Hot Pepper Wax Natural Animal and Insect Repellent

When it comes to repelling plant-eating garden pests I prefer to apply organic products rather than chemicals and have been using diatomaceous earth in the soil but found I needed something else for the leaf nibblers. So when the girls at my garden club were talking about a hot pepper wax spray that they used to repel animals and insects; deer, groundhogs, squirrels, aphids, spider mites, leafhoppers, and other garden insects that ate plants I took notes.

The organic pepper spray sounded great, but I wondered if the formula would be too strong for some of my herb plants since the application was to spray the entire plant including the soil in the garden. Sure enough, I was told that some plants are sensitive to pepper spray and that I should not treat the herbs peppermint, basil, lemon balm, or parsley. I am certain there are a few plants in my garden that will be sensitive to this potent pepper spray so I plan to test the plant by spraying a small amount on a leaf to see what happens, before spraying the entire garden bed.

Know that hot pepper wax should be spayed at dusk, this will allow the wax to harden due to the cooler air. Wax would not coat the leaves if sprayed on a sunny day. Make sure that you spray the entire plant, that includes the front and backside of the leaves, the stem, bud, and flower, The pepper spray will protect all plants that are treated in the garden from pests, however, you must watch for new growth. Anything new will be unprotected.

 On average the pepper spray lasts about two weeks. Know that when you harvest your edible plants you must wash them with warm water to remove the hot pepper wax. I had a deer take a bite of my lily leaves, the pepper wax did not stop the deer, BUT the deer had a coughing fit, then drank from my pond before leaving my yard. So you bet the hot pepper wax spray works.

You can buy hot pepper wax spray for animal and insect repellent at ebay.com (one-gallon concentrate) 

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Yard

When it comes time to planting I always plan an area in my yard for annual and perennial flowers that attract hummingbirds. Both my husband and I enjoy watching these birds that come to feed off our flowers. Know that the best way to attract hummingbirds to your yard is to provide them with their dietary needs and a reliable water source. Then the hummingbirds will visit your yard and gardens daily.

Photographs of hummingbirds in the flower garden

Hummingbirds are particular about their flowers as they need flowers that are rich in sugar content and will reject other plants. They will also look for gardens that have insects as they need to nourish their bodies with nutrients.

Decide on the nectar-rich plants that you want to grow Buy a variety of flowers that will bloom throughout the summer months.

Here are a few of my favorite flowers that attract hummingbirds.

Asters, Autumn Joy Sedum, Asiatic lilies,

Black-eyed Susan, Butterfly bush, Chamomile, 

Cardinal flower (red), Chives, Chrysanthemum, 

Clover (white, yellow, and red), Coreopsis, Cosmos, Crabapple, 

Dandelion Dill herb,  Echinacea Coneflowers, 
 Four O'clock flowers, Garden Mint, Happy returns day lily, 
Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lilacs,

 Marigold, Milkweed Mimosa, Parsley, Peony, Purple Phlox,

 Red and Fuchsia Bee Balm, Sage, Sweet Pea, 

Sweet Autumn Clematis, Thyme, , Verbena, Yarrow, and Zinnias.

You can buy an orange trumpet vine at ebay.com and attract hummingbirds to your yard. 

Helpful Tips

Keep hummingbirds in your yard and garden by installing a bird bath or water fountain. Change out the water daily to make sure that it is fresh. Do not use chlorinated water in the fountain, instead collect rainwater for your water fountain. You can also use filtered water.

Provide the hummingbirds with an organic environment by refraining from treating your yard and gardens with chemical-based insecticides as these chemicals will poison the hummingbirds and kill off their insect food source.

Transplanting Chrysanthemums to Outdoor Garden

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Chrysanthemums come in a variety of flower shapes and colors. These flowers will compliment your garden throughout the growing season when other flowers have stopped blooming. They will continue to bloom until very hard frost.

Normally I start chrysanthemums indoors by growing them from seed and will transplant them outdoors after the threat of spring frost has passed.

How to Plant Chrysanthemum Potted Plant Outdoors

Get the garden ready for planting chrysanthemums by removing the sod, and weeds. Break up the clumps of dirt so that the soil is a fine texture. Then amend the soil with compost.

1. For a nursery-grown plant or seedlings dig a hole that is the same depth as your nursery pot plus three inches.
2. Make a small mound of soil in the center of the hole. This mound will lift the mum up and will aid in proper drainage.
3. Set the mum plant in the center of the hole on top of the mound and backfill the soil into the hole.
4. Firm the soil around the mum stem. Water the newly planted mum.

