January 9, 2018 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog

Hi Gardeners

Calla lilies

We are experiencing a January thaw, the first one of many I hope.  It’s very welcome after the brutal cold last week.  We got about 4 inches on snow on Sunday, which is less than many of you got I know.  Tomorrow we may get rain.

It’s hard to say how this winter will affect my plants, and there is still much winter left to experience.  I do know that the deer have already munched on the arborvitae and euonymus.  My blinking solar lights stopped working in places and it was just too cold to mess with them.  In one spot the deer ran through the wires and broke them.  The big rats (deer)  are also eating out of the bird feeder in front and I have had to stop filling it as I will not feed deer.  That’s too close to my tulips and hosta and various other plants they will destroy if they get used to coming close to the house where the feeder is.

 I am still filling the feeders in the back yard.  The dogs keep the deer out of there. Those feeders have been quite busy.  There are big flocks of junco’s feeding on the ground.  They sometimes come under the feeders for spilled seed but most of the time they seem to be scavenging out further in the yard. 

 Inside my lemon tree has a few blooms.  They are much tinier than the flowers it had outside last summer.  There are a few small lemons maturing on the tree now from those blooms.  The humidity was so low in the house last week when the furnace ran constantly that I was boiling water and misting plants to try and keep them healthy.  Still the buds from one of my new Christmas cacti have fallen off, disappointing. 

 Speaking of humidity, my son gave me a pretty salt lamp for Christmas.  Himalayan salt lamps are very popular.  This is a large lantern shaped one with chunks of pinkish orange salt surrounding a light bulb. I do like the light, it’s a soothing color.  But these lamps do lower humidity in the house as salt attracts moisture.  Many people think they alter the ions in the air and purify it.  They may alter ions in the air, but scientific studies have found that the effect is so small it’s not measurable.

 Salt lamps also do not purify the air.  No scientific study has found that they kill dust mites or attract enough particles in the air to do any good. There’s no reason to believe they would benefit plants in any way. I will continue to use the lamp because it’s a pleasant warm light and because my son gave it to me with good intentions. I keep a matt under the salt lamp because a salt deposit will form under them that can harm surfaces.

Perennial plant of the year

Allium 'Millenium'

The Perennial Plant Association’s pick for perennial plant of the year is the allium ‘Millenium’.  (Yes, the spelling is correct.) This allium has been around since 2000, when Plant Delights Nursery introduced it.  This allium has round rosy purple flower heads in late spring/early summer and grass like foliage that stays nice looking all summer.  ‘Millenium’ has proven itself all across the country in zones 4-9. It is a hybrid of two species, Allium nutans and A. lusitanicum.  It produces less seed than other alliums, so it doesn’t spread as aggressively.  The root system is fibrous rather than bulbs.

 And this pretty allium can add that purple color that’s in vogue to your garden this year. Alliums have the added benefit of being deer and rabbit proof.

New purple plants for 2018

Last week I mentioned that the garden color of the year was purple.  If you like purple and want to add some new plants to the garden, here’s some of the newest purple foliage or flowering plants.

In annuals look for Supertunia Mulberry Charm, mounded vigorous plants for containers or beds, Mulberry Charm has light lavender flowers with a deep purple center. Superbena Stormburst is a deep purple verbena that blooms prolifically through the summer. Rockin' Deep Purple salvia is an annual salvia with a pretty purple color and a compact, continuous flowering habit.  These annuals should be available at many retail garden stores.

Want a vegetable that’s purple?  Try the new garden pea Sugar Magnolia Purple.  (Seed sold by Burpee’s.)  It has attractive bi-color flowers in violet and dark purple that turn into dark purple pods.  When split open the pods reveal light green insides. They make excellent snap or shelled peas, very sweet and tender.  The vines are vigorous, climbing to 6 feet.

Now let’s get to those perennial purple plants.  Remember perennial plants should be around for a while, so make sure a purple plant or purple flowers are what you want.  Purple foliage plants are excellent accent plants and look good when planted with lime green or chartreuse plants.

Heuchera Forever™ Purple is a new coral bells that will bring purple to the shade garden. This heuchera won many awards in trials across the country.  It survives both heat and cold and is hardy through zone 4.  The ruffled leaves are a blend of purple shades laced with silver.  The color seems to change with the light changes through the day.  A bonus is the sprays of rosy purple flowers that pop up over the foliage in summer.  You can find it at Bluestone Perennials.

New Vintage^™ Violet Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) This yarrow has compact size and dense clusters of fragrant violet purple flowers in summer.  It’s a re-blooming yarrow for long lasting color. It’s hardy to zone 4a and a lover of sunny areas.  Available at many retailers, including High Country Gardens.

