Cheesehead Gardening

Hosta of the day - "Eventide"

2012-02-13T06:35:00.001-06:00

Every time I see today's hosta, the song Even Flow by Pearl Jam goes through my head. I'm pretty sure I can blame that on my friend, Andrea, in Indianapolis. She is just the type to burst into song and dance at the sight of a certain hosta. While touring the hosta gardens of Indianapolis she would do her best Pearl Jam imitation at the site of hosta "Eventide".

"Eventide" has slightly piecrust leaves that are green with white margins. The leaves are long and narrow. This hosta is medium to large in size, and would pair well with gold or solid green hostas. A hosta that was more smooth in texture would be a great pair for it, since it would show off it's ripply edges.

Hosta 'Eventide'

Hosta of the Day - 'Dragon Lady'

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-06:00

I'm closing this week's series by one of my favorite acquisitions, hosta 'Dragon Lady'. I was visiting a hosta nursery in Cedarburg one Labor Day weekend. I can't spend as much when shopping with my husband, and he happened to be with me this trip. I saw 'Dragon Lady' in one of the display gardens, and was instantly drawn to it since it has huge leaves that are very pointed. Do I need to say it again?? I love huge hostas (which is why I need a bigger yard)! When I saw a division for sale, I thought for sure I would not be leaving with it, since it was more expensive than most hostas I buy. My best friend, Gina, collects any hosta with Dragon in it's name. So I told my husband when we got home Gina would probably want half and we could split the cost. Luckily, he also thought the hosta was pretty cool, and he also knew about Gina and her obsession with Dragon named hostas. When I returned home my friend Gina said she didn't need another large hosta, so I ended up with the whole hosta. It's a decision she now regrets, as every year she begs me to dig up and divide a piece for her. It's so large, it's hard to get a really good photograph of it now.

'Dragon Lady' 2009

'Dragon Lady' 2011

Hosta of the Day - 'Dream Queen'

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

Today's hosta is one has two hostas that are very similar and may even be the same hosta only with different names. Hosta 'Dream Queen' is very similar to 'Thunderbolt' and 'Dream Catcher'. So if you already have one those hostas, you probably do not need (notice I say need) this one. Hosta 'Dream Queen' has thick, leathery leaves which make it more slug resistant. It has very rounded heart shaped leaves that are blue green in color with with a whitish yellow center. I have it in one of my front beds, and visitors are drawn to it. Since this hosta is more tall then it is wide, I would pair it with smaller hostas.

'Dream Queen' 2009

'Dream Queen' 2011

Hosta of the Day - 'Dark Shadows'

2012-02-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

If you are looking for a dark colored hosta to complete your hosta color palette, then a great choice would be today's hosta, hosta 'Dark Shadows'. When I first received mine, I though I must have received the wrong hosta. From everything I had read, 'Dark Shadows' one of the darkest colored hostas available. The hosta I received certainly wasn't any darker then my other "green hostas". But as you can see from the pictures, this one darkens as it matures. 'Dark Shadows' has very thick leaves that start off blue with chartreuse margins, that darkens to dark green with chartreuse margins as summer progresses. It reminds me of a muted, dark version of 'Liberty' in it's leaf shape and coloring. Because of the dark coloring it will eventually hold, it's best to pair this hosta with other hostas that are either gold and have gold or white wide margins.

'Dark Shadows' 2009

'Dark Shadows' 2011

Hosta of the Day - 'Dick Ward'

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

Before I introduce today's hosta I want to remind everyone that this weekend is the Wisconsin Garden Expo in Madison. It's a great way to beat the winter blues, as there are lots of flower and plants on display. Every year I usually purchase one hosta to get me through until spring.

Pics from past years at Garden Expo

Today's hosta is 'Dick Ward'. I first saw a mature 'Dick Ward' when I was touring gardens in Indianapolis during a hosta convention. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it. When mature, 'Dick Ward' has highly pebbled leaves that are slightly cupped. It is a sport of hosta 'Zounds' which is a beautiful gold hosta. 'Dick Ward' has gold leaves with a wider dark green margin. It takes a while for it to reach it's full maturity, so you have to be patient to see this hosta's real beauty. In order for this hosta to really shine,it's best to keep it in place in the garden where it will only receive a couple hours of light a day. I have mine paired with hosta 'Pizzazz' and 'Hi Ho Silver'. It would look great with any white margined hosta or one that was very dark green or blue.

'Dick Ward' 2011

'Dick Ward' 2009

Hosta of the Day - 'Dance with Me'

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone has recovered from all the Super Bowl food and drinks last night. Since the Packers didn't make it into the Super Bowl it wasn't a very exciting event in our household. We already knew that our cat, Roxy, loved watching the Brewers on TV, but yesterday we found out that she also really loves the Puppy Bowl. Perhaps she's trying to tell us it's time to get a dog again?

Today's hosta is hosta 'Dance with Me'. 'Dance with Me' has very vivid heart shaped leaves that are gold with a wide green margin. The leaves are thick and leathery. It would look great paired with hosta 'Last Dance' which is a "sibling" to 'Dance with Me' and has the opposite color scheme. I have mine paired with hosta 'Blue Wedgwood' which makes the bright leaves of 'Dance with Me' stand out against the dark color of 'Blue Wedgwood'.

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Carnival'

2012-02-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

This week's final hosta is hosta 'Carnival'. 'Carnival' can be a very beautiful hosta, especially as it ages. The more mature it gets, the more the leaves will show corrugation and all of the colors will show. 'Carnival' has a dark green center with a white/yellow margin, making it what I like to call a tri-color hosta. Because we have cooler springs here in Wisconsin, 'Carnival' can also be an ugly hosta because it's leaves has a tendency to get drawstring. Drawstring means that the center of the hosta actually grows faster then the edges of the hosta. Thus the hosta leaf will look like there is a drawstring around the outside that is pulled tightly. Usually the more the leaf the develops the edges will actually tear. Drawstring usually occurs only in spring, and as the summer progresses less and less of the leaves will appear this way. I usually pull the leaves that have drawstring off in spring.

'Carnival' 2009

'Carnival' 2011

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Cathedral Windows'

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

I have many people ask me about hostas that have fragrant flowers. Well today's hosta not only has a wonderful variegation, it also has highly fragrant flowers come late summer. hosta 'Cathedral Windows' is a tetraploid of hosta 'Stained Glass'. Tetraploids are mutations that either occur naturally or are chemically produced. The mutation cause the hostas to have 4 chromosomes instead of the natural 2. Tetraploids usually have stronger colors, variegation, thicker leaves, etc than the plant they mutated from. 'Cathedral Windows' has thick leaves that have dark green margins and golden centers. It's a large hosta, but is more compact in the sense that the leaves are more downward cup shaped rather then flat.

'Cathedral Windows' 2009

'Cathedral Windows' 2011

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Cat and Mouse'

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

For those of you who do not have room for yesterday's giant hosta, I bring you a miniature hosta called 'Cat and Mouse'. It is a sport of the hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' I featured last week. Like the other mouse ears hostas, this one has very thick leaves. 'Cat and Mouse' has a chartreuse center with a blue/green margin. It sometimes almost appears to be more striped or even tri-colored than simply a green hosta with a chartreuse center.

'Cat and Mouse' 2009

'Cat and Mouse' 2011

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Choo Choo Train'

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-06:00

By now you have probably figured out that I have a fondness for gigantic hostas, but I also go weak in the knees when it comes to a pie crust edge on a hosta. So there was no way I could resist adding hosta 'Choo Choo Train' to my garden, even if it meant having to get rid of some other hostas to make room for it. 'Choo Choo Train' is a gold hosta that is deeply veined and has an magnificent pie crust edge. It grows to be over 6 feet wide and about 2 feet tall. It make a great center piece or back of the shade garden hosta. Because of it's gold color, it can also take a little more sun than green or blue hostas. Mine is only a couple years old, but you can see it's already going to be a beauty!

'Choo Choo Train' 2009

'Choo Choo Train' 2011

Hosta of the Day -hosta 'Captain Kirk'

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-06:00

Attention all of you Star Trek and hosta fans out there, if you want to add a little Trekian flare to your shade garden then hosta 'Captain Kirk' is a must have. Even if you are not a Star Trek fan, you'll be very pleased with this hosta. It is a medium sized hosta with wide green margins and a very prominent gold center. It's a fast grower. I had to dig mine up in 2009 and move it to another location. I also promised a friend a chunk of it. By last summer it was already back to being a lovely hosta. The leaves on 'Captain Kirk' are on the thicker side, so it's also another one to plant if you have problems with slugs eating your hostas.