Planting Flower Seed Outdoors

For sowing seeds outdoors, you would make rows that are ¼ inch deep in the soil then add two seeds for one plant, space 18 inches apart.  Cover the seeds and water so that the soil is evenly moist but not wet.

Helpful Garden Tips:

Apply organic mulch; pine needles, grass clippings or wood chips around the mum. Mulch will aid in retaining moisture and deter weed growth.

Water chrysanthemums in the morning; provide the plant with moisture up to one inch per week.

Do not allow the soil to dry out.

• For fall flowers you would pinch off the mum buds when they appear. Stop pinching off buds in August. When you pinch the early buds off the plant will grow fuller and the flowers will be stunning in the fall.
• For all summer blooms water monthly with bloom boost. Always pinch off the spent flowers, this will encourage new buds.

Growing Chrysanthemums from Seed

Normally I buy chrysanthemums in August to plant in container gardens for fall color. These late-season flowers usually do not have time to establish root because the winters may turn cold quickly. So a few years back I decided to start Chrysanthemums in my greenhouse in early spring. Then I transplanted the seedlings into my garden and since they are perennials in my area I enjoy their lovely blooms all summer long and well into the the fall season.

Growing Chrysanthemums from seed is easy plus they are long-lived. You benefit from this beautiful flower because the cut stems can be used in floral arrangements, seasonal wreaths, and other fall season decorations.

Here are some tips for growing chrysanthemums from seed.

Plant flower seeds in miracle-grow potting soil. Best to grow them indoors and then transplant them outdoors after the threat of spring frost has passed.

I buy seed starter kits in March and will plant the flower seed. Since I do not have a sunny window I bought a grow light at walmart.com  The soil in the starter kits is kept moist but not wet. I never let the soil dry out because it would cause the seedlings to be stressed.

Transplant chrysanthemum seedlings in spring after the threat of frost has passed.  Or when the weather is an average temperature of 70 degrees.

Choose a sunny garden site with rich soil that is well-drained. Know that if the soil is wet then the Chrysanthemum will weaken. This particular flower is susceptible to powdery mildew so it is wise to plant in full sun, in an area that has good airflow; away from walls, and not too close to other plants.

Transplant the mum seedling into a garden bed that has soil that is amended with compost. 

After planting the seedling, keep the soil evenly moist but not wet until the plant roots become established or new growth is noted. Then water in the morning with drip irrigation because.  It is best to not get the leaves wet. Why morning watering?  It is before the heat of the day when the water evaporates and at dusk, this watering will attract fungus and insects.

Powdery Mildew Treatment - Fungicide

Keep your plants healthy by checking them daily for powdery mildew. If you note a white powdery substance on any part of your plant then know this is a sign of fungus and it is best to treat your plants, soil, and all plants that are in the same garden location

Make a soap treatment for the powdery mildew, here is a list of ingredients.

1-cup baking soda

4 drops of unscented dishwashing liquid

2-quart tepid water

Mix all of these ingredients in your garden sprayer. Stir well to make sure everything is blended. Then using a pump garden sprayer treat the plant foliage for powdery mildew fungus. For an even spray stand 8 to 10 inches away and spray the plant and soil.

Spray all parts of the plant with solution. Treat all plants that are susceptible to powdery mildew.

Continue to watch foliage for powdery mildew. Repeat treatment as needed.

Another fungicide for your garden beds that are close to an area that is infected with powdery mildew or black spot is sulfur dust used as a garden spray treatment.

Mix 8 tablespoons of the sulfur dust with a gallon of water. Put water and sulfur mixture in a gallon size yard and garden sprayer.

Then in the morning before the heat of the day, spray your plants and the soil in the garden, saturate the garden area with the sulfur formula, and leave it set for 20 minutes. Then with your garden hose rinse away the sulfur so that it does not harm your plants when the sun comes out.

If interested in the sulfur dust treatment for powdery mildew you can buy it a walmart.com Look for the brand Bonide sulfur dust fungicide.

Here is a video that will show you what powdery mildew looks like.    Learn how to prevent by reading this article  Ways to Prevent Powdery Mildew

6 Ways to Prevent Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is a fungus that will weaken and kill your plants. If left untreated it will infect the entire garden. The best way to prevent this powdery mildew is to understand the fungus and know what garden conditions will put a stop to the fungus from attacking your plants.

There are a few things that you can do to prevent powdery mildew. Know that you must check all of your plants for this fungus, even the ones you buy at garden centers.

