An Unidentified Shrub

Unknown

August 28, 2010

A few days ago I was on my daily walk when I spotted this gorgeous tree in bloom.  I would have stopped in to ask the owners what it was but the house is their summer cottage so they aren't there very often.  As it was they weren't there that day since the house was all closed up.  I love the whispy look of this shrub.  I would like to identify it so I know what to ask for at nursery.  I'd like to plant a couple here.  If you know what this shrub is could you please leave a comment?

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Funnel Spiders

Funnel Spider

August 30, 2010

One of the first things we noticed when we moved here were the large funnel spiders (grass spiders).  As spiders go these are about the size of a quarter.  Their webs are a thin whispy sheet with a characteristic funnel shape that the spider hides in.  They were everywhere to the point that we resorted to spraying to knock down their numbers a bit.  The risk to humans of being bit by a funnel spider is low since they are non-agressive according to the spider identification chart however they are venomous requiring emergency first aid treatment for the bite and medical attention for anti-venom.  Given the design of our house and the proximity of vegetation to the lower patio there is a strong possibility of one of these spiders getting indoors. 

That year we were able to knock down their numbers by removing a lot of the evergreen overgrowth.  My husband also sprayed the house with SpiderBan.  If you have been following this blog you will know that the only time I will resort to chemical pesticides is as a last resort.  This is usually when a particular pest presents a danger to humans or damages building structure.  Even then if the pest can be manually removed safely that is always the first choice.  The last two years we haven't sprayed the house for spider control.  This year the funnel spiders are again out of control.  They are everywhere!  There are several webs on the grass and the globe cedars and boxwoods look like they have some type of disease due to the number of the webs.  This presents a huge problem with the grandbabies visiting especially since they love running barefoot outside. 

I tried controling by sweeping away their webs that just reappeared the following morning.  I've stomped on them and zapped them.  Manual removal is impossible given how fast they move into their funnel.  Once again we have no choice but to resort to chemical control to knock down their numbers again. 

Happy Gardening

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica)

Japanese Beetle
(Popillia japonica) 

Aaugust 26, 2010 

A couple of days ago I posted about velvetleaf that is considered a noxious weed in some locations.  I noticed that despite a bad reputation with reducing yields in cash crops that my peppers didn't seem to be adversely affected by the velvetleaf in the beds.  I have been pulling before the velvetleaf was able to flower.  Upon closer inspection it appeared that a couple of damaging insects were targetting the velvetleaf yet leaving the peppers alone.  Yesterday I spotted a Japanese beetle happily feeding away on the velvetleaf yet there was no damage to the peppers.

Japanese beetles are rather destructive garden pests.  I've dealt with them in the past where they mainly attacked my pole beans.  They eat the foliage of the leaf leaving the veins behind so the damage is quite noticeable.  If you see this type of damage on pole beans or other plants including ornaments this is one of the critters to look for.  

The female Japanes beetle burrows into the soil in garden beds and lawns where it lays its eggs.  The larval stage spends about 10 months underground.  Once the adult emerges from the pupate the damage begins in the garden.  Brown spots in the lawn during growing season can indicate the presence of the Japanese beetle larva so check the out edges of any brown spots in the grass and treat or destroy the larva.  In the larva stage Bacillius thuringiensis (Bt) is effective applied as an insecticide to the grass.  Japanese beetle traps may or may not be effective as there is some evidence that they actually attract these pests bringing more into the garden. 

My method of controlling Japanese beetles is to knock them off the leaves into a tub of soapy water in the early post dawn hours of the day when they are a bit sluggish.  Manual control is quick, easy, effective and low cost.   If the infestation is large plant chives, garlic, tansy or catnip as companion plants to those plants the Japenese beetle are damaging.  These plants naturally repel the Japanese beetle. 