'Captain Kirk' 2009

'Captain Kirk' 2011

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Babbling Brook'

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

I'll finished off the week with a beautiful hosta. hosta 'Babbling Brook' caught my eye when I was at the closing sale of Foxfire Gardens in Marshfield. Even though it was a monster I dug it out myself to bring it home. What is there not to like about this hosta? It has silver colored leaves that are slightly ruffled. It definitely stands out among other hostas. Much like yesterday's hosta 'Blue Haired Lady' it also has leaves that are chalky white underneath. It's a fast growing hosta that has thicker leaves that would be more slug resistant. I'm not sure why, but this beauty is not easily found. So if you run across one in your travels - grab it and run (well pay for it first)!

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Blue Haired Lady'

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

Today's hosta has both an unusual name and an unusual look. hosta 'Blue Haired Lady' has very smooth glossy leaves that have a slight waviness to them. As it matures it becomes more blue in color, but if you find an immature plant it will look more green. It has a close mounding habit, and is considered a medium hosta. Like all of the other hostas featured this week, it's leaves are very thick which makes them more slug resistant then other hostas. The undersides of the leaves have a chalky white appearance. Perhaps that is where the name comes from? Blue dye on the top, but underneath it's really grey/white?

'Blue Haired Lady' 2009

'Blue Haired Lady' 2011

Hosta of the Day - 'Big Daddy'

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

I started off the week with two miniature hostas, but today I am featuring another big hosta called 'Big Daddy'. I will admit that I bought this one at first just for it's name. It's a very slow growing hosta. It's also one of the slower ones to pop it's nose out in spring. Every spring I think I have lost it, only for it to pop it's nose out late. It has blue leaves that can grow to be over a foot, but the leaves will turn more green the more sun it receives. As you can see from the pictures, as 'Big Daddy' matures his leaves grow to be more crinkly and cupped the leaves become. This is another hosta that has very thick leaves, so slugs are more apt not to eat this one.

'Big Daddy' 2011

'Big Daddy' 2009

Hosta of the Day - 'Blue Mouse Ears Supreme'

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I featured the hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'. Today I have one of the sports of 'Blue Mouse Ears' called 'Blue Mouse Ears Supreme'. Again this is a miniature hosta, and will grow to be about 3-6 inches high and probably about 8" wide. It has the same heart shaped leaves as 'Blue Mouse Ears' except instead of being blue green in color, it's blue green with off-white streaking. It also has the thicker leaves which make this hosta both more slug resistent and able to withstand more sun then some other hostas. This one is not as widely available as the original mouse ears hosta, but if you find it, you will not be disappointed!

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

So far I have featured a lot of very large hostas in my hosta of the day series. However, today I am featuring a miniature hosta. 'Blue Mouse Ears' is a very thick leaved hosta, which makes it more slug resistent then other hostas. It features small heart shaped blue green leaves (it will stay more blue with less sun). This tiny guy usually grows to be about 3-4" tall (maybe more with flowers). Miniature hostas can be finicky, but this is not one of them. 'Blue Mouse Ears' is an excellent choice for those of you out there who are thinking of starting some miniature or fairy gardens of your own. It holds up well through most weather, sun, and anything else you want to throw at it.

Hosta of the day - hosta 'Atlantis'

2012-01-19T19:30:00.000-06:00

If there is one hosta in my garden that garners the most compliments, it is probably hosta 'Atlantis'. Why wouldn't it, with it's wide gold border on green wavy leaves. The leaves are pointy and with a slight twist. It's a very fast growing hosta, and makes a great statement hosta for your shade garden. It's another one that grows to be about 5 feet wide.

Hosta of the day - hosta 'American Icon'

2012-01-18T19:08:00.002-06:00

Today's hosta is 'American Icon'. 'American Icon' is a very fast growing hosta in my garden. I am a sucker for any hosta with a pie crust edge (way edge), and this one does not disappoint. It's another huge hosta that can grow to be about 5' across. It has green leaves that have a wide border of gold/green.

2011 pic

2010 pic

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Alligator Shoes'

2012-01-16T17:50:00.001-06:00

Today's hosta is a real beauty, but her true beauty takes time to be revealed. hosta 'Alligator Shoes' when fully mature has very pebbled blue green leaves with an ivory border. It's leaves are large, but are very pointed (because it is part of the Montana family of hostas) at the end. An immature 'Alligator Shoes' will have leaves that are more green in color and smooth. It's an average to slow growing hosta, but your patience with this one will pay off.

A mature 'Alligator Shoes'

A not quite mature 'Alligator Shoes'

Hosta of the day - hosta 'plantaginea'

2012-01-13T19:26:00.001-06:00

This week I have featured a hosta with large leaves, a hosta that covers a large area, and I will close the week with a hosta that has a very large bloom. hosta 'plantaginea' has flowers that measure about 4" long. Just the size of the flowers make this hosta a must have, but there is the extra bonus that these flowers are also highly fragrant. The down side is that the flowers usually open late afternoon or at night, so during the day they will often look like the one in the picture below. The plant itself has medium to large heart shaped leaves that are glossy and green. The seeds it produces are very viable, and it is the parent plant of many other fragrant hostas.

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Squash Casserole'

2012-01-11T07:34:00.001-06:00

Today's hosta, hosta 'Squash Casserole' is another monster. Squash Casserole has medium to large leaves, but it can grow up to 4 feet wide! The leaves are chartreuse and are slightly wavy. The scapes can grow to be almost 2' tall with light purple flowers. It's definitely one that grabs people's attention!

Hosta of the Day - hosta 'Elegans'

2012-01-10T06:35:00.002-06:00

With the winter here, I've decided to showcase various hostas throughout the winter.

Today's hosta is hosta 'Elegans'. Elegans is a very large leafed hosta that is blue green in color. As the summer progresses it turns more green in color. The leaves are very deep veined and are "quilted". Elegans is one of the earliest hostas to bloom. The blooms are white and are held close to the hosta. Not sure if you have an Elegans, you can usually tell by the bloom time.

Flowers are white and held close to the hosta. It blooms very early in summer.

In spring the leaves are more of a blue-green color.

As summer progresses the waxy blue of the leaves will be replaced with more green.

Happy Holidays from Cheesehead Gardening

2011-12-24T09:12:00.000-06:00

Cheesehead Gardening Video Co-Host Featured in Local Paper

2011-11-27T09:26:00.001-06:00

My Cheesehead Gardening co-host, Erin Culligan, was featured in our local newspaper for her caring spirit.
Read Article Here

Gardens of Light

2011-11-25T19:34:00.001-06:00

Today I visited the Gardens of Light at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens for the first time. It was a great night to visit, since it was 50 degrees outside. I think I need some of the flower lights for my own front yard!

For more information on the Garden of Lights visit this link.

Storing Hosta in Containers for Winter

2011-11-17T17:06:00.001-06:00

Did you know that you can grow hostas in containers in Wisconsin? Well you can. I have successfully grown hostas in containers for many years. The key to keeping hostas in containers is how you store them over the winter. The most important thing is keeping moisture out of the pots. You want to prevent freezing, thawing, and frozen, wet roots which will result in the roots turning to mush ultimately killing the hosta. Here are my steps I follow:

I wait until a hard frost has killed off all of the hosta foliage.
Then I move the containers to the north side/ or a protected area outside where they will not receive a lot of light or precipitation.
I then push the containers together as an extra way to prevent moisture from finding it's way inside the container.
If you feel they still need further protection, you can cover the containers with leaves or straw.
Then it's time to wait until spring to move them. I usually wait to move them until I start to see some sign of life.

These are on the north side of the house, where the least amount of moisture and sunlight will get to them. I push them together to help prevent moisture from getting in and freezing. You can also cover these pots with leaves or straw for additional protection.

This one is not quite ready for storage. I like to have all of the leaves die off before storing them for the winter.

Collecting and Storing Hosta Seeds

2011-11-13T19:54:00.000-06:00

Want to win some hosta seeds from the Cheesehead Garden? Just leave a comment below, and you could win a packet of hosta seeds. 2 Winners will be picked November 27th.

Before - After Snow

2011-11-10T06:44:00.002-06:00

Bloom Day - 11-6-2011

2011-11-09T06:16:00.001-06:00

This is what was still blooming on Sunday. Today they are saying 2-4" of snow. I am so not ready for snow.

