Gardening for Hummingbirds

[Although this was previously posted last year, with their imminent arrival in my garden and our region, after their pretty amazing migration, I always like to review tips on how to welcome them and keep these inquisitive and friendly visitors around my home.]

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

If you’re fascinated by hummingbirds, as I am, you probably hang out a feeder or two in the summer to provide them with sugar water. But did you know that hummingbirds also are attracted to many flowering landscape plants, particularly those that have brightly colored red and scarlet flowers?

Hummingbirds or hummers, as they’re often called, have been sighted in 49 states (all except Hawaii) and 10 Canadian provinces. However, of the dozens of species, only the ruby-throated hummingbird is found in Vermont. In fact, it’s the only species that lives and nests east of the Rocky Mountains.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds winter in southern Mexico and Central America, returning to Vermont in mid April (south) to early May (north). It is fun to track their spring North America migration online (www.hummingbirds.net/map.html).  To attract them to your yard or garden, you’ll need to meet their requirements for food, shelter, and nesting spots.

A hummingbird consumes about half its weight in sugar each day, feeding five to eight times per hour (up to a minute per feeding). In addition to sipping nectar from tubular flowers and feeders, this tiny, metallic green bird also feeds on insects, tree sap, and juice from some fruits.

Hummers tend to follow a regular route in search of food (called “traplining”) though are highly inquisitive.  When selecting flower varieties, keep in mind that hummers are not attracted to fragrance, but rather color and nectar production.   The color red, and to a lesser degree pink, rose, orange, and purple– bright colors that contrast with their backgrounds–  are most seen by them.  In planning a hummingbird garden, you’ll want to select plants with flowers of those colors, using a diversity of annuals and perennials for continuous blooms.  Keep in mind that many cultivated hybrids (cultivars) produce much less nectar than their wild cousins or species.

Flowering quince, buddleia, and Catawba rhododendron are shrubs they find attractive.  Fuchsia, cigar flower (Cuphea), lantana, nasturtium, salvia (especially Pineapple and scarlet sages), spider flower (Cleome), verbena, and snapdragon are annuals for summer bloom.  Vines to consider are cypress vine, morning glory, scarlet runner bean, and the perennial trumpet creeper.  Japanese honeysuckle vine is attractive to them, but is not recommended as it is invasive in many areas.

For early summer perennials plant bleeding hearts, iris, columbine, cardinal flower, lupine, and evening primrose.  Summer flowering perennials include foxglove, hollyhocks (biennial), bee balm, tiger lily, penstemon, coral bells, hosta, scarlet campion (Lychnis), and phlox.  Hummingbirds also like jewelweed, a wildflower commonly found in the cooler north and blooming later in summer (note that this can self sow prolifically).

Check with your local garden center or nursery for other suggestions, as well as for recommendations for disease-resistant varieties as it’s critical that you don’t use pesticides on or near the hummers’ food sources. Not only can sipping nectar from plants that have been sprayed sicken or kill the birds, but it also kills the insects hummers need for protein.

Females often build their nests on a downward-sloping, lichen-covered limb near or over water though may build in any deciduous or coniferous tree that provides adequate protection from predators such as hawks, Baltimore orioles, and other birds. The nests are only an inch or so long and are made of plant down, bud scales, and lichens, held together with saliva or spider silk. Newborns are about the size of a pea but grow rapidly and will start feeding on nectar in about a month.

Hummers spend nearly 80 percent of their time resting, so you also will want to provide plenty of places to perch. They’ll sit on twigs, leaf stems, fences, and even clotheslines in between searching for food.  A favorite place in my yard for hummers is the very top of an upward branch or small tree, even if the branch is dead.  They love to bathe and may be attracted to a splashing fountain or even droplets of water on leaves of broad-leaved trees.

Finally, if you want to attract these delightful little birds to your yard or garden, wear red! Although there’s no scientific data to support this, it seems that hummingbirds will check out anything red, even you! More on the life of this fascinating and friendly visitor to our summer gardens, including their sounds, can be found at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (www.allaboutbirds.org).

 

Selecting Flowering Crabapples

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

Few woody plants offer such value to landscapes and wildlife as do the flowering crabapples, with such variety in flowers and fruits and multi-season interest. These qualities make them one of the most popular small flowering trees. Just make sure in your selections to choose ones resistant to diseases. Newer introductions are often the best bets.

In the spring, the showy blossoms make their appearance in mid to late May before the lilacs bloom. Although actual time of bloom will vary from year to year, depending on temperature, a total bloom period of up to four weeks can be expected. The bloom period of an individual crabapple cultivar (cultivated variety) may vary from a few days to almost two weeks, depending on weather conditions.

Crabapple buds may be pink or red, and the open blossoms of the various crabapples may range from white to dark purplish red, with many variations of pink and red in between. Most crabapples have single flowers; a few have semi-double or double blossoms but bear fewer fruit.

