Your amaryllis may be in glorious bloom right now but how do you get it to re-bloom after the initial one is spent? It’s easy to do if you follow these steps. After the bloom fades, cut the stem a few inches above its base. Grow the plant in a bright, warm spot for several months, fertilize every other week and continue watering. Once September comes, place the plant in a cool, dark spot, fifty five to sixty degrees, and stop fertilizing. Keep it in this position for 3 months and do not water. Then bring the plant to a warm location (seventy to seventy five degrees Fahrenheit). Once it has sprouted, place in a cooler location in filtered sunlight. Water only when needed and within the next eight weeks, your amaryllis will be ready to re-bloom.
Article By: Fran Sorin
www.fransorin.com
Monday, January 01, 2007
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Fran's Favorite Seed Selections For Winter
For those of you who think that you have to wait until January 2007 to begin to peruse and select seeds from those luscious seed catalogues, you’re wrong.
Over the past couple of years, I have made it my practice in mid-fall to sit down with a cup of tea and the latest Thompson and Morgan seed catalogue and begin to leisurely peruse through it marking off the selections that interest me.
During the lull of the winter months, I love fiddling around with at least 8 or 9 different types of seeds to see how they germinate and grow during the winter months indoors. It may seem like extra work to continue to re-pot them and perhaps even bring some to bloom prior to the season, but especially if you’re a precise colorist, it’s worth it.
Here are some of my picks:
Foxglove Mountain Candy: “It is totally unique as it is the first upward facing foxglove from seed. This unusual characteristic enables you, and the bees, to peep inside the stunning rose pink blooms and view their delightful freckled throats, which appear all the way around the stems. These flower stems are so strong, sturdy and erect that in breeding trials Candy Mountain was given the nickname 'Viagra'! Ideal for planting in drifts, creating a colourful display towards the middle or back of your perennial or cottage garden borders.”
Sweet Pea ‘Fragrantissima’: “A full color spectrum formula blended to ensure an even balance of color. Specially selected for quality of blooms and intensity of fragrance. Attractive, large flowered and strong stemmed, making wonderful cut flowers for enjoying several months in the house and garden.”
Salvia lyrata ‘Purple Volcano’: “Stunning mounds of deep purple foliage from which erupt deep purple stems, bursting with delicate white flowers. Perfect for adding color contrast to borders and containers. Hardy in Zones 4-9.”
Anchusa leptophylla ‘Blue Shower’: “Attractive showers of power-blue flowers smother mounds of foliage all summer continuing into autumn, creating a long lasting border display from this outstanding perennial. Hardy in Zones 6-8.”
Centaurea moschata ‘Dairy Maid’: “Attractive, large yellow flowers. Recommended for its cutting and border qualities and delicious chocolate fragrance, that earned it the appropriate name of ‘Sweet Sultan’.
Sunflower ‘Earth Walker’: “A diverse mixture of attractive browns and terracottas, with an occasional deeper chocolate shade. Tall, multi-headed stems flower over a long period, so ideal used in borders or for cutting.”
**All descriptions of specimens have been taken directly from The Thompson and Morgan catalogue and on line site. For more information on these seeds, click on: http://www.thompsonandmorgan.com/
Articles By Fran Sorin
www.fransorin.com
Over the past couple of years, I have made it my practice in mid-fall to sit down with a cup of tea and the latest Thompson and Morgan seed catalogue and begin to leisurely peruse through it marking off the selections that interest me.
During the lull of the winter months, I love fiddling around with at least 8 or 9 different types of seeds to see how they germinate and grow during the winter months indoors. It may seem like extra work to continue to re-pot them and perhaps even bring some to bloom prior to the season, but especially if you’re a precise colorist, it’s worth it.
Here are some of my picks:
Foxglove Mountain Candy: “It is totally unique as it is the first upward facing foxglove from seed. This unusual characteristic enables you, and the bees, to peep inside the stunning rose pink blooms and view their delightful freckled throats, which appear all the way around the stems. These flower stems are so strong, sturdy and erect that in breeding trials Candy Mountain was given the nickname 'Viagra'! Ideal for planting in drifts, creating a colourful display towards the middle or back of your perennial or cottage garden borders.”