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Noxious Weeds

Yesterday I wrote about my experience so far with velvetleaf.  This weed is classified as being noxious in British Columbia and several US states.  To be classified as a noxious weed the plant has to cause harm to human via toxicity or cause an agricultural loss however every municipality has their own definition of noxious weeds.  In some localities a weed (eg. water hyacinth) can be classified noxious because it blocks water intakes.  Here dandelions (edible), wild mustard (edible) and milk thistle (medicinal, attracts Monarch butterflies) are considered noxious so technically they are to be destroyed.  There doesn't seem to be any reasoning as to why the last mentioned are deemed noxious other than they are somewhat invasive.  The main reason seems to be that these particular weeds interfer with the pristine green carpets of chemically dependent lawns some municipalities are striving for.  With the onset of the Ontario lawn pesticide ban that has left some residents scrambling.  At the same time others are questioning the classification of some noxious weeds especially those that are edible or provide a companion benefit in the garden.  I honestly think people are going to start seeing dandelions in a whole different light now. 

If you are dealing with a noxious weed on your property the best course of action is to prevent it from spreading.  That means you can use all the benefits of the weed up to the point just before it goes to seed.  At that point if you want the seed bag the seed pod so seeds go into the bag and not into the wild or manually remove the weed to prevent it from going to seed.  If your municipality declares a weed noxious then manually remove it via pulling before it goes to seed but you can keep a couple for research purposes providing you don't allow the seed to get out into the wild.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)

Velvetleaf 

(Abutilon theophrasti)

August 25, 2010

As a gardener my style is not to get too bent out of shape with respect to weeds.  Some weeds act as companion plants in a garden while others are edible.  I only get concerned if the weeds present the potential to choke out the fruits or vegetables.  My preferred way of dealing with weeds is pulling.

Earlier this year I noticed a suspected weed that I had not seen before.  The plants were mainly in the two new raised beds so chances I thought the seeds might have been in the soil used to fill the beds.  They were appearing in numbers quite suggestive of a weed so at first I was pulling them before the plant got a about 9 - inches tall.  Then it dawned on me that I should identify the plant to be sure it was a weed and not a wildflower that I may want to transfer to another area of the garden.  I decided to let one grow a bit for identification. 

The plant is Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) is a member of the mallow family.  It is classified by Ontario Weeds as a weed that is mainly a problem in corn, soybean, and other tilled crop fields.  This weed can reach a height of 1 to 2 metres.  The broad heart shaped leaves result in overshadowing other plants.  The leaves on the one pictured in one of the pepper beds measures 8 - inches at the broadest point.  In corn fields a density of velvetleaf of 1 plant/m² the loss is 4%  while in soybean fields the same density will result in a 6% loss¹.  Clearly with respect to the cash crop sector this is a problem weed.  The good news is that velvetleaf is not toxic and not known to be allergenic so pulling this weed will not be an issue.  Velvetleaf also attracts beneficial pollinators.  It is acting somewhat as a companion plant with the peppers though if you notice the damaged leaves.  Whatever insect is doing the damage is going for the velvetleaf and leaving my peppers alone so the peppers are nice and healthy looking.  The seeds of velvetleaf are edible and at one time fibers from the plant were used in China. 

I would like to let one grow big enough to harvest the seeds to use as a companion plant next year.  With proper management by pulling before the plant has a chance to flower I can reap the benefits of the pest control without reducing yield.  This plant is just now started to flower.  My main concern is the plant is just too big to keep where it is.  What I'm going to try is potting up one of the smaller velvetleaf or may even transplant a couple to harvest the seeds.  While the plant is not classified as a noxious weed in Ontario it is in British Columbian and several US states so I will be using careful management with this weed.  As soon as the seed pods appear I will be bagging one or two and remove the rest so the seeds don't get out into the wild where they can be a problem.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Herb Overflowing

Herb Bed

August 22, 2010

The lack of rainfall certainly hasn't hurt the herb bed that is overflowing with beautiful herbs.  Even with using fresh and cutting for drying there is still an abundance!  The more I cut the more the herbs grow.  That is one of the secrets to growing herbs.  They love to be trimmed!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

A Basket Full of Vegetables

Vegetable Basket

August 22, 2010

We had a bit of rain overnight the night before so yesterday I went through the garden to do a clean pick.  My 14" diameter wicker basket is overflowing!  I am so very happy with the California Wonder green peppers.  This heirloom variety is really performing nicely.  Everything in the basket as well as the cucumber are heirloom varieties.  I will be saving a lot of seeds this year but then I save a lot of seeds every year. 

