Chrysanthemums Growing Tips

Accent containers with yellow mums

Chrysanthemums are autumn’s official flower. This flower is widely used in floral arrangements container gardens and many are planted in feature gardens.  Most people refer to this fall  flower as the mum. This colorful flower will bloom late summer through the first hard frost. Which means the chrysanthemum, will brighten yards and interior home decor from late September through November. 

I planted yellow mums along my flagstone patio and every June through mid July I need to pinch off the buds so that the plant will grow fuller and the buds will bloom in the late summer and early fall.  The first year I planted decorative mums and they did not grow well and then I learned that there are two types of mums, there are decorative mums they are annuals and are what florists use and then there are mums that you grow from a seed or buy from a nursery.

Buy healthy mums that have many buds. Check the nursery grown plant for broken branches and brown tips on the leaves. Find a mum that has lush green foliage and has a full appearance. If roots are growing out of the pot, it is a good sign that it has a rigorous root.

Start the mums by growing from seed indoors 8 to 12 weeks prior to the last frost in spring or you can buy a hardy mum that has been grown in a nursery pot.  If you intend to plant mums in the autumn it is best to buy a plant in a nursery pot and plant 6 to 8 weeks prior to fall hard frost.

Select your garden site wisely. Mums grow best in a sunny location with part shade in the afternoon.  They also grow well in rich garden soil that is well drained.   Grow mums away from a rock wall, foundation or privacy fence as they need good air flow.

Ready the garden by removing the sod, weeds and us a dig a hole that is the same depth as your nursery pot plus three inches.  Remove the soil from the hole and put in a wheel barrow or bucket.  Work compost or manure into the soil.  Next fill the hole with enough soil to make a small mound in the center of the hole.  This mound will lift the mum up and will aid in proper drainage.  Set the mum in the center of the hole on top of the mound and back fill the soil into the hole.  Firm the soil around the mum stem.  Water the newly planted mum.

Caring for Chrysanthemums
Apply two inches of mulch around the mum.  This mulch will aid in retaining moisture and will deter the growth of weeds.

Water Chrysanthemums in the morning; provide them with moisture up to one inch per week.  If the summer is hot then water the mums three times a week so they do not dry out.

When buds appear in late July or early August remove the buds.  The mum will then continue to grow full and bushy in appearance.  Feed mums in late summer with spray n grow.  Feeding them will produce healthy and large fall flowers. 

 When the weather turns bitter cold the plants will die back.  Cut them down to 1/3 their size and then apply three inches of mulch.

Tips:

1. Divide mums every 2 to 3 years
2. Water mums at the soil line with soaking hose.
3. The chrysanthemum flower attracts bees and butterflies.
4. Aphids like to nest in mums during the fall season.
5. Plant a nursery grown chrysanthemums them in September and keep the soil moist but not wet and enjoy the end of summer and early autumn flowers.
6. Unlike other fall blooming flowers the chrysanthemum is very hardy and a light frost will not affect them.
7. Decorate your home with mums by adding dried mums to garlands, wreaths or swag for your door or create a colorful mum and greenery floral centerpiece for their foyer or dining table.  Mum’s are also planted in feature gardens or in containers and are set next to a bail of straw or along the side of pumpkin. 

Growing Hosta in Shade Gardens

Shady areas in your yard are the perfect location for a Hosta garden. They grow well under shade trees, in containers, and in woodland gardens.  HostaS are Plantain Lilies and are native to China, Japan, and Korea. Gardeners grow Hosta for the unusual leaf, the variety of colors, and the texture. The plants are very attractive mid-spring through frost. 

Photographs of my Hosta shade gardens:

I have been growing Hosta plants since 1994.  Presently I have 40 plants.  It is safe to say that I love my shade garden.  Every year I look for a new plant to add to my collection. If you would like to add Hosta plants to your garden I would suggest that you buy a plant from a reliable nursery, and buy healthy plants in a container.  

Most plants grow 1-3 feet tall with a similar spread.  There are a few varieties that will grow 3-5 feet tall and wide, I have a giant blue Hosta, and the leaves are very large.  It took three seasons for the plant to mature and grow to four feet wide.

Growing tips for Hosta

Rich organic soil is needed to be successful in growing Hosta. The bed also needs to be moist and well-drained. Hosta will tolerate humid hot summers as long as the soil never dries out. You will need to be water 1 1/2 inches per week throughout the growing season. 

Fertilize the 3-4 times during the growing season. Use very light mulch or pine needles to control slugs, retain moisture, and control weeds. Don’t mulch over 2 inches as it may increase the garden pests; voles, slugs, and snails.  

Remove pests by hand daily and repel pests naturally with coffee grounds. Scatter the spent coffee grounds around the plants. Coffee will also deter cats from your hosta garden.

After the first frost, the plant will die back. Cut back the leaves to the soil line. Weed the bed and then cover it with 2-3 inches of organic mulch. 

In the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Fertilize your Hostas to encourage the plants to awaken from their winter sleep. I use Spray n Grow once a month during the growing season and I am pleased with how healthy my Hosta plants are.