Sweet Pea ‘Fragrantissima’: “A full color spectrum formula blended to ensure an even balance of color. Specially selected for quality of blooms and intensity of fragrance. Attractive, large flowered and strong stemmed, making wonderful cut flowers for enjoying several months in the house and garden.”
Salvia lyrata ‘Purple Volcano’: “Stunning mounds of deep purple foliage from which erupt deep purple stems, bursting with delicate white flowers. Perfect for adding color contrast to borders and containers. Hardy in Zones 4-9.”
Anchusa leptophylla ‘Blue Shower’: “Attractive showers of power-blue flowers smother mounds of foliage all summer continuing into autumn, creating a long lasting border display from this outstanding perennial. Hardy in Zones 6-8.”
Centaurea moschata ‘Dairy Maid’: “Attractive, large yellow flowers. Recommended for its cutting and border qualities and delicious chocolate fragrance, that earned it the appropriate name of ‘Sweet Sultan’.
Sunflower ‘Earth Walker’: “A diverse mixture of attractive browns and terracottas, with an occasional deeper chocolate shade. Tall, multi-headed stems flower over a long period, so ideal used in borders or for cutting.”
**All descriptions of specimens have been taken directly from The Thompson and Morgan catalogue and on line site. For more information on these seeds, click on: http://www.thompsonandmorgan.com/
Articles By Fran Sorin
www.fransorin.com
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Bringing Plants In Over The Winter
It’s that time of year where gardeners, especially in the colder climates, need to begin to bring tropical and non-hardy plant material indoors for the winter. Plants should be brought indoors before nighttime temperatures dip below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A lot of tropical plants will suffer damage once the temperature goes below 40 degrees; some below 50F. Here is how to proceed quickly and efficiently.
First, walk around your garden and note what plant material you plan on bringing indoors. Only select plant material that looks healthy. If a plant has yellow, chewed up leaves or is looking limp, forget about it. Plants have a difficult enough time making the transition for outdoors to indoors, that it is best to only bring in healthy looking specimens. If there are certain plants that you wish to take cuttings from such as coleus, salvias, lantanas, geraniums and begonias, now is the time to do it.
Making new plants from cuttings is easy. First, you cut a three to four inch long piece off of the original plant. Remove all of the bottom leaves and place the end of the cutting in a mix of peat and perlite in any small container with drainage. Dipping the tip of the cutting in rooting hormone powder (which can be bought at any garden center) encourages greater success with rooting. The rooting medium should be kept moist. Once the cuttings have rooted, they can be transplanted into small two or four inch containers with good drainage. Coleus and certain salvias can be water rooted; an old fashioned way of making new plants that so many of us were taught to do by our mothers or grandmothers.
If the plant is in the ground, dig it up carefully so that you get as much of the root mass as possible. If the roots of the plant are scraggly and overgrown, feel free to trim them a bit. Select containers that are large enough so that the root system of the plant can lay comfortably. Containers should also have holes for drainage. Center plant in the pot and add store bought potting mix in with the plant. Water and set aside in a cool, shady spot outside.
If the plant material you are planning to bring indoors is already in containers, set the containers aside in a cool, shady spot outdoors. If the plant spent the summer outside in a pot, lift the plant out of the pot to make sure that slugs or slug eggs are not nestled in the bottom of the pot. Often this is how slugs enter a pot and then young slugs will feed on the roots of the plant. It is easy enough to pick off the slugs if you find them inside the pot before putting the plant back in the container.
Now is also a good time to repot plants if needed. First, take the plant out of the pot to see if it is root bound. Feel free to trim some of the roots if they are wrapped around or scraggly. Usually going up one container size in plenty; for example, if your plant was in an 8 inch pot, re-pot in a 10 inch pot. Add good quality potting mix; making sure that the plant is snuggly positioned in the center of the pot. And finally, prune plant in the shape that you want it; this will make it look bushier and will actually help maintain its vigor over the coming months.
Once plants are potted up and trimmed and placed in a shady location outside, inspect all plant material for any insects or disease. If you notice any type of fungus, immediately spray with an organic fungicide on both the upper and lower leaves and separate infected plant from other plants. Regardless of whether or not the plants are showing any signs of insects, I automatically spray every plant with Neem oil, an organic insecticide, on both the top and bottom of the leaves. Continue to check plant material over the next three to four days. If any signs of insects persist, spray again and wait a few more days before bringing indoors.