Achillea Vintage Violet

Rainbow Rhythm® 'Storm Shelter' daylily – there are so many daylilies I find it hard to tell some of them apart but this one is a very pretty one.  It has a deep purple center, lighter purple toward the petal edges with a narrow band of dark purple around each petal edge.  Storm Shelter is a fragrant re-bloomer.  It’s a Proven Winners® plant available at many garden stores.

'Storm Shelter'

Arctic Blaze Purple Salvia -  this is a salvia hardy to zone 6.  The plants are compact and bloom all through summer. Its tall pretty purple flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies and it is drought resistant. You can buy it at Burpee Seeds.

'Arctic Blaze' - Burpee

Winecraft Black^®  smokebush is a compact new smokebush being introduced by Proven Winners®.   This smoke bush has deep purple spring foliage that deepens to black in summer.  In fall it blazes in red and orange tones.  In summer it has wispy clouds of small pink flowers that seem to hover like smoke. At 4-5 feet tall it’s a better choice for smaller gardens than some older varieties. Hardy to zone 4a.  You should be able to find this plant at many greenhouses and nurseries this spring.

 

'Winecraft Black'

Pearl Glam® beautyberry (Callicarpa x) was introduced last year but worth mentioning.  It has dark purple foliage, white flowers in summer and brings that purple color to the winter season with clusters of purple berries left after the leaves drop. It has a compact upright growth pattern and does not need a pollinator.  Hardy to zone 5a and another Proven Winners® plant that should be available in good garden stores.

'Pearl Glam'

Next week I’ll feature some new plants that aren’t purple.  If you need a link to garden sites/stores check out the page on the right side of the blog – or click on https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/have-youreceived-any-garden-catalogs-in.html

Regional Garden symposiums

Going to a garden seminar or symposium in the winter is a fun thing to do and there are hundreds of them across the country.  Here are a couple quick links to some larger regional ones.

The Perennial Plant Association and The Morton Arboretum (near Chicago) are teaming up to offer a day-long symposium entitled, ‘Plants for Pollinators.’  Saturday, February 3, 2018, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  For more information go to REGISTER NOW ›

Mid-Atlantic Regional Perennial Plant Symposium February 24, 2018, Baltimore, Maryland-- "Perennially Inspired"

For more information go here Register now!

Vivipary in plants

Have you ever cut a tomato or orange open and found seeds sprouting inside?  Some people are very shocked when they find this and a common thought that circulates on social media after pictures are shared is to blame the condition on genetic modification (GMO).  Many people then go on to condemning certain companies and it starts getting a little ridiculous.

Vivipary is the correct name for the process that causes seeds to start sprouting when they are inside the fruit. ( Note: in some references this phenomenon is called phyllody.)  It’s actually quite common under certain circumstances and in some plant species, (mangroves are one), it’s actually normal.  But many, many types of flowering plants occasionally have seeds that germinate inside fruit instead of waiting to be planted.

Seedlings may poke right through fruit walls, although they are most often found when cutting fruit open.  Sometimes the fruit may still be on the plant or it can be in storage.  I have seen vivipary in tomatoes, peppers, apples, corn, strawberries and oranges, although these are just a few species that can develop vivipary.

 

Vivipary  in sweet corn

Vivipary has many causes.  There is sometimes a genetic cause, some strains of certain plants are more likely to have hormonal imbalances that are a cause of vivipary. Even organic, open pollinated varieties of plants can have seed vivipary.  If vivipary becomes common in a cultivar of a plant breeding programs may try to modify the trait or the strain may be removed from sale because it causes storage problems and people tend to avoid fruits with squiggly things growing in them.

To keep seeds dormant until they are in proper planting conditions requires a balancing act between two hormones; gibberellin and abscisic acid.  This balance may be upset by environmental conditions, too much nitrogen fertilizer, cold or heat at the wrong stages of plant development, wet storage conditions and other things.  Some fungus and phytoplasms (bacteria-like parasites) secrete or alter the hormones and can cause vivipary.

In corn vivipary is often caused when corn is left standing in a field until it’s dry and then it gets very wet.  Sometimes when fruits like tomatoes or ears of corn lay on wet soil the seeds inside will begin to sprout. Cold, moist and dark storage conditions may cause the seeds in tomato fruits to germinate. It’s always better to store raw tomatoes out of a refrigerator.

Vivipary does not make fruits harmful to consume, although in some cases it might alter the taste.  People actually eat sprouted seeds anyway.  You can discard the sprouted seeds or try to grow them. Just place the sprouted seeds in a good potting medium if you want to grow them. (In strawberries, where the seeds are on the outside of what we call the fruit, the seeds that sprout on the fruit may not develop a root system.)  Remember that many fruits we consume, tomatoes, corn and so on, are hybrids.  Plants grown from seeds may not look or taste like the parent.