Tips:

Hosta can be grown with Astilbe, Fern, Ajuga, Lily of the Valley, and toad lilies.

Deer are attracted to Hosta foliage.

Hosta will grow and multiply but never become invasive.  Divide clumps every 3-4 years in spring.

Do not plant in an area of dense shade as they do need some light from the sun to grow well.  My Hosta garden gets part sun in the morning and all are very healthy. 

Growing Culinary Herbs Outdoors

Every summer I grow herbs for cooking and for tea.  I use to grow herbs for healing but when I moved my space for growing herbs outdoors was limited as there are too many trees in my yard.  

 My husband suggested that I grow herbs year round in the greenhouse where we have grow lights. This of course is always a good idea as you do not have to worry about groundhogs eating your parsley or the brown grasshoppers.  It is the best to grow in way to grow healthy and organic herbs, however the bees and butterflies are not able to forage off the basil and rosemary blooms.  

I watched the sunlight in my yard and found that a small section received 4 hours of morning sun, followed by part shade in the afternoon and at 4:00 pm the section had full sun for another 3 hours.  The sun was enough and I decided to plant a small herb garden.
  

Photographs of my small culinary herb garden:

I set my herb garden up with a rock boarder.  I laid a thick newspaper lining to keep the grass and weeds from growing into the bed and then I added two inches of pea gravel mixed with sand for proper drainage and on top of that I added 12 inches of top soil mixed moisture control beads and equal parts compost.  I then planted; dill. African Blue Basil, Honeydew sage, oregano, Rosemary, chives, cilantro, Italian parsley and lemon mint. 

If you are contemplating growing herbs outdoors then here are some tips for growing herbs outdoors.

Grow Herbs in the Ground

1. Use a tiller to break the ground and loosen the soil to 18 inches.
2. Remove grass and rocks
3. Break up soil lumps so that it is fine in texture
4. Add organic compost to the garden soil and mix well
5. Add slow release fertilizer

Grow Herbs in Raised Gardens

1. Raised garden beds get more sun and dry out quickly so it is wise to set the raised garden in an area that is close to a water source; rain barrel or sprinkler head.Choose a flat surface for the raised garden.  A leveled garden will provide a good water balance.
2. Buy a raised garden kit and set it up according to the directions.
3. Fill your raised garden with a mixture of Scott's miracle grow moisture control garden soil, Scott’s compost and course sand. This mixture will provide your raised garden with hydration, nutrients and drainage.
4.  Another way to fill your raised bed is to mix half organic compost with half potting soil.  Add water pearls to help retain moisture. .

Grow Herbs in Container Garden

1. Drill holes on the bottom of the container to aid in water drainage.  For large containers you may want to drill holes on the side close to the bottom of container.
2. Fill your containers with all purpose potting soil mixed with compost or manure.  Add water pearls to help retain moisture
3. Fill soil to one inch bellow container top. This will prevent the water from draining off and will also allow you to apply peat moss or mulch around the herbs.

Tips:

1. Herbs need a minimum of six hours of direct sun to grow.
2. Plant herbs after you have installed your patio, walkway. Once planted it is best not to disturb the soil.  As compacting the earth for patio or walkway will shift the earth from the herb roots and cause the plants to suffer.
3. Water herbs daily; for containers and raised gardens, water in the morning and early evening.
4. Avoid allowing soil to dry out.

Mirabilis Jalapa Wildflower Growing Tips

The Mirabilis Jalapa is a wildflower that is commonly known as the four O’clock flower.  These flowers bloom late in the afternoon at approximately 4:00 and stay open throughout the night.  These flowers will close at dawn and will remain closed during the day, except on cloudy days.  

I grow four O'clock flowers and look forward to them blooming because they attract hummingbirds and also because of their fragrance.  I planted the magenta color close to my patio and the bi-color yellow grows close to the garden path.  I have also planted yellow mixed with the magnet in a large pot and set it on my patio. 

Photographs of my four O'clock flower gardens: 

Growing tips:

 Plant the seeds indoors 8-10 weeks prior to the last spring frost. Purchase seed starter kits at your local garden center. Fill the planters with soil. Then dig a hole that is ½-inch deep in the center of the pot. Use the eraser end of a pencil to form the hole. Place the black seed in the center and cover with soil. Water well.  Germination takes 8-12 days.  Transplant outdoors after the threat of spring frost has past.  Or you can sow the seeds directly into the garden bed. It is best to plant when the soil has warmed to 65 - 75F; germination is usually in 14 days. 

Grow Four O’clocks in full sun to part shade to shade in the afternoon when the sun is the hottest.  If your summers are extremely hot (95 to 105 F) then the four O’clock will benefit from part shade in the peak heat of the day.   Plant in well-drained soil, okay to grow in poor soil.  The plant will flourish if you amend the soil with compost or manure.  Space plants two feet apart. Keep the soil evenly moist until the plant fills out and gets a bushy appearance.  Then water as needed.  I generally water every morning with a soaking hose. The slow drip at the soil line is a good way to provide roots with hydration.