When bringing plants indoors, place them near a bright window; unless they are strictly shade loving plants such as ferns or begonias. Don’t be surprised initially if the plant drops some leaves and yellows a bit. It is adjusting to its new environs.
Plants indoors usually do not need to be watered as frequently. Only water when plants are dry. Also cut back on fertilizer. I try to mist my plants as often as possible; especially when I turn on the heat in my home.
Check your plant material every few days for insects. If you notice any insects at all, place plant under a stream of cold water to get rid of them and become vigilant about misting your plants and keeping your thermometer near 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Article By Fran Sorin
www.fransoring.com
First, walk around your garden and note what plant material you plan on bringing indoors. Only select plant material that looks healthy. If a plant has yellow, chewed up leaves or is looking limp, forget about it. Plants have a difficult enough time making the transition for outdoors to indoors, that it is best to only bring in healthy looking specimens. If there are certain plants that you wish to take cuttings from such as coleus, salvias, lantanas, geraniums and begonias, now is the time to do it.
Making new plants from cuttings is easy. First, you cut a three to four inch long piece off of the original plant. Remove all of the bottom leaves and place the end of the cutting in a mix of peat and perlite in any small container with drainage. Dipping the tip of the cutting in rooting hormone powder (which can be bought at any garden center) encourages greater success with rooting. The rooting medium should be kept moist. Once the cuttings have rooted, they can be transplanted into small two or four inch containers with good drainage. Coleus and certain salvias can be water rooted; an old fashioned way of making new plants that so many of us were taught to do by our mothers or grandmothers.
If the plant is in the ground, dig it up carefully so that you get as much of the root mass as possible. If the roots of the plant are scraggly and overgrown, feel free to trim them a bit. Select containers that are large enough so that the root system of the plant can lay comfortably. Containers should also have holes for drainage. Center plant in the pot and add store bought potting mix in with the plant. Water and set aside in a cool, shady spot outside.
If the plant material you are planning to bring indoors is already in containers, set the containers aside in a cool, shady spot outdoors. If the plant spent the summer outside in a pot, lift the plant out of the pot to make sure that slugs or slug eggs are not nestled in the bottom of the pot. Often this is how slugs enter a pot and then young slugs will feed on the roots of the plant. It is easy enough to pick off the slugs if you find them inside the pot before putting the plant back in the container.
Now is also a good time to repot plants if needed. First, take the plant out of the pot to see if it is root bound. Feel free to trim some of the roots if they are wrapped around or scraggly. Usually going up one container size in plenty; for example, if your plant was in an 8 inch pot, re-pot in a 10 inch pot. Add good quality potting mix; making sure that the plant is snuggly positioned in the center of the pot. And finally, prune plant in the shape that you want it; this will make it look bushier and will actually help maintain its vigor over the coming months.
Once plants are potted up and trimmed and placed in a shady location outside, inspect all plant material for any insects or disease. If you notice any type of fungus, immediately spray with an organic fungicide on both the upper and lower leaves and separate infected plant from other plants. Regardless of whether or not the plants are showing any signs of insects, I automatically spray every plant with Neem oil, an organic insecticide, on both the top and bottom of the leaves. Continue to check plant material over the next three to four days. If any signs of insects persist, spray again and wait a few more days before bringing indoors.
When bringing plants indoors, place them near a bright window; unless they are strictly shade loving plants such as ferns or begonias. Don’t be surprised initially if the plant drops some leaves and yellows a bit. It is adjusting to its new environs.
Plants indoors usually do not need to be watered as frequently. Only water when plants are dry. Also cut back on fertilizer. I try to mist my plants as often as possible; especially when I turn on the heat in my home.
Check your plant material every few days for insects. If you notice any insects at all, place plant under a stream of cold water to get rid of them and become vigilant about misting your plants and keeping your thermometer near 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Article By Fran Sorin
www.fransoring.com
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Creating A Vibrant Fall Garden
For at least the first decade of my life as a gardener, when the sweltering August heat turned my yard into what looked like a hayfield, I all but considered the gardening season finished. I always felt cheated that, although the calendar still registered summertime, the creative planning and planting I so enjoyed was over until spring.
