily. These garden warriors can survive zones 3-10, preferring full sun but tolerating some shade. I have Stella de Oro planted in beds that receive full sun from dawn to dusk and in beds that appreciate the sun just till noon. In both places, they preform beautifully. Daylilies make exceptionally good border plants. When in bloom, there's not much showier. Just look at this gorgeous Barbara Mitchell I picked up at the end of the season clearance at a local nursery. What a gem. I have around 10 different daylilies in my garden beds and each year they just get better.

Some other heat tolerant favorites are rudbeckia, tall phlox, sedum, tanacetum vulgare, scabiosa, and oenothera.

Tomato Talk:

In a previous posting, I discussed Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1 Insect & Disease Control Plus Fertilizer. I'm happy to report that after spraying my plants, no further foliage damage was incurred. I pulled back the mulching material to increase air circulation, applied a balanced water soluble food, and watered vigorously. The plants look marvelous and are they ever setting tomatoes! Tomatoes love heat but not humidity because without proper air circulation, humidity breeds fungus. The straw I initially placed around my tomatoes to keep them moist in order for them to establish later becomes a problem if the air can't penetrate during humid conditions. So, problem solved.

Pictured are my Amana Orange tomatoes, a new variety I'm trying this year. Other new varieties to my garden include Cherokee Purple, Granny Smith, Black Krim, Pink Oxheart, and Orange Oxheart. I'm really experimenting this year. Usually, I'm a stolid Pink Girl grower. And yes, there are plenty of Pink Girls thriving. It's a race between one Pink Girl plant and a Black Krim plant to see who will have the first ripe tomato. I'll let you know if I would recommend any of the new varieties for next year's garden.

And, ooohh . . . EYES OPEN FOR THE GREEN HORNWORM! Yesterday, I was trimming my boxwoods and out on the ground fell two big, fat hornworms. Double Yuck!

Gardening for Donation: What's the Point?

(Before I begin this posting, I'd like to let our neighbors to the north of us, in Norborne, MO, know that our heart-felt prayers are with you for a speedy recovery after the storm damage you incurred this week. God bless you!)




I assume that if you read this blog you must, at the very least, be the tiniest bit interested in the subject of gardening. Whether you are a novice or an expert gardener, whether you grow enough food to keep your family fed for the winter or whether you garden no more than sticking a geranium in a flower pot, you still know the effort it takes to make things grow. Now, whether you've been forced to skip a meal due to various forms of fasting or whether you've been down on your luck and couldn't afford a meal, you know hunger. Could someone please tell me how the hell to get the garden produce into the hands of the people who truly need and deserve it???

After that outburst, I owe you an explanation. Last year, I was talking to a friend of mine who raises organic produce for a living. We talked about the excess and I told her how I was donating mine to food pantries. At first I was appalled when she told me that she'd given up on food pantries. Her chief complaint was she didn't think her beautiful produce was ending up in the hands of the people to whom she was donating it. New to food pantry donating, I found it hard to understand when she said it gave her more joy to watch all the excess of her hard work being eaten by the chickens she raises on her farm. Well, I've climbed up on that cynical wagon with her this afternoon.

I don't know about you but I take my gardening very seriously. In the early spring when the first seedlings are going into the garden, I fret and worry endlessly with the wax and wane of frost warnings. Once I can get the garden past being frozen, there's a whole new gamut of things to stew about. Insects. Fungus. Weather. It's what we do as gardeners. The other thing we do is take pride in how well it all turns out. This I know for sure: my cabbages are more tightly layered, my tomatoes are redder and juicier, my green beans are more tender than any mass produced crap picked green and chemically altered to ripen from a corporate farm. Corporate farm, what an oxymoron!

Here's another oxymoron, volunteer pay. I looked up the word volunteer in the dictionary just to verify that it still means: one who enters into any service without the expectation of monetary consideration. So imagine my dismay, as I watched the volunteers rifle through and bag up, for themselves, the food I'd just donated for the needy. When I voiced my displeasure, I was told
there wasn't enough of my good produce to go around so it was best if the volunteers took it and besides, it's the only pay they got for all their hard work. Really?

Furthermore, I discovered that this food pantry had no income requirement for recipients to meet. I could back my Cadillac DeVille Concourse right up to the door, get out in my designer clothes, and fill my trunk with food meant for the needy---no questions asked! Of course I couldn't expect to get any currently donated fresh produce, but, what the heck.

I'm sure you're thinking that's just one food pantry out of hundreds. I'm batting five for five. If you ask me, that's a lousy average.

Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1: Combating Diseases that Arise from Elevated Temps Heating Moisture Soaked Ground

Here in the heart of the country, we've been having some pretty significant storms. (Those of you in Drexel, MO, our prayers are with you for a quick recovery.) The rain fall totals, at least in the KC area, are above normal according to our weather forecasters. At Blessing Hill our grounds are ponded in places. The flower and vegetable beds are soaked. The tractor wheels churn water when I'm hauling around the trailer. But, it's not all bad. This has been great for the perennials, shrubs, and trees we've planted this season. At last count, I believe we were up to 16 new trees alone. I'm grateful not to be dragging the water hose or paying rural #6 those increased water rates.

And luckily for us, up until now, the temperatures have stayed an unbelievable 70's for the most part. These first 15 days of June were unlike any I've ever seen---chilly mornings for sleeveless shirts. Well, today that's coming to an end. We are going straight from comfortable to downright miserable with above normal temps and sweltering humidity. What might be great weather for my tropical weather loving friend the pink tiger lily pictured above, isn't such great weather for plants prone to fungus like Oenothera speciosa Siskiyou, Mexican Evening Primose, featured in the second picture. It prefers to be on the dry side. When its roots stand in moist, warm soil, a powdery film develops on its leaves. This is also said for most types of tall phlox. It's not detrimental to the plant's well being but it looks bad and the leaves don't fill out.

I'm an advocate for limited use of chemicals in the garden. But let's face it, sometimes it's necessary. Before applying a chemical fungicide, you could try spraying plants with a mixture of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil, and one quart of water to control powdery mildew. Unfortunately, that didn't work on my Siskiyou. However, what seems to have good results is a product from Spectracide called Immunox 3-in-1 Insect & Disease Control Plus Fertilizer. This product is a combination of insecticide, fungicide, and fertilizer. I sprayed my Siskiyou with Immunox and the problem subsided for about four weeks which is pretty typical with this type of all-in-one fungicide. With the powdery mildew gone, the leaves were able to become lush, supporting new growth.

Yesterday, I noticed that nasty leaf blight beginning to develop on my tomatoes. Once that gets started it's a nightmare to combat. The first thing to do is pull back any mulching material and allow the sun to begin drying the soil around the plant. This also improves air circulation which is crucial in healthy development. Pick up any plant debris and dispose of immediately. Remember, don't compost any part of a tomato plant to prevent future contamination. Water early in the day to allow foliage to dry before evening. Since just a few of my plants are infected, I decided to take preventative measures. I don't want the fungus to spread to my other tomato plants. I got out the Immunox and read the label from beginning to end but there was no mention of use on tomatoes. Every chemical manufacturer lists contact information included in the labeling. I called the toll free number and spoke to a product specialist who assured me that Immunox was safe to use on the tomatoes. I'll let you know how it did in a future posting.

Immunox is also designed to work well on roses prone to black spot. I plant mainly shrub roses for their ability to withstand disease. Imagine my dismay with my David Austin's Mary Rose shrub rose when it developed black spot. It was my understanding that the Mary Rose was the most consistent and tidy performer of all English roses. Well, it might be elsewhere but not in my garden. (Still by and far my favorite is Lady Elsie May who I think outshines all other shrub roses.) Mary Rose sprung to life this spring with a robust vigor and bloomed profusely before shedding all her leaves to black spot. I've sprayed her with Immunox and I'll also let you know how that fairs in a future posting.

Here's a list of diseases Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1 cant prevent and/or treat:

Black Spot

Brown Patch

Dollar Spot

Powdery Mildew

Rust

Blight

Leaf Spot



Insects it kills:

Aphids

Spider mites

Leafhoppers

Bagworms

Cicadas

Cankerworms

Webworms

Inchworms

Leafminers

Mealybugs

Thrips

Whiteflies

And, when applying Immunox, the plant receives a dose of fertilizer albeit a minor amount. I would suggest continuing with whatever fertilizer program you use.

