August 31, 2009 – Tiptoe Through the Tiarella

Plant Spotlight: Tiarella

One of our favorite plants is making its mark in garden centers this year: Tiarella. This little native woodland wildflower resembles heuchera, but it blooms earlier and has a coarser leaf texture.

The common name of Tiarella is “foam flower” because its small white flowers look like foam on the ocean when it blooms. It is best to plant these little garden gems in masses throughout the garden. A few tucked here and there are pretty, but to get the full effect, you need many plants.

Plant Tiarella in the shade, in moist, well-drained soil. While the variety from Park Seed is an improved cultivar, the species is a native wildflower, and thus its cultivars withstand pests and diseases well.

• Tiarella ‘Eco Running Tapestry’ at Parkseed

Pump up Your Perennial Garden this Fall!

Now is a perfect time to plant perennials. The summer is winding down, the evening temperatures are cooling off, and plants are transitioning from flowering (reproducing) to stockpiling nutrients and energy for the winter. Most garden centers are trying to clean out their nurseries, and mail-order catalogues are getting rid of excess stock before moving it up to the next sized pot. That makes the fall a perfect time to find great deals on new plants! Planting in the fall, before hard frosts set in, allows the plants to establish roots, giving them a head start in the spring. These fall-planted perennials will be poised to burst into growth when warm weather comes in the spring-ahead of anything you plant in the spring.

Read more on Pumping up Your Perennial Garden

Organic Lawn Renovation Tips

Fall is a good time to renovate the lawn, if your lawn needs some work. Cooler temperatures and shorter days allow the grass seed to sprout and grow a strong root system before the winter. Organic lawn renovation is not terribly different than conventional lawn renovation, with the exception of removing or knocking down any existing lawn grass. Conventional practices call for spraying an area to be renovated with roundup before beginning work. If you are renovating your lawn organically, you cannot do that. Otherwise, the techniques are fairly similar. Here is a step by step guide for renovating your lawn …

Read the steps to renovating your lawn

Houseplant Care Before the Cold Weather

You can re-pot houseplant, prune them and give them a “makeover” at any time during the year. The late summer, before cold weather hits, is a great time to give everything a once-over. If for no other reason, it’s a lot less messy to deal with re-potting rootbound houseplants outside than inside. Additionally, now is the time when you will be bringing any houseplants inside that spent the summer outside, so it makes sense to clean them up and make them presentable for the winter. Here’s a list of houseplant care tips for the end of the summer.

• Take each plant out of its pot and inspect the roots. (Unless the plant likes to be REALLY rootbound. Some houseplants prefer to remain rootbound.) Trim off any mushy roots that are rotten, or any thin, dry roots, which are dead.
• If the plant is too large for its current pot, either divide it into two, or re-pot in a larger size.
• Scrub the pot with hot water and a wire brush before re-potting.
• Re-pot in a lightweight houseplant potting soil. You can purchase organic soil mixes especially for house plants. Garden soil is too heavy for container plants. Make sure that the organic topsoil mix has some compost in it to give the plants nutrients.
• Remove dead leaves.
• Clean the leaves, top and bottom, with a moist cloth. This removes any dust and dirt that could clog the stomata on the leaves (which is where plants exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide).
• Stake any new flower stalks, particularly on orchids.

Money-Saving Gardening Tips

A penny saved is a penny more you have to spend on garden plants and supplies. Here are some of our tips for stretching your dollars to get the most from your trips to the garden center.

• Stock up on supplies for the following season during end-of-season sales. Buy gloves, twine, and even equipment like watering wands and trowels during the clearance sales.
• Save twist ties from bread bags to use for staking plants.
• Divide and share plant starts with your neighbors. Organize a fall plant swap-this is the best time to divide and to share!
• Split a load of mulch, gravel, soil, or other deliveries with your neighbors. You’ll all save on the delivery fee. It is less expensive to buy in bulk, and most places will charge you one delivery fee whether you purchase three yards of mulch or six.
• Make your own compost!
• Mulch with shredded newspapers and grass clippings, two things you probably have in abundance.

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day – Offer ONLY good for Monday, August 31, 2009!

AeroGarden Space-Saver 6 with Gourmet Herb Seed Kit
Regular $229.95, today $99.99!

Direct Link to AeroGarden after Gold Box Deal