Digging up and storing four o'clock tubers

2011-11-06T21:14:00.001-06:00

This summer I had decided to give Four O'Clocks another try. One of my online gardening friends had sent me tubers a few summers ago. At first I didn't know what to expect from the box of roots, but they grew quickly and were beautiful. So I'm not sure why I haven't added them to my garden again until now. This year I started them from seeds. The ones I planted in the front yard where they received lots of sun grew like gangbusters. The ones in the back where my yard is shaded were very slow to grow. Today I received a message on Facebook from a friend who wanted to know if she could dig up her cannas yet. That message got me thinking.....could I dig up my Four O'Clock tubers and store them for the winter? I marched right outside and started digging up my tubers. Then I thought to message fellow twitter gardener Mr. Brownthumb if he had ever tried to store them, since I know he has grown them in his Chicago garden. He said he did experiment with storing the tubers in a cool basement last winter, and this year was able to plant the tubers successfully. So now that I have freshly dug up tubers that I am drying in my garage where it's cool and dry. Once dry I plan on moving them into a box (with hole in side and top for air circulation) where I will layer them with newspaper and store them in my basement until spring.

My Four O'Clock's this summer.

Freshly dug up Four O'Clocks.

I clipped of the tops, and now just tubers are left.

I put them in a basket in my garage to dry before storing them for the winter.

If you are not already following Mr. BrownThumb blog, I highly recommend it! Here is Mr. BrownThumb's video on how to collect Four O'Clock Seeds (love the reference to them looking like small grenades):

Growing Tired of Gardening

2011-11-03T17:43:00.002-05:00

OK, don't freak out. I am not throwing my shovels to the curb! I love gardening too much to give it up. In fact, I would love to make it a full time job sometime in the future. However, I always seem to reach a breaking point in gardening. I don't know if I am alone in this, but I reach a point when I am just done with gardening for the season. It always seems to be about the time when the weather starts growing colder and it's just not as enjoyable to be outside.

This hosta represents how I feel about gardening by fall.

By sometime in January or February I start to get the gardening itch again. I just want to smell hostas, and dig my hand into some fresh dirt. I visit greenhouses just to remember what a live plant looks and smells like again.

I wonder if it would be different if I lived in a climate where the weather was nice all year round? Is it the weather change, or the fact that during the summer I just throw everything I have into garden that I burn myself out? Am I a bad gardener? Or are the others out there that feel gardening burn out?

Snow in parts of Wisconsin

2011-10-27T17:11:00.001-05:00

Parts of way northern Wisconsin
have received snow already. Which reminds me that if you have any tender perennials or other plants that can't take a hard frost, it's time to bring them inside at least the garage for now. I like to put them in the garage for a short time before bringing them in the house. I've learned my lesson after bringing many a spider or insects into the house with the plants. So now I put them in the garage and spray them with an organic bug spray, and let them then sit for a week or two before bringing them in the house.

Rain barrel clean up

2011-10-24T16:08:00.001-05:00

While the weather is still nice out, remember to drain and store your rain barrels for the winter. Last winter I forgot, but I did at least leave my spigot open so all was good!

Fall is Great Time to Collect Seeds

2011-10-23T14:29:00.001-05:00

Fall is a great time to collect seeds for next year's garden. Some of the flowers/plants in your yard that are easy to collect seeds from are hosta, morning glories, tiger lilies, annuals such as marigolds, etc. I usually go around the my yard armed with paper envelopes (you can use cheap dollar store envelopes, or make your own out of recycled magazine pages or paper following a pattern such as this) and pens/markers. I keep the seeds in paper envelopes to make sure they are fully dried out, if there is some moisture still in them and you place them in plastic bags they will grow mold. Once the seeds are collected I keep them in my unheated garage (they could also be kept in a refrigerator for a short time) until I am ready to use them again in spring. Perennials seeds may require a cold stratification, where you store them in the refrigerator in a bag with something like sphagnum moss that has been moistened. You can also winter sow a lot of perennial seeds. By winter sow, I mean to plant them in containers and place them outside in winter and allow the natural elements do their thing. I have winter sowed hosta and coneflowers with success. I take a plastic bottle or old milk gallon and cut it in half. I put a slightly moist sterilized soil in the bottom of the container and plant the seed(s), and then use duct tape to join the top and bottom halves of the containers once again. Make sure the cap is off of the container so it can collect rain or snow and place outside. The container acts as a small greenhouse, and in spring when they plants are ready they will start to germinate.

The are the "seeds" (really bulbils) from my double tiger lilies.

Close up of tiger lily bulbil. These can be planted directly in the ground or stored with cold stratification method described above.

Scarlet Runner Bean seeds and Four o'clock seeds

Harvesting Scarlet Runner Bean Seeds.

Seeds inside the pods of my hardy hibiscus.

Blackberry lily seeds.

Four O'Clock seeds

Hosta seeds (sorry for fuzzy picture my husband has my camera hunting with him) they are the papery black seeds found inside the pods.

Stealing my Leaves

2011-10-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

The leaves really started to fall last week. I woke up Saturday morning to see my neighbor boy, who is 8, raking all of the leaves out of my yard into his. I wasn't about to stop him that's for sure. The next morning he was at it again. My husband and I went to breakfast, and when we came back he was still raking all of the leaves into his yard. He spotted me getting out of the car and yelled to his younger sister, "Quick hide, we're stealing their leaves!"

The neighbor's yard with our leaves.

Wordless Wednesday - October 12th Blooms

2011-10-12T06:49:00.002-05:00

How to tell sucker roses from your roses

2011-10-03T18:54:00.000-05:00

A lot of the roses that are grown in Wisconsin are roses that are grafted onto stronger, cold hardy rose root stock. Often the stronger rose branches will start to emerge from the rootball and start to take over the roses you wanted originally. These roses branches are called sucker roses. In order to get rid of them you need to follow the branches all the way down to the bud union and twist and pull off these branches. If you cut them off it will only encourage the sucker roses to grow even more, so instead you need to off the branches. How can you determine if you have sucker roses? Sucker roses often grow much faster then the original roses you bought. The leaves are usually colored differently, and some times they will have a different number of leaves from the original roses you bought.

Climbing Roses from my yard.

William Baffin and John Cabot are winter hardy climbing roses.

This leaf segment has 7 leaves.

This leaf segment from sucker roses has 9 leaves.

Notice the color difference, the sucker roses are a lot lighter in color.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T19:47:00.002-05:00

The clever garden spider - can you see them?

2011-09-21T16:54:00.001-05:00

Ok, if you read my blog often you already know that I am obsessed with the garden spiders in my yard. But look at how clever they are......can you find them in these pictures?

Cutting Hosta in Fall

2011-09-18T21:04:00.003-05:00

One of the readers of Cheesehead Gardening had a great question last week (thanks Donna). They wanted to know if they should cut their hostas to the ground once they start to decline in fall. I personally think it's not a good idea to cut the hostas down for the ground in fall. For one, many people use the same cutting tool on all of their hostas. So if one of the hostas happens to be diseased you risk spreading it to all of your other hostas. If you happen to be one of those people who want to have everything cleaned up in fall, one way around this would be to carry a pail with 10% bleach solution and dip your cutting tool between plants. In my yard it would be a lot of work to cut all of the hostas down to the ground. So I just leave them, and then in spring I simply rake up the remains. Most of the leaves disintegrate over the winter, so it's usually on the scapes that are left to clean up.

What's Blooming in the Cheesehead Garden

2011-09-15T06:20:00.000-05:00

Coneflower 'All that Jazz'

Anemone 'September Charm'

Ligularia 'Brit Marie Crawford'

Hydrangea 'Limelight'

Mixed Four O' Clocks

Nasturtium 'Creamsicle'

Heliopsis 'Summer Sun'

Sedum

Pink Turtlehead

Brown-eyed Susan

Bottle Gentian

White coneflower

Clematis 'Ice Blue'

Helenium 'Mardi Gras'

Start of the Hosta Uglies

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you are starting to see brown leaves on your hostas, you are not alone. It's nothing to worry about, it's just what I like to call the Hosta Uglies. Hostas on are the decline, as they prepare themselves for dormancy. I heard on the news that our first frost could come as early as this week Thursday. Even though the hostas do not look their best does not mean you should just forget about them. If the weather has been dry for several days, you should still be watering them like you would when they are in their prime. This is the time of year that a lot of people ask me if they can bring some of their hostas inside for the winter The answer is no, hostas actually require a dormancy period in order to survive. So if your hostas look like the ones below, don't worry they are not diseased or dying....they just have the Hosta Uglies.

Using annuals to add color in late summer/early fall

2011-09-07T19:03:00.002-05:00

The nights are starting to get cooler here, and even though it's kind of early yet we've been waking up to 40 degree mornings. This is the time of year when most perennials and annuals have already finished blooming for the year. In spring when I am putting my flower containers together I also tuck annual seeds into my containers and throughout the garden. Some of the annual seeds I plant are: scarlet runner bean, painted lady bean, hyacinth bean, morning glories, nasturtium, and four o'clocks. Impatients that were planted in spring will bloom all summer, and now that the weather is cooler with rebound and come back even bigger and better until the first hard frost.

