Native Plants

(native azalea)
Native Plants: What are they and why should I plant them?

Native plants are plants that grow wild in the local forests, ditches, fields, meadows, and dunes. They're not only tough, they're beautiful. They are used to the local ebb and flow of rainfall and need less fertilizer (decreasing run off). They are used to the local soil and soil issues...drainage, etc...They also provide shelter and food for native wildlife.

What is an invasive plant? An invasive plant is a plant that displaces native plants, thus disrupting the local ecosystem. An invasive plant can alter the wildlife by taking away the food sources. It can even destroy a forest. Examples of invasive plants: Bradford pear, kudzu, Fall blooming clematis, Japanese honeysuckle, speedwell, butterfly bush, burning bush...the list seems to grow every year.

There are native trees, shrubs and perenninals to fit every area of your garden. From shade to sun, moist to dry. So the next time you see a pretty flower along the side of the road think about buying it at your local nursery. Think about planting NATIVES.

The following posts are some of my very favorite native plants I use or have used in my cottage garden designs and my own garden, too...

Fall/Winter Lawn Care

Now that the heat of the summer has dissipated, fall fertilizers can be applied. Use a 'winterizer' fertilizer. This is a low nitrogen fertilizer (it's the first number in the fertilizer ratio). Nitrogen makes plants green and grow. You don't want that now. The second and third numbers...phosphorus and potassium help with root growth and over all vigor of the plant.

A fall application of fertilizer will help you lawn get through the harshness of winter and give it a jump on spring.

In January, apply lime to sweeten the soil. In late February or early March apply a pre-emergent to keep the annual weed seed from germination. Pre-emergents come with fertilizer or without.

You can now begin to over seed you lawn. There is no harm in over seeding you lawn in both fall and spring. The thicker your lawn, the less weeds you will have. They can't get a foot hold or they're shaded out. Yeah!

Cattleya Orchid Care

Cattleya Orchid (Corsage Orchid)

Catts are high light orchids. So they can get rather large for a windowsill, but you can find dwarfs these days. These ladies, are the orchids you wore to the prom...if you can remember it. A western or southern window is best and you must protect your orchid from burning in the direct sun of summer with a sheer or open blinds.

Feed you catt 3 out of 4 waterings with an orchid fertilizer.

Catts have large pseudobulbs, the swellings at the bottom of the plant, so they are very drought tolerant. Plant your catt in well draining bark. In winter the cattleya must be kept dry. Water only every two weeks...even if it's in bloom. Once you see growth in the spring, up your watering schedule to once a week. To bring your catt into bloom you must have the proper light and cool evening temperatures. Many cattleyas are fragrant.

Dendrobium Orchid Care

Dendrobium Orchid

Dendrobiums grow best in high indirect sunlight. A western or southern window give proper light exposure which should be filtered in the summer months with a sheer or open blinds. Dendrobiums have pseudobulbs that let them store water, so they don't need as much water as other orchids. Water once a week in winter and spring. Twice in summer. Use a humidity tray (covered in phal care posting) to raise the humidity around the orchid. Dendrobiums bloom once a year on new stalks. They are heavy feeders. Feed three out of four waterings with an even orchid fertilizer. In fall stop feeding and pull back on the water to only once a week until the flower stalks appear at the top of a cane. Increase water to regular schedule until flowers open, then once a week (YET AGAIN!) to keep flowers longer. Cool night temperatures help with blooming.

Dendrobiums like to be pot bound. It is not unusual to see a two foot tall dendrobium in a four inch pot. If it keeps falling over, like mine, place the whole thing in a larger decorative pot.

Oncidium Orchid Care

Oncidium Orchid Care (Dancing Lady Orchid)

Oncidiums are high light orchids. That means they grow high up in the trees in the rainforest where the sunlight is stronger. They still like their strong light diffused by sheers or open blinds (western or southern window). If an oncidium refuses to bloom it can be one of three things.

Not enough light, not enough water or it is too pot bound. The first two are common sense. Up the light, up the water. If it is potbound, divide it or put it in a bigger pot. Pseudobulbs that have already bloomed will never bloom again, but if you divide the plant, the pseudobulbs will make new orchids that will bloom. Cool evening temperatures will also aide in the blooming process. Oncidiums bloom once a year.

Note: If oncidiums are splashed with cold water, their leaves will spot. This will not harm the orchid, it simply looks unsightly, so have a care when watering and do not spritz the leaves. Put it on a humidity tray (covered in phal care)

Phalaenopsis Orchid Care

Phalaenopisis

Orchid (Moth Orchid)

The moth orchid is the longest blooming and easiest orchid to grow. Typically, the phal will bloom for 3 to 5 months, given the correct care and environment.

Moth orchids enjoy an eastern window with some morning sun, but can be grown in a sunnier location given protection from harsh direct afternoon sunlight. A sheer curtain or lowered blinds should be sufficient.

Although Phalaenopsis are somewhat drought tolerant and like to dry out in between waterings, they have no pseudobulbs, no way of storing water, so proper watering is essential. In winter a four inch plant will probably need to be watered twice a week. A six inch plant, once. In summer the four inch will need water every three or four days. A six inch once a week. These are general guidelines. Every environment is different, so you may have to adjust your schedule. If you see wrinkled leaves or yellow leaves, this may be a sign of underwatering. Moss potted orchids stay moist for a longer period, so be aware. It is recommended by this author that orchids be repotted in bark as soon as possible to allow for better air circulation around their root systems.

An easy way to thoroughly water any orchid is to soak it in the sink or a bowl for five to ten minutes. Drain it, then return it to its home on the window sill.

Don't be alarmed if the velemen roots climb out of the pot or attach themselves to the pot. This is how they anchor themselves to trees. Most orchids do not grow in soil or the ground.

All orchids require high humidity and most growers or hobbyists recommend keeping them on a dry well or humidity tray. This is simply a saucer with pebbles in it. Keep it full of water, but don't let the plant sit in water. As the water evaporates, the humidity is raised.

Most orchids love to be fed. Feed them a balanced orchid fertilizer (20-20-20) three out of four waterings. The fourth watering will wash out any potential salt build up.

To bring a moth orchid into bloom there must be a 15 degree temperature differential between night and day for one month. This occurs naturally on the windowsill during winter. A bloomboster fertilizer also helps.

After your moth orchid finishes its bloom sequence there is a trick you can pull on it to get it to send out a side shoot of blooms. Cut the bloom stalk off between the last node (small rounded bump on the stalk) and where the first flower was attached to the stalk. Within a month a new shoot should appear. This is sucessful about 60% of the time and usually happens automatically if the stalk is accidentally broken near the top.

Please feel free to post questions, tips or pictures of your orchids here!

Fall Perennial Garden Clean Up

Since I am big on wildlife, especially birds and butterflies in my garden, I don't do much fall clean up. I leave all the flowers to go to seed for mother nature to scatter and give me suprise seedlings in the spring I can transplant or leave be.

Many birds including my favorite...finches, love the seed from flowers. Coneflower seed is a favorite of all finches. Leaving all this litter will help the animals forage throughout the winter and will also give them cover from preditors. For toads, salamanders, snakes, this gives them a place to hybernate. For insect such as praying mantis and butterflies, a place to lay their eggs until spring.

By cleaning up in spring instead of fall, you invite wildlife into your garden. Don't forget to hang a birdfeeder or two and sit out some water.