It rained a bit more overnight and is threatening rain today.  We've had a bit of drizzle but nothing much so far.  The radar is showing mainly cloud coverage with light rain in our area but there is another storm cell behind it so perhaps we will get more rain yet.  In the meantime I will be putting up those lovely green peppers to enjoy through the winter.  The plants are loaded so there are more to come and I don't want to waste any.  That might be the last cucumber though.  There are a couple of small cucumbers but I'm not sure if they will reach maturity as the vine isn't looking very good.  I'll keep an eye on it. 

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Stella D'or

Honest to Betsy this has been one of the most frustrating growing seasons I've dealt with in the past few years.  We had a wet, cool spring despite predictions.  Then the weather turned hot and dry to the point the local farmers are begging for rain.  We sure could use a few days of just a nice, gentle down pour!  a couple of days ago I looked out to see a bit of yellow.  Well in the heat of the dryness I figured it was a weed so didn't hurry out to investigate but when I did look what I found!

Peeping up through the slope that we haven't ripped out yet were two gorgeous Stella D'or lilies.  I have not been watering this garden as it is slated for a rip-out so pretty much it is on its own.  Except now that I seen these gorgeous blooms I'm going to water if need be and mark where the plants are that I want to transplant. 

I've had Stella d'Or is two gardens now.  They really are good performers almost thriving on neglect and yet still putting on a good show.   Don't you think they are gorgeous?  What a nice surprise in the heat of a dry summer!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Raccoons and Corn

Raccoons and Corn

August 19, 2010

Our neighbours to the north put in the most amazing raised bed system I've seen.  It consists of 3 larger beds joined together forming a flattened Z shape.  They are not growing using the square foot method.  In one of the runs they planted corn and they even added a really neat support system that I will use if I decide to grow corn next year.  I haven't grown corn mainly because of space limitation.  It takes up a lot of room for what you get.  However, this neighbour has grown corn and the neighbours two and three houses down both grow corn so perhaps I will try it but I will definitely be making some modifications. 

I recently talked about our garden visitor.  He is being rather persistent but other than getting into our garbage once we don't have a real problem.  I make sure the master bedroom and kitchen windows as well as the kitchen patio doors are closed enough that he can't get in.  I also keep foods off the counter especially during the evening hours when this little guy is busy.  Well he got into our neighbour's with the raised beds corn!  I didn't realize that they were new gardeners because they had a smaller raised bed last year.  Anyway apparently they left it a bit too long so the corn it too tough then to add insult to injury as pictured the raccoon has been helping himeself.  What is rather interesting is he hauls the corn stalks from their garden ove into our yard to feast!

I've already decided that if I grow corn next year it is going to be protected by chicken wire to the point squirrels and raccoons can't get to it.  It's a shame to have a crop that is over ripe or pilfered by garden pests.  We are now exchanging a lot of gardening ideas :)

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

California Wonder Peppers

California Wonder Peppers

August 19, 2010

I am more than pleased with the performance of the California Wonder sweet peppers!  This is an heirloom variety of sweet peppers.  Most will be familiar with California Wonder sweet peppers as it is the most common variety sold in grocery stores.  So why am I excited?  In the past I have had major bad luck growing sweet peppers other than sweet banana peppers (another heirloom variety) and hot peppers.  I don't know what the problem has been but any sweet bell pepper I've grown has got about the size of a small orange and that's it.  The California Wonder sweet peppers are already larger than that so this is rather exciting!  I can't wait until they are ready to pick and you can be sure I will be saving seeds from this great performer!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Overgrown Garden Beds

Overgrown Garden Bed

August 19, 2010

This morning I ended up watering the raised beds again.  Rain is predicted this evening but I'm not taking any chances.  We've had rain all around us but not actually hitting us for the past couple of weeks now.  Despite the cooler weather the last couple of days the heat and humidity have shot right back up there today so watering was a must.