This arbor holds my climbing roses which stop blooming by the end of summer. I plant scarlet runner beans, painted lady beans, and hyacinth beans around it in spring to have fall blooms.

Scarlet Runner Beans

Painted Lady Beans

Grandpa Ott Morning Glory in planter box.

Close up of a variety of Four o'Clocks

Four o'Clocks add color to a sunny corner of my garden.

Heavenly Blue Morning Glory and Nasturtium add late summer color to this garden bed.

Hyacinth Bean Vine

Happy Labor Day and Seed Grow for September

2011-09-05T15:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Labor Day! It's September, and we've heard the first frost advisory for the season here in Wisconsin. Lucky for me it's for upper Wisconsin, not so good for those in upper Wisconsin since they had such a late spring. School started this past week, which means back to work for me. We also had an unusual start to the school year. On the second day of we had a severe thunderstorm roll through our area unexpectedly. Nothing like having students crouch in their tornado positions before they even know all of the school rules. The storm did quite a bit of damage, and it's been 4 days since and there are many people who still do not have power.

It's time to update everyone on my Seed Grow Project Plants.

'Italian Cameo' basil is still going strong. I've been harvesting it and eating it fresh with tomatoes right out of the garden. It's not too overpowering, which I have found some basils to be.

The 'Garden Babies' lettuce never did make any little lettuce heads. I think I let it overgrow, because now it kinda has a flavor similar to grass. It was also very dry here. Now that the weather has cooled down I might try to grow a new batch of this lettuce.

The 'Summer Splash' marigolds grew to be a lot taller then I expected. Mine have great orange coloring mixed in with the yellow. I noticed some others who are growing them have all yellow colored flowers. I'm definitely going to be collecting seeds from these for next summer.

I'm growing with the SeedGROW project. Thanks to Renees Garden for the seeds.

Wordless Wednesday - Garden Spiders Watch Them Grow

2011-08-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

Garden Lessons Learned

2011-08-29T14:31:00.000-05:00

I am not the perfect gardener, yes I will say it again I AM NOT THE PERFECT GARDENER! Sometimes you just have to jump in and try things. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they fail miserably. You just have to be willing to try. The same is true outside of the garden. For example, I often lead lots of computer trainings at work. The biggest problem I see is that people are afraid to try things. They think if they push the wrong button or click the wrong area the computer is going to explode or something. The reality is that the best way to learn the computer is to try things and learn from mistakes and successes. The same is true with gardening. Here are some things I have learned from gardening:

If you see something cool growing in someone's yard, before asking if you can have some make sure it's not growing ALL over their yard. Definite things to stay away from: Loosestrife of any kind, Bishop's Weed or Snow on the Mountain, etc. No matter how cool that Gooseneck Loosestrife looks, it's not cool when you have to try to eradicate it from your garden for years to come.
Always water new plants well after planting them. Don't be lazy and wait for the next rainfall to come. An unwatered plant is a dead plant.
Almost all of those plant catalogs you get in the mail in winter, though tempting, are not worth ordering from (unless it's seed catalogs). More than likely you will receive plants the size of your pinky that will be dead upon arrival or die within a couple of weeks. It's always best to buy plants local where you can see them, or from reputable mail order companies. Look at Garden Watchdog before ordering from any garden company.
In my experience, almost all those cool colored coneflowers eventually revert back to all pink. Green Envy and the white ones have been the exception for me.
If your containers are not near a water source, it's best to make your container self-watering so you don't have to water them by hand every day during dry spells.
Setting up a drip-line system is easy, and it beats dragging a hose around the yard to water all the time.
As much as you want to share your hostas with friends, let them grow a few years before deciding to divide them.
Never leave your husband home alone with a loppers in your garden.
NEVER use landscaping fabric. It dries out your plants, weeds still grow on top of it, and it's very hard to dig through it if you want to add plants. Instead use cardboard to line your new garden beds.
Rocks are only good for cactus and succulents garden. Unless it's big rocks you will use to line flower beds or add interest to your garden.
Don't plant things too close together, either the strongest plant will survive or you will have to dig it out and move it down the road.

I'm sure I could rattle off a ton more, but what lessons have you learned in the garden?

Hosta Shoulder

2011-08-27T12:32:00.001-05:00

My big posts may be a little less for a few weeks. I am one handed typing until my shoulder heals. I had surgery to remove bone spurs from my shoulder and hope the surgery will bring back full range of motion, which I haven't had for a long time. We are referring to it as hosta shoulder.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

2011-08-25T08:09:00.011-05:00

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is a common site in my yard. They are especially attracted to the Joe Pye Weed.

Male and Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

This is the black form of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail female. The female can also be yellow instead of black.

The male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

A close-up of the female.

Wordless Wednesday - Hungry Finches

2011-08-24T07:54:00.007-05:00

Monarchs and Milkweed

2011-08-23T08:54:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I blogged about those icky garden spiders, and so I figured today would be a good day to blog about the graceful Monarch butterfly. The Monarchs love the flowers on my milkweed, Joe Pye Weed, and Blazing Meadow Star plants. If you have ever tried to take a picture of a Monarch, you know that they are very active. I like to think of them as the ADHD butterfly. As I watch the Monarchs on my milkweed, I noticed that they preferred the closed flowers of the milkweed over the ones that were blooming. Monarchs will only lay their eggs on milkweed plants. The sap of the milkweed is poisonous, and by laying their eggs on the milkweed the butterflies are protecting them from predators. The milkweed in the photos is swamp milkweed, but I also have common milkweed that seeds itself in my garden. Common milkweed can become aggressive, so it's best to pull the plants or cut the seed pods off of them before they dry and open. However, before you pull the plants make sure no Monarch eggs or caterpillars are on the plant. Monarchs do not live in Wisconsin year round. Instead they fly south for the winter. They do not return, as the longest lifespan of a Monarch is about 8 months. Instead it's the Monarch's relatives that return in summer.

This is a female Monarch, because the lines are thick. Males usually have thinner lines, and they also have black spots on their bottom two wings.

Garden Spiders

2011-08-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

Ever since I happened to watch Kindgom of the Spiders when I was very small, I have loathed spiders. Honestly, I have had nightmares about spiders ever since I saw that movie. My fear of spiders is so great, I almost jumped out of a moving car one day when saw a huge spider crawling across the dashboard. I'm sorry all of you who love spiders, but if you are a spider and in my house, you will be dead. Not by my hand, of course, because I am not going anywhere near you. I will just be silently screaming, frozen in fear, and pointing at you, until my husband or one of my cats kills you. If I would have known how much cats love to eat spiders, I would have had cats a long time ago.

So I bet you would be surprised to learn that I actually welcome garden spiders. I have even taken a stick (a very long stick) and moved them out of my way. Who couldn't like something that eats mosquitoes! Garden Spiders have never charged at me, like some of those house spiders. They are not plotting my demise, like those house spiders. They have never tried to crawl into my bed, like some of those house spiders. So if they leave me alone, I leave them alone. I usually find them in my garden in late spring as tiny baby spiders, and don't notice them again until late summer/early fall when they are so big you can't miss them. Ok, I will admit they still freak me out a little because they are everywhere....and I mean everywhere. It's hard to walk into the garden without running into one of their webs, which are very strong. After a while I do a mental inventory of where they are, and I try to avoid those areas. I'm pretty sure if one of these spiders crawl on me I would die of fear, but for now I actually enjoy watching them (from a distance).

Black and Yellow Garden Spiders

European Garden Spiders

Stretch spider

Collecting hosta and daylily seeds

2011-08-19T19:28:00.001-05:00

It's a little early to think about collecting hosta and daylily seeds, or so I thought. One of my hostas already has seedpods that are starting to burst, so I thought I would post on how to collect hosta and daylily seeds. Neither hostas nor daylily come true from seed, which means that they will not look like the parent plant. It all depends on how the flowers were pollinated. In hostas a majority of the seeds will produce a plain green plant, but you never know when you might grow a desirable plant. I collect seeds and put them in labeled paper envelopes with the name of the plant I collected them from. Both hosta and daylily seeds need a time of cool dormancy. So I usually store the seeds in my unheated garaged until January (or later) when I am ready to plant them.

These are seeds pods on a hosta that are not ready for collection yet. They are still green.

Notice these seed pods are brown and starting to crack open, these seed pods are ready for seed collection.

Close-up of a seed pod that's ready for collection.

These are the hosta seeds inside of the seedpods.

This is a seedpod on a daylily, it is not ripe enough for seed collecting.

This is a ripe seed pod, you can easily shake the seeds out.

Close-up of daylily seed (black one).

These are the bulbils on a tiger lily.

Not the greatest picture, but I was trying to show the bulbils are ready to pick when you start to notice roots coming off the bulbils. The small white line coming off the bulbils is a root.

