Garden Secrets Nice Gal Pink Peony

If you enjoy watching butterflies and hummingbirds then plant the Nice Gal Peony. This peony is a stunning pink flowering shrub that will add beauty to your garden with its large pink flowers with yellow stamens.

 In 2012 I shopped online and bought a peony collection from Brecks Nursery.  The flowering shrubs were bare roots and the nice gal was one of the plants that I had received.

The peonies were planted in fertile well-drained soil where there were 6 hours of full sun daily.  The bare root grew into a small shrub in the first year with lush green leaves but did not bloom for two years.  The first time that the peony bloomed the flowers were small and I attributed this to the overhand of an Oak tree that had grown in. 

The following fall I decided to transplant even though I knew that disturbing the peony may mean it may not boom the following year.  I took the chance and moved the nice gal to another area where there was no chance that trees would block the sun.   

I transplanted the peony on a cloudy day, and it was planted deep in well-drained fertile soil that was amended with compost.  I watered well and did not allow the soil to dry out.  This new location provided the peony with 6 hours of full sun and part shade.  I applied a layer of mulch to protect the newly rooted shrub and after the first frost, I cut back the stems to the soil and applied a thicker layer of natural hardwood mulch.

 For the next 7 years, this flowering shrub grew in nicely (28 inches in height with a 30-inch spread.  The peony had strong stems and glossy leaves with small buds and flowers.   Normally this particular peony is an outstanding performer, but I suspect that disturbing the roots by transplanting did not agree with the plant.

This year I changed my fertilizer.  I used Jobes stakes for flowering shrubs. The stakes were put into the soil in late March / early spring.  The fertilizer stake would feed the peony slowly throughout the growing season.

In April the spring rain was plentiful, the days were warm and the nights were cool.  The weather and the fertilizer agreed with my pink gal peony because it grew into a sturdy bush with lush green leaves and big flower buds. The entire bush was covered with flower buds and the blooms were magnificent.

 

Here are some photographs of my beautiful Nice Gal Peony shrub. 

Swizzle Scarlet and Yellow Zinnia Flower

 Zinnia flowers are grown in my garden annually and I always grow them from seed.  The only exception was this year when I bought the Swizzle Scarlet and Yellow Zinnia flowers.

I was drawn to the brilliant large bi-color flower and bought six of the dwarf-size zinnia plants at Lowe’s garden center.   The flower is striking and would add good contrast to my full sunflower garden. I also thought the dwarf size would be good for containers or grown along the border of a garden path.

Plant in a location where the zinnias will get six hours of full sun. The soil should be well-drained as the roots will rot if they are wet. This pant will bloom continuously from spring to fall and is hardy to 40 F.

Water daily for the first 30 days or until the plant is mature (10 to 12 inches in height and the same for width) then water as needed.

My summers are extremely hot so I did apply mulch to help retain moisture and to prevent weed growth in the garden. 

Here are some photographs of the Swizzle Scarlet and Yellow Zinnia Flower.

Garden Secrets How to Plant Rhododendron

Rhododendron is a shrub that has flowers like the azalea.  It’s a perennial that is long-lived provided you plant it in a location that meets the plants growing needs.

Know that in the past I planted rhododendron on the east side of my home.  In an area that was too close to my home's overhang and suspect that the shade was too much.  The plant grew but never bloomed. 

I transplanted my rhododendron to the north side of my home in an area where there was protection from wind and the soil had an acidic ph.  As for the sun the plant received 3 hours of full morning sun followed by 4 hours of the late afternoon sun. During the heat of the day, the shrub was protected with partial shade and this shade did not seem to hurt the rhododendron. (Rhododendron grow best when they get 6 hours of full sun daily)

In May I did weed the entire garden bed before applying a thick layer of hardwood mulch around the plants.  My summers are extremely hot so hoping the mulch will keep the roots cool and aid in retaining moisture.

Know that I did soak the root ball in water for one hour then let it drip dry for another hour before planting it in a hole that was 3 times the size of the root ball.  I planted it high so that the rainwater would drain off.  I also amended the fill-in soil with peat moss.  After planting I watered well, then did not water for 3-days.  The soil around the rhododendron didn’t dry out because I watered every 3-days for a month then only when water was needed.

The rhododendron bloomed this year and the flowers were brilliant. Here are some photographs. 

About Sticky Weed in the Yard

 This past March my oak tree dropped its remaining leaves, and normally we remove the leaves from the garden beds immediately.  But the weather was bitter cold and we both got COVID so the leaves set on our gardens long enough to germinate a whole lot of weeds including the sticky weed. 

Photo of  Cleavers or "sticky weed" (Galium Aparine)

The sticky weed got its name due to the hairy like hooks on the leaves this allows the plant to stick to your clothing, hand, other plants, or anything it comes in contact with.  

Know that it's best to put on your garden gloves and pull this weed as quickly as you see it.  I tend to pull it close to the soil level and I put it in a plastic trash bag.  the last thing that I want is the seeds to spread back into my yard and garden.

*My husband can pull the sticky weed by hand without the worry of a rash or irritation.  Many people say that they have gotten a rash, so I recommend that you put on gloves before you pull out the sticky weed in your yard.

Planting Chrysanthemums

The chrysanthemum is a great flower to add color and interest to your late summer garden. Shop for a variety of flower colors red, pink, yellow, ginger, purple and some chrysanthemums are multiple colors.

Normally our fall season is long and warm and Chrysanthemums will bloom until Thanksgiving. So I will plant a few in clay pots to display on my porch with orange pumpkins. I will also grow them in the ground throughout my yard and in my gardens.

The chrysanthemums that I planted in the spring are hardy perennials they are in the ground and had time throughout the summer months to get rooted. These deep-rooted mums will survive the winter and come back next spring.

I also planted chrysanthemums in mid-September. Since my fall season is mild the plant will have six or seven weeks to get rooted before there is a hard frost.

If it is too late to plant the chrysanthemum in the ground you can use the florist mum which is an annual flower by growing them in containers and using them as feature flowers on your porch or patio. 

Chrysanthemums are easy to grow.  For healthy Chrysanthemums choose a location that has rich well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 and good airflow and full sun. 

Water a newly planted Chrysanthemum so that the soil is evenly moist but not drenched.  Then do not water again until the soil is dry to the touch. I water in the morning when the plant is rooting for approximately 6 weeks.  Then once established I don’t overwater the chrysanthemum, this plant is drought tolerant and does not need to be watered daily. I do fertilize with bloom booster by miracle-gro hose-end feeder once a week and deadhead all spent blooms to encourage new growth.

Here are some photographs of chrysanthemums

Planted this Chrysanthemum in the spring by September it was double in size