summer

Tomato Troubles

August 22, 2016 by Ilona Erwin

I have large tomatoes, plenty of them…that is not the trouble. Hornworms. and cracking, those are the troubles.

Right now, I am picking the fruits just turning red and ripening them on my window.

Hornworms are officially called Manduca quinquemaculata. As caterpillars they are voracious pests, munching through incredible amounts of your tomato harvest.

How To Prevent Hornworms?

Till the ground pre-season to destroy up to 90% of overwintering of them.
Wasp larvae attach themselves to hornworms and are a biological control.
Dill, basil, and marigolds are companions to tomato plants which help repel them.

Some Cracking Rainstorms

Skin cracked, but delicious all the same.

The other malady of my tomato plants is the case of the cracking fruit. What causes the lines and opening of the tomato skin? Just the weather conditions we experienced: Dry weather period followed by rainstorms. It was the lack of water which caused the splitting skin. The answer would have been more regular watering during a droughty period.

Rains have left the ground in good condition for sowing some late summer seeds for the fall crops. That is next on my agenda.

This Is The Time Of Year That My Garden Gets Away From Me

The weeds, the harvest, the garden maintenance…. all need attention. As an older gardener both my health and summer’s heat conspired against me. I must take a laissez faire attitude against the chores which go undone while I take refuge from hot temperatures.

But thankfully, the days are cooler and less humid this week! I look forward to catching up.

The earth looks so gratefully green after its thirst is quenched. I, too, have joined its gratefulness and drink in the blue skies and high cotton clouds.

The Turn Of Summer

Chrysanthemums have appeared at the stores, a sure sign that we face the end of summertime. It is this shift of plant focus that signals the wax and wane of our seasons.

Chrysanthemums used to be perennial in my garden, but now it is difficult to bring them through the winter. They have always needed more protection in this rural garden. The scathing winds and bare winter earth was too much for the varieties planted here. I imagine there were other factors of neglect that contributed to their short lived existence, as well.

Mums tend to be garden plants that thrive on cultivation and fade way with a wild, competitive garden. They like space and room, plenty of fertilizer and being reset every few years.

These days I treat them like annuals.

I will look for an apricot one to place in my large container, and soft pinks for the containers on either side of my front walk.
Cushion mumsGrowing Cushion Mums

It is too early, but already my thoughts turn towards the hope that I will be a better, more attentive gardener next year. I am reining them in to create a more “in the moment” framework of savoring the bounty of autumn.

The garden is not finished with the end of summer, it is gathering strength for a grand finale.

How is your garden growing? Are you tempted by the bulbs and baskets of chrysanthemums yet?

Garden Furniture Brightens Up Outdoor Living

July 7, 2016 by Ilona Erwin

Garden furniture I wouldn’t be without

The Famous Lutyens Bench Source: Herry Lawford on Flickr

What Can’t You Live Without?

Favorite Garden Accessories

Garden Benches
Chairs
Firepits and Fire Bowls
Playhouses
Bird Baths, Feeders, Houses
Swings and swingsets
Picnic tables and Patio sets
Fountain
Hot tub
Patio seating and lounge chairs
Grill or outdoor kitchen

Is The Ticket Too Big?

On “big ticket” items like swimming pools or hot tubs, is the price really too big? If it interferes with your ability to pay the mortgage, yes, but what if it is something that you could afford if you saved for it, or if you could see its benefits?

Both swimming pools and hot tubs … and other such features can come under this heading. For me, a hot tub has repaid itself many times in the benefits it has given when it comes to helping mobility and recovery after stiff joints and muscles were a problem.

Be sure to factor in more than simply the price of an item when deciding whether it is a priority for you.

victorian style — In Victorian style to complement the Queen Anne house this yard is packed with ornament and furnishings.

Budgeting

Not everyone can afford to fully landscape their yard all at once, just as they don’t furnish a home’s interior instantly, either. Set up a plan that includes the important features of your yard and outdoor landscape, create a budget and a plan to put in those important to you and your family.

Create An Installation Schedule To Keep Costs Under Control

Make a garden plan
Include the path materials, furniture such as seating or ornaments
Create a schedule of installation
If you have children, include their needs: a swingset, playhouse, or sandbox?
Make your yard a place for fun and relaxation as well as tasks.
Use budget plans just as you would for other expenditures- don’t leave your yard last on the list.

