September
29, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter
© Kim
Willis
Hi Gardeners
 |
| One full window |
I spent the
weekend moving my most vulnerable houseplants back inside- some 40 of them and
I still have the hardier plants like geraniums to move back in and I estimate that’s
about 30 more pots. I’ll be moving those inside in the next couple days. It’s a
major undertaking but I love my houseplants.
If you haven’t moved your houseplants inside better hurry. It’s going to get cold this week. Frost isn’t predicted for the next few days,
but temps below 40 are- and a clear, calm night with radiational cooling may
just get down to frost level- which doesn’t have to be freezing by the way. At least bring in the tropical plants and
very tender perennials.
One of the
biggest plants I had to move is my brugmansia.
In March it was a tiny plant in a 2 inch pot. Now it’s a huge 4 foot tall plant covered in
blooms in a huge pot. Finding a spot for
it was hard. We have a cage full of
parakeets in the living room now and the plant had to be far enough from them
so they couldn’t possibly nibble it since it’s poisonous. But it still needs good light. The big window in the living room also has to
have the other big pots, hibiscus, lemon tree, huge dracaena in it. I ended up buying a floor lamp with what is
called a “sunlight” bulb and putting that over the brugmansia. I’m not real thrilled with the brightness of
the light- we’ll see how the plant reacts.
I do love
the wonderful smell of the brugmansia flowers in the evening.
 |
| The brugmansia, still gorgeous. |
Every
window in my house has plants, or will have them soon as I finish bringing them
in. The porch holds things like tuberous
begonias, pineapple lilies, rain lilies and so on that go dormant after a while
plus my huge rosemary plant and the overflow of geraniums. Right now it also has a bunch of small spider
plants that need to go somewhere. I
planted my large spider plants in a big tub outside this year where they looked
great. But they let down some tiny
spider plant babies that rooted in the soil beneath the big tub. I couldn’t leave them to die. I also have a ton of cuttings and plant
starts from the purple leaved filler plant Setcreasea pallida 'Purple Heart'. This plant produces tons of foliage stems but
it’s very brittle and very hard to move or transplant without breaking off the
long shoots. I must have a bushel basket
of the stems in water right now. The “mother”
plant looks a bit ragged right now but I have no doubt it will quickly re-grow. See an article about Purple Heart below.
I harvested
my Japanese Hull-less popcorn yesterday.
It still needs to dry a bit more before we attempt to pop it and see if
the hulls are really absent. I am also
harvesting a good crop of fall raspberries.
I am keeping my eye on several nice watermelons in the garden, hoping
they ripen before frost. I have a ton of
small yellow winged gourds, the only gourds that grew from a mixed seed packet.
The Jerusalem artichokes are blooming. Maximilian sunflowers, mums, dahlias, sweet
autumn clematis, heliopsis, some landscape roses and the tall lovely “Only the
Lonely” nicotiana are keeping the
remaining annuals company.
Leaves are
rapidly falling from the poplars and walnut trees and the other trees are
really starting to show their colors.
There’s a huge crop of acorns and walnuts this year. Maybe the squirrels won’t need to invade my
porch and eat my geraniums this winter.
The birds are leaving soon, maybe tomorrow
Today is a
transition day weather-wise as a cold front moves in. I can feel the wind through my office window
has shifted to out of the north. Tonight
and tomorrow night we will probably see a massive migration of birds from here
going south. Birds are often triggered
to migrate by a cold front and low pressure system moving into an area. A north “tail” wind speeds them on their
way. Many species migrate at night,
clouds of silent birds passing through the moonlit skies. In the day time the birds stop to feed and
rest and birders may get to see many new species passing through the area. On September 20th this year
birders reported large flocks of birds migrating through the night. On the 19th a mild cold front had
occurred. This front will be stronger
and colder.
 |
| Cedar waxwings stay well into fall. sometimes through winter. |
Birds that
leave our area and go south are red winged blackbirds, grackles, robins,
bluebirds, orioles, swallows, most warblers, some sparrows and finches, most
hawks and other birds of prey, turkey vultures, most ducks and other waterfowl,
herons, and hummingbirds. A few
stragglers of all species may stay late into fall, or even all winter. Not all birds leave in mass migrations after
cold fronts, some leave at various other times, some singly or in small groups
also. Some are already long gone, such
as the killdeer, which leave at the end of August.