I grow magenta, white, yellow and pink four O’clock flowers as a backdrop to my stone patio.  These perennial flowers return every year due to our mild winters here in zone 7.  Both my husband and I enjoy sitting outdoors on a summer night especially when the air is perfumed by the four O’clock flowers.  What I like about this plant is that they are a large bushy with many branches.  When mature the plant will grows to almost four feet in height with a similar spread. I also enjoy the many blooms that come again throughout the late summer and fall season. When the days turn cooler the four-o’clock will stop blooming and will go to seed.

Tips:

Four O’clock plants are native to North and South America.  In South America, they are called the Marvel of Peru.

Four O'clocks are perennials in zones 8 to 11.  They may be grown as an annual in other growing regions.

  

Mature four O’clock plant have large tuber roots.  Divide and transplant the tubers every 3 to 4 years in the spring.  
  
Collect seeds in the fall and keep them in a labeled envelope.  Use these seeds for spring planting. Caution: do not eat the seeds; they are poisonous.

Cover Ground with Vinca Minor

Vinca Minor is an evergreen trailing ground cover that will add eye-appealing color to those shady spots in your yard where nothing else grows. You may be familiar with this pretty evergreen ground cover that blooms in spring, as it also goes by the name as lesser periwinkle or creeping myrtle.   

Vinca benefits the gardener who needs to cover the ground with eye-appealing green color.   I grow vinca minor under shrubs or on my shady slope.   This plant will cover bare spots very quickly by forming a dense mat. 

My husband likes it growing on the rocky slope because he no longer has to mow and I do not have to weed the vinca minor garden as it chokes out weeds.  I also grow vinca up against my rock wall.  In this section of my yard, I planted daffodil bulbs, and in the spring when the flowers bloom the purple blooms of vinca look beautiful at the base of the daffodils. Here are my photographs of Vinca Minor that grow in my gardens.

Growing tips for Vinca Minor

Plant the vinca minor ground cover in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Purchase plants or bare roots. Soak the bare root in a pan of tepid water for one hour before planting. The water is useful in hydrating the roots.  Vinca minor will grow very well r in part shade to full shade.  A garden site where the soil is moist and well-drained is preferred however mature plants will tolerate some drought as long as they are not growing in direct sun.  Plant the vinca close to your foundation, in rock gardens, raised planters, and under shrubs and shade trees.

Clear the garden site of grass, weeds. Loosen the soil to 8 inches and break up the clumps so that the texture is fine.  If your soil is poor then mix equal parts compost with your soil. Wet the garden site so that the soil is moist but not wet.  Dig holes that are the same size as the nursery container. For bare roots, dig a hole that is deep and wide enough to accommodate the roots. To allow for growth space eighteen inches apart.

Care for the ground cover by watering in the morning. Fertilize in early spring before the flowers bloom.
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Tips & Warnings

• Good plant for erosion control.
• Fully grown plants are six inches in height.
• Vinca grows in thick. It will choke out plants and weeds.
• Vinca minor can become invasive. Divide and transplant in spring
• Vinca is deer resistant.
• Grows well in USDA growing zones 3 to 8
• Vinca is native to central and southern Europe. 

Growing Herbs - Basil

 Basil is a culinary herb that is a main ingredient for many recipes. When you add fresh  basil leaves to soups, sauces and entrees the flavor of the food will be heightened.  The foods that are prepared with basil herb are always well received by family and friends as they are delicious. If you enjoy cooking then I would recommend that you grow basil in your herb garden.

Aromatic and Delicious African Blue Basil

Grow basil from seed by starting the seeds indoors, planting in a grow kit, and set by a sunny southern exposure window.  Keep the seedlings soil evenly moist but not wet.  Transplant after the threat of spring frost has passed.  Plant the basil in a sunny location that has well-drained soil.  Water lightly in the morning until the plants are mature, then you would water as needed.  A mature basil plant is approximately two feet in height with a similar spread. 

The leaves of the basil are green and highly aromatic.  This herb produces a flower that blooms mid to late summer.  The flowers attract bees and butterflies.  If your summers are hot then grow basil as they flourish in hot humid climates.  

I grow Thai, cinnamon, and African blue basil in various sized containers and decorative pots and also in my rock garden. In the summer, I display the basil in containers on my patio and along my walkways. The aromatic scent of the basil plants is refreshing and repels many flying insects including mosquitoes. It is nice to enjoy the fragrant basil while sitting on the patio.

  
Tips
In the winter, I bring my basil herb containers into my kitchen or into the greenhouse and set them by a sunny southern exposure window.  

In January when the winter days are long and dark we will set the basil under a grow light.  Basil likes it hot so we set the plant container in the center and set the other herbs on the sides or behind the basil.

If you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs then harvest the basil leaves before the flowers bloom. My husband enjoys cooking he will not permit some basil plants to flower because the leaves have a stronger taste after the plant blooms.  

It is best to grow many basil plants so you can enjoy the fragrance and the flavor.

When you add basil to your kitchen herb garden, the plant's aromatic properties add a fresh scent to your home.