1. Shop for and BUY healthy plants with green leaves and strong roots and stay away from the plants that are closeouts, not a good idea to nurse them back to health, they may be diseased and make your other plants in the garden sick.
2. Choose your gardens carefully, if your plants require full sun then give them what they need. All plants need airflow, so choose a garden bed that is not next to a wall or privacy fences.
3. Refrain from planting too close. Overcrowded gardens are attractive to powdery mildew due to the lack of airflow.
4. Keep gardens weeded. Watch for weed growth and pull out weeds when they are visible.
5. Remove all dead branches or leaves. Prune to keep plants healthy.
6. Water plants at the soil line with drip irrigation. Avoid getting leaves wet.

Here is a video that will show you what powdery mildew looks like.  

Houseplants that Clean The Air

Did you know that the air that we breathe in our homes is polluted with toxins? You would not think so but it is true because these toxins come from the cleaning solvents that we use, paint, varnishes, ammonia, paper, and ink products. Even tobacco; second-hand smoke is harmful. If you suffer from allergies, these toxins will cause side effects like watery eyes, runny nose, or asthma. Here are houseplants that will clean the air by naturally removing toxins.

Before you buy houseplants you will need to determine which plants are right for your home. Most people have low light plants in every room or their house because this is the best way to keep the air clean. Otherwise, you would accent your decor with houseplants in high traffic rooms like kitchen, den, and bedrooms. I recommend one large plant and two small plants, for your kitchen and den. Then hang a spider plant or Boston fern in your bedroom and these plants will clean the air. 

Even if the rooms do not have a lot of sunlight, know that these low-light plants need indirect light. If you set them close to a lamp or artificial to grow light then they will be fine. They will grow well under a floor lamp or table lamp.

Here is a list of air-purifying plants that will remove TOXIC pollutants from your home. I found live plants spider plants, peace lily, Boston fern, and English ivy and Areca palm online at Walmart.com  Find these plants at Amazon.com (Patio and Garden) 

Philodendron, Areca Palm, English Ivy, Spider Plant, Peace Lily, and Boston Fern. These plants will purify your home by removing the toxin formaldehyde which is found in paper products and cleaning products that have the formaldehyde ingredient.

Naturally, remove toxins from indoor air with  a Peace Lily

Hang English ivy in an area of your home where there is tobacco. This ivy will naturally purify the air by removing tobacco smoke, chemicals, and residue.


Breathe easier with the Areca Palm.  The palm is a tree and would look best in a large room tucked in a corner or in front of a window that offers indirect light. They will remove the chemical trichloroethylene the chemical found in ink, paint, lacquer, and varnishes. Palm prefers a warm location that does not have drafts.

Set the peace lily under a floor lamp or in a corner of a room. This plant is easy to grow and prefers indirect light. The peace lily plant has large leaves with an exotic-looking white flower. This plant will clean the air in your home by removing the chemical benzene.  This chemical is used in nail polish, paints, and adhesives.

When your home air is toxin-free you and your family will be healthier and happier. It takes 24 hours for the houseplants to filter the toxins from the air.

Remove toxins from indoor air with  a Spider Plant

Other houseplant benefits:

Know that the houseplants fill the air with negative ions. The negative ions make people feel happy. 

1. Houseplants increase the humidity levels in the air and thus your skin in winter will not feel dry.
   

Organizing Garden Tools in Shed

Early spring is a good time of the year to get your garden tools organized in your garage or shed.   Then when gardening or planting season arrives, every gardening tool that you need will be easy to find and ready to use.

The garden shed is my husband’s project and he is not very organized. Needless to say, 90% of the garden tools and products need to gather and put in a specific area. Meaning all garden boxes with overwintering elephant ears, and other bulbs that we lift in the fall need to be organized so we can plant specific colors and other groupings in the spring after hard frost has passed.

Presently all of my garden hand tools are in a storage container and the rake, shovel, and hand tiller are on the floor behind the door. I think it is best to get them off the floor and onto the wall. 

I found some useful organizational products for the garden sheds or garage, I like the wall-mounted garden tool storage that had five roller balls that gripped the tools and held them in place on the wall.  There were also 6 hooks that you could hang garden gloves or hand tools. I also like shelving in the shed and a potting station would be ideal.  

Where to Buy Garden Tool Shed Organization Products

I shopped for ceiling and wall mounts, pegboard, and shelving.  I found a wonderful garden tool organizer at amazon.com in best-selling ceiling wall mounts but also saw useful products for the garden shed at ebay.com  Then Walmart  has an entire section online for best-selling garage organization and storage. I checked for rollback special prices and did buy some shelving and containers.