Some good choices with white flowers include ‘Adirondack’, Camelot, ‘Centennial’, ‘Dolgo’, ‘Donald Wyman’, Guinevere, HarvestGold, Lancelot, Molten Lava, ‘Professor Sprenger’, ‘Red Swan’, Sargent, Sugar Tyme, and ‘Tina’. Some good choices with pink flowers include ‘Louisa’, ‘Robinson’, and ‘Strawberry Parfait’. For red flowers, consider Centurion, ‘Prairifire’, or ‘Purple Prince’.

Most crabapples have attractive green foliage with solid margins, except for the deeply cut leaves of Golden Raindrops. Some have a distinct reddish or bronze leaf color for the first month or so of the growing season, while others retain the reddish coloration throughout the season as with ‘Purple Prince’. Some crabapple cultivars even have ornamental gold to yellow fall colors as with ‘Calocarpa’ and Lancelot.

Crabapple fruits are two inches or less in diameter. The color ranges from bright red to purple and from bright yellow to orange, with intermediate shades and combinations. Fruits of some cultivars begin to color in August, while others do not reach their true color until September or October.

Good choices for red fruit include ‘Adirondack’ (orange-red), Camelot, Centurion (cherry red), ‘Donald Wyman’, Guinevere, Molten Lava (orange-red), ‘Prairiefire’ (purple-red), ‘Professor Sprenger’ (orange-red), ‘Purple Prince’ (maroon), ‘Red Swan’, ‘Robinson’ (dark red), Sargent, ‘Tina’, and Sugar Tyme. Good choices for yellow to golden fruit include ‘Centennial’ (red-yellow), ‘Dolgo’ (red-yellow), Golden Raindrops, HarvestGold, Lancelot, ‘Louisa’, and ‘Strawberry Parfait’.

Fruits of some cultivars ripen and drop by the end of August, while others may still be present (“persistent”) in spring. If you don’t want a landscape littered with fruit in the fall, look for those with persistent fruit such as ‘Donald Wyman’, ‘Professor Sprenger’, Guinevere, Lancelot, Sugar Tyme, or ‘Tina’.

When choosing crabapples, consider not only your preference for flowers and fruits, but where they’ll be planted. Make sure the soil is well-drained and doesn’t get waterlogged. They’ll flower and fruit best in full sun, but will tolerate a few hours of shade per day only with fewer flowers (and so fewer fruits). If planted near a walk, or close to where they’ll be viewed, consider ones with persistent red and small fruits, upright habit, or with fragrant flowers (such as ‘Donald Wyman’, ‘Prairie Fire’, or Sargent). If planted farther away, consider ones with larger and yellow fruits. White flowers and yellow fruits blend better with evergreens, dark stone, or red brick buildings. White flowers and red fruits blend nicely with lighter natural color backgrounds such as light brown and wood.

Flowering crabapple trees are generally 15 to 20 feet tall. The Round Table Series with names such as Camelot, Guinevere, and Lancelot, reach about 10 feet tall. Most crabapples are rounded or vase-shaped, but growth habit varies widely from columnar such as with ‘Adirondack’ to weeping as with ‘Louisa’ or ‘Red Swan’.

About the only insect that might be a serious problem in some areas is the Japanese Beetle. Cultivars that have shown high resistance to this include Centurion, HarvestGold, ‘Louisa’, and ‘Prairie Fire’.

Diseases are a much greater problem on many crabapples than insects, particularly on older cultivars. Many of the newer cultivars have been bred for resistance to the four main diseases which are the same as you’ll encounter with regular apples—scab, fireblight, cedar apple rust, and powdery mildew. All the above cultivars have good to excellent disease resistance.

If diseases generally aren’t a problem in your area, or you can tolerate some leaf diseases, there are many more cultivar choices. Beware of cheap trees at chain stores, as often these have few if any roots, and may only recently have been potted (basically a “bare root” plant). Visit your local nursery or full-service garden store for proven local cultivars with good disease resistance and good roots.

Common Ornamental Indoor Plants toxic to dogs and cats

Dr. Leonard Perry, UVM Extension Horticulturist

Toxicity varies.  Many cause mild symptoms such as dermatitis, vomiting, or diarrhea.  Others marked as severe (S) may cause worse symptoms such as kidney failure or death.   Sometimes plant parts differ, as digestion of bulbs on plants having these may be more toxic than leaves.  Unless noted otherwise, plants may be toxic to both dogs and cats.  Plants that are toxic to pets may not be toxic to humans, and vice versa.  For a more complete listing, including outdoor plants, visit online sites such as www.aspca.org.  More can be found linked on my website:  www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/linksgen.htm#Poisonous.   If any question or concern on plant consumption by a pet, contact your veterinarian.

Other gardening products that may be quite toxic include compost and mulches containing cocoa waste.  Avoid the latter if you have pets, particularly dogs, and keep pets away from the former.  Composts will vary, those with kitchen wastes potentially more harmful than those with just leaves and grass clippings.  Although cats are susceptible to lower doses of chocolate than dogs, they usually consume much less if any, not being able to taste sweetness.

These are only a few of the more commonly encountered, and is not a complete list.