What lives in this tree?

2011-08-18T20:50:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I blogged about my hosta Guacamole and how wonderful it smelled. As a true hosta geek I have been hanging around, smelling it for weeks. Everyday I have had to wipe dirt off of the leaves of this hosta. Where was this dirt coming from? I wasn't digging in that area! I hope my hosta stalker wasn't trying to dig out my hostas in the middle of the night. This hosta is right next to one of the huge sugar maples in my backyard, and I noticed that something was digging a hole in one of the many knots in this tree.

I know that deer mice, field mice, squirrels, chipmunks, voles (though I haven't seen them in a while), bats, and the occasional flying squirrels all live in my yard. Of all of those things I couldn't really think of which one of these would dig a hole in a tree, since most either live underground or in nests. Then the other night I was out in the yard at night with one of my friends. We saw something small, mouse shaped climb a different tree. Made me wonder if a mouse would make a nest in a tree? What do you think is living in my tree?

Close-up of hole, looks like maybe it could use some toilet paper or something.

I tried to shine a spotlight in the hole to see if I could see any inhabitants.

Wordless Wednesday - Bloom Day

2011-08-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

The often overlooked hosta flower

2011-08-15T19:18:00.001-05:00

Hostas are not known for their flowers. In fact there are a high percentage of people who will cut the scapes off hostas before they even bloom. As a hosta fanatic, I will be the first to admit that most hosta flowers are not very interesting. Hostas are bought mainly for their foliage not their flower, but there are a few hostas that are bought for their flowers. The hosta 'Guacamole' is often purchased for it's highly scented flower. If you walk in my garden around twilight the entire yard is enveloped with it's sweet scent, which is kinda a mixture of lilac and lily of the valley. Hostas with scented flowers bloom later in the season. Here is a list of hosta with fragrant flowers. Every once and while I will be walking through the garden and I will happen to notice just how beautiful some of the hosta flowers can be. I think if the flowers were at eye level they would be appreciated more, but since you usually have to kneel down to admire them most people never really notice them. I was also just reminded by a Twitter friend that the hosta flower attracts hummingbirds, bees, and at my house the hummingbird moth, who always shows up when I do not have a camera anywhere near.

h. 'Guacamole'

The giant, sweet smelling flowers of h. 'Guacamole'

The highly purply blue flowers of h. 'Indy Parade Lap'

Beautiful striped flowers on h. 'Gosan Gold Mist'

Closer look of stripes on hosta flower.

Large flower getting ready to bloom on h. 'plantaginea' which is also large flowered and fragrant.

Fragrant and pretty, the flower of h. 'Nightlife'

Red stem and purple flowers of h. 'Fire Island'

Another striped flower on one of my hosta sports.

The purply buds on h. 'Sea Octopus'

Succulent Picture Frames

2011-08-11T14:14:00.000-05:00

This weekend I decided to try making a succulent picture frame. I have seen them in greenhouses I have visited, and always thought it was something I would like to try. I found a frame on clearance (under $4- score!). Then I purchased some 1"x2" lumber, a sheet of plywood, and hardware cloth. My husband used a mitre saw to cut the 1"x2" lumber and formed a smaller frame that would fit on the back of the frame to hold soil. Then I cut plywood and nailed it to the back of the 1"x2" frame. Next I cut hardware cloth to fit on the back of the frame and used a staple gun to attach it. Last step before filling it with succulents was attaching the 1"x2" frame onto the frame I purchased. Here were the results:

Next add soil to the frame, shaking it to make sure it's filled evenly throughout.

Gather your succulents for cuttings.

Take succulent cuttings and dip them in rooting hormone.

Place them inside the frame.

Filling the frame with different sizes, colors, and textures.

Here is the finished project. It now must sit for about 2-3 weeks in a dark area with no water to allow for the succulents to root.

Wordless Wednesday - two new miniature gardens today

2011-08-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

How to make the miniature gardens (fairy gardens)

2011-08-09T20:23:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I blogged pictures of some of the miniature gardens I have. I promised that I would show how they are made today. The first step for me is to find basket and containers. I have very good luck finding baskets Goodwill or at Stein's (a local garden store) for less then $4 a piece.

Supplies you will need:
basket/container
cardboard or newspaper to line baskets
soil (I use cactus soil since I use succulents)
pea gravel or small stones
plants (I use hardy succulents since mine stay outside year round)
Miniature items or other items to decorate gardens. If looking for miniature items to decorate your gardens there are two great sources that I trust: Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center, LLC out of Seattle and Miniature-Gardening.com which is out of the Winter Greenhouse in Winter, WI. Both have online stores and retail stores.

1. Line the inside of the basket with cardboard or thick sheets of cardboard. If basket comes lined with plastic make sure to puncture holes in bottom to allow water to drain. Any standing water in the basket will cause succulents to rot and in winter it will cause freezing.

2. Fill the basket with soil.

3. I usually add the miniature which will be the main focus of the garden now, so I can build my garden around it.

4. Then I add my plants, remembering to add different colors, heights, and textures.

5. I then add my pea gravel or make my paths (see below) using mosaic tiles that can be found near stepping stone or stained glass supplies in craft stores.

It's really 5 steps to make these cute little miniature gardens. The most expensive part of the whole project are the miniatures used to decorate, but you can make them as cheap or expensive as you want. You might be surprised what you find in Goodwill or in the dollhouse section of a craft store.

Miniature Container Gardens / Fairy Gardens

2011-08-08T21:10:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures of some of the miniature containers I have in my yard. Since I have pretty much run out of garden space I have turned instead to miniature gardening. It's great for people with little space, and everyone who visits my garden from young to young at heart love them. I use hardy succulents in my containers, and they overwintered for me, though they did not look great this spring before they bounced back. I just moved them to a location up against my house and covered with leaves in fall. I have also learned that you can cover them with a styrofoam cooler for fall. Tomorrow I will show how to make these containers.

What's Blooming

2011-08-07T21:27:00.000-05:00

Ligularia japonica flowers.

Stoke's Aster

Early blooming rudebeckia and coneflower

Crocosmia

Conflower 'virgin'

Blackberry Lily

Morning Glory 'Grandpa Ott'

Parade of Peacocks daylily with brown-eyed susans in background.

Candy Lily

Hibiscus 'Kopper King'

Cameroon Twist daylily

Coneflower 'Green Envy' just starting to bloom.

Using containers to brighten up shady spots

2011-08-04T22:43:00.000-05:00

Containers are a great way to add color to a garden. Do you have a dark corner, or a spot under a shady tree? I did, and those always seem to be the areas where nothing will grow. So over the years I started experimenting with containers as a way to add color or height to areas that were otherwise almost impossible to grow in. My biggest struggle has been that I have a lot of hand watering to do, since these dark, shady spots are usually far away from where the hose can reach. But now that I have my rain barrel and two watering cans (one filling while I use the other one) I can usually get it done in about 15-45 minutes a day depending on weather.

This was used to add some more color under a huge maple. Coleus and Impatients add the color.

My backyard neighbors don't mow their lawn and the pines are dying at the bottom, so I used this old door from my grandmother's house to block a bare spot and added a little planter with some impatients for color.

Used a frog chair I found on clearance to add a little height and some color with coleus and impatients.

Another frog chair to block a dead spot under pines. Planted with coleus and impatients.

Adding a little bright color with coleus.

Needed a little height here. So I added this column planter planted with what else.....coleus and impatients (yes, I am almost as obsessed with coleus as I am with hosta).

This is a two tier planter I picked up 10 years ago on clearance at Kmart (do they still exist? we don't have any here). It blocks air conditioner (not too close). Planted with coleus, impatients, morning glory, and mustard greens.

I picked up the bench at the farm market a few years back, but I built the towers from recycling old book shelves. Here I have impatients and King Kong coleus. It block out our wood pile.

This large red container adds a pop of color to a very shady spot under two large pines. A great time to pick up containers is in fall when they are on clearance. This one is planted with coleus, impatients, and balsam for height.

This is a little wooden bench I found at a flea market one day. I nailed a long planter box to it, and made it into a planter. It's planted with coleus, pansies, impatients, and vinca vine.

This is a bench I received as a present from my in-laws. I put it under a very large, and very old Honeysuckle (that is more tree then vine).

Close up of planters. I used shamrock plants and impatients. I put dark color shamrock in light pots, and light color shamrock plants in dark pots.

Corn in Planters

2011-08-03T20:52:00.004-05:00

Close up on leaves of Japanese Striped Maize.