As I puttered in the garden this morning it dawned on me what a mess the raised beds were.  The plants obviously have not read the square foot gardening book.  This is the time of year my raised beds look unruly to say the least!  I really need to get out there to do a bit of trimming and staking.  For the most part the plants are looking quite healthy though.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Lack of Rain

Monday we got a much welcomed break in the high heat and humidity.  Thunderstorms were all around us and we had a tornado warning yet got pretty much nothing as far as rainfall.  Tuesday the weather radar looked down right ugly all day to the point we cancelled going out on the boat.  We didn't get so much as a drop of rain!  This morning we saw just enough rain to dampen if that a few leaves on the trees.  It looked so promising and yet nothing.  I have to admit I was quite disappointed.  Our neighbour's lawn is completely brown.  Our's is fairing a bit better because of the heavy shade.   I've been watering the vegetable gardens every other day just to keep them healthy. 

The problem with this type of weather is the storms are there but they skipping over us.  It makes little sense to water if it is going to rain and by looking at the radar there is such a good chance for rain there is no point watering.  Yet the storms skip over and the gardens need it.  We could really do with a couple of ground soaking, all day but gentle rains!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Jalapeno Peppers

Jalapeno Peppers

August 15, 2010

The Jalapeno pepper plants are also laden with peppers.  They are almost ready for picking, just in time for salsa making!  I'm surprised at how well all the pepper plants are doing this year.  Even the sweet pepper plants are performing nicely!  I'm already making plans for all the great ways I going to use the pepper abundance. 

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Habanero Peppers

Habanero Peppers

August 15, 2010

The Habanero pepper plants are looking quite healthy and laden with peppers.  I'm hoping they will be ready within the next day or two when I plan to start making tomato salsas.  If not I will change my plans to start with roasted tomato sauce.  Either way I'm looking forward to having a lot of Habanero peppers to work with this year!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Battling Heat and Humidity in the Garden

I have been battling high temperatures and humidity in the garden through this last heat wave that is gripping our area.  The result of this has been almost daily violent storms in the area all around us but not hitting us.  I've had to resort to deep watering every other day.  The tomatoes don't like the high heat so aren't ripening quite as quickly.  I've lost a few of my container plants but will be repotting those as so as the heat wave breaks.  I have a lot of fall plans for the garden but for now it seems I'm playing a waiting game for the weather to come around.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

A Small Picking

Mainly Tomatoes

August 12, 2010

Yesterday I noticed a few tomatoes were ready for picking.  I like doing a clean pick each day to prevent any problems and spoilage.  The larger two tomatoes to the top right are brandywines growing in the raised beds.  To the left middle the largest tomato is also a brandywine grown in a container.  There is a noticeable difference in size.  Much of this is a result of the weather we have been having lately.  I'm going to use an organic fertilizer on the containers to help boost their yield.  The smaller orangish red tomatoes are Tiny Tim.  This heirloom tomato is a good producer with tomatoes about the size of golf balls.  They are a bit more on the tart side for flavour.  The Thai basil is wonderful and as with the other basils is producing nicely.  Two Hungarian wax peppers rounded off the basket.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Brandywine Tomatoes in Containers

Brandywine Tomatoes in Containers

August 12, 2010

Traditionally I have to work at growing tomatoes in containers.  I think it is more luck in picking the right variety though.  This year I have brandywines in two 5 gal containers.  In comparison to the brandywine tomatoes planted in the raised beds the vines in the containers are considerably smaller but they still seem to be producing rather well.  It has been an off year for tomatoes here due to extended periods of high heat that affect the ripening process. 

The reality is unless growing indoors you can't control the weather.  All my tomato vines are looking very healthy so I'm just now starting to take a few clippings for growing indoors.  I'm still haven't identified what is eating some of my tomato vines although I suspect the tomato hornworm BUT there has been no other signs including the tell tale droppings.  'Tis a mystery for now.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome ©2006-2010

A Short Garden Update

The tomatoes appear to be doing quite well but the cucumbers are pretty much finished.  If I am lucky I will get one or two more Monemarket cucumbers off the vine but the pickling cucumbers were a total dud this year.  The herbs are all performing nicely and the peppers look very promising.  The radishes did not perform well so I let them go to seed.  I think they will be good in the fall garden or planted earlier next year. I'm looking forward to a fall garden for more greens so will be working towards that goal.  At the moment I need to replant some of the planters that the high heat took out.  I definitely will be working on self watering containers!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