Common toxic houseplants

Asparagus fern
Azalea (Rhododendron) (S)
Begonia
Caladium
Calla, Arum lily (Zantedeschia)
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)
Chrysanthemum
Coleus (Solenostemon)
Corn plant (Dracaena)
Cyclamen (S from large ingestion of tubers)
Dracaena
Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia)
English ivy (Hedera)
Flamingo flower (Anthurium)
Geranium (Pelargonium)
Iris (mostly rhizome roots)
Kalanchoe
Lilies (including Easter lily, daylily) (S, cats only)
Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria)
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Philodendron
Pinks (Dianthus, mild symptoms)
Pothos (Scindapsus)
Schefflera (Brassaia)
Shamrock plant (Oxalis, usually from large quantities)
Swiss Cheese plant (Monstera)
Ti Plant, Grass plant (Cordyline)
Tomato plants
Tulip (most toxic is bulb)
Weeping, other figs (Ficus)

Common toxic cut flowers
Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila)
Calla, Arum lily (Zantedeschia)
Carnation (mild symptoms)
Chrysanthemum
Daffodil (Narcissus)
Dahlia (mild symptoms)
Daylily (S, cats only)
Dianthus (mild symptoms)
Gladiolus (mostly bulbs)
Hyacinth
Iris
Lilies (many, including daylily) (S, cats only)
Peony
Tulip

 

 

Ornamental Grass trials

Dr. Leonard Perry, University of Vermont

In 2012 I began a trial site for a National Ornamental Grass trials, with 17 sites nationwide all testing several plants each of 17 switchgrass (Panicum) cultivars and 5 little bluestem (Schizachyrium).  The photo is of the differences of the latter in pots, prior to planting out (left to right Minn Blue A, Prairie Blues, The Blues, Blaze, and Carousel).  Here is the overview and update.

Due to the small size of many plugs, per our usual trial procedures here they were potted shortly after receipt into Jumbo square pots, ProMix medium with Osmocote 16-11-11 incorporated at 3.6oz. per cu.ft. (6lb. per cu.yd). Weak or poorly-rooted plugs were first planted into 4-inch squares, then when sufficiently rooted shifted into the Jumbo pots. Plants were grown in a nursery area throughout the summer, with planting delayed until early September due to an unusually dry and hot summer for this climate. Due to trial beds being unable to be watered often or easily, plants would have suffered or died if planted this past summer, plus all plants were not sufficiently and equally rooted until then.

The trial site is a full sun, rocky loam of low fertility (formerly a fallow grass field). At planting, 2 cups of local compost and slow-release 5-3-4 (one tbsp) were mixed with backfill soil. Plants were watered in, with little subsequent watering needed due to rain. No additional compost or fertilizer applications are planned for this coming season.

Soil and air temperatures are being recorded continually on hour intervals. With little snow cover during some quite cold periods this winter, this winter should be an excellent test winter for hardiness (with some replacements expected). Although the site is listed in USDA 4b, this is the first winter over the past decade it has not reached -20F air (missing by one degree on one day, 3 degrees off on another), making this a zone 5 winter. Yet one week later the air temperature peaked at 54F, a 73 degree range from the coldest point days earlier. Due to lack of snow cover during some of the colder periods, bare soil temperatures reached 23F for several days– the coldest in the 20+ years I have been recording such. However, with only 2 inches of snow (as was on the grass trial bed, usually), soil temperatures only dropped to 27-29F, but remained there for up to 3-day periods, again the coldest such soil temperatures I’ve recorded in the past 10 or so years.

Surviving a Long Winter Indoors

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

One question I often get by gardeners from warmer climates is “What do you do in winter?”  If our north country winters get a bit long for you, here are ten gardening activities to keep your spirits up and get you ready for and thinking about the coming growing season.

Order some seeds.  This means obtaining by phone or mail some seed catalogs if you don’t already have some.  The internet also is a great resource for choosing and ordering seeds.  First, though, check in early spring with your local garden store as they may have what you want.  Be forewarned of the temptation to order more seeds than you need or can keep up with.

Of course you can wait to start seeds outdoors, but with our short growing season in the north it is best to start at least some plants indoors if you can make the space.  The temptation here is to start seeds too soon, only to have them get leggy.  Many small seeds like begonias can be started in February, tomatoes in mid-March, many other flowers in early April, and quick growing plants such as squash, melons, sunflowers or zinnias only two or three weeks before setting out.

If you have houseplants, check them often for pests.  Fertilize them if they are growing or blooming.  Repot ones that are rootbound and dry out quickly.  Propagate from cuttings those that may be getting leggy.  Simply cut about four to six inches, remove the lower leaves, and place stem bases in a medium such as perlite, vermiculite, or a combination.  Cover with a plastic bag to keep humidity inside, and check often to make sure not too dry or too wet inside.  Keep out of direct sunlight.  Don’t forget to buy a cut flower bouquet occasionally too.