For the Love of German Bearded Iris

Sunshine & Snow I can't imagine a cottage garden---or any other garden for that matter---without the presence of German bearded iris. I remember when I first fell in love with these rhizomatous perennials. A few blocks from my childhood home lived a woman who tended an extremely large iris kingdom. I don't think she had need of a lawn mower because the iris had taken over every patch of ground but what the house sat upon. In May, her yard was a riotous canvas of brilliant color. Now, all these years later, I can't imagine just how many different varieties her garden had held. That was in the '70's

Clarence Magical Encounter

Turn the dial forward a few decades to 2001. The first house David and I bought after moving to the Kansas City area was one which had been owned previously by a gardener. Our first spring came with lots of surprises as we watched perennials emerge in all the different beds around the house, but the most spectacular were the iris. The second spring, I noticed they didn't flower nearly as profusely. The clumps of foliage were jam packed together in spots and bare in others among the bed. I decided it was time for reorder and after all the blooms were gone, I sat about digging up all those rhizomes. Mind you, the beds were 4' wide by close to 25' long, on two sides of the house, the west and the east. It was going to take some back breaking work to get it all back to right.


Harvest of Memories
Ecstatic Echo


Nevertheless, I began digging. I had rhizomes all over the yard by the time I was done and the flower bed looked like it had been pelted with mini bombs, large craters where iris once resided now hollow and empty. But, not for long. I grabbed a sharp knife and began the arduous task of dividing. I cut those gnarled, overgrown rhizomes into many manageable pieces. By the end of the day, all were back in the soil, ready to take root. I have to say, that next spring was one technicolor flower show! Many new hues emerged that had not bloomed previously due to overcrowding.


Cherub's Smile
Rave On


Last fall, I went on an iris buying frenzy. I had only three varieties at this property up to that point. As soon as the nurseries brought out their fall bulbs, I was there to nab one of every color. Twenty-nine new varieties went into Blessing Hill's gardens. I share some loveliness and grace with you . . .
Rare Treat

Here's what you need to know if you are interested in growing iris:

Red Hawk


Dusky Challenger


Iris lacks the gene for red pigmentation---Red Hawk getting as close to a red hue as possible. However, iris comes in a huge variety of shades from the palest white to the blackest of midnight blue. They require full sun in well drained soil but believe me, I have iris that do well in the most clay-filled areas of my gardens. Given a light fertilzer in early spring and again in late summer, is really all the maintenance needed. They are extremely drought tolerant. Often, iris can be found growing in ditches on county roads, requiring nothing from no one. I plant my iris between June and September. Iris should be divided about every three to four years to prevent overcrowding.

Rhizome division is essential to flowering. Once iris become crowded, dig carefully around the entire plant and lift from the ground. Brush away excess dirt and examine the rhizome. The rhizomes should be solid and firm. Rot is foul smelling and mushy. If any part of the rhizome displays rot, cut away and discard. (Dip knife into alcohol after cutting away rot so that it is not passed on to other rhizomes.)I like to divide a large, healthy rhizome into three or four parts. Once division is done, allow rhizomes to dry for a few hours in direct sun light. Replant in soil ammended with coarse sand for ideal growing conditions.

The Midwestern June Garden

How interesting has the weather been in your corner of the world? In my corner, it's been drenched, bordering on drowning. Luckily for me, I grow my vegetable garden in raised beds. Not to say they aren't soaked, they are. They just aren't floating. The upside to all this rain is beautiful lush foliage, a large flush of tomatoes setting on the vines, and my water bill about half the cost it would usually be this time of year. The down side? Yes, even in raised beds there is a downside. Kohlrabi, just on the verge of harvesting, are splitting open. The black Spanish radishes, a newbee in the garden this year, are tough. My cabbages are so full of water they are cracking. Oh yeah, and of course, the weeds are flourishing.

For those who've endured at least one hail storm, my heart goes out to you. Hail, as horrible as it can be, is equally damaging coupled with 60 mph winds. Lots of areas around us have experienced just that. Don't dispair. If we can get out from under this weather without further hail storms, some of the plants in your garden can be saved. (I'm jinxing myself here but, we've yet to have significant hail here. I keep praying when the sky starts spitting ice pellets and God's been kind to protect the garden from much damage. We've had pea sized hail briefly and lightly.) What to do now when plants look like they've been through the shredder?

Immediately prune the plants of any damage. A plant will expend a large amount of energy trying to repair its damaged foliage. Remove shredded leaves and broken stems from the plant so it can work on creating new, healthy foliage instead. Don't let plants stand in water. So far, in my raised beds, they've managed to keep draining. But, in those flat, on top of the ground beds, trench the soil to drain water away from plants. Push back mulching materials such as straw, grass clippings, etc., so that the soil can get the sun. And lastly, now is a good time to work in a pelletized fertilizer. Sprinkle it around the drip edge of the plant. The moisture from the soil will slowly released good nutrients to the plant, helping in regeneration.

