Growing Tips for Larkspur from Seed

 

Larkspur is a pretty flower that comes in a variety of colors including purple, pink, red, yellow white and blue. The leaves on the plant are fern-like in appearance and the flowers grow in clusters. 

The flowers have no fragrance although my friend tells me that hers have a fresh scent. 

I have never gotten that close to the flower due to the   toxicity.  If my nose were to touch the larkspur the leaves could cause skin irritation.   Every part of this plant is poisonous so I just grow it for pollinators.  The Larkspur attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies as the vibrant color flowers are rich with nectar

Last spring I bought a mixture of wildflower seeds and purple and white larkspur was including in the seed.  Here are a few Larkspur flower photos

 

I grew the wildflowers mix that included the larkspur in a garden bed that had full sun with partial shade in the heat of the day.  The seeds were sowed in rich well drained soil.  All seeds were planted at ¼ deep into the soil.  The flower garden is watered daily to keep the soil evenly moist. 

The best time to plant the seeds is in late spring or early summer when the soil is warm, the seeds will not germinate if the average temperature is below 55 degrees. 

Where I reside the summer months are extremely hot during the day but temperature is cool during the night.  Its important to keep the larkspur hydrated or it will die back.  This plant does better when the summer weather is cooler, rather than hotter.

Growing Tips for Fern

 

Where I reside part of our property is dense woods with fern growing wild underneath the trees. My husband and I transplanted a few fern plants to grow in our yard and gardens.

The first season I grew the fern with my Hosta plants, the second season I transplanted the fern to grow as a border plant along a shaded walkway and also planted them in a garden bed under fir tree.

Fern is easy to grow outdoors and indoors.  As long as the fern is planted in rich well drained soil and they are watered to keep the top five inches of soil evenly moist the fern plant will flourish.

Providing the right light is kind of trickly.  Most people think fern like shade.  But I have found they do best with some shade and indirect light.  You need to avoid direct sunlight for long period of time.  My fern gets morning sun followed by partial shade.

 

I do mist my fern in the morning as this plant does like humidity.  So, if you plan to grow them indoors, I find that bathroom, laundry rooms and kitchens are ideal growing areas.  For growing fern outdoors plant them in locations that offer production from direct sun.  Ideally under trees or shrubs.

 Ferns are really easy to grow as long as they are planted in areas that agree with them, they have the right soil and water so that they soil does not dry out. 

I have fertilized in the spring will a slow-release fertilizer to produce more runners, but its not necessary.

 Maintain your fern by removing dead leaves and keep the garden bed weed free.  My yard and garden is large and other than dividing and replanting in the spring to other areas I have never cut the fern back in the fall.

 Know that if you are growing your fern indoors in a container and see that the roots are growing out of the drainage holes that this is a sign that you need to repot your fern into a larger pot.   Shop for a pot that is three inches larger or a pot with amble space for your fern to grow.  I always clean my pots with antibacterial dawn dish soap and let it dry before filling with rich potting soil for repotting of the fern plant.  Water  well and place in a room in your home that has indirect light and humidity.

Other information about ferns.

It’s a good idea to grow ferns indoors because ferns can help clean the air by absorbing airborne pollutants and increasing humidity.

Grow Black-Eyed Susan Vine from Seed

 

 

In March I bought from 100  Thungergia Black-Eyed Susan flowering vine seed mix for planting in a container that would be located in a sunny location.

Here is a photo of a fully grown  black-eyed Susan flowering vine

 

The photo shown was of an ivy like trailing plant that was covered in yellow blooms.  I thought it was pretty so I bought and planted indoors so it would grow for eight weeks or until the threat of spring frost would pass.

 

The direction of the back of the seed packet indicated that it was best to soak the seeds in tepid water overnight.  The following morning I  planted the seeds in a container that was filled with miracle grow  well-drained soil that was formulated container gardens.  I then watered, then covered the flower bed with saran wrap.  The indoor hanging container was then hung next to a southern exposure window.

 Here are a few of my photos 

The annual seeds for USDA zone 3 to 10 germinated very quickly and produced strong leafy vines.  In May I brought the container outdoors and hung in an area where it would get 6 hours of sun daily.

 

I fed with miracle grow bloom booster and kept the soil moist.  My yard does not get a lot of sun and this plant needs full sun.  For me it bloomed once two small flowers.

Know that if I had more sun in my yard that this plant would produce more blooms.  I like the plant as it is pretty and plan on bringing it indoors in the winter.

 

If you have a lot sun in your yard then I would recommend that you grow   the black-eyed Susan flowering vine as it is low maintenance, produces pretty longs season flowers that will add interest to your yard and garden.        

About Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

 

 

This morning, I went outdoors to harvest some dill for my recipes and found that the black swallowtail caterpillars had another idea.  Overnight this caterpillar had devoured my entire herb plant.

Swallowtail  Caterpillar on Sage Leaf

This caterpillar is known to eat the entire dill plant as soon as the butterflies lay their eggs on the plant and caterpillars emerge there is a feeding frenzy.   They will also lay their eggs on parsley and carrot tops.

Here are some photographs of my dill plant before and after the caterpillars foraged off the herbs.

caterpillars devoured my dill plant

You can identify the Black swallowtail caterpillars due to their brightly striped black, white, and yellow, markings. This caterpillar can grow quite large in a short period of time.

The lifespan for the caterpillars is as follows, they emerge from their eggs, then eat the egg shells, they then will forage off plants in your garden and in the fall the caterpillars will hibernate as pupae. Then the following spring they will turn into beautiful butterflies.

Many gardeners view this particular caterpillar as a garden pest because they eat the entire plant.  The only way that I will prevent the caterpillars from devouring my plants is to physically remove them and gently place them on a fennel plant which is another host plant.

I love butterflies so I allowed the caterpillars to eat my dill and parsley.  Next year I will probably grow more dill and parsley indoors and outdoors.

Solar Firefly Lights for Yard and Garden

 

 

Instead of using outdoor lights that use electricity I opted for solar firefly lights.  These lights add interest and also soft light without the energy costs.

 

Today I bought outdoor solar lights at Amazon and installed them in my garden.  The lights came on at dusk and stayed on from dusk to dawn due to the light sensor.   Which is very good considering the power is generated from the sun.

Firefly solar lights add soft light to your outdoor space 

I find that the solar lights provide me with a reliable source of light that enhances my garden. Throughout the years I have bought a variety of decorative solar lights and have found that they have a long lifespan and that they are weather-resistant and durable.   

Set up in solar lights in feature garden, spaced them 18 inches apart 

Solare lights have many benefits including they are energy efficient, maintenance  free, and good for the environment because they have zero carbon emission and do not contribute to pollution . 

 

It took me a few minutes to install 8 solar lights into the ground around my garden.  Then I turned the button to steady light rather than blinking and  the installation was complete.

Firefly solar lights are easy to install 

When the lilies grow in the firefly solar lights will look good

I liked the solar firefly lights so much that I bought four more and added them to my flower pot. When my lilies grow in I think the lights and the plants will look great.

Growing Tips for Cool Season Snapdragons

 

Grow cool season snapdragons in the spring and fall and you will enjoy not only the sweetly scented flower but also the bumblebee, hummingbirds and other pollinators.  

Snapdragons are flowers that grow best when the weather is cooler.   These cheerful flowers grow well with pansies and even though they will survive a mild frost they will die if exposed to snow or extreme cold weather below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here is a photograph of dwarf pink and red snapdragons that I planted with pansies. Photo was captured in early spring.

cool season dwarf snapdragons and pansy container garden

 

Plant snapdragons by seed in early spring or in the fall season. Or you can buy snapdragons at your local nursery and transplant the nursery grown dwarf flowers to a container or tall snapdragon flowers in the ground The tall snapdragons look fabulous when grown as masses.

 

tall pink snapdragons grown in masses

For seeds you should start your snapdragon seeds indoors eight weeks before the last frost. Transplant seedlings when the leaves have developed and plants are thriving. Remove the tips of the snapdragons once they have six leaves this will encourage a fuller flower bloom.

Cool season snapdragon flowers grow best in full sun and well drained soil 

 

Snapdragons are classified as an annual in my growing zone. They are perennials in USDA plant hardiness zone 7-10.  

Plant snapdragons in a container or in the ground.  Choose an area that has full sun.  Plant in well-drained soil and space them 8 inches apart. This flower will thrive with repeat blooms when temperature is average to 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.  

 

Snapdragon flowers attract pollinators, bees, hummingbirds and butterflies

Water snapdragons so that the soil is moist, let it dry out between waterings, but not to the point that soil pulls away from the stem.  Check the soil by inserting your finger, push down into the soil about an inch if the soil is dry then water the snapdragons at the soil line and not above.  Avoid wetting the flowers and the leaves. 

Fertilize the snapdragon flowers throughout the growing blooming season.  I fertilize with Miracle-Gro bloom booster.  It’s a liquid feed formulated for perennial and annual flowers. 

Check your snapdragon flowers daily for dead blooms.  Remove spent flowers to encourage more flower blooms. 

If you have extremely hot summers try cutting them back and applying mulch.  Continue watering and hopefully the snapdragon will return in the fall when weather cools.