First Ripe Brandywine Tomato of 2010

First Ripe Brandywine Tomato

August 8, 2010

I am so excited!  I picked the first ripe brandywine tomato of 2010 yesterday.  We have had an extended hot spell so the tomatoes are not ripening as quick as they normally would.  Brandywine is a lovely heirloom tomato.  The tomatoes are a good size with a firm, pinkish red flesh and nice tomato flavour.  The vines are in raised beds and looking quite healthy.  The only problem I have notices is something has been clean cutting a few of the stems.  It's rather odd because the stem looks like it has be cut with scissors.  I suspect the tomato hornworm but have seen no tell tale signs of them.  Over the next few days I will be checking the garden at various times of the day to find out what is doing the damage.  It could be that the problem has already resolved itself since the damage is quite minimal and appears to be old. 

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Pickling Cucumber Update

I planted 4 planters with pickling cucumbers.  To date I have managed to get 2 pickle sized cucumbers off the vines.  I'm not impressed!  Tomorrow I will be replacing these vines with likely geraniums since the nursery has them at 50% off.  If it were closer to fall I would be planting lettuces but good gosh the summer this year has been just too hot for lettuces.  It has been a very frustrating gardening season to say the least.  I'm already planning my fall garden so hopefully that will go a bit better!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Brandywine Tomatoes Progress

Brandywine Tomatoes

August 3, 2010

The brandywine tomato vines are healthy looking and laden with tomatoes.  So far there have been no ripe ones to pick but that is to be expected with the recent weather.  At temperatures of 85ºF of which we have had an extended period of time the ripening process for tomatoes stops.  The lycopene and carotene that gives the beautiful red colouration isn't produced so the tomatoes take on a yellowish green colour.  Unfortunately there isn't much I can do about this problem other than wait for the temperatures to come back down to normal where ripening will resume.  This really has been a year of battling the weather.  I'm hoping things will settle down for a good crop in the fall!

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Pinching Back

Chocolate Mint

July 31, 2010

An often overlooked part of gardening both indoors and outdoors is pinching back.  This is a very easy to do bit of plant maintenance that can give you healthier and bushier plants.  Unlike cutting back very little plant material is removed by a simple pinching motion removing the shoot apex (arrow).  This sends the growth hormone auxin to the axially buds located in the Y formation between stem and leaves.  As these secondary branches grow the shoot apex at the end can also pinched back to create a nice full, bushy plant rather than a tall, leggy one.    The method is used on soft stem plants like chrysanthemums, basil, mints, coleus and similar types of plants including tomatoes.  The more pinching back you do the bushier the plant so don't forget to do a bit of pinching back!


Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Trellises at the Organic Farm

Branch Trellises

July 28, 2010

One thing I love about visiting other gardeners is seeing how they do things.  I always get a few ideas to try.  There were a lot of plant stakes and trellises in use on the organic farm.  A large number of them along with barrier fencing to keep rabbits out were made out of tree branches.  What an excellent idea! 

Every garden needs some type of plant stakes or support.  Many gardeners turn to store bought metal or wooden trellises.  However there are a lot of household items and garden scraps that can be used as plant supports.  This organic farmer uses a lot of tree branches likely from pruning and spring storm cleanup to create very nice looking plant supports and trellises.  I noticed they used gardening twine to secure the joints.  This is just a really nice, low cost yet natural looking way to make plant supports and trellises.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Traditional and Three Sisters Bed at Organic Farm

Traditional Row Garden

July 28, 2010

It is interesting to see the organic farm using more than one method of growing. They are using raised beds with hard edges, raised beds without hard edges, square foot gardening, butterfly gardening, three sisters' method and traditional row gardening.  When it comes to gardening it really is always a trial and error.  What works for some doesn't work for others.

This portion of the organic farm's garden is planted in traditional rows with the exception of the three sisters taking up a corner.  Along the evergreens is a nice row of sunflowers so they will really be lovely when in bloom.  Sunflowers are great companion plants as they attract birds into the garden. Everything looks so nice and healthy too.  Those still clinging to their non-organic methods would be impressed1

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010