In Michigan
birds often follow flyways that skirt the shores of the Great Lakes when they
migrate. Great birding spots can be
found at Whitefish Point bird observatory in Paradise in the UP, Lake Erie
Metro Park, Pointe Mouillee State Game Area and Rouge River Bird Observatory in
the eastern Detroit area, Tawas Point
at Tawas Point State Park on Lake Huron, Sand Point near Caseville, Port Austin
State park, Fish Point wildlife area between Unionville and Sebewaing, Wild
Fowl Bay State park in the Saginaw bay on Middle Grounds Island. On the west side of the state Ludington and
Muskegon State parks are good for birders.
A few birds
will be returning to Michigan from points farther north this fall instead of
leaving. Michigan Audubon will host its annual Crane Fest at the Environmental
Interpretive Center, Baker Sanctuary, University of Michigan-Dearborn at 4901
Evergreen Road, Dearborn on October 10-11th. Hundreds of people gather each year to watch
sandhill cranes return to the sanctuary. The sanctuary is about six miles northwest of
the intersection of I-94 and I-69. The
festival runs each day from noon until dark.
Festival activities include speakers, nature exhibits, an art fair, and
fall themed food concessions as well as watching hundreds of cranes fly back
home. The best crane viewing is usually
5 pm until dark. Admission is free but
there is a small fee for parking. For
more information go to: http://www.cranefest.org/
Other birds
that use Michigan as their “south” will be showing up at bird feeders
soon. This includes white throated and
tree sparrows, junco’s, Northern Goshawk, Snowy Owls, Red Breasted nuthatch,
Brown creepers, Golden Crowned kinglets, Snow buntings, purple finches, and
pine siskins.
So fill up
those seed and suet feeders and get ready for a new season of birds. If you don’t feed the birds all summer,
starting now with feeding will help some species fuel up for the long flight
south and attract those arriving from the north. You may get to see some unusual species as
they migrate through at your feeders.
Other good places to look for fall migrants other than the observation
points mentioned above include ponds, lakes and wetlands, and areas with lots
of berries or standing fruit.
I
personally keep my hummingbird feeders filled until the end of September. I saw a hummingbird Thursday, the 24th
but haven’t seen any since. I suspect
they may have left before the cold front rush, smart birds. I saw turkey vultures yesterday and heard
robins, so those birds have yet to leave.
The robins usually don’t leave here until they have stripped the Autumn
Olives of their berries.
Growing Purple Heart or Setcreasea
pallida
Purple
Heart is an easy to grow, pretty plant that has a variety of uses. It’s purple and pink toned foliage and trailing
stems makes it a good “filler” or “spiller” in containers or hanging
baskets. It makes a good houseplant too. The purple foliage tones go particularly well
when combined with golden leaved plants. Setcreasea
pallida is also known as Tradescantia
pallida in older references and common names include spider plant (we have
far too many plants named this) and purple spiderwort.
 |
| Purple Heart in a container. |
In its
native Mexico Purple Heart is a rather invasive ground cover and it can perform
that function here too. It’s only hardy
to planting zone 7 and then only when well protected. But since it grows rapidly gardeners in
colder zones could plant it in spring for good ground cover by mid-summer.
Purple
Heart is purchased as a plant. Seed is
almost never produced or available but the plant is very easy to start from
cuttings. The stems of Purple Heart are
succulent and sprawling, with prominent leaf joints, up to 18 inches long, and
are purple or violet in color. The leaves
clasp the stem and are narrow and pointed.
Leaves range in color from purple to pink and may be variegated in
various colors of pink, purple, violet and lavender. Color of the foliage is best in brighter
light conditions. Tiny, pink flowers
appear on branch tips occasionally.
Care of Purple Heart
 |
| Pink variegation of Purple Heart. |
Purple Heart
is extremely forgiving of most conditions and most gardeners should have no
trouble growing it- and sharing it with friends. It will grow in full sun or partial shade. In
the house Purple Heart should have bright light conditions to keep the plant
from getting spindly. It likes even,
regular watering, but its succulent characteristics make it able to survive
short dry conditions. Containers or soil
that Purple Heart is planted in should be well draining, because too moist
conditions will rot the roots and stems. If you want even more abundant, rapid
growth give it a light feeding of all-purpose garden fertilizer several times a
year.
Purple Heart
has few insect or disease problems although it may be eaten by slugs and snails
outside. Purple Hearts biggest drawback is its succulent stems which break off
easily. They grow back quickly in good
conditions but it makes the plant a chore to move or transplant. You’ll want to keep it out of windy areas or
places where it is frequently bumped.