The picture at the top is of my watermelon radishes. I think the excess water has caused the coloring to be washed. The center should be a full circle of purplish-red, not just a spot. Oh well, David says they are just as tasty. I have to say they've held up the best of the three varieties I planted. I score them as:

watermelon radish A-

white globe radish B-

black Spanish radish D+

As in the second picture, I'd say the purple kohlrabi have faired better then the early white Vienna as far as splitting out goes. This plump purple fellow is a lovely specimen. And the masculine arm holding it for the camera (no that isn't my arm!) isn't bad either!!! Thanks Dave.

Another big problem in the June garden is pests. The red spider mites have made a showing on the tomatoes. Left unchecked, they will destroy the blooms which, of course, results in a lack of tomatoes. The yellow lady bug-looking beatles are after the green beans, the rabbits are fixated on my green peppers, and the white moths are circling the cabbages. What's new, right?

A nice surprise was the volunteer New Zealand Spinach that we ate last night. This is a hardy spinach, loves warm weather, and continues to produce even after several cuttings. If you haven't tried this variety, give it a shot. Once your radishes have played out, replant that row with this variety. Get a jump start on germination by soaking the seeds in water for a few hours before planting. Within a month, a stand of spinach will be ready for picking.

For What Didn't Bloom This Spring: Phosphate = Flowers

I planted my first wisteria the spring of 2005 and the second wisteria the fall of 2006. Imagine my distress when one spring after another came and went without either vine producing one skimpy bloom. Now, compound that disappointment with a Robinson crabapple and four white dogwood trees that also refused to bloom. The common denominator in this varied problem is cold, wet soil. Phosphorus becomes less available to plants, shrubs, and trees when the soil is clay and the temperatures at bloom time are cold.

The soil on our property is beyond poor. I can dig down two inches and come up with a spade full of orange yuck. When we plant anything, we dig the hole twice as big as need be and back fill it with compost. This gives new roots a chance to get going before they contend with the crud. Unfortunately, new roots have to get there eventually and when they meet the clay, the absorption of crucial minerals diminishes.

Fern Leaf Yarrow: aka Achillea x Moonshine

Yesterday I took a phone call from a good friend of mine I'd not heard from in awhile. He wanted to chat about my favorite subject: gardening. He paid me a terrific compliment by saying all the garden variety vegetables that I'd endorsed were performing marvelously in his own garden. I was thrilled to hear so. When I recommend a certain variety of perennial or vegetable, or even garden tool for that matter, I do so because I want others to experience the joy of something that works, something that flourishes. That's why I just have to recommend Fern Leaf Yarrow, Achillea x "Moonshine".

When I revamped my entryway flowerbed this past fall, I added five Fern Leaf Yarrow into the design. I loved the intricate, dusty green foliage that does closely resemble fern leaves and bought the plants without having seen them bloom. They were some of the first perennials out of the ground this spring and by mid May, they were blooming. I have not been disappointed. The flowers were not only voluminous but also brilliant in color. In fact, they are so bright, I've been having trouble catching their detail with my new camera. They want to blur because they are so vivid yellow. And staying power---those first blooms two weeks ago look as good as the new blooms that have opened in the past couple days. I kept expecting the long stalks to wither, the blooms to dry up. Not a chance.They've even endured thrashing winds and still look fantastic.



Getting back to the subject of my entryway flowerbed, I have to impart a humorous anecdote. As I stated, I planted five but after they flowered, I realized I could really have used six to more nicely fill out that bed. So off to the nursery where I bought them, Dave and I went. I was browsing the aisles when Dave walked up to me holding a beautiful specimen. Always wary, I checked the tag and quickly informed him that he had the wrong variety. I needed Fern Leaf and he was holding Moonshine. Furthermore, I was certain the flower of Moonshine was not as brilliant as my precious Fern Leaf. This particular nursery only carried Moonshine and we were directed to check their sister store for Fern Leaf.

So off we went, arriving at the sister store only to find that Moonshine was the only yellow to prevail. I even asked one of the attendants who consulted with another attendant if the Fern Leaf and the Moonshine variety were one in the same. We decided they were probably not and since I wanted to include it in my entryway flower bed, it was best not to chance getting the color wrong. Instead, we all agreed I should wait until fall and divide one of my present Fern Leafs if I couldn't find that variety anywhere else.

When I sat down to write the previous posting, of which a photo of Fern Leaf yarrow is pictured, I had to laugh at my own silliness. First, for not having checked my faithful garden journal before heading out to the nursery and secondly, for not having trusted my husband's eye when he kept telling all of us that the Fern Leaf and the Moonshine looked exactly the same to him! There was my Monrovia tag for Fern Leaf Yarrow and when I opened it up to read the inside information, there were the words: Fern Leaf Yarrow, Achillea x "Moonshine". Here's something most husbands don't hear too often---Dave, you were right!