Review garden catalogs, but as with the seeds, don’t order more than you can plant, weed, and maintain.  It is best to figure where plants will go before you buy them.  Keep in mind their environmental needs, such as light and soil type, and whether you can supply these.  With the costs of shipping, and many mail order firms selling very small plants, often it is best to check your local nurseries first in spring.  Do your research now, then visit them around late April or early May for the best selection and the best chance to get what you want.

Plan a new garden, or to renovate an older one.  This applies only if you have room, and only if you think realistically that you can keep the new perennial garden maintained.  This is not an issue if you are merely replacing a current annual flower bed or vegetable garden.  If the latter, figure where each crop will go, rotating their locations from year to year to minimize diseases.  If some perennial beds have gotten out of control through neglect (as have some of mine), perhaps you should plan to just remove the desirable plants, then start over removing all that remains.

Winter is the time to get tools in order, cleaning and sharpening if you haven’t already.  Get pots cleaned and ready, a good job for a basement or garage.  Stock up on supplies while garden stores are slow and you have the time. Look for “green goods” such as recycled materials and biodegradable pots.

Make plans to visit a local flower show, such as the Vermont Flower Show March 1 to 3 at the Expo Center in Essex Junction (greenworksvt.org).  Also, watch local garden stores and gardening groups for seminars (http://perrysperennials.info/events.html).

There are many wonderful books on all aspects of gardening and gardens, design, plants and more.  Check these out online either from booksellers or my publications list (perrysperennials.info), at your library, and local bookstores for the latest releases.

Plan a trip in summer to local gardens or specialty perennial nurseries with display gardens (pss.uvm.edu/ppp/vpdgli.html).  You can find some local gardens on my website, either in photos or in videos from Across the Fence that you can watch online (perrysperennials.info).  I like to visit gardens and nurseries when the weather isn’t ideal for working in my own garden, something you can’t obviously plan this winter.  But you can plan to visit them every few weeks to see what is in bloom.  This is a great way to find plants to keep your garden colorful all summer.

The internet has been mentioned already, but use it to explore the rest of the gardening world.  This easily can fill your whole winter, or at least as much time as you can take on a computer.  Have a slow connection like I do?  Then take a laptop to your local library, many of which have wireless capability, or just use their computers.  I love to make virtual visits to famous botanic gardens, and gardens of artists and designers.  Of course you can learn so much more online, on any topic you can think of, and many you never thought of!  Again, a starting point might be the links on my own website (perrysperennials.info).

These are only a few ideas for how you, as a gardener, can make the most of a long and cold winter.  Don’t forget to take a break, get outside, and enjoy the winter effects of your garden and public ones. Think how you might improve yours next winter by adding shrubs or trees with evergreen  colorful leaves, berries, attractive bark, or great textures and silhouettes.

 

Attractive Bark in Winter Landscapes

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
             
The short, grey days of winter in the north, coupled with snow, often create landscapes that resemble a black and white photo.  Winter landscapes need not be drab and dreary, and can have color, by choosing plants for interesting bark.
           
One of my favorite shrubs for its bright red stems is the Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea).  For even better color than the species, look for the cultivars (cultivated varieties) ‘Cardinal’ and ‘Arctic Fire’.  ‘Flaviramea’ is a common yellow-stemmed cultivar of this species, but it is not as colorful nor as resistant to stem cankers as the Tatarian dogwood ‘Bud’s Yellow’ (Cornus alba).  For a combination of colors, try the less common Bloodtwig dogwood (C. sanguinea) ‘Midwinter Fire’ with its bright yellow-orange stems topped with red. 
           
Whatever the selection you choose of the bright-stemmed dogwoods, the color may be more green in summer, turning bright in winter, then back to more green next spring.  Color is brightest on year-old stems, so the key to keeping good color is pruning back the oldest stems each spring so new ones will develop that growing season.  Shrub dogwoods are hardy, and quite vigorous given full sun (but can tolerate some shade), and can be pruned to within a few inches of the ground to renew overgrown bushes.  They are adaptable to many soils, tolerating wet ones and even drought once established.  I like to use their stems in holiday arrangements.

The coral bark willow cultivar ‘Britzensis’ (Salix alba) rivals the shrub dogwoods for stem color, its year-old stems being red-orange in winter.  It too is quite hardy and adaptable as are the shrub dogwoods.  Although it can grow into a large tree, cut it back each spring to keep into a shorter mound.
           
For plants with the added benefit of summer fruit, some of the brambles have stems with color.  In my garden, the arching silvery red stems of a ‘Bristol’ black raspberry contrast nicely with the dark red upright stems of a ‘Darrow’ blackberry.  For a similar stem effect to ‘Bristol’, consider the Redleaf rose (Rosa glauca) with its waxy purple stems.
           
Green is a color that is lacking in northern winter landscapes, except for evergreen plants, but for a deciduous shrub consider the Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica).  Hardy to USDA zone 5 (-20 to -10 degrees F) and perhaps a bit colder, this old-fashioned shrub has arching stems and a rounded form.  It has bright yellow flowers in spring, yellow fall leaves, and bright green stems (yellow with green stripes on the less common cultivar ‘Kin Kan’).
           