Included in your plan are various pieces of garden furnishings, depending on which portions of the landscaping on next on the list.

Antique Copper Look

Best Choice Products® Patio Garden Bench Cast Aluminum Outdoor Garden Yard Solid Construction New

Graceful garden seating made of cast aluminum gives a timeless inviting look to your yard. More than a hundred customer’s reviewed it with high marks and satisfaction.

A bench like this looks wonderful with Victorian style homes, many traditional styles of farmhouses to townhouses.

Take Seat, Enjoy The View

andirondack — I love the simple, rustic look of the old Adirondack style.

Garden Benches

Of all the advice I’ve tested and given, the importance of having seating in the garden is the best tip in all my garden furniture opinions. I’d say a well made bench is mandatory for enjoying the true pleasure of a garden. Whether it is to enjoy the views, or take a well earned rest from accomplishing the chores, a chair or bench is most welcome.

Surprising in the many styles and materials available, I think that benches, especially in the “Adirondack” or classic “Park Bench” styles give the greatest satisfaction. They are roomy, sturdy, and have good looks, so that the seat actually performs as a great focal point of design as well.

ADIRONDACK STYLE

The Adirondack style is American traditional seating which makes me think of vacations in the mountains or relaxing beside the beach. it is just as famously relaxing and comfortable in a backyard, among the perennial borders. So popular they come in a number of colors in both wood and resin materials.

A bench at the end of a pathway, or situated under a the arching branches of an ornamental tree or tall fragrant shrub, these are delightful perches to watch the birds and butterflies while taking a breather or enjoying a morning cup of coffee.

LUTYENS STYLE BENCH

Lutyens Designed This Graceful Garden Seat

Achla Designs Lutyens 4-Foot Bench, Black
The Lutyens Bench was a design that adorned gardens designed by the great partnership of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens. This graceful piece of garden furniture features scrolling lines that meld most harmoniously with the curves and clouds of an English style garden.

It is modern enough for contemporary architecture, but traditional enough for any classically designed home.

The point is, if one cannot sit and enjoy the garden it seems much of the reason of having one is lost. Striking a balance between work and repose is part of a healthy lifestyle. There is a lot more to that old adage of “Taking time to smell the roses” than simply a tired repeating of something one has heard in conversation.

A garden bench is a necessity for inviting one to smell the roses, listen to the birdsong, and recreate ones heart and mind.

Where Are The Table and Chairs?

What did I leave out of my personal list? An outdoor eating area, like a patio table and chairs, with a table umbrella, is one popular set of garden furnishings.

~~Although we have them, our family hasn’t used them in recent years.~~ Recently, we greatly increased eating alfresco during the outdoor season.

Our setup consists of :

An oval umbrella table, which we bought on sale
Umbrella of good quality purchased at Sam’s Club
4 inexpensive outdoor plastic chairs
A “Char-Griller” charcoal burning grill.

One of the things that makes out large deck space comfortable is the addition of large citronella candles and a couple oil burning torches. These repel mosquitoes.

My son has those electric “zappers”, and they do a very good job.

Create A Gathering Niche

Using your outdoor furnishings combine both choosing them and setting up the space for maximum enjoyment.

Bring Hospitality Into Your Backyard

Source: by Wonderlane on Flickr

Using tables and chairs makes an instant invitation to social gatherings around al fresco repasts.

A PRIVATE SEATING NOOK

I have had a plan for a small cafe table and two chairs to tuck away in a sheltered corner of the yard. It would be a private place for morning coffee, reading, dreaming or just a nice place to chat with a visiting friend.

Outdoor Furniture You Might Consider Necessary

Seating: a bench
Seating: Adirondack chairs
Features: a firepit
Features: a hot tub
Accessories: bird baths,feeders

Portable Firepit

Family Fun

A Firepit Extends The Season

Years ago, I remember seeing the addition of a firepit space in garden plans and just didn’t see the attraction of it. After all we would grill food on our Hibachi, occasionally burn leaves and have a small bonfire out in the fields, why would we need a fire pit?

Little did I realize how wrong I was. Not until visiting my son and enjoying the evening conversation around his firepit with some comfortable outdoor chairs, did I understand how cozy it was and how much fun the combo of a fire, friends and the outdoors could really be.