Here's some really great info on Achillea x Moonshine:

• It flowers almost the entire growing season


• Great for the back of the border because of its heigth, although I used mine at the front and let it drape down over my boxwoods


• Cold hardy to zone 3


• It can take the sunniest spot in your garden


• Extremely drought tolerant


• Superior for cutting and drying


• Divides easily


• Long lasting blooms


• A truly great perennial for beginners

After a Long Hiatus: What's Been Happening in the Gardens of Blessing Hill

I apologize for May's postings falling short. A lot happened in the two, almost three weeks, since I last posted. First and foremost, I killed my digital camera. It was and has been far more painful for me than for the camera, I assure you. I bought a new digital camera and I hate it. I hate everything about the Kodak MD1063. The one I killed was a Kodak MD853---beautiful pictures, compatible software, easy to use. The new MD1063 is a pain in every way. Less than stellar pictures, one problem after another with the software, blah, blah, blah. The above picture was taken with it. My old MD853 was only 8.2 megapixels and it captured far better detail than the MD1063 which is 10.3 mp. So much for newer technology. (Above picture: Lilium asiaticum Tiny Bee)

Maybe you're interested in how I killed the camera . . . oh well, even if you're not---I left it outside and it rained. Apparently circuit boards and water don't mix! I was taking pictures of my new potting shed as it was being raised, which brings me to the next reason I've been gone so long. Although I wasn't much help, I did try to assist David in the construction of my 12' X 14' potting shed. (I'll follow with another posting devoted solely to that issue when the potting shed is completed.) Our neighbor and his son-in-law helped David with the worst of it, two large windows and a set of French doors. I did some hammering here and there but David really was on his own with it. I'm still having health problems that kept me from participating as fully as I would have liked. Anyway, it wasn't all work and no play. David and I did hit some nurseries while he was on vacation, trips which resulted in the planting of 15 new trees! (pictured: Lonicera Gold Flame)

Of course, while building the potting shed, we had some of the hottest weather thus far this season. High humidity and unseasonable heat made for interesting building as well. But, that's nothing new for us. A few years ago, when we built our back deck, we did so in triple digit temps. Back to the heat---I was watering a patch of large, dense hosta on the north side of said deck when baby rabbits began popping out of the foliage like ping pong balls from a lottery machine. To say I was surprised is an understatement. Remember my good friend and garden buddy, Lu? Why any moma rabbit would think it was a good idea to birth her babies inside the very enclosure that keeps my 100 pound dog from freely running the neighborhood is anyone's guess. (pictured: Achilles x Moonshine)

This morning I woke up to a 57 degree chill. For all my there's-n0-such-thing-as-global-warming buddies, please tell me the last time you remember temps in the 50's in June. It also rained last night. I'm not complaining on the behalf of my flowers and veggies. My gracious its great not to be manning the water hose each and every day. It's made for beautiful lush foliage and amazing flowers thus far this season. However, the over abundance of moisture is not all grand. Many in our state have been flooded. Damage to property is widespread. Luckily for us, we live on high ground but the constance of moisture in the ground killed a five year old althea tree on the west side of our house. I'd planted two, one on either side of our back deck. It's mate is fairing better although it has many leafless branches. It made me sick to loose it but I consider myself lucky in that it's all I lost.

The cool temps have been great for transplanting. I relocated some Husker Red penstemon. They had grown into nothing short of bushes, three feet by three feet, and were blocking the view of my shrub roses in the courtyard. Moving perennials that large without




















separating can be risky but they are fairing well in their new home. The vegetable garden is growing leaps and bounds. Only the carrots and the peppers are complaining about the temps, especially the peppers. But, we are overflowing with radishes. My tomatoes are blooming and setting on. The cabbages are heading. Everywhere something is getting greener and bigger. It won't be long until its time to load boxes to go to the food pantry. Which reminds me, if you've got an abundance of veggies this season, don't forget those who have not.

On a parting note, in October, we'll have lived at this residence for five years. It seems like the time has flown by and yet I can mark the years in structures---the house, the rose arbor and fencing, the barn, the gazebo, and the potting shed. All this time, I've been trying to think of a suitable and yet seemingly natural name for this property. As you may have gleaned from the title of this posting, it's finally come to me:

Blessing Hill