In addition to bark color, some woody plants have attractive peeling (“exfoliating”) bark.  Most familiar of such plants is the River birch (Betula nigra) with its tan to pink peeling bark at a young age.  The best choice and commonly found cultivar of River birch is ‘Heritage’. The Himalayian (B. utilis var. jacquemontii) and white birches (B. papyrifera) have white peeling bark.  A good choice for the latter, resistant to the common bronze birch borer, is Prairie Dream. 
         
If you like lilacs, consider the Peking lilac (Syringa pekinensis) and its cultivar ‘China Snow’ with glossy, coppery bark that peels in strips.  Flowers are in mid-June, a creamy white more similar to the tree lilac than the common lilac. 
           
Slower growing than birch or the Peking lilac, and hardy to USDA zone 5 is the Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum).  This choice landscape plant makes a small tree, with cinnamon peeling papery bark in winter. As the peeling effect can vary with plant, choose ones at your local nursery with the best bark.  Look for the cultivar Gingerbread whose leaves turn bright red in fall, and is faster growing than the species.
           
Species of Stewartia with peeling bark that is mottled brown, gold and grey include the Korean (Stewartia korena) and the Japanese (S. pseudocamellia).  As the name of the latter indicates, the white summer flowers resemble camellias.  Another bonus on these is the red to orange fall leaf color.  If you live in USDA zone 5 or warmer, consider these.

For a more unusual large shrub or small tree, look for the Seven Sons flower (Heptacodium miconioides).  A relatively recent introduction from China, this choice plant can be seen in mass at the Chinese garden at the Montreal Botanical Gardens. The small, fragrant white flowers bloom in September.  The bark peels in long, vertical strips to create a tan and brown effect.  Seven Sons is hardy into USDA zone 4b (-20 to -25 degrees F).
           
Bark on some small trees may not peel but is still quite attractive.  A couple of my favorites are cherries– the paperbark (Prunus serrula) and the Amur chokecherry (P. maackii). They are relatively fast growing, with glossy cinnamon bark.  The latter is often short-lived due to weak branch structure or girdling roots, but one I had lasted over 20 years.  I had it (and now its replacement of the same) planted in our front yard where we can see its beautiful bark, and where the birds can land on their way to our feeders.  It has amazed me how many holes in the bark it can withstand due to woodpeckers and sapsuckers!
           
Look for these and other shrubs and trees with attractive bark when adding plants to your landscape.  They’ll provide interest long after flowers and leaves are done with their show.

Gardening Resolutions for the New Year

Leonard P. Perry, University of Vermont Extension

The beginning of the New Year is the time to reflect on the past year, and to make resolutions for changes whether in health, personal habits, or in my case gardening.  Here are a few of my gardening resolutions for this coming year that may give you ideas for yours.

–I resolve when ordering seeds this winter, to be realistic and only order what I can plant, and more importantly maintain during the season.
–When sowing vegetables in the garden, I’ll make successive plantings so all my lettuce and carrots don’t all come ripe at once.  Come to think of it, I’ll do the same when setting out my gladiolus corms, so they don’t all flower at the same time.  I’ll mark the calendar now to set them out 10 days apart, early, mid, and late May.
–Another item I didn’t get to this year, I’ll add to my resolutions for this coming year, is to plant enough vegetables to freeze, and make time to do this.  Lacking the vegetables and time to keep up with them, my fallback option is to buy local produce to freeze.
–That’s another great resolution I’ll have to add, even if I have enough produce, visiting a local farmers’ market regularly to get what I don’t grow, and other food and fun goods.
–I will be more diligent in making good compost, turning my pile more often.
–On the topic of compost, early in the season I will either buy a bulk load or pallet of compost to spread on my beds before the perennials get too tall.  With compost being used up yearly in the garden, so needing to be added each year, this resolution will be on my list for future years too.
–With the weeds getting ahead of me this year in my perennial beds, I’ll make it a priority to get the beds cleaned early this coming season, and to keep up with the weeds this year.
–Thinking of weeds, I’ll start saving newspapers and get them laid down early in the season in garden paths and cover with mulch, sawdust, or wood shavings from the local mill.
–I admit, sometimes this past year I didn’t get sunscreen applied on sunny days.  I’ll do a better job with this, using one with a SPF rating of at least 30.
–Thinking about my health, I’ll resolve to use garden tools properly, to lift heavy loads with my legs and not my back (or better yet to get help), to stretch and loosen muscles before gardening, to drink plenty of water, to take breaks (especially when hot), and do avoid long stretches of repetitive tasks (alternate among tasks every 10 to 20 minutes).
–My wife will like this one.  I’ll do a better job of taking my gardening shoes and boots off before coming indoors, even if just for a quick break.  I’ve learned that those shoe scrapers are great, but with gardening mud don’t quite do the job leaving a trail of muddy bits as proof.
–I feel embarrassed when guests visit and ask the name of a plant, and I can’t find a label.  At least I have a list of perennials by bed, which I’ll go through this winter and research the colors of daylilies or roses or other large groupings I have.  Then next season I’ll try to match descriptions with the flowers when in bloom in order to get the names back on the plants.  If you’re not a plant collector, or just plant perennials for their beauty and design, or better yet keep up with your labels and plant names (congratulations if so!), this may not be on your list to do.
–For the wildlife, I’ll resolve to keep bird baths cleaned and filled regularly, to keep bird feeders stocked and also cleaned periodically of old and rotting seeds, and to keep hummingbird feeders filled and cleaned every few days beginning the first of May.
–When buying plants this year, I’ll try to find ones in pots I can wash and reuse rather than just discard as is common with so many cheap plastic plant containers.  Better yet, I’ll look for plants in pots made from recycled materials.
–I’ve begun to try and reduce my carbon footprint in my garden, using more hand tools and less power tools for starters.  I’ll continue to watch for ways to be more environmentally friendly.
–I’ve learned in our climate one has to take advantage of the nice days when we have them.  If a nice day, and I can take a leave day from work and don’t have essential commitments or meetings, I’ll make a point to garden.  To paraphrase a ski bumper sticker, Garden Today, Work Tomorrow.
–When tired of gardening or needing a break, I’ll make a point to visit a local specialty perennial nursery (especially on a rainy day when its less fun to work in the garden).  I’ll try to visit some nurseries I haven’t yet from the online listing (pss.uvm.edu/ppp/vpdgli.html).  If tired of just flowers, I’ll visit a local berry farm or orchard (www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/farmlinks.html), or make a local tour of cheese farms (www.vtcheese.com/cheesetrail.htm) and wineries (vermontgrapeandwinecouncil.com).