You can pinch off the tips of long shoots to make the plant branch more,
but the shorter plant stems are still quick to snap off. Prune it to any length you need to keep it
out of the way.
 |
| Purple Heart flower. |
Purple
Heart will root incredibly easily so all of those broken stems and pinched off
tips don’t need to be wasted. Stick them
in a pot of moist soil, with at least one leaf joint under the soil and you
should have plants to share in no time.
Instead of bringing in a large plant for the winter you may want to
bring in cuttings. Be aware when
handling Purple Heart stems that some people get mild rash/reaction from the
fluid that leaks out.
As a plant
that grows easily and can be shared easily too, Purple Heart is a winner for
containers outside or a trailing houseplant inside.
Decorating with gourds
Gourds are
abundant and inexpensive and they may be your solution to a holiday decorating
dilemma. Gourds can be used in a variety of ways for the holidays and your
imagination is the only limit. Gourds are safe, natural decorations and can
usually be bought locally, making them a “green” choice.
There are
many types of gourds; from huge bushel basket size round gourds to tiny
colorful crescent shaped ones. Gourds and pumpkins are closely related, but
gourds have thinner flesh that dries better than pumpkins. Small pumpkins can
be used for temporary decorating, but they usually mold or rot instead of
drying nicely like gourds.
Selecting gourds
Start by
picking gourds that appeal to you or that give you immediate ideas for
decorating. If they aren’t dry yet, you will need to give them a couple of
weeks of drying time before cutting them or painting them, but they can be used
fresh in baskets or bowls for immediate color. If you are growing gourds they
are ready to pick when they detach easily from the vine. Light frost won’t hurt
the gourds but pick them before a freeze. If you can let them dry naturally on
the vine it’s great, but if fall weather is cool and rainy they may dry better
indoors.
Wipe newly
acquired gourds with one of the bleach saturated kitchen wipes or with a cloth
dipped in a solution of 1/3 cup bleach to 1 cup water. Then dry with a clean
cloth. This helps prevent mold. To dry gourds place them in a spot that’s
bright and warm, but not in direct sunlight. Gourds are dry when you can hear
the seeds rattling around inside. If you cut into the gourd for your decorative
idea, remove the seeds. Otherwise it’s fine to leave them inside.
A glue gun
and a drill with hole cutting attachments will help you turn your gourds into
exciting decorating items. Gourds can be painted with acrylic craft paints if
the natural color isn’t suitable. A clear acrylic craft sealer will keep colors
fresh and help prevent gourds from molding or rotting.
A simple
way to use gourds is to pile attractive colored gourds in a basket or dish.
Dried flowers or artificial flowers can be tucked in the container, as well as
such things as pine cones, nuts and seed pods.
Larger
gourds can have holes drilled in them large enough to accept small vases, or
votive candle holders. Never put water directly in gourds or use candles in
them without glass or metal holders. Dried or artificial flowers can be
inserted directly into dried gourds. Larger holes could hold candy or snack
bowls.
Cutting
gourds with a drill and attachment can be tricky, put the drill on a low speed
to avoid cracking and splitting. Draw guidelines or a pattern on the gourd to
guide you and practice on less desirable gourds until you master the skill.
Some people drill a small hole and then cut out the rest of the hole with a
knife or small hand saw.
Gourds can
be painted but make sure the gourd is thoroughly dry before painting or mold is
likely to develop. Place them in a warm place to dry after painting. Paint
helps protect the gourd, but you may also want to spray or brush on a clear
sealer coat.
A glue gun
can help you bind two or more gourds together. A space left in the center can
hold a vase for fresh flowers, or a dried arrangement. Glue guns can also
attach small gourds to larger ones, if both gourds are dry. To attach fresh
gourds to each other use short pieces of toothpicks or wooden skewers. Small
screws can also be used with fresh or dried gourds.
Your gourds
can last several years if properly stored. Wrap them in unprinted paper, not
plastic and store in a dry location. Newspaper or other printed paper may
transfer print to the gourd’s surface. Plastic may hold too much moisture and
cause mold.
Gourds can
make good Christmas or even spring decorations as well as Thanksgiving or
Halloween décor, you just need to change the colors. Here are a few more
suggestions.
Cut the top
off a large round gourd to form a bowl shape. Paint the gourd brown or add a
sealer to protect the natural color. Place a plastic bowl inside and fill with
cheese corn or caramel corn. Paint the gourd red or green and add a bowl of
colorfully wrapped chocolate kisses, tiny candy canes or other candy. Small
round gourds could hold a cupcake paper full of candy.