So what did my husband and I do as soon as we returned home? Yes, we bought a fire pit, and set it up immediately- I mean right away before even building the paved space for it. We absolutely loved it, and have had many enjoyable family conversations around our new fire pit.

We did find that there is enough heat underneath to merit a fireproof paving pad to set the fire bowl on (we decided on inexpensive patio pavers). It was just a matter of an afternoon to completely construct a great gathering spot for our family and friends.

Now, I would put such a garden furnishing top on the list. We use garden chairs, but I’ve also seen these areas constructed with surrounding benches. Seating is an important part of the firepit area, but it doesn’t have to be expensive at all…unless you want it to be!

COSTS

This is one of those projects that can cost anywhere from Zero dollars to Thousands. It just depends on what level of expenditure you can make, or are willing to make. We chose a fairly inexpensive portable manufactured firepit . There are gas-fired models that require major construction costs to install…. and many different choices in between. The only thing that I advise is that you have one -if you think you will enjoy conversations sitting around a nice warm, crackling fire, enjoying a warm mug of your favorite drink in the evening air of the outdoors.

It is something I love.

Crackling Fire, Warm Conversation

Landmann 26364 23-1/2-Inch Savannah Garden Light Fire Pit, Black

A GRILL FOR BAR-B-QUES?

For some, their grill is a mainstay, with an entire kitchen and dining in a patio area. If this is you, those table and chairs might be top of the list for making the yard meet the ideal you have in mind.

A picnic table, with its incorporated benches serves as an all purpose eating, gathering, or resting station. For me, it also doubled as a handy workbench. Consider what works best for you and your dream of a yard. Make your list and create a welcoming and useful outside space in your garden.

Furnishing	Uses	Costs
garden chairs	enjoying the view	inexpensive to moderate
lounge chairs	sunning and relaxing	inexpensive to moderate
garden benches	focal point and seating	moderate to somewhat expensive
firepits	gathering and relaxing	inexpensive to very expensive
hot tubs	gathering and relaxing	moderate to expensive
garden fountain	enjoying the view	inexpensive to moderate
outdoor dining	gathering and eating alfresco	moderate to expensive

These are just a few of the possible furnishings for a garden, but the ones I think are most valuable.

Hot Times In The Great Outdoors

HOT TUB THERAPY

Last but not least in my list of essentials for garden pleasure, or just feeling good during almost any time of the year is the Hot Tub.

At the time we purchased it, it seemed an almost unconscionable expense for our middle class budget, but we had friends that had sung the praises of theirs and that convinced us. We went shopping for a hot tub.

While we do use it for family times together on occasion, it hasn’t worked out as much for that use as for a great way to soak away aches and pains of overworked joints and muscles. It is very therapeutic for that! And a great way to enjoy the outdoors during a snowfall, too.

I put this garden addition quite high on a list of priorities, if a person has the space for it in the yard, the budget, and think they would enjoy quietly soaking in a lot of hot water!

A FEW TIPS

Buy from a reputable dealer who will offer service.
Research and get the best brand that you can afford.
Keep everything clean- use a few rules about use of the hot tub: keep suits free from laundry detergent ( suds!); shower before using; limit alcohol use.
Change water and filter as recommended; use the necessary chemicals according to directions.

Yard Furniture: Seating

chicago yards

Garden Furniture Cost Factors

Budgeting Tips

Like many garden projects, adding furnishings to your home landscape can range from practically zero to “the sky is the limit” in cost. Have a tight budget? Consider a few handy ideas for cutting costs.

Do it yourself. If you have skills, this is a major cost cutter. Buying plans and raw materials to build a playhouse, a picnic table, or a firepit (as a few examples) can make your plans affordable.
Repurpose and buy used. Whether making a new project from something old or buying what you want from a garage sale- the trash to treasure path makes garden furnishing not just economical, but environmentally wise, too.
Have really big plans, and want some outdoor luxury? Create a plan and installation schedule; research your choices.

The Author

the author enjoying her cup of coffee

June Garden Report

June 4, 2014 by Ilona Erwin

More Of What’s Happening In My Garden

Proof that there is hope for the Sweetgum tree

I learned that I can’t judge a winter’s toll until June, and even then it remains to be seen what a tough summer may inflict on the garden in general and shrubs and trees in particular.

Here is what I have observed about my Central Ohio garden so far.