I’m sure I could think of many more resolutions, but these are probably enough to keep me busy and to get you started in your own.  But don’t forget, perhaps most importantly, resolve to take time to smell the flowers, to savor the vegetables, and to just enjoy your efforts.

 

Overwintering Tender Perennials Indoors

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
             
While perennials are hardy in their native climates, if they aren’t in yours but die with cold in fall, they can be considered tender.  Many of what we consider annuals in our climate are in reality perennials in their native habitats, such as annual geraniums (Pelargonium), salvia, snapdragon, begonia, and impatiens.  Whether annuals, summer bulbs, woody plants such as hibiscus, or exotic plants such as angel’s trumpet, knowing which of the four main climates they prefer will help them to live (or to remain dormant in the case of summer bulbs such as canna and dahlia) successfully indoors all winter. 

Sunny and warm conditions can be provided by windows facing east, south, or west in warm living areas.  Temperatures should remain between 60 and 70 degrees F.  A heated greenhouse or solarium also can provide such conditions.  The cooler the temperature, the drier you should keep the soil.  These plants require as much light as possible.  If plants become spindly with thin leaves, consider adding supplemental light or moving plants to a southern exposure if possible and not there already.  Sunny and warm mimics the winter conditions for many tropical plants.  Plants keep their leaves, and growth slows but remains active.
           
Some common “annuals” that prefer sunny and warm conditions include coleus, begonia, impatiens, lantana, thunbergia, and Egyptian stars (Pentas).  Hibiscus prefers these conditions too.  Flowering maple (Abutilon), fuchsia, begonia, and succulents often survive fine near windows with east or west exposures.  Succulents include such plants as aloe, jade plant and its relatives (Crassula), and kalanchoe.
           
Sunny and cool conditions can be provided in an unheated sunporch or guest room, minimally heated entry halls, or a cool greenhouse.  Temperatures should remain between 45 and 55 degrees F ideally, or at least above freezing.  These cool temperatures help prevent insect problems as an added benefit.  The goal with sunny and cool is to keep plants from growing, or growing very slowly, most the winter.  They are provided a rest period, and so are low maintenance.
           
Most tender perennials prefer sunny and cool winters indoors.  Mediterranean plants such as pomegranate and rosemary, citrus such as lemons and miniature oranges, and silvery plants such as lavender prefer sunny and cool winters.  Some South African natives such as lily-of-the-Nile (Agapanthus) and annual geranium are in this group, as are the Australian hebes.  Tropical “annuals” in this group include cigar flowers (Cuphea), summer snapdragon (Angelonia), and sages (Salvia).  Many subtropical and tropical woody plants prefer sunny and cool winters, such as oleander, gardenia, osmanthus, and angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia).  Some such as fuchsia and hibiscus do well under these conditions as well as with sunny and warm, just with less growth.
           
Dark and damp conditions are useful for a handful of plants, especially tubers (swollen roots) of sweet-potato vine, dahlia, and canna.  Store tubers in a plastic bin or bag in a barely moist, not wet, material such as sawdust or peat moss.  Fountain grasses (Pennisetum) in pots can be cut back to 6 to 12 inches, and stored here as well.  Some even have luck in dark and damp winters with pots of salvias and geraniums that normally need more light.  Provide these conditions in an unheated cellar, garage, or crawl space.  Lacking those, a cool closet may work.  Temperatures for cool and damp mean between 35 and 50 degrees F. 
           
