Prevent Autumn Leaf-Mold Allergies

I am allergic to autumn leaves, primarily the mold content that forms on the leaves. Spring and fall are my busy times in the yard however both seasons make me ill from allergies. 

If you suffer from allergies then beware of breathing in the fresh autumn air. The crisp autumn air with the fresh scent has particles from fallen leaves, ragweed and mold spores and these irritants are allergy triggers.

If you suffer from an allergic reaction while you are working in a yard and garden it will make your day miserable. 

Over the years I learned how to control my autumn allergies. My allergist told me to avoid outdoor  when the wind is blowing and on days where that are damp with no sunshine. 

If I must be outdoors I try to plan my activity wisely by watching the weather in my area and I note the pollen count.  I find that after there is a hard rain that I have no allergy symptoms.  The rain has a cleansing affect on the environment. 

Sometimes I work around the peak allergen days by staying inside and work on my garden designs, other times I will mask to cover your nose and mouth and I will take  a natural antihistamine to control allergy symptoms.  

Of course there is always a client that wants their gardens cleaned up on a high pollen day and then I will wear a respirator mask, spray my nose and take natural allergy medication. If you suffer from autumn leaf allergies you need to take steps to control your symptoms otherwise you will miss a beautiful season and lost income.

Tips:
It is helpful to rinse your nose when you come indoors.  The rinse will remove all allergens from your nasal passages and will help your to breath better.

Growing Daffodils From Bulbs

The daffodil is a Narcissus and is a hardy spring blooming herbaceous perennial in the Amaryllis family.  Daffodils comes in many varieties and ranges in colors from yellow, white, peach and light shades of pink and bi-colors too.  Some daffodils will bloom in early, middle and late spring.  There is also a daffodil that will bloom in the summer (Summer Cheer (Narcissus Erlecheer). If you love daffodils then plant the bulbs in the autumn and enjoy them the following spring.

 

A few years ago I did a naturalized planting of Trumpet daffodils mixed with purple and white crocus and grape hyacinths.  The trumpet is the most popular daffodils as the flower is giant sized and looks sensational when grown in masses.  Due to the size of the trumpets; stems are 15 to 18 inches, I tossed the bulbs on my side slope and planted them where they landed.  This naturalized garden is my favorite; it is just beautiful on a sunny spring day.

Another way to benefit from the beautiful spring bulb is to plant them in containers.   Plant yellow daffodils mixed with early blooming crocus and purple grape hyacinths or red tulips.  Set the containers at your home or business entrance.   The containers in spring are eye appealing and a cheerful way to greet guests. 

Learn more about growing daffodil bulbs in containers by viewing this YouTube video:

Instructions for Growing Daffodils

Buying Daffodil Bulbs: 

Buy Dutch daffodil bulbs at your local garden center or form an online nursery. If you shop online check their return policy. If you buy locally look at bulbs make sure that the bulbs are firm, no soft spots or mold.  Big bulbs are better than small bulbs.  Bulbs with divisions are best.

Where to Plant 

Choose a garden site that has full sun and well-drained soil. Daffodils planted in a naturalized garden such as a meadow or fields are beautiful, however you cannot mow this area until the end of May, so choose your growing site wisely.   Daffodils are also are eye appealing when planted along sidewalks, garden path, at your entrance, along patios and around trees.

How to Plant Daffodils

Clear your garden site of weeds, rocks and sod.   Loosen the soil to ten inches. For massive plantings use your tiller to break the ground.  Amend the soil with compost or other organic matter.  Dig a hole that is double the size of the bulb.  Set the pointy side up and flat root side of the daffodil bulb on the soil. Space the bulbs by planting six bulbs per square foot. Cover the bulbs with soil.  Water the daffodil bulbs after all have been planted.