 So if you get a break, and there is a warm day in the forecast, I would recommend that you get your garden shed organized, clean your tools and get them off the floor and onto the wall. 

   

Attracting Earthworms to Garden

Today I found that the steps I took in late fall increased earthworm activity in my garden soil and I am really happy about this because these worms will enable me to have a healthy crop this year.

Earthworms benefit your soil by making it nutrient-rich with organic matter. The earthworms also create space for air and water by losing up the dense soil. This makes it very easy for the plant roots to grow and take hold of the soil.


Know that at the end of the season last year I removed my annual crops, then weeded the garden bed. When the weeding was completed amended the soil with some compost, then watered it well. 


Next, I covered the garden bed with newspaper. followed by covering the newspaper with cardboard. Then in late fall when the leaves fell I left them on top of the cardboard. The paper products that covered the garden bed kept the soil moist and prevented it from drying out. By doing this I created an ideal worm habitat.


The last two weeks have been warm in my area, and many of my spring flowers have buds on them. I took this as a sign that winter was over so I removed the garden bed covering and found that the soil was fantastic.

The earthworms did their job and made my soil in perfect condition for planting. A healthy garden is one with soil that is rich with earthworms, keep your garden healthy by not using pesticides. There are many natural pest control products that you can use, that will know harm your earthworms.

Spring Gardening – Dividing Daylilies

For the last two weeks, the weather had been warm; highs in the low 70s and at night lows in the 50s. Wonderful warm weather has awoken all of my spring bulbs including my daylilies. Yes, my lily flowers have broken the soil surface and I have noticed that they appear to be overcrowded.

It does not look like I will need to transplant more than 8 or 9 large clumps. For now, I will keep watching the garden plants to see what other work needs to be done. After all, it is the end of February and we could get snow next month.

Know that if I pass up dividing the flowers this spring then there will be fewer flower blooms or they may die out due to not enough nutrients or hydration.

When it comes time to divide the overgrown lilies, I will transplant them into another garden bed or into containers. The garden bed will have ample sun and part sun in the heat of the day and the soil will be well drained

Tomorrow I will start getting a garden bed ready for the transplant daylilies.  Learn more about lilies by reading my article here

The photographs used in this blog post are of my gardens.

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Overcrowded lilies with fewer blooms

Grow Violas in Containers - Garden Tips

  Now that it is early spring and the crocus and daffodils are blooming I want to add more color to my container's gardens and will achieve this by planting cool-season violas. Viola flowers are in the violet family; some are perennial, others are annuals and a few grow wild in your yard.

I find that the viola flower looks best when grown in freestanding containers, this is a small flower that seems to get lost when grown in the garden. Viola comes in a variety of colors; red, purple, yellow, and white are my favorite colors as these colors are so cheerful.

Before I plant in my container I always like to remove the plastic liner and I never use preexisting dirt. I will remove the dirt and wash the plastic liner with antibacterial dawn dish soap, rinse well, and let the liner air dry. Then I will fill the container liner with potting soil that is amended with compost or manure.

 When planting I like to plant using a color story I love violet grown with yellow and also containers of the same color violas.  Once the violas are planted, add some mulch before setting the container where the flowers will get lots of sun. 

This year I bought a variety of viola flowers from Lowe's garden center, know that it is important to watch the violas for the first month to make sure that the soil does not dry out. Dry soil can cause the plant to feel stress and it may die. You want to keep the soil moist but not wet. Too wet of soil is not good for Violas.

I do recommend applying a layer of mulch to go around the viola plants but stay a good inches away from the plant stem. Violas are hardy to 20” F which makes them ideal for early spring container gardens. 

Growing Verbena in Containers and Rock Garden

If you have a sunny rock garden that needs a pop of color then plant some verbena. This flower looks so pretty cascading over the rocks and is wonderful when growing in a free-standing or hanging container.

I love verbena and think that it is eye appealing flower. It is relaxing to view the flowers that bloom nonstop from late spring to autumn. The flowers stop blooming when the weather changes, and gets cool/cold.

I also like that this flower because once it is established in the garden it really does well with little water. I feed with Miracle Grow bloom boost in the spring and then mix a little spray and grow in the water and feed weekly.

Oh my gosh, the plants are so healthy and the flowers are glorious. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds to my yard and all enjoy this beautiful flower.