Dark and dry conditions are needed for a handful of tender perennials, gladiolus corms being the most common.  Some salvia in this wide-ranging genus can be stored here, unless they have formed tubers that should be stored damp.  Similar to dark and damp, cool temperatures should range between 35 and 50 degrees F.
           
Plants dropping their leaves may be a sign of too cool, too much water (rotting roots), adjusting from high light outdoors to lower light indoors (in which case you should see new leaves soon), or simply may be normal.  Some woody plants such as angel’s trumpet, butterfly bush, fig, and lantana normally lose their leaves in winter.  They can be shaped, left in their pots without repotting (so not to stimulate new growth), and kept barely moist but not wet until growth resumes with the longer days of spring.
           
Much more on the correct conditions for many individual plants, as well as tips on such topics as problems and propagation, can be found in the excellent reference from Storey Publishing by Alice and Brian McGowan, Bulbs in the Basement Geraniums on the Windowsill.

A Garden of Ghoulish Delights

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont 
  
Halloween, with its make-believe ghosts, goblins, and witches, comes but once a year. But you can keep the spirit of Halloween alive by choosing plants for theme gardens that conjure up thoughts of this spooky day. 

Granted, it’s too late in the year to actually plant the garden, and most of the plants wouldn’t survive fall frosts and still be around for Halloween. But that shouldn’t stop you from planning for next year now while the spirit of the season is at hand. 

Chances are you may already have plants in your garden with ghoulish connections. While we all know that the broomstick-riding witches associated with Halloween don’t really exist, folklore tells us that once upon a time anyone who was a bit different risked being called a “witch” or being accused of having special powers. Sometimes a woman was declared a “witch,” simply because of the plants she grew in her garden, plants thought to be used for casting spells. 

Do you have witches’ thimbles, devil’s nettle, fool’s parsley, or wolf’s bane in your garden? If you do, and this was several centuries ago, the talk around town might be that you are a “witch.” Don’t recognize any of those names? You may know them by other names. 

Witches’ thimbles is another name for foxglove, a biennial with tall spikes of large, bell-shaped white, pink, purple, or red flowers. It’s a source of digitalis, a heart medicine. 

Devil’s nettle or yarrow was once used as a poultice for wounds. This plant comes in a variety of colors and grows to heights of two to four feet.  While some species are tall and yellow, many newer cultivars (cultivated varieties) are short, don’t spread, and come in a range of colors. 

Fool’s parsley is a hemlock herb, not to be confused with the tree although just as deadly. Wolf’s bane, or aconite, has small yellow flowers. In the 1500s it was mixed with English yew, powdered glass, arsenic, and a number of other deadly ingredients to make pills. A word of caution.: if you plant any of these poisonous plants, be sure to keep curious kids and pets away. 

According to folklore, other plants that “witches” grew in their gardens include cumin and verbena (both for love potions), opium poppies (sleep potions), and morning glories (wicked spells). “Witches” also mixed monkshood, which has spiky purple blooms, with cinquefoil, belladonna, water parsnips, and ashes to make a strong potion that allowed them to talk to spirits “on the other side.” An ointment of monkshood and belladonna supposedly made objects fly. 

These folklore witches also made sure they planted flowers from every birth sign, so they would have the ingredients needed to cast spells on everyone. Chrysanthemums, heather, and thorns were needed for power over a Scorpio. Someone born under the sign of Aquarius could be “hexed” with potions using foxglove and snowdrops. 

For your witches’ theme garden, you also need to plant three or four rows of red flowers–nasturtiums, geraniums, zinnias, vinca, and monarda, for instance–around the edges of the garden to keep “witch hunters” away. 

To keep “witches” out, border your garden with yellow and green flowers and foliage. Plant marigolds, rudbeckia, sunflowers, green zinnias, and Bells of Ireland, for example. These colors remind “witches” of the sun (which they supposedly hate), so they will keep their distance. 

Another way to create a Halloween theme garden is to plant only orange and black flowers. While some gardeners may argue that there are few true black flowers, many near-black flowers are available, especially in the iris and tulip families. There are also some pretty black pansies that will last into fall and maybe even to Halloween. Grow these with an orange variety called “Jolly Joker.” You can find deep maroon (almost black) varieties of bachelor’s buttons, snapdragons, cosmos, sunflowers, and gladioli. Check seed catalogs and ask the experts at your garden center for other varieties. 

For orange, it’s easier. Many common flowers like zinnias, marigolds, daylilies, and cosmos all come in orange. You also might try butterfly weed, orange nasturtiums, and oriental poppies. Of course many fall chrysanthemums are found in shades of orange. 

While not in Halloween colors, “spiky” perennials with their sinister or ghostly appearance can be used for contrast or accent.  Popular in recent years is the artichoke or cardoon with its large silvery, deeply cut and sharply pointed silvery-white leaves.  Or try other silvery spiky perennials such as globe thistle or sea holly.  Yucca, or Spanish dagger, has several cultivars all with long leaves with needle-like tips. 

