Garden Tip: Learn from your mistakes
by Leslie Cox; Monday; September 6, 2021
You might make mistakes in the garden, but learn from them.
We sometimes will lose a plant…even when we have done our due diligence and researched the needs of the plant. Unfortunately, things happen. Perhaps you gave the plant too much full sun, or you planted it in a “cool pocket” in your garden, or you did not test the soil pH.
Say a prayer for your plant and try to figure out how your plant died so you do not make the same mistake again. Then try again.
There is a saying: “Class is always in session in a garden.” Decades later, I am still learning new things about gardening.
Hepatica nobilis
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Hepatica nobilis Family: Ranunculaceae (hi-PAT-ih-kuh no-BILL-iss) Common name: liverwort; liverleaf |
| Description: An evergreen, clump-forming perennial with kidney-shaped, 3-lobed leaves that are glossy green on top and a purple hue underneath. Showy violet-blue flowers with 6 – 7 sepals and conspicuous white stamens appear in March through April.
Recommend cutting back old leaves in late winter in order to enjoy the early spring flowers and give exposure to newly emerging, fresh leaves. Propagate by fresh seed sown in place in spring. Needs stratification in order to germinate. Dig up and divide larger clumps after flowering or in autumn. Reliably disease- and pest-resistant, as well as deer and rabbit resistant. Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit 1993
Posted on July 31, 2021 |
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Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’
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Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’ Family: Geraniaceae (jer-AY-nee-um FAY-um) syn. Geranium phaeum var. phaeum ‘Samobor’ Common name: mourning widow; dusky cranesbill Zone: 4 – 9 Height: 24-30 in (60-76 cm) Spread: 18-24 in (45-60 cm) Aspect: partial shade; full shade Soil: fertile; well-draining Water: moderate |
 Description: An herbaceous, clump-forming perennial. Deeply incised, palmate bright green leaves display a large, dark maroon-black splotch in their centre which splays outward towards the leaf tips. Appearing in May to June, the small-sized flowers are held aloft on upright slender stems and are an almost perfect colour match for the leaf splotch.
Special Notes: This cultivar of the species was discovered in 1990 by Elizabeth Strangman in a Kent nursery. It is one of the few geraniums which actually thrives in almost full shade. While tolerant of most soil types as well as wet and dry conditions, ‘Samobor’ will excel if given fertile soil and moderate water. Relatively low maintenance plant. When flowers are finished, either cut the spent stems back to the basal leaf or cut the entire clump back to one or two inches above the soil. The plant will rejuvenate and perhaps provide another flush of flowers in September. Good resistance to diseases and pests, including slugs and rabbits. Deer may nibble on the leaves.
In our Zone 7a garden: John has a lovely clump of ‘Samobor’ under a tall Pieris japonica where it does not receive any sun…unless it is from a setting sun at the end of the day and only at a certain time of the growing season. I have a clump of ‘Samobor’ near the front of my mixed hosta and fern bed…one of the shadiest beds in my garden. ‘Samobor’ does get some morning sun at the front of the bed and it seems to be just the right amount as my plant is typically a little ahead of John’s in full shade. Regardless of its location in either garden, it always solicits comments from visitors to our garden. A truly delightful plant.
Posted on March 10, 2021 |
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Garden Tip: Best homemade plant labels
by Leslie Cox; Monday; February 15, 2021
Seed sowing will be starting very soon…if it hasn’t already…and you will need plant labels to identify what the seed varieties are in each pot or tray.
By far, the best material I have found for making my own labels are plastic venetian blinds and for several reasons:
- easy to cut to size needed…much easier than cutting up a yogurt tub
- easy to write on
- use a lead pencil instead of a permanent marker
- easily readable
- erasable so you can re-use the labels
- name label will withstand weather for a couple of years, or more
- plastic blinds can often be found in thrift stores for a reasonable price…and if not,
- are not expensive to buy from a discount store when you consider how many labels you can get out of even the smallest size blind offered for sale
It should be noted that plastic blinds are better than metal ones for making plant labels. Metal labels have sharp edges that can make painful cuts when handled.
Metal also does not accept pencil or ink very well. Can be difficult to read…or worse…and the writing may rub off when label is handled.
Tomato ‘Tiny Tim’
 Photo coming soon |
Lycopersicon esculentum var.cerasiforme |
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Days to Maturity: 45 – 55 from transplanting Description: An open-pollinated, dwarf bush (determinate), high-yielding variety with deep green leaves. Clusters of globe-shaped, red fruits ½ – ¾ in (1.3-2 cm) in diameter, weighing 0.4 – 0.5 oz (12-14 gr) from mid-summer to late summer. Special Notes: This popular tiny tomato was bred by Dr. Albert F. Yeager, specifically to be grown in pots, and introduced in 1945. In fact, it does not do well in the ground. Can be grown year-round indoors. Its parents are Tomato ‘Window Box’ and Tomato ‘Red Currant’ (1700s). May need staking to help stalk support fruit clusters as the weight of the yield can outweigh the plant’s weight 3:1. Plant maintains dwarf height and high-yield production when placed in full sun. Will tolerate less sunlight but plant will become lanky, less tidy and yield less fruits. How to Use: Snacking; in salads Pests & Diseases: Tolerant of, or resistant to Alternaria alternata sp. lycopersici (Alternaria stem canker) and Stemphylium solani (grey leaf spot) In our Zone 7a garden: I grew these one year in small pots on the front porch railing. Very productive. Flavour a mixture of sweet and tart. Regret I did not bring the 2 plants indoors at the end of August to keep them going over the winter. Apparently, this is doable. Posted on February 13, 2021
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