Whenever I need some plant therapy in the winter I cruise through the seed aisles in the local gardening stores. This past winter I happened upon some seeds for Japonica Striped Maize. I had seen them before online, but had never seen them locally. I don't have room for growing corn of any kind, but the foliage on this corn really drew me in. So I decided to buy the seeds to see if I could grow them in my containers. I always like to put a tall focal point plant in the center, so why not try striped corn. If it worked I would even have my very own popcorn come fall. The seed packet said it did not recommend starting them indoors, but I decided to try starting half of the packet indoors and had great success with them. I planted them in the middle of two of my planters, and I am really happy with the results. I even noticed today that I have little ears of corn starting on my plants (I hand pollenated them, just to make sure).

Corn in one of my planters.

Corn in another planter.

Tassels developing on corn.

Ear forming on corn.

Further view of corn growing in planters.

Click on pictures to make them larger.

Seed GROW Project August Update 2011

2011-08-02T10:56:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe how fast things grew in the garden in just a months time. If you look back on the Seed GROW post from July you will see how tiny everything looked. Plants never stop amazing me.

My 'Italian Cameo' basil dried out from almost drowning in June and has now taken off. My tomatoes are almost ready, so I am looking forward to some Caprese, which is fresh basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella seasoned with a little salt and I also add olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The 'Summer Splash' marigolds started bloom about a week and a half ago. I am looking forward to their blooms all August long.

The 'Garden Babies' lettuce is growing like crazy. It still hasn't made any little lettuce heads in the container, but I am wondering if I should be thinning them out. I had one plant growing within my hosta garden that was just starting to form a tiny little lettuce head, that was until one of the few rabbits the hawks have not eaten found it. It's really disconcerting to be out in the garden and hearing the rabbits scream as the Cooper's hawks carry them away. Even more when you hear the little hawk babies screaming in delight as mom or dad hawk bring them the rabbit for dinner.

I'm growing with the SeedGROW project. Thanks to Renees Garden for the seeds.

Hostas in Containers

2011-08-01T16:28:00.004-05:00

In Wisconsin there are few plants that you can winter over in containers without bringing them inside. This is not because of the cold weather, but because freezing and thawing is very common. Since weather is Wisconsin is very unpredictable, we could have rain, snow, sleet, etc at any time in the winter months. As snow melts or it warms enough to rain the soil collects the moisture. Then as Wisconsin weather often does, it freezes causing the soil and the roots to freeze. Since the bottom of the containers often stay frozen, not allowing the moisture to drain, more ice will collect in the containers killing the plants.

There is a solution for keeping hostas in containers all season long. I wait until after the leaves have been killed by a hard frost. Then I move my hostas to the north (or shadiest side) of my house. I tip the pots on their sides to keep moisture from collecting in them. I then cover them with leaves, and leave them alone until my hostas in the ground start showing signs of coming up. This past winter I also buried pots halfway into the ground and covered them with leaves, and these hostas also came back fine in spring.

In the summer months remember to keep your hostas in container well watered. Most plants require one inch of water, but hostas are water loving plants so they will do better with more than one inch of water per week. Some hostas actually prefer to be root bound in pots, such as the hosta 'Tattoo'.

Hibiscus

2011-07-31T18:36:00.001-05:00

First hibiscus bloom of the season, few weeks behind this year.

Coleus Care

2011-07-29T20:57:00.000-05:00

If you have a shady garden like I do, then you know that Coleus are great for adding color to a shady garden. Sun coleus are also a great way to add color to containers in a sunny location. Coleus is an annual (meaning it does not come back, it's only good for one summer). Some people have luck bringing Coleus cuttings into the house in the winter, I am not one of those people. Once a plant is inside my house, it's as good as dead since I cannot take care of indoor plants at all. I guess I am just not an indoors person. Here are some tips to keep your coleus happy and healthy during the summer months:

Do not water leaves of coleus at night, this may cause the leaves to rot.
Coleus do not require a lot of fertilizer. The more fertilizer the less color the leaves tend to have. I use either worm compost tea (available at lots of extension offices) or manure tea (available through http://www.ahavenbrand.com )
Keep soil moist, but not overly wet.
Pinch back or trim plants to keep them from getting leggy.
Pinch off blooms to encourage them to be more bushy. (Keeping the blooms on the plant will not hurt the plant, they just tend to grow taller and skinnier, rather than full and bushy).

Coleus 'Saturn'

Bloom on hosta, which should be pinched off.

Pinching off the bloom, simply means removing the bloom.

Here are some flowers buds that should be pinched off.

Pinching off a flower bud.

Organizing Garden Pictures - tech meets gardening

2011-07-26T21:43:00.002-05:00

This week I am attempting to organize my gardening pictures. As you have probably figured out from reading my blog, I am a visual person. So what better way for me to remember what I have in my gardens, then by creating digital photo albums.

I am using the online website called Photobucket to create digital photo albums, but I am sure other photo hosting sites such as Flickr would also work. It just depends on what website you are comfortable using. The advantages of using online photo hosting sites to build you albums:

You are using someone else's server space, so frees up space on your computer
They are easy to share with others
It's free

Why create digital photo albums?

A way to remember what you have planted.
Log progress or lack of progress on plants in your garden.
It gives you something to look at and admire in the winter when nothing is blooming.

Depending on how many plants you have, creating digital photo albums take time. You could always take the pictures now when everything is blooming, and then in the dead of winter when you need some plant therapy you could organize your albums. I like to update my albums every two years, and then I can see how different my plants are in that span of time. I also add notes to my pictures, such as if and when I divided or moved certain plants.

Here is an example of one of my photo albums. All my hostas that begin with the letter B:

And we have a winner

2011-07-25T21:20:00.003-05:00

The winner of the Remington battery powered lawnmower Cheeshead Gardening and Remington teamed up with to giveaway was L.h. Thompson. Congratulations!!

It's daylily time

2011-07-23T09:10:00.000-05:00

It's so much fun to go out to the garden lately, as every day a new daylily has opened up. I think of myself as a hosta person, but the more I dapple in daylilies the more I like them. Don't worry, my hostas are still staying number one on my list. But how much fun is it to see a new flower bloom every day? Is is just me? My neighbors probably think I am crazy, as some mornings I am out with my camera while still in my pajamas.

On Silken Thread - which is a spider type daylily because of the long petals. It's also known as a UFO or Unusual Form.

I think this one is Kisses Like Wine

Odd and Ends another UFO daylily

Miss Jessie - spider type daylily

Daring Deception

Cousin Kirby

Cheesehead Gardening Episode 14: Beating the Heat

2011-07-20T15:05:00.000-05:00

Using cardboard to line flower beds - bye bye landscaping fabric

2011-07-19T22:31:00.001-05:00

There are a few things that a lot of people use in their gardens that I just cringe at the sight of it. One of those things is landscaping fabric. I won't tell you the rest, since I will probably start receiving nasty emails. Yes, I admit that I have landscaping fabric in my garden. As a beginning gardner I didn't know any better. But now I know just how hard it is to work with. Not only is it hard to put plants in once you have the fabric down, but it also doesn't prevent weeds as they grow on top of the landscaping fabric. So here is my method for laying out a new flower bed.

1. Choose your location. I always dig up the sod in the area, but I know others who skip this step.

2. Line the new garden bed with cardboard. (You can also use thick sheets of newspaper (not shiny colored ad) I tried this but I have so many birds they were constantly pulling it through and I had newspaper everywhere.)

3. Cover the cardboard with compost.

4. Start laying out your plants.

5. Once you have them laid out the way you like them, then you can dig in and plant them.

6. This is the garden a year later.

7. This is the garden three years later, and I hardly ever have to pull weeds from this garden. My only issue with this garden is the chipmunks who like to eat my lily bulbs.

Adding some color to containers by repurposing household items

2011-07-18T22:07:00.000-05:00

I love blown glass garden art, but I can't afford to fill my entire garden with it. When I was in Lincoln City, Oregon a few weeks ago I watched how blown glass floats are made. I fell in love with some of them, but I seem to have expensive taste. Every time I would find a piece of glass art perfect for the garden it was $300 or more. So I walked away empty handed. On the way back to our rental house we stopped at a liquor store to pick up some margarita mix. The first thing I noticed when we walked into the liquor store were these cool glass twists in a vase they had placed throughout the store. Then it hit me that they were twisty straws. I just had to buy some, as I knew they could be used in my garden somewhere. Here is the result:

The today I was in a party supply store picking up a birthday card and found something else I could use in pots. Can you guess what these are?

I sometimes wonder if I am the only one who sees something and tries to figure out ways to use it other than the way it was intended.

Oshkosh Garden Walk

2011-07-17T17:34:00.000-05:00

Despite the hot weather today, I decided to tour the gardens in the Oshkosh Garden Club's garden walk. Here are some of the highlights from the walk.