Caring for Daffodils

Care for your daffodil bulbs by watering them throughout the autumn only if there is no rain.  Allow the ground to dry out before you water.  If your spring is dry water the daffodils and fertilize in early spring with formula suitable for bulbs.  Feed the daffodils before you see new growth.  Allow the foliage to die back naturally.  When the foliage withers and turn brown then you can cut back to the soil line.  Fertilize your daffodil bulb gardens every fall with bonemeal.

Tips:

The daffodil is a Narcissus plant. This plant is a hardy spring blooming herbaceous perennial in the Amaryllis family.

Daffodils must die back naturally and cutting them back too soon will decrease their ability to bloom the following spring.

Allow adequate time for the daffodil roots to grow, Plant daffodil bulbs ten weeks before a hard frost.

The daffodil flower is long-lived 30-50 years.

If you reside in area where there is wildlife you will not need to worry about the daffodil bulbs as squirrel and deer do not eat them.  However they may dig them up so check your spring bulbs throughout the winter months.

The daffodil is easy to bulb to grow, a perfect flower for beginner gardeners.  Once the daffodil is established in your yard they will bloom every spring.

Daffodils need a hard freeze and winter weather for a minimum of 6 weeks to bloom in spring. 

Daffodils can be forced to grow indoors.  Learn more by viewing this YouTube video:

 

Install Pea Gravel Path

Install a pea gravel path as a do it yourself yard improvement project. The gravel path is an alternative to walking on the grass and it cuts down on mud being tracked into your home. 

A few years ago my husband and I worked the entire summer by upgrading our yard. My husband does not like cutting grass so we decided to design several feature gardens, an outdoor living space with patio furniture and we installed outdoor accessories for ambiance. 

Below see an outdoor living space with a paver walkway and patio.  I created this set to show one of my clients what I thought would work well for them.

 

 The gravel path is exactly what we needed to connect our outdoor living space with the garden areas  The eye-appealing pea gravel path has improved the appearance of our yard and has increased our home value.   Know that we love the way the path looks and we never walk on the grass.

The labor for this project was backbreaking however, the results were breathtaking. After the completion of our yard transformation, both my husband and I spend all of our free time in our outdoors and do not need to worry about tracking dirt into the home.  We are very thankful that we took the time to install the garden gravel paths.

If you desire a pea gravel path then schedule a time to complete this do it yourself project. If your spouse enjoys yard work then do the project together, if not ask a friend to help you. Before starting your do it yourself project survey your yard to determine where you would like the gravel path.

What kind of garden path do you want?

1.  Would you like the path to meander, such as a long and winding path that is close to your outdoor living space? Or would you like the path to allow you to go to your gardens, dog kennel or to wind around trees and take you to the furthest part of your yard? 
2. Decide on the type of path you want, shop online at Lowes.com or homdepot.com to get ideas of the type of rock or gravel that is available and the costs.  
3. Decide on the location for your pea gravel path.  Measure the square footage and take these measurements with you when you go to the shop of your for your gravel path supplies.

Gravel Path Install Tips:

Outline the length and width of the path.  A path that is three feet wide is a good size for a residential yard.  Use white marking paint for your outline.  Measure the width and the length of your path. Take these measurements to a garden center. Purchase pea-size gravel and edge stone for your path.  

Begin your path by removing the grass.  Then remove six inches of the soil. The excess soil may be used as filler for your gardens and the grass can be added to your compost bin.  

After the grass and the upper layer of soil is removed you would rake the path, the raking is a method to smooth the top of the path and to remove any remaining debris.

Note:  If you have clay soil the path trench will need to be compacted before you move onto the next step.

Next, install the edge stone by digging a trench that is one inch deep along the outside border of the path.  

Set the stone at the edge of the path. Tap the stone into the soil with a rubber mallet. When the stones are set, fill in the dirt around the stone so that it is secure.  The edge stone is what holds the gravel in place.  Edgestone should be four inches in height. 

Cut the landscape fabric so that it fits into the base of the trench. This fabric will aid it in deterring weed growth.  Fill in the path with two inches of pea gravel. 