Paint a
round gourd deep blue and pile it full of small, gold glass Christmas “balls”.
Or make it forest green and gild pinecones with gold paint or glitter and fill
the bowl. Handles can be attached or a clever person can carve the handle out
of the top of the bowl instead of cutting straight across.
Several
small gourds glued together can hold a place card, or a rolled napkin. They can
form a tripod for a single small pumpkin, a pretty glass Christmas ornament, or
votive candle.
Odd shaped
gourds can be painted to resemble snakes, penguins, swans, lizards, mice or
whatever your imagination comes up with. Painted small gourds can actually be hung
on the Christmas tree for natural ornaments. Drill a hole at the top and insert
a ribbon or wire to hang them.
Taller
gourds make excellent vases. You may need to glue a small piece of wood on the
bottom to make them sit flat. Prescription pill containers or plastic cups make
good liners to hold water for fresh flowers. Fill the gourd with dry rice to
anchor dried or artificial flower arrangements.
Gourds and
your creative mind will make holiday decorating a snap.
Fall leaves are your gift from nature
Tree leaves
are nature’s gift to you each fall. All summer long the tree has been drawing
nutrients from the soil and creating food from sunlight and now some of those
nutrients are in each of those leaves decorating your lawn. You can choose to
throw those nutrients away, spending hours of time raking and bagging them, or
worse, using a gas guzzling, noisy, emission spewing leaf blower to move them
somewhere else. Or you can choose to keep nature’s gift and return those
valuable nutrients to your soil.
Some people
worry that if they let leaves lay on the lawn they will smother the grass. It
is true that a heavy, thick layer of wet leaves can cause some patches of lawn
to die. Nature seldom lets this happen because the leaves get stirred around by
fall and winter winds and rarely make thick layers in a natural situation. If
this worries you or you don’t like the “messy” look of leaves on the lawn the
solution is simple. On a dry day get your lawn mower, preferably with a
mulching blade, set it to mow about 3 inches high and make a couple passes over
your lawn.
Leaves that
are cut into small pieces by the mower will settle into the lawn and soon be
decomposed, returning those captured nutrients to the soil and the trees that
shed the leaves. In a very short time you will never know they were there. You
can wait until all the leaves have fallen, or mow every few days, depending on
how many leaves you are given.
There is
one good reason to rake leaves and that is to use them for compost or organic
improvement for your vegetable and flower beds. Better yet, use the bagged
leaves your neighbors have spent all that labor on and just mow yours. Leaves
can go directly into compost piles, whole or shredded. They can also be piled
on bare vegetable beds. Leaves can be left in those plastic bags and stored dry
somewhere to add to compost piles in the spring and summer when dry matter is
needed to balance wet matter.
Before
using leaves to mulch dormant perennials, most leaves should be shredded. Oak
leaves and leaves that are very small already, such as honey locust leaves, are
an exception. They can be used “as is.” Other leaves may matt and mold if used
whole and in quantity. You can buy leaf shredders or you can place a layer of
leaves in a large trash can, insert a “weed wacker” and chop them up. Wear
safety goggles and keep your face away from the can opening if you do this in
case foreign objects were in the leaves. Shredded leaves can be used generously
to mulch perennial beds.
If you are
thinking of building a new flower or vegetable bed in a turf area next spring
the smothering effect of large amounts of whole leaves can be used to your
advantage. Outline your new bed, mow the existing vegetation as short as
possible and pile on the leaves, a foot or more high. You may want to lay some
fence wire or burlap across the leaves and weigh it down to keep the wind from
stealing your leaves over the winter.
Never throw
a gift away. Nature gave you the leaves
so use them wisely.
I'm glad everyone survived the blood moon.
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
Events, classes and other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Do you have plants or
seeds you would like to swap or share?
Post them here by emailing me.
Four inch
pots of spider plant (house plant) absolutely free. Also cuttings of Purple Heart. If you want one contact me, (Kim)
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch. Now open.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a
link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in
Michigan.
Here’s a
link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now
combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston
and Brighton locations
Here’s a
link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann
Arbor, Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214
Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/education/progs/springprograms/
Here’s a
link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Newsletter
information
If you would
like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer
opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will
print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to
me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes.
You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any
individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do
reserve the right to publish what I want.
I write this
because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across
in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and
horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you
don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who
would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to
me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete