Easy to Grow Elephant Ears

An elephant ear is a tropical plant that is grown from a bulb.  This plant earned its name because when the stem grows upright out of the bulb a large elephant ear-shaped leaf will unfold at the tip of the stem. This ornamental plant comes in many colors; green, purple, or black and some leaves have white veins. 

Elephant ear container

Mature elephant ear plants will grow to a height of 2 to 10 feet with a leaf spread of two feet. Because of their large size and spreading habit, the elephant ear is a good choice to grow along a garden path or grow as a group as a privacy screen for your patio or outdoor living space.  

Growing Tips

Grow elephant ears as perennial in warm humid climates or grow as an annual during the summer when the temperature is an average of (68 to 88)   Choose a garden site with part sun and shade. Elephant ear grows well in moist to wet soil that has organic matter.  If you have a pond then plant the elephant ear in the moist soil along your pond.  If not grow an elephant ear in an area where the soil is evenly moist.  

Ready the garden site

One bulb will require a space of 36 to 60 inches. Allow space for the elephant ear to spread.  When you know how much space is needed for your elephant ear garden, you would then clear the garden site by removing the soil and then using a  tiller to loosen the soil to 10 inches deep.  Work the soil by breaking up the clumps so that the soil is a fine texture.  Improve the soil by adding compost or manure.  Also, add soil that will aid in retaining moisture.

Planting Elephant Ear

Dig a hole that is 8 to 10 inches deep. Plant the bulb; flat side down.  The top of the bulb should be planted no deeper than two inches below the soil.  Water well.  The plant will emerge in approximately 2 to 3 weeks.  

 
Tips:

• Provide the elephant ear with its growing needs; part sun and shade, rich organic soil, and evenly moist soil, and the plant will provide you with beautiful foliage and a summer flower.  The elephant ear is a great plant for a beginner gardener because it is easy to grow. 
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• Grow the elephant ear in the ground or as an accent plant in a large container.
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• Set up a soaking hose or drip irrigation to provide the elephant ear with water.  Install a timer on the faucet so that the plants will be hydrated automatically and you will not need to worry about turning the faucet on or off.
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• Refrain from allowing the soil to dry out as this will cause stress on the plant and the leaves will wilt. 
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•  Elephant ears can become invasive when growing in tropical climates. If this occurs then divide and transplant them in the spring or divide them in the fall after you lift them from the ground.
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• Lift the bulbs in the autumn after the foliage has died back and before a fall frost.  Store the bulbs in a cool and dry area until it is time to plant them in spring.

Image Credit Elephant Ear bulb

Image Credit Elephant ears grown in masses

View the video to learn how to care for elephant ears during the winter months.

 

Summer Watering Tips – When to Water Gardens

Summer is a season when the temperatures can be extremely hot and gardeners will need to water their flowers however there may be water restriction and so one needs to water their gardens in the morning when the weather is cooler and the water will not evaporate.

Before you water your gardens check the plants to determine which plants have deep roots and also check for plants that have roots close to the soil surface.   Deep rooted plants do not need to be watered daily.  They benefit  from deep one inch watering on a weekly basis. By providing deep rooted plants with one inch of water each week the plants will have stronger roots and they will be healthier.  

For plants that have roots close to the soil surface they will need water on a daily basis.  Many people water these plants with a light mist several times a day.  This method is not advisable because the water tends to evaporate in the heat of the day and the plant does not benefit.  It is better to water the plants early in the morning.  I prefer to water my garden from 5:30 to 7:30 am.  In the early morning the temperature is cooler and the water will not evaporate. 

Another time to water your garden is late afternoon.  Afternoon watering is acceptable provided the gardens have ample time to dry before nightfall.

The best way to water your gardens is to set up a soaker hose The slow drip emerges from the entire hose and hydrates your plants at the soil line and thus gets to the roots and nourishes the plant.   

Tips and Warnings

Consider installing drip irrigation and a faucet timer. Set the timer so start and stop automatically. This watering system is great especially if you work outside of the home.

    

Avoid getting the leaves wet as it will attract pests or disease.  Gardens that are watered at dusk or at night will attract pests and fungus.

Watch for Powdery Mildew on leaves due to watering the leaves.

If your city has a water restriction check with your city ordnance to find out when you can water and if it is acceptable to provide one inch of water to plants and shrubs weekly.

Growing Cosmos From Seed is Easy

 The cosmos flower is a good choice for beginner gardener as well as intermediate and master gardeners who desire a summer flower that will add color to garden after other flowers have spent.  These vibrant beauties certainly put on a color show and they are very easy to grow from seed.

I planted cosmos flower seeds outdoors on a sunny day in late spring.  My cosmo garden is in a location where it gets morning sun, part sun in the heat of the day and part sun in the late afternoon. The flower gets six hours of sun per day and is healthy with vibrant blooms

To provide drainage the cosmos were planted on a slight slope on my side yard.  The soil in this area is rich with organic matter. Normally I take care in the way I plant but I was in a hurry so I literally tossed the seeds into a new bed and then planted them where the seeds landed by covering the seeds with a half inch of potting soil and a light layer of mulch.

I cared for the seeds by watering them so that the ground was evenly most but not wet.
We had an unusual spring as the days were cool well into May and there was flash flooding. I was certain that the seeds were washed away. However 21 days later I viewed new growth.  Cosmo seedlings were pushing upward through the soil.

If you are a beginner gardener and would like to grow an easy flower from seed then I would recommend growing cosmos. They are beautiful bedding flowers that are easy to maintain provided you water them regularly and do not let the soil dry out. 

Fertilize your cosmos monthly throughout the growing season.  I use miracle grow mixed with water. The hose end fertilizer is a good choice. 

The cosmo will bloom throughout fall as long as there is sun and no freeze. 

Learn more about cosmos by viewing this YouTube video

Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow' Growing Tips

Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow’s a creeping evergreen ground cover that many gardeners grow because of its dense mat growth, attractive green leaves with a bronze highlight, and pretty blue spring blooms.  If you are seeking a low-growing ground cover then grow Ajuga reptans 'Burgundy Glow'.

Image Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons: 

I grow ajuga in my rock garden and under my butterfly bush. I also grow it amongst my hostas, ferns, and coleus. Ajuga reptans burgundy glow' is easy to grow and will spread quickly.

Purchase plants at a nursery or ask your friends if they grow ajuga. If they do grow the ajuga they may be transplanting in the spring, let them know that you are interested in trading plants. Trading is a good way to get healthy plants for your garden.   Offer your friend plants from your garden in exchange for healthy ajuga for your yard and garden.

Growing Tips

Select a garden site that features sun, part shade, and shade. The ideal garden site is one that has early morning sun, part shade in late morning, and shade in the heat of the day followed by the early evening sun.  An average of four hours of sun will enable the ajuga ground cover to produce healthy foliage and spring blooms.  Ajuga will tolerate full sun as long as the ground is evenly moist but not wet and well-drained.

Ajuga is not fussy about the type of soil as long as it is well-drained.  I find that when I add organic matter to the plants in early spring the leaves and flowers are healthier. 

Here is a photo of some annuals I planted in amongst the ajuga I think they add interest to the summer garden.

Get the growing site ready by removing the grass and loosen the soil to six inches.  Mix an inch of compost or organic matter into the soil and also add a time-release fertilizer. Wet the soil so that it is evenly moist but not wet prior to planting.

Dig a hole that is three inches deep. Place the plant in the center of the hole. Spread out the roots and then fill in the hole with the soil. Space one-foot in-between plants, to allow for the runners. Lightly water the newly planted ajuga so that the soil is evenly moist.

Care for Ajuga

Apply a thin layer of mulch. This mulch will help to retain moisture, keep the roots cool, and will prevent weed growth.

Set up an irrigation system.  Place the water system on a time; set to water the plants from 6 to 7 am daily. 

Feed in spring with spent coffee grounds or with all-purpose plant and flower fertilizer.

Tips and Warnings

• Grow ajuga amongst Hosta, Fern, and Astilbe
• Plant under shrubs or trees
• Fifty plants cover 200 square feet
• Ajuga is good for erosion control
• A low growing ground cover for zone 3-9
• Apply a layer of straw to protect ajuga during winter, remove the straw in early spring.

 
 
 

Improve Dog Kennel Appearance

Dog kennels come in a variety of sizes; however, most kennels are all made from chain link fencing and tend to be an eyesore.  

The dog kennel is a great way to protect your yard and gardens from your family dog.  A dog that has limited space will not transplant your flowers, dig trenches in your yard or chew or trample your gardens thus a kennel is a necessity.  However, in order to make the kennel eye-appealing, you will need to be creative and choose kennel materials that do not interfere with your landscape. Follow these tips to Improve your dog kennels' appearance so that it adds curb appeal to the home.

Choosing Dog Kennel Location

Decide the best location for the dog kennel.  Select an area that is away from your outdoor living spaces.  The back corner of your yard close to a large shade tree or on the side of your home would be ideal kennel locations.  

Improve Kennel Appearance

If dog kennels had lush grass flooring then the kennel would be eye appealing, but that is not the case.  Dog-like to dig and most kennels have dirt floors with potholes.  

Improve the appearance of your chain link dog run or kennel by installing a kennel deck.  The deck is a good way to stop your dogs from digging in the kennel.  The custom-fit deck flooring will comfort your dog by keeping them warmer in winter and cooler in summer.  The deck flooring is easy to install and is less money than pouring a cement floor.

Another way to improve the appearance is to install a dog kennel cover that has UV protection. The top comes in a variety of colors that will compliment your landscape.  When you add a kennel top along with the platform flooring you will improve the dog kennel's appearance. 

Landscape the exterior of the Dog Kennel and Not the interior. see the above image no flowers, vines, or shrubs are in the kennel and the dog cannot access any of the plants.  

1. Make the dog kennel attractive by planting evergreen hedges or shrubs in front of the chain-link fencing.  
2. Plant a fast-growing shrub such as the Arborvitae Emerald Green.  The shrubs block the view and will buffer the barking dogs.  The evergreen hedge will also insulate the kennel by blocking wind, snow, and ice, and adding shade to the kennel. When you look at your yard you will no longer view a six-foot chain-link kennel instead, you will see an evergreen hedge.  
3. Add a trellis on the outside of the fence at least 20 inches away from the chain-link fence.  Grow fragrant vines such as sweet autumn clematis or honeysuckle on the trellis, when the flowers bloom your entire yard will have a lovely fragrance. Grow vines in a sunny location with well-drained soil.  Apply mulch to keep the roots shaded and cool.
4. Conceal the exterior of the dog kennel by landscaping with ornamental grasses.  Choose the varieties of grasses that exceed six feet in height; fountain, feather reed, or zebra grass. 
5. Plant medium height oriental fountain grass Karley Rose in the front of the tall varieties and then in the front plant blue fescue or liriope grass. An ornamental grass garden will improve the appearance of the dog kennel.   The grass looks attractive from summer through early winter.  Prune in early spring.

Other Dog Kennel Tips

Plant a garden of fragrant herbs close to the dog kennel.  A raised herb garden with peppermint, lavender, sweet basil, rosemary, and red bee balm will scent the air.  These aromatic herbs will also repel mosquitoes and ticks.

Before you plant search for plant toxicity to dogs.  Know that clematis and honeysuckle will make your dog ill if they eat it excessively, that is why I suggest that you landscape your kennel on the exterior and outside of the fence and not the interior. 

Notes by Sgolis:

I shopped at Greenwoodnursry.com for all of my grasses, flowers, herbs, and evergreen shrubs that I used to landscape around my dog kennel. Normally I do not like shopping online for live plants but I was very impressed with the customer service and the shipping of the plants.

The owner of the company gives personalized service, normally you do not find this at a website or even at a hometown garden center.  So if you are looking for landscape plants for your dog kennel then I recommend shopping at greenwood nursery. 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my Yard and Garden Secrets Blog.

Grow Everbearing Strawberries in Home Garden

Grow everbearing strawberries and you will enjoy sweet and juicy berries for eating right off the vine or adding to your favorite recipes or frozen drinks. Many gardeners grow June-bearing and everbearing strawberries to extend the growing season and to have a larger crop. This strawberry is easy to grow; one plant will produce one quart of strawberries. 

  Growing Instructions:

1. Get your garden ready for strawberry planting in early spring
2. Choose a garden site that has not been used to grow vegetables; potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant.  
3. When growing strawberries it is best to choose a garden bed that is new; this will prevent soil-borne diseases and pests.
4. Strawberries grow well in sandy loam that has been amended with compost or manure. 
5. You can grow strawberries in the ground, in containers, or in a raised garden.  
6. For in-ground gardens choose a hill or a slope for the garden site or grow on flat ground that is well drained. For healthy strawberries, you will need to select a growing site that has full sun and well-drained soil. Strawberries grow best when the soil ph is 5.5 to 6.5.
7. For smaller yards or a balcony you may grow strawberries in a pot provided there is proper drainage and the strawberries get a full day of sun.
8. Purchase strawberries as a bare root from an online nursery or buy direct from a local garden center.  Or you can buy strawberry plants that have strong leaves and stems.  
9. Plant the strawberries in spring after the danger of frost has passed.
10. Before planting bare-root strawberries you will need to hydrate them, do this by setting the roots in a tepid pan of water and allowing the roots to hydrate for a half hour.
11. Plant the strawberries in a hole that is the same depth as the nursery container.  Set the strawberry in the center of the hole and spread out the roots so that they grow outward from the crown.  Backfill the soil and water so that the soil is moist but not wet.  Space strawberries that are planted in a row garden 14 inches apart. There should be two feet of space in-between rows, as this will allow the runner ample space to grow.
12. Care for strawberries by keeping the garden bed weed free.  Also, water the berries daily in the morning with dripline irrigation.  Strawberries need 2 inches of water per week to produce plump and juicy fruit.  For best results keep the soil evenly moist by not wet.  Apply organic mulch; wood chips, sawdust, or shredded leaves around the strawberries to keep the roots cool.  Feed in spring with a 10-10-10 fertilizer.  

Tips:

• Protect your strawberry plants throughout winter with a light covering of straw.
• Everbearing strawberries are easy to control as they put out fewer runners.
• Harvest strawberries in spring, summer, and fall
• Remove flowers and or berries from nursery-grown plants prior to planting.
• Strawberries planted too deep will not produce berries and will die.
• Grow everbearing strawberries in USDA zone 4 to 8
• Repel pests from the strawberry gardens with spent coffee grounds or mix diatomaceous earth food grade into the soil. 

Dry Set Flagstone Patio or Walkway Installation

A dry set natural flagstone patio or walkway is a great way to enhance your outdoor living space.  Flagstone is available in many natural color schemes and I am sure there is a stone that will compliment your landscape. 


Before you begin this do it yourself project decide on the design. Look at natural stone patio and walkway books and research online for images on flagstone patios and walkways. 

Designing a stone patio or walkway is fun.  There are not many steps involved in the layout of the patio, however, the installation of the stone, sand, and gravel is high labor. I would suggest that you pace yourself with the dry set flagstone patio or walkway installation; you may want to consider completing the DIY project over a long weekend with a couple of your friends.

In 2004 I moved to a historic adobe home in the Southwest region of North America.  My husband and I loved the architectural design of the home and that it was a green home.  We also admired the landscape as the home sat on 1/4 acre. I knew as soon as I saw the landscape that a natural dry set flagstone patio and walkway would not only accent the home but would compliment the outdoor living space.

 In order to complete the natural stone patio design, my husband would need to excavate the land. He was eager to rent equipment to achieve this task. And when the land was cleared we decided that we would install the patio and walkway the last week of June in 2004. 

We purchased the flagstone and all of our supplies at a wholesale rock company. For our patio and walkway we used 2 tons of flagstones and edging stone, we also purchased pea gravel and AB3 sand.  Our total costs for the patio and walkway came to $11.25 a square foot. 

Tools needed

A rubber mallet, garden tools, spade, wheelbarrow, level, white marking paint, heavy-duty leather gloves, 2-wheel dolly, plate compactor, garden hose, and a broom. (Note: you can rent a plate compactor at a construction supply store or you can buy one at a home improvement store or amazon.com

Flagstone patio and walkway instructions

Start the installation of your flagstone patio and walkway by deciding on the location and determining the length and width of your patio and walkway.  A walkway that is three foot in width is good for a residential home and the patio length and width is your choice.  

Flagstone Garden Path Card by Susang6

Outline the design of your patio with white marking paint.  Step back and view the layout and make changes if desired.  When you are satisfied with the layout of the patio and walkway you would then measure the length and width of the patio.  

You need the measurement to determine the quantity of natural flagstone, edging stone, course pea gravel, and AB3 sand that is needed to complete the project.

After you determine the location for your patio you would use your spade or tiller to remove the grass and soil to the depth of six inches.  Remove the excess dirt. 

I utilized the extra dirt to fill in low areas of my yard where the water did not drain and I also added it to a raised garden. 

Use your garden hose to wet the base of the patio lightly.  While the area is wet, add one inch of AB3 sand and one inch of course pea gravel in the base of the patio and walkway.   

Compact the mixture of sand and gravel.  After you compact the sand and the gravel you would add your edge stone, the edge stone is a personal choice as you do not need it.  We added edge stone because I liked the look of the stone, I thought it gave the patio a more finished look.  

After the edging is installed you would then apply 2 inches of sand on top of the compacted surface.  The sand is needed to set the stones.  

Laying flagstone

Choose elongated stones that will allow you to walk across the patio easily. Start laying the flagstone in the corners and work your way to the center.  

Set the stones into the sand and then use your rubber mallet to tap the stones lightly.

Work the stones into the sand by shifting the stones or tapping with the mallet.  We used a tight joint with large and small stones.  We 

When the flagstone layout is completed you may add an inch, of course, pea gravel around the stones or you may leave the flagstone in the dry set.  We opted for the pea gravel as it did prevent the stones from shifting and we thought the addition of gravel was eye appealing. 

Complete the flagstone patio by sweeping the stones to remove any excess sand or gravel.  When the surface of the stone is clean attach the nozzle on your hose and set the dial on the mist. Lightly mist the entire patio.  Allow the patio to dry before walking on it.

Tips:

All the photographs that you view on this post are of the natural flagstone patios I have designed for clients. Do not copy the photographs and use them on your website without an active link back to this article and photo/article credit.