> I thought two of the Sweet Gum trees were goners when I checked them last month. I was ready to mourn them and have my husband get out his chainsaw. However, it appears that they had only been grievously delayed by the winter blasts of this past spring. I was so happy to see small tufts of new leaves indicating they may not have been doomed after all.

A bit messy, but I like it

Many of the lavender shrubs sprouted from the base. Severely cut back and in need of an infusion of new plants to fill it, it has spelled renovation for the feature. Plans had been made to just tear out everything and do something else to line the walk. Right now I am in the process of cutting back both dead lavender and half dead rue to the ground- even though it is a little late in the season. I only have so much energy and physical resources to cover a multitude of tasks around here.

> Both the thyme and the sage had to be pruned to stubs, as well, although some of the thyme was altogether lost, a tiny bit survived. such things make me happy all out of proportion to what they are.

> I allowed the mugo pines to go unpruned this year, and I am wondering whether to just trim the new growth? I would permanently head back those branches if I cut them off at this point.

> The paths of the raised vegetable garden beds are being covered with cardboard, and look messy. However a few more cut up boxes and I might cover them with mulch. I am thinking of cypress, although that is awful for bare feet.

> The spring is dry this year, but I noticed some of my seedlings sprouting. The hoses need to get in place already.

> Tomato plants look miserable here.

> The new rose I put in last year looks healthy; I’ll have to look up the name- it went through this winter without protection.

>> Even though I love the rose that I think is a Scotch rose or R. spinosissima (AKA Pimpinellifolia), due to its apple fragrance all summer, it savagely tore at me through my leather gloves and long sleeved shirt as I removed its dead and overgrown canes. I had neglected that side of the house and poison ivy had taken hold. So it was slow work, but I am two thirds through with a very onerous job.

I am the designated poison ivy remover around the place.

Bowl of Beauty Peony

More Observations

My Ash trees are completely dead.

-The Emerald Ash Borer got them, this time there is no doubt.

Not sure what happened to the ornamental grasses, but the Miscanthus is barely sprouting around one edge (on all the plants). Wondering if they are marginally hardy here, or whether the heavy snows created wetness and rot???

Dog ticks were still pretty bad despite the cold winter.

A deer was observed in my front yard. Rabbits have made themselves at home here. I really need a dog.

The Days Have Been Glorious

Sorry, can’t remember the name of this one

German iris bloomed gorgeously.

Clematis delight me every year, including this one.

Perfectly lovely weather, so that even the nagging concern about rain is pushed to the back of my mind.

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Visit Ilona’s Garden Journal on facebook: Click here
© 2014 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal by Ilona E. An excellent blog.

Lavender, Lavender, Where Art Thou?

May 20, 2014 by Ilona Erwin

Summer Lavender

When we put in our stone walk many years ago, I envisioned it rimmed with a lavender hedge. Lavandula vera has been a feature lining the walkway, scenting the air, and providing the garden with charm ever since.

The story does not have a happy ever after ending. It is more of a Romeo and Juliet tragedy because of the periodic deep frozen temperatures we endure every so often. This past winter was one of those years, and I fear that I lost the entire hedge.

I was prepared for the worst. Still, hope that the snow cover kept the plants insulated from the below zero temperatures survived; but now that it is May, hope had faded.

As I was writing this, I again checked on the Lavender. Finding some small growth at ground level, the decision was made: cut everything down to that point, clear out companion plants that suffered dieback and then fill in with new lavender plants.

The Lavender hedge shall live again.

Redux

I have had to replace it once before, and it was interspersed with Rue and Iberis sempervirens, but now that all the lavender plants have died,and the spring started so late I am wondering whether to try again.

The Rue ( Ruta graveolens) is sprouting from the bottom of the plants, and I think perhaps I should simply make it the “Rue Walk”, now.

If I really must give up the Lavender here, it will have to be planted somewhere in the garden. I can’t have a garden without lavender. I just can’t.

The trouble in trying to place lavender in my garden is that I don’t have much space which qualifies as more protected, plus sunny.

Better Days along the Walk

Temporary Measures

I will decide whether to -again- face prospects of winterkill sometime in the future. The next act of this Lavender drama will appear on these pages…

Stay tuned.

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Visit Ilona’s Garden Journal on facebook: Click here
© 2014 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal by Ilona E. An excellent blog.