Review: Remington RM212B Electric Battery Push Mower -win a lawnmower

2011-07-14T08:54:00.002-05:00

This spring Remington contacted me to find out if I would like to try one of their electric or battery powered lawnmowers. I really wanted to try a battery powered lawn mower, especially since our old lawnmower died earlier this spring. We have too many trees and other obstacles in our yard for a corded electric lawnmower.

Here is the lawnmower Remington sent me:

Pros:

Easy to put together
VERY easy to start
Quieter motor
Adjustable height (all four wheels are adjustable at the same time)
Comfortable handle
Can choose from side discharge, mulch, or bagging lawn clippings
No gas required
No winter maintenance, simply store battery for winter
No cord required
We mowed lawn twice and never had to charge battery (still life left)
Has indicator lights on battery so you know when power is running low and it needs to be charged
Most important: it was great at cutting the lawn (better then our traditional lawnmower)

Here is video of how easy lawnmower is to start:

Cons:

Because of the battery lawnmower is a little bit heavy, would not work if you have very large hills or steep inclines to mow.
Not self-propelled, this is only a drawback if you are used to a self-propelled lawn mower.
This was a smaller base compared to our other lawnmower. This is 19" and our previous mower was 22"

Would you like to win your own Remington RM212B Electric Battery Push Mower?? Cheesehead Gardening and Remington are giving one away!! Just enter here. A winner will be chosen by random number generator on July 25th. So be sure to enter by 9pm (central) time July 25th. Good Luck!

Remington sent me the lawnmower free of charge, but asked me to be 100% honest in my review of their product.

Wordless Wednesday - see it's not always about hosta

2011-07-13T14:02:00.000-05:00

Asters

2011-07-11T21:19:00.000-05:00

Short post, but I just realized that I never cut my asters in half yet. Usually I try to do it on or around July 4th. It keep them from getting leggy and falling over in fall when they are in bloom. So if you have asters, I would get out there and cut them in half if you haven't already.

A Visit to Solaris Farms

2011-07-08T20:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday to took my first trip of the season out to Solaris Farms in Reedsville, WI. Solaris Farms is a great nursery that specializes in peony, daylily, and lilium. It's a little too early for most of their hundreds (possibly thousands) of daylily to be in bloom, but here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

The Official Greeter

Lily Trees

2011-07-07T18:48:00.000-05:00

It's almost time for the sweet smell of lilies in the air. Just the other day my neighbor came over and asked me if I had heard about Lily Trees. She said there was an article in the local paper, and someone in our town was selling these new things called Lily Trees. When she went on to describe the article I realized what she was calling a Lily Tree was really just an Orienpet lily. They are a combination of an Oriental lily and a Trumpet lily. They smell wonderful, grow to be very tall (usually 6-7 feet in my garden), and have very thick stalks that usually do not require staking. I grow mine in both full sun and partial shade, and they don't seem to prefer one over the other. Lily Tree, as stated in the article, is simply a marketing ploy. Some plant catalog decided to call them Lily Trees in hopes of boosting their sales, but really they have been around for a while. I hate it when plant companies come up with these ploys, it is usually the companies you want to stay away from (but that is just my opinion). Another lily not mentioned in this article that also grows to be very tall are L.A. Lilies or longiflorum-asiatic lilies, which are a combination of an Asiatic and an Easter Lily. L.A. Lilies usually bloom earlier in the summer then the Orienpet lily. L.A. lilies do have some fragrance, but they are not quite as strong as an Orienpet lily. Both are quite easy to grow, and would be a great addition to any garden needing a little height. If you are looking for a local source for these lilies I suggest either Solaris Farms in Reedsville or Rosehill Gardens in Oneida.

Bulb on an Orienpet Lily

Orienpet 'Garden Treasure' getting ready to bloom

The fence is lined with L.A. Lilies which will bloom very soon.

Wordless Wednesday - Bloom Day

2011-07-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

Arisaema heterophyllum - Dancing Crane Cobra Lily

2011-07-05T20:17:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite plants in my garden at this moment is Arisaema heterophyllum, otherwise known as Dancing Crane Cobra Lily. I thought this plant didn't survive the winter, but then in mid June I noticed it making an appearance. In two weeks time it grew 3 feet with a very thick stalk. You may notice that it looks a lot like a giant Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and that's because Arisaema is the main genus of the Jack-in-the-Pulpit family. I LOVE the giant tongue sticking out of the "pulpit". It prefers light shade.

Seed GROW Project July Update

2011-07-04T17:11:00.001-05:00

Well it's July, and I feel I should be hanging my head in shame over my see GROW project. I had been so busy preparing for the garden walk in June, that everything else was kind of put on the back burner.

The "Summer Splash" marigolds are my best performer of the seeds I received. They look as if they may soon be big to bloom sometime soon. I planted them in a few different areas, but ones in this container were the one that grew the fastest. Of the three seeds, the marigolds were the fastest to germinate and grow for me.

The "Italian Cameo" basil could be doing better. I put it in a container with no drain holes, thinking I would just water it as needed. However I went to Oregon for a week, and left it out on my patio table. During that week it rained every single day (and no rain in Oregon), and so I came home to some soggy basil seedlings. It has since dried out, so I am hoping some of the seedlings will forgive me for almost drowning them.

The "Garden Babies" lettuce has been a thorn in my side. Not because of the seeds themselves, but because of all the critters in my garden. I tried planting it at least three times, and every time they started to sprout some hungry bunnies would munch them down. So right before I left for Oregon I put them in a container, thinking the rabbits couldn't get to them. I returned from Oregon to find they had germinated and were growing well. I thought I had finally won, that was until the chipmunks decided to dig in the container this week. Luckily they didn't dig up everything, so I am looking forward to some cute little baby lettuce heads by this time next month (unless more critters invade).
Here is my June post for the seed GROW project in case you want to check my progress:)
Happy 4th of July everyone!

I'm growing with the SeedGROW project. Thanks to Renees Garden for the seeds.

New Cheesehead Gardening Video for 2011

2011-07-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

Segment about Cheesehead Gardening on local news

2011-06-30T08:45:00.002-05:00

Installing a dripline/sprinkler system

2011-06-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I decided it was about time to install the dripline/sprinkler system that I purchased earlier this spring. I figured it would take me a few days to install, but it was so easy to install I had it installed in one afternoon. I am not mechanically inclined, so if I can do this I'm guessing just about anyone can.

Here are the things I needed for my job:

To Connect to the water faucet (this is first step):

1 Hose Y splitter for my my faucet, so I could have the dripline and still have a hose reel on the same faucet. (optional)
1 Timer (optional) so I can set my dripline sprinkler to automatically water at certain times (daily, weekly, every 2 days, etc).
1 Filter (so dirt and other items do not get into the the mainline
1 Pressure Regulator (I have bad water pressure on my outside water lines)
1 female hose beginning (one connect to regular hose end, other connects to dripline tubing)

To run the dripline and sprinklers:

100 ft of mainline 1/2" tubing
Figure 8 ends
Easy Loc T's to split the hose (optional)
Wire Hold downs to keep hose in place
Pocket Punch to punch holes in mainline tubing
Sprinklers
Something to cut tubing (I used a knife)
Shovel (optional - I buried my hose in certain areas).

Steps:

Buried tubing running out to hosta garden

Place mainline tubing in sun for a few minutes, this make it easier to unroll.
Hook up hose y splitter, timer (optional), filter, female hose beginning, and pressure regulator onto faucet.
Unroll mainline tubing
Connect mainline tubing to the female hose beginning.
This is where I buried my tubing underground until it reached the garden, but this is also an optional step.
Run hosing to where you need it and stake down using wire holds.
If you need to run in various directions you will need to split the hose using some easy loc T's like pictured below.

8. Decide where you would like to place your sprinklers.

9. Then use the pocket punch to place a hole in the mainline tubing (see below) and insert the sprinklers plugs into the mainline tubing. (repeat until all sprinklers are installed)

Sprinkler inserted into mainline tubing

10. Use the Figure 8 End to the end of any mainline tubing. Slide on Figure 8 end about 8 inches, fold tubing in half, and insert other end into Figure 8 End (see below).

It's really that easy! I found the mainline tubing at my local hardware store, but most of the other parts I purchased from Dripworks. I highly recommend Dripworks, as they have kits that include everything you need and they are inexpensive. They also have great video tutorials on their page.

2011 Midwest Hosta Convention

2011-06-27T21:26:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that the 2011 Midwest Hosta Convention is just around the corner. The Wisconsin Hosta Society will be the host club this year, and the convention will take place in Madison, WI on July 7, 8, and 9th.

If you love hostas, this is a great opportunity to meet others who have the same passion. I love conventions because I can tour other hosta gardens and get ideas. It also gives me a chance to see mature hostas, and see hostas that are new to me. So if you go, make sure to bring something to write with, as you will be writing down lots of hosta names. I try to make sure nameplates of the hostas are somewhere in all of the pictures. I also love conventions, because vendors bring their best stock and some plants you might not find anywhere else.