Or instead, how about plants with creepy names like bloodroot, bleeding heart, Dragon’s blood sedum, or blood lily for your theme garden? Or scary names like snapdragon and devil’s tongue (also known as the voodoo lily)? 

Add a few stone gargoyles or folk art, such as that found at craft shows, like pumpkin clay pots (for candles) or pumpkin and Halloween character silhouettes carved out of wood. Or how about some orange and ghostly green lighting for the garden? With a Halloween theme garden, you can enjoy this October holiday for many months of the year!

 

Yet Another New Plant Pest

Dr. Leonard Perry

University of Vermont Extension

 

This time of soft fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, and perhaps grapes; if you grow or even buy such from local markets, you may want to read on if you haven’t heard of the Spotted Wing Fruit Fly before. One way it differs from the usual fruit fly is that it can infect fruit already picked, so when you get them home maggots may appear in them.  This insect is now spreading through northern states including Vermont and Maine and Michigan.  Below is from a news release by Dr,. Vern Grubinger of UVM Extension in late August.  Note that late fall may be a good time to trap any adults.

“A new fruit pest, the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), has arrived in Vermont.

This small fly feeds on many different cultivated and wild fruits but is a particular threat to soft fruits that ripen in the late summer and fall. SWD is likely to be a significant problem in small fruits such as blueberries, fall raspberries and grapes as well as tree fruits including peaches and cherries. So far it appears that early season fruit such as strawberries and hard fruit such as apples will be less impacted, but more information is needed.

SWD was first spotted in southern Vermont and parts of New England in fall 2011 and in recent weeks it has become widespread across the state and the region. With this pest being so new to the United States–it was first found in on the west coast in 2008–little is known about how big an impact it will have and what management tactics will be most effective.

The scientific name for this invasive pest from Asia is Drosophila suzukii. It looks very similar to the fruit flies that typically feed on and fly around overripe fruit on a kitchen counter. However, unlike these flies, it feeds on healthy, intact fruits as they ripen. Once a crop has finished fruiting, the flies move on to other crops.

To the naked eye, SWD is hard to tell apart from other species of small flies. A hand lens or microscope is needed to see its identifying features.

Like other fruit flies it is small, only one-twelfth to one-eighth inch long, but it has yellowish-brown coloration and prominent red eyes. The males have a dark spot near the edge of each of their clear wings (thus their common name). However, some other species of small flies also have spots on their wings, so SWD is a bit tricky to positively identify.

If you see fruit flies swarming in the evening around ripening fruit in the garden or on the farm that is a pretty good clue that you have SWD. To date, they have only been found outdoors. Fruit flies found indoors are likely to be a different species.

What makes this insect such a concern for farmers and gardeners is that the females have a saw-like egg-laying structure, which they use to puncture firm, ripening fruit. Once deposited in the fruit, the eggs quickly hatch into small larvae that feed inside the fruit, causing discoloration and decay. Sometimes these symptoms won’t show up until after harvest. In addition to the damage from larvae, infested fruit becomes susceptible to fungi and bacteria that cause softening and rot.

SWD has a short life cycle with many generations per year. After the larvae feed, they pupate and later emerge as adults ready to mate and lay more eggs. Thus, populations can build up over the summer and fall. It overwinters as an adult. Its ability to survive in Vermont is not known, but since it has overwintered successfully in Michigan, it is likely to be able to survive here, too.

Extension specialists suggest several tactics for managing this pest. Timely harvest and sanitation are important to reduce local buildup of SWD populations. This means frequent picking of a crop to ensure ripe fruits are removed from the field as soon as possible and removing and destroying any old fruit remaining on stems.

Fine-mesh row covers may be able to exclude the pest if placed over a crop before any fruit starts to ripen, but this technique needs field research to prove that it works well enough to justify the expense. Certain insecticides will kill SWD, but frequent spraying is needed to adequately protect a fruit crop during the harvest period.

Insecticides must be used according to the label, which often includes a lengthy waiting period until harvest can resume after spraying. For home gardeners and organic growers, alternating sprays of two natural insecticides can protect fruit if the sprays are applied before the insects lay eggs in the fruit.

Both spinosad and pyrethrins have a short waiting period and are available in formulations allowed for organic production. Keep in mind that overuse of an insecticide can cause the target pest to develop resistance to it. Use of any insecticide also poses risks to honeybees and other pollinators if a crop is still in bloom. In that case, sprays should be applied in the evening when pollinators are less active.

Trapping may be an effective means of reducing overwintering SWD populations. In late fall, once all ripe fruit is gone in an area, the adults can be attracted to and trapped in plastic cups or small buckets baited with apple cider vinegar plus a drop of dish detergent so the flies will drown.

For more information check out these four factsheets developed by Penn State University Extension: “
http://extension.psu.edu/vegetable-fruit/blog/2012/spotted-wing-drosophila-fact-sheets-completed-and-online