Gravel should not cover the border stone; there should be a one-inch allowance for gravel and the edge stone. 

 Smooth the pea gravel surface with a metal rake.  If you use more gravel it may be hard to walk on as your foot will fall into the gravel.  If you add stepping stones to the gravel path, then you can add more gravel.  (see picture below)

Maintain your pea gravel path by spraying it with natural weed control every spring, summer, and fall.

 

Grow the Liatris Blazing Star

Grow the Liatris along the back border of your garden or grow this plant in a wildflower or prairie garden. I grow the purple blazing star in my wildflower garden. I did a mass planting of 200  flowers and find that this Missouri native is very eye appealing when it blooms in July and August.

The foliage of the Liatris is attractive as it has grass-like appearance. This plant grows in a clump, and produces upright stems to the height of 36 inches. When the stems are fully-grown, a purple flower will appear. The flower blooms from the top and works its way downward in sections.

The  flower has no fragrance, however; it does attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard and garden. Cut the  flowers and add to your floral arrangements. You can also allow the flowers to dry out and then add to your fall wreathes, swags and centerpieces.

Decide when you would like to plant the Liatris blazing star flower. This flower may be planted in the spring or the fall. If you decide on a spring planting then do so after the last spring frost, or plant in the fall six to eight weeks prior to frost.

Select a garden section that has full sun and dry to moderate soil that is well drained. Clear the garden area by removing the grass and weeds then loosen the soil and break up the clumps so that the soil is a fine texture.  Dig a hole that is the same depth as the nursery container.  Set the Liatris in the center of the hole and backfill the soil.  Water well.

Tips:

• Keep the garden free of weeds.
• Apply mulch to help retain moisture and to aid as a weed deterrent. 
• Fertilize in the spring with Miracle Gro fertilizer all purpose plant food 
• Start flower seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last spring frost.  Transplant outdoors after the threat of frost has past.   It is easy to grow from seeds.  You can also sow the seeds directly into the garden.  Do so after spring frost when the soil warms to an average of 78 degrees.

Attract Luna Moth to Your Yard

I have never seen a Luna Moth before, however the other day an adult female landed on my picture window and visited with me overnight. 

The Luna moth had a wingspan of five inches in diameter with transparent pinkish purple and yellow markings. Another notable feature was the antenna they were thick and appear to be feathers. 

This magnificent insect spent the night on my window and in the morning, it flew up into my silver maple tree.

 

The Luna is a giant silk moth that is considered an endangered species.  I suppose the  natural habitat has been disturbed due to pollution, pesticides, and the cutting down of trees.   

Many people live their entire life without viewing the Luna moth in their natural habitat and I feel very fortunate to view this insect on my picture window.

Here is a postcard that I created from the  photograph I took of Luna Moth
 

Luna Moth Postcard by Susang6
Find more Luna Postcards at Zazzle

I remember learning about the Luna moth in science class when I was in high school and occasionally I would view one on the television, I really did not know much about the insect so my husband went to the library and brought home a book and together we learned more about this moth.  

Note:

1. The life cycle of the Luna moth begins when they mate and the female will lay her eggs on the backside of the black walnut leaf. She will lay approximately 200 eggs. It takes 10 to 13 days for the eggs to hatch. 
2. The adult Luna moths purpose in life is to mate and lay eggs. As an adult these moths do not eat or drink, as they do not have a mouth.  The life span of an adult Luna moth is seven days.
3. My yard is a wildlife habitat and I am sure that is what attracted the Luna moth.  I have mature black walnut, hickory, sweet gum, sugar maple, oak, and persimmon trees.  These are the trees that produce the leaves that the moth caterpillar eats.  
4. If you want to attract the Luna moth to your yard then plant these trees in your yard and grow a natural habitat.  

Note: If you reside close to a wooded area that has a Luna moth habitat, plan to watch for them at night during late spring and early summer.