At some point, though, it became clear to me that fall actually was a separate and satisfying gardening season. By experimenting with a variety of fall-blooming bushes, tree and perennials, I discovered I could cajole an extra two months of color and texture -- with such great success that I realized fall is the unheralded jewel of the gardening seasons.
To create a fall garden, you need some basic knowledge of the trees, bushes and perennials that are at the apex of their bloom and color then. Select specimens that you like and believe will work well in your garden. Take into consideration your site variables (sunny, shady, moist, dry), the amount of space available for planting, how your plant selections will complement the other specimens already ensconced in your garden and whether the specimens are hardy in your region. (Check the U.S. Department of Agriculture's map of climate zones.)
The specimens you choose should be planted enough in advance so they have a chance to get acclimated to their new home before the ground freezes. As with all trees and shrubs, remember to add organic matter to your soil so it's rich and crumbly, dig a hole deep and wide enough so the roots can spread out easily when planted, tamp the soil around the base of the plant to eliminate air pockets and use a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch to protect the plant throughout the winter.
Finally, water, water, water. It's easy to assume that plants don't require as much water in the fall. Not true. Any time of the year, the first two to four weeks after planting are the most critical for future health. I have found that the most efficient, effective method of watering is to pull a hose up to the base of the tree or bush. I use a slow trickle that is soaked up almost immediately by the roots.
There's such an abundance of fall-blooming specimens that it's difficult to choose among them -- but I have my favorites. All of these woody bushes and perennials are beautiful and hardy and give terrific "bang for the buck"; several offer gorgeous blooms and scents in the spring, with rapturous fall foliage. When designing your autumn garden, think in terms of oranges, yellows, purples, carmine red, and light violets and blues. It's the garden's last dance before it goes to sleep.
Plants I recommend for the autumn garden.
Shrubs:
Cotinus coggygria "Royal Purple" (smoke bush). This bushy shrub's oval, dark reddish-purple summer leaves turn scarlet in autumn. It can be grown in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in either partial shade or full sun and does best when used as a specimen planting or foundation planting. Hardy in Zones 5 to 8.
Hamamelis (witch hazel). This is a small genus consisting of only five or six deciduous woody shrubs that are grown for their luxurious autumn color as well as their fragrant, spider-shaped winter flowers. It grows in fairly fertile, acidic to neutral soil in partial shade to full sun (but not in an exposed site) and looks terrific grouped in a shrub border or woodland setting. Depending on the species, these can be hardy anywhere from Zone 3 to Zone 9.
Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire). This native shrub is grown for its holly-like leaves with small, aromatic white flowers that bloom in spring. Leaves turn from green to red to purple in fall. It does best when grown in slightly acidic soil, in partial shade to full sun. I have had success growing it in both moist and somewhat dry soil. Virginia sweetspire is maximized when grown in a shrub or mixed border. Hardy in Zones 6 to 9.
Perennials:
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (perennial leadwort). This bushy plant grows only 18 inches tall, with oval green leaves that turn deep orange and red in autumn. Cornflower-blue clusters bloom in late summer through fall on reddish stems, making it ideal for mixed borders or containers. It does well in moist, well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Hardy in Zones 6 to 9.
Molinia (moor grass). This genus of only two species of perennial grass is grown for its attractive form, autumn foliage and loose, airy panicles. It grows well in moist, preferably acidic to neutral soil, in partial shade or full sun, and spreads rapidly. Great for use in masses in a border or as a specimen planting. Hardy in Zones 5 to 9.
Panicum virgatum "Heavy Metal" (switch grass). This 6-foot-tall grass forms clumps of silver-blue stalks that turn yellow in autumn. Its elegant panicles develop red to bronze tones when fall approaches. It does well in almost any decent soil in full sun. Hardy in Zones 5 to 10.
Article By Fran Sorin
www.fransorin.com
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Red-Hot Mocha
As a garden writer, I often get asked the most difficult of questions: What is your favorite plant? It's a query akin to asking which of my children I love the most, and I often defer to the answer offered by the late plantsman Allen Haskell, who always said something along the lines of " . . . whichever plant is in bloom that day."