I contacted the Wisconsin Hosta Society about the pricing for the convention. They said that decided to keep the price of the convention at $144, so there is no penalty for registering late. They have also added Saturday only registration for $75. The $75 includes: a light breakfast at the hotel, a bus ride to the five featured garden tours plus a box lunch, the convention auction and the banquet dinner. So that's a great deal! Just make sure to write on top of your registration form Saturday Only, if you decide to take advantage of the deal.

The vendor area will be open to the public Friday and Saturday, as well as the leaf show on Friday. So if you are just dipping your toes in the pool of hosta, that might be a great way to ease yourself into the hosta madness.

More Information and Registration Forms can be found on the Wisconsin Hosta Society Page.

Most asked about trees/shrubs in my yard Part 3

2011-06-21T06:52:00.000-05:00

Smoke Bush (my dad kept referring to it as a Burning Bush and confused people:) )

Weeping Siberian Pea Shrub

Tri-colored Beech

Japanese Maple

Most asked about plants part 2

2011-06-20T06:45:00.018-05:00

One of the most frequently asked about plants in my garden was Persicaria (or follopia), sometimes also known as Painter's Palette. I have a few different varieties in my yard. Some people from the Southern states might see it, and think, "Oh My, you put that weed in your garden!" But here in Wisconsin it is very well behaved. Tomorrow I will post the most frequently asked about trees and shrubs in my yard.

Hosta 'Big Daddy'

Masterwort (this one is Ruby Cloud)

Most asked about plants/trees in my garden Part 1

2011-06-19T06:42:00.000-05:00

After having the garden walk yesterday, I decided to post my most frequently asked about plants. I'm hoping it will be helpful to anyone to stopped by and didn't have a chance to write something down or asked me about them. I will do another post tomorrow with more plants.

My climbing roses which are John Cabot and William Baffin, and do just fine in part sun.

Ligularia japonica

Rudbeckia Herbstonne

Ligularia Osiris Fantaisie

Astilboides tabularis

Preview to tomorrow's garden walk

2011-06-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

Here are some small things you might not notice if you go on tomorrow's garden walk. I am hoping that the weather holds out, as I have heard about 5 different weather forecasts. Almost all of the forecasts involve rain at one point during the day. Hope to see some of you tomorrow!
Jen

Meeting Erin Davisson and being on local news

2011-06-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

The Cheesehead Garden was featured on local news station WFRV channel 5 tonight, as part of a segment about the upcoming Garden Discoveries garden walk. I was very excited to meet news anchor, Erin Davisson, as we both love technology and gardening. It's not a common combination! We have been in touch with each other over technology and have a lot of friends in common, but we had never met in person. It was such a great experience, as Erin is as winderful in person as she is on TV.

Erin and Eric (the camera man) visited both my garden and my friend Gina's garden (whom will also be on the garden walk). Here are some pictures:

Eric doing some garden shots

Eric videoing an interview between Erin and Gina

Myself and Erin Davisson

The segment that aired tonight was about the garden walk, and at a later date a segment will air about being a garden blogger. I can not thank her enough for coming out, meeting me, and letting me share my garden with an even bigger audience. I somehow see a plant shopping roadtrip in our future.....

Here is the video from tonight's news:
http://www.wfrv.com/news/greenscene/Garden-Discoveries-Tour-6152011-123940919.html

Garden Walk

2011-06-12T21:23:00.000-05:00

Well the yard is finally starting to shape up. I can't believe that the garden walk is this coming Saturday. For those of you who don't know, my yard will be one of the eight gardens featured on the Garden Discoveries garden walk presented by the Outagamie County Master Gardeners.

The walk is Saturday, June 18th from 10am-4pm. The cost is $5 (anyone over 12) and 2 can goods. Proceeds will go to St Joseph's food pantry, and the Outagamie County Master Gardeners for education programs. You can start at any of the eight gardens.

Here are complete details: http://www.ocmga.net/pdf/2011%20Garden%20Discoveries.pdf

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T16:45:00.000-05:00

Seed GROW 2011

2011-06-03T19:16:00.000-05:00

Last year as part of the Seed GROW project sponsored by Renee's Garden, garden bloggers from around the United States including myself grew Nasturtium 'Spitfire'. I am very excited to be chosen once again to be part of the Seed GROW project.

This year Renee's Garden has provided everyone in the Seed GROW project with the following free seeds:

Lettuce, Container, "Garden Babies"

Exclusive - These babies have softly folded leaves, a lovely buttery texture and outstanding sweet taste. Ideal for containers, Garden Babies are slow bolting, heat tolerant, and make compact 6 heads at maturity.

Basil, Container, "Italian Cameo"

Exclusive - From our best Italian breeder. Easy growing and deliciously fragrant, Cameo has closely packed, luscious big leaves and a compact 6- 8 inch habit. Perfect for containers, window boxes or edging garden beds.

Marigold, "Summer Splash"

Exclusive - This flower powerhouse offers crisp blue-green foliage literally covered with sunny yellow, cheerful blossoms. These plants bloom nonstop and are more heat, rain tolerant than any marigold we've seen.

Here in Wisconsin we have had a very cold spring. The soil wasn't even warm enough to consider planting seeds until this week. I had planted the lettuce a few weeks ago, but some hungry bunnies ate the sprouts so this is all that is left.

The Marigold "Summer Splash" seeds actually germinated really fast. I planted them on Monday and some of the seeds have already germinated.

I am trying my Basil "Italian Cameo" in this planter. I hope it works out!

I'm growing with the SeedGROW project. Thanks to Renees Garden for the seeds.

Watch those hostas grow!

2011-05-29T22:42:00.000-05:00

It's amazing to me just how fast hostas can grow. Hostas love cool and wet weather, which is exactly how we could describe our spring here in Wisconsin this year. Hostas are water loving plants, so instead of fertilizer they just need rain. These pictures were snapped of my hosta beds just over the past three weeks.

Back Bed

Rhubarb Custard Pie

2011-05-16T20:52:00.001-05:00

Rhubarb loves cool weather, so it's been a great spring for rhubarb. I decided to harvest my first batch of rhubarb tonight, and decided to make a rhubarb custard pie. I will admit that I took a short cut and used a store bought pie crust.

1. Cut up 4 cups of Rhubarb. I always find it easy to chop up the rhubarb if I peel away the flat side of the rhubarb (see the curls to the left), and chop the rhubarb with the peeled side down. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Place the chopped rhubarb into a pie shell.

3. Make the custard:

3 cups eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 TB milk
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix together in a bowl

4. Pour mixture over rhubarb.

5. Make crumb topping mixture.

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
cinnamon/nutmeg to taste (optional)
Mix together until crumbly

6. Sprinkle crumb topping on top of pie

7. Place in the oven, it's best to place pie on top of cookie sheet so if it boils over the cookie sheet will catch it. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes.

8. Take out of oven and let cool, usually best to cool for a few hours or overnight, if you can wait that long.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T19:07:00.000-05:00

Pics from May 7th, 2011

2011-05-07T14:51:00.001-05:00

Midwest Hosta Convention "Isthmus in July" Madison, Wisconsin

2011-04-30T06:51:00.001-05:00

If you really love hosta, I highly encourage you to attend the Midwest Regional Hosta Convention which will be in Madison, Wisconsin this year. The convention will take place July 7-9.

What's a hosta convention?
In short, it's a gathering of people who love hostas.

What can you expect to see or do?
You can expect to see hostas, of course. There will be hosta vendors from around the country selling hostas, and opportunities to tour beautiful hosta gardens in the area.

Where can I find more information?
http://wihostasociety.com/html/2011_convention.html

Do I have to attend all days?
No, you can just come for a day.

Not to be missed?
The Friday night hosta auction is usually something to be seen, unless you have a very strong weakness for hosta and won't be able to control yourself.

What a difference one week can make

2011-04-27T05:11:00.001-05:00

Last week we had 10 inches of snow....this week: lots of rain.

Visit to Thistledown Greenhouse

2011-04-23T15:31:00.000-05:00

It was time once again for my early spring visit out to Thistledown Greenhouse. I usually go the first day they open, but the weather here has not been cooperative. Thistledown is located between Black Creek and Bonduel, and is a great place to visit. The owners are so nice and helpful, and they carry a wide range of plants from succulents, annuals, perennials, cacti, and plants for miniature gardens. Here are some pictures from my trip, and I am going to try to put some of my succulent containers together today. So I might post more pictures tomorrow. If you would like more information about Thistledown, you can visit their website or visit them on Facebook.