August Lilies

August 14, 2013 by Ilona Erwin

Lilies are one of the main joys of August, if you ask me. These are not the blooms of the Asian lilies that come earlier in the season, but those lushly fragrant Oriental lilies and the tall spires of Trumpet and Aurelian strains.

These are opulent flowers, luxurious in color, form and perfume.

If you don’t have the late season lilies blooming in your garden, the time to order them is now, along with other fall planted bulbs. They will be available in local stores sometime in September, usually. I have so fallen in love with the newer “Orienpet” selections that I hope to plant some in my garden this fall. I photographed some in the Inniswood garden in years past.

In my first garden there were some tall Trumpet lilies, such as the ‘Black Dragon Strain’. Here I tried Lilium regale, but the voracious rodents soon took care of that experiment. This time I hope to “box” the bulbs in hardware cloth. These bulbs are worth the trouble to protect and to plant with amended soil because they bring so much beauty to the summer garden.

They rival roses in all but the fact that they aren’t shrubs, and so don’t have quite the substance of form, but their vertical visuals make up for that. In fact, it is in the Rose garden section that the park at Inniswood has their most exciting display of many lilies.

Lilies will start in July, and with the Oriental species and hybrids, they will continue into fall.

What do you need to plant lilies in your own garden?

Sunshine, at least a half day
A well-drained location
A spot ventilated by air, not so close as to encourage disease.
If they love their spot and get crowded, lift and divide them in September or October.

How To Care for Them

Plant the bulbs 4″ to 6″ deep
Mulch them
Fertilize at emerging time and then a month later, beware of too much nitrogen. Bone meal is welcome.
Water sparingly, lilies are used to dry conditions, normally.

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Visit Ilona’s Garden Journal on facebook: Click here
© 2013 written for Ilona’s Garden Journal by Ilona E. An excellent blog.

Globe Thistles And Other Nice Looking Xeriscape Plants

July 16, 2013 by Ilona Erwin

The last post was about thistles, since I had been hard at work in the garden getting rid of as many as I possibly could manage, but there are lovely garden flowers that have thistle characteristics without their tendency to elbow everything else out.

Long ago, when planting my first garden on Glen Echo (isn’t that a lovely name for a street? Too bad it was located right next to a raucous, busy thoroughfare), I helped an elderly lady do some yard work. She grew a pretty perennial border and the globe thistle stood in a healthy stand within it. She called it “Goat’s thistle” as I recall, but its official name is Echinops. I think “goat’s” thistle is more of a noxious kind, and as a matter of fact, grazing goats are one means of getting rid of your thistle weed problems. Anyway, once I started my rural garden I decided that I had room for this plant with the steely blue flowers, and for another lovely thistly looking bloom, Eryngium.

Those were both planted in a part of the garden I sadly had to relinquish back to nature’s grasses, and the Eryngium succumbed to constant mowing, but the Globe thistle still survives. Surprisingly it never did spread into a large patch like I envisioned, but I like its odd flowers; they are reminiscent of a stiff Allium that comes along in midsummer.

I’m thinking of those flowers, now, since I would like to renew their acquaintance, and find a place to start them in my present flower gardens. They normally are quite persistent and tolerant of drought. Their subtle colors blend well into the garden and I think they would match up well with Russian sage and red Monardas. They might look pretty near the dusky ‘Diablo’ ninebarks (Physocarpus), if I have a space to tuck them in. I think I do! So that is an idea to jot down in my notebook.

It was E. maritinum that I grew, and while I might try Miss Willmott’s Ghost ( E. giganteum) the smaller “Sea Holly” has a cultivar called ‘Sapphire Blue’ that I’d like to look for at the end of summer.

Plant Families

Although Canadian thistle, Globe Thistle, and Eryngium all have a bristly appearance, only the two thistles are related inside the Asteracae family. The Sea Holly” is a different clan, completely: the Apiaceae. Yet, they have a similar appearance in the garden and their assets are much the same as well. Blue ( gray blue, actually) in flower, architectural in presence, of medium heights, and tough plants.

In these pictures the first one has Echinops with Adenophora and an orange daylily. The second picture has a stand of eryngium and coneflowers (Echinacea) just coming into bloom.

Plants For A Xeriscape

Both these plants like sunny spot, even sun baked. They handle drought and are beneficial plants for bees and butterflies, but not native to the USA. You can also dry the flower heads for arrangements.