When pressed, I often cite lemon-scented thyme as my favorite plant. I just love planting it around my walkways, driveway and other full-sun areas. It's impossible to tire of the lemon fragrance that clings to your shoes or the leg of your pants. Tolerant of hot, dry locations and moderate shade, Thymus citriodorus is a great lawn substitute unless your soil is too moist for prolonged periods.
Enough about thyme, though. A new plant is creeping up my top 10 list since it arrived in a package of plant samples from the folks at Proven Winners, who are known for their annual plants that spill out of containers. A most unassuming plant when it arrived, a heuchera known as 'Dolce Mocha Mint' has been a spectacular performer for consecutive summers in my Zone 4b garden.
Coral bells, as heucheras are commonly known, have long been underappreciated inhabitants of the shade garden. When a cultivar known as 'Palace Purple' hit the market a few years ago and earned some attention from the Perennial Plant Association, coral bells started showing up in more garden centers. Breeding has recently intensified into varieties like 'Mocha Mint.'
The plant's medium-sized leaves have hints of purple, green and silver and provide an almost year-round backdrop. I planted my samples under a birch tree with a fairly low canopy, figuring the foliage would be a nice complement to the green leaves and white bark of the tree.
Last year, the plants bloomed like crazy, but I figured maybe that was a first-year aberration. This year, though, the red flowers emerged in early June and when I looked outside on Aug. 7, the color had faded but was still discernable. For a heuchera to bloom for two months with flowers of any note is amazing -- a major step forward in comparison to previous cultivars of coral bells.
The official zone rating of the plant is Zone 5a, but 'Mocha Mint' made it through last winter in New Gloucester, Maine, when several other alleged Zone 5 plants such as gaura, hibiscus and even lychnis did not.
Northeast winters can be fickle and the plant could still prove to be too tender in time. At two months of bloom, though, this plant holds up well, even as an annual. If you need a perennial to brighten up a shady area, I'd encourage you to give 'Mocha Mint' a try.
-Paul Tukey: August 11, 2006.
When pressed, I often cite lemon-scented thyme as my favorite plant. I just love planting it around my walkways, driveway and other full-sun areas. It's impossible to tire of the lemon fragrance that clings to your shoes or the leg of your pants. Tolerant of hot, dry locations and moderate shade, Thymus citriodorus is a great lawn substitute unless your soil is too moist for prolonged periods.
Enough about thyme, though. A new plant is creeping up my top 10 list since it arrived in a package of plant samples from the folks at Proven Winners, who are known for their annual plants that spill out of containers. A most unassuming plant when it arrived, a heuchera known as 'Dolce Mocha Mint' has been a spectacular performer for consecutive summers in my Zone 4b garden.
Coral bells, as heucheras are commonly known, have long been underappreciated inhabitants of the shade garden. When a cultivar known as 'Palace Purple' hit the market a few years ago and earned some attention from the Perennial Plant Association, coral bells started showing up in more garden centers. Breeding has recently intensified into varieties like 'Mocha Mint.'
The plant's medium-sized leaves have hints of purple, green and silver and provide an almost year-round backdrop. I planted my samples under a birch tree with a fairly low canopy, figuring the foliage would be a nice complement to the green leaves and white bark of the tree.
Last year, the plants bloomed like crazy, but I figured maybe that was a first-year aberration. This year, though, the red flowers emerged in early June and when I looked outside on Aug. 7, the color had faded but was still discernable. For a heuchera to bloom for two months with flowers of any note is amazing -- a major step forward in comparison to previous cultivars of coral bells.
The official zone rating of the plant is Zone 5a, but 'Mocha Mint' made it through last winter in New Gloucester, Maine, when several other alleged Zone 5 plants such as gaura, hibiscus and even lychnis did not.
Northeast winters can be fickle and the plant could still prove to be too tender in time. At two months of bloom, though, this plant holds up well, even as an annual. If you need a perennial to brighten up a shady area, I'd encourage you to give 'Mocha Mint' a try.
-Paul Tukey: August 11, 2006.
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