The verbena flowers come in a variety of colors; white, pink, red coral, and violet. There are also some two-tone flowers that have a yellow center and they are really pretty. The flower is made up of flower clusters that remind me of phlox, (shape) the flower itself is smaller. It is a pretty flower but it has no fragrance.

Normally I start my annual verbena plants in the greenhouse by growing them from seed. However last year I bought lovely mature verbena plants at Lowes garden center and hung these plants in my garden. The plant's stem fell over the sides of the container and was lovely.

 So you can grow verbena from seed or you can buy this plant at Walmart  Lowes and online garden centers like Brecks, Springhill, or Michigan Bulb.  I also found 1000 seeds by Carolina Seeds and Exotics at Amazon.com The price was fair with free shipping. 

A Garden for Children - Design Ideas

Many people think that their children would not care for a garden. but I believe that a garden is a wonderful way to encourage children to be creative.  Know that I believe that children need to be outdoors, playing in the yard and getting fresh air and sunshine on a daily basis, so a garden that is designed for children is ideal as it will be their special place.

My neighbor's nine-year-old daughter helped me to plan a garden for your senses.  This garden featured a water fountain, wind chimes, a shade tree, an ornamental grass garden, pink hydrangea, and irises, and in the spring pink and lavender tulips would bloom.   There was a wooden garden bench under the shade tree which allowed the kids a place to sit and read, draw or play or make a variety of flower crowns and necklaces. 

When the children were not busy being creative they would look at the clouds or daydream.  Know that every summer the neighborhood children would come to spend time in the garden.  They would plant flower seeds in the spring, water the plants, and be so excited when the flowers would grow.

When it comes time to plan a garden it is important to involve your children.  Shop with them at garden centers or at Walmart.com  to find out what they like or dislike.  Pick out flowers and herbs that have fragrances or attract butterflies or hummingbirds.  Plan, plant and teach your children how to care for and maintain the garden. The more involved the children are,  the more interested they will in learning.

Here are three gardens that I created to inspire their parents. See the outdoor living sets below. In the first garden set, I added a photograph of my neighbor's yard as the background then created a seating area and an ornamental grass and flower garden.  A flower-designed throw pillow was added to the bench to make it look cozier. A garden for children is their place to go to play, dream, look at clouds, make mud pies, and read. 

Garden design ideas by SGolis

This large gourd is the perfect size for creating a fairy garden for children to enjoy.  Design the garden with your kids and you will make a happy memory.

Garden Design - Small Space Gardening

Today one of my friends contacted me and asked me if they could hire me to design a garden for their front entrance.  My friend has always loved spending time in her garden but due to illness, she had to sell her home and move into a townhouse which gave her limited space for gardening.

She went on to say that from her front window all she saw was a patch of grass, a stone walkway, and then a sidewalk followed by parked cars.  This landscape was not eyed appealing to her and she felt her home looked cold and unwelcoming.

When I asked what she preferred her response was colorful flowers that would attract butterflies, window boxes, perennials, Hosta plants a water fountain to attract the birds. Basically, she desired a sensory garden in her front yard.  I noted her requests and went to my digital design board.  Took the time to create a bird and butterfly garden that would appeal to her needs.

Sensory garden design for the front of a townhouse

Home Entrance with Garden by sgolis 

Add Color to Your Winter Garden with Pansies

My winter yard and gardens are looking rather blah. The snowdrops are blooming and the crocus is coming up. The only green in my yard, besides the bulbs, is the evergreen shrubs and the Baltic ivy growing up the side of my oak tree.

The winter weather has been mild as we are twenty degrees warmer than the norm. So I thought I would plant a container of pansies and get a head start on very early spring gardening. I like the idea of having a container garden of pretty yellow and purple pansies close to the entrance of my home. Or I may plant some purple tulips that I have in cold storage in the center of the terracotta container and then plant a border of purple pansies.

Pansy Arrangement

Grow pansies in a container garden

Add color to winter gardens with pansies

The late winter/very early spring pansy flower containers will look nice growing on my deck. I will set them in a sunny location.

Know that pansies are easy to grow. You will need the following garden supplies; a Container that has drainage holes on the bottom, and potting soil that is amended with compost. Liquid fertilizer (I like to use  spray and grow), mulch, and winter hardy pansies.

Pansies can tolerate light snow, but if it gets extremely cold I will cover them with frost protection or drag the containers into my mudroom.

Note: You can plant pansies in the fall also.  It is a good way to add color to your container gardens.