When you open a fruit and see seeds sprouting inside don’t be alarmed.  It’s a simple fluke of nature, and not caused by aliens, radiation, unnatural GMO procedures, round up, global warming or fairies.  If you share pictures of your oddities please make that clear.

Subnivean lifestyle- what’s living under the snow?

The deep snow we have in some areas this year may not seem to have any advantages and other than insulating our favorite garden plants, it probably doesn’t help us humans much.  But under that insulating snow pack many animals, plants and tiny organisms are living quite comfortably. This under the snow world is called a subnivean environment.

 Under a deep layer of snow down near the ground the temperature stays about 32 degrees, which is often much warmer than the surface temperatures.   After a snowfall the warmth from the ground starts melting the snow, causing water vapor to rise and form a crust on the snow’s surface and leaving a drier, light, crystalized area of snow at the bottom. 

 In this fluffy layer protected from wind chill and swings in temperature, mice, voles and pocket gophers happily tunnel.  They tend to socialize more than they do above the snow and form little sleeping colonies in comfy nests where the temperature may rise to 50 degrees or more.

 The concentration of carbon dioxide may rise under the snowpack, which benefits the buried plants but could be harmful to animals.  But mice and voles make small tunnels to the surface to release this gas and they avoid low spots where the CO2 may concentrate.

 Under the snow the tiny animals find seeds, dormant insects and vegetation, (including the stems of some of your garden plants), to eat and they are fairly well protected from predators, although some predators can find them through the snow.  But shrews and weasels enter the subnivean world also, following the tunnels the mice and voles make and gobbling them up.  They may choose to make their own nests under the snow.

Red Squirrels, those pesky small red squirrels with white eye rings also utilize the subnivean world, making tunnels under the snow to look for buried nuts and vegetation.  Some may also make nests there if there are no suitable tree cavities to protect them.  And when there is a good snow pack ruffled grouse dive bomb from trees into the snow, and then tunnel into the snow further, digging out a snow cave to sleep in.  In the Artic seals and polar bears also make snow caves.

 Plants are also happy under the snow and some dim light seeps through the snow, especially toward spring.  Many seeds will start germinating, and moss will grow. Plants like snowdrops develop their buds and begin stretching to the light so they can bloom as soon as they can pop through a melting snowpack. If grass and other vegetation was buried in snow before being exposed to really cold weather it will stay green.  Soil microorganisms will remain active and there are certain microorganisms that have evolved to live very well in the subnivean environment. 

 As deer and rabbits scavenge our landscapes and struggle to survive a brutal winter with a deep snowpack, populations of mice and voles may actually rise.  Shrews and weasels fatten up on them and produce more babies.  Hopefully the hard winter will result in fewer deer and rabbits being born in the spring, but the mouse, vole, shrew and weasel population may be larger.

 If you are a chionophile, or snow lover, you may go for a winter walk on the rooftops of creatures buried below you without any harm.  Just don’t use a snowmobile on top of their homes as this will compact the snow pack and destroy the subnivean world.

 There is some risk to the subnivean population as spring nears.  If a warm up occurs rapidly the snow may melt too rapidly to be absorbed into the ground or evaporate into the atmosphere, and a wet, even flooded environment will occur under the snowpack.  This will drown some animals or give them hypothermia and may also drown plants and germinating seeds.  So as much as we want the warm up to come quickly there are many small creatures out there hoping it doesn’t.

Making your own bird suet cakes

This week’s recipe is for the birds- literally. Many people like feeding the birds in the winter.  One of the top attractions for many winter birds is a suet cake.  Cold winters can be hard on birds and the energy in the suet allows them to make enough fat reserves to keep them warm and healthy.

 Suet cakes aren’t that expensive, but they are often made in foreign countries and let’s face it, they often don’t contain the best ingredients.    You can easily make great bird suet cakes at home that will attract a wide variety of birds. 

 First, you’ll need a form to pour the hot suet mix in to harden.  It should make a block that will fit in your suet feeder.  Deli containers, loaf or cake pans, or foil bake pans can be used. If you don’t have a suet feeder you can make suet blocks and place them inside a net bag, like an onion bag and hang it somewhere for the birds.  Line the mold you use with parchment paper or non-stick foil for easy removal of the block.

 The basic suet mix uses beef suet.  Suet is thick, hard fat. You may have to ask for it at meat counters that cut their own meat - unless you butcher your own beef.  Ask the butcher to grind it for you similar to ground beef.  If you have a meat grinder you can do it at home.  Start with about 2 cups of ground suet.  This will make 2-3 suet cakes, depending on the size.

 Suet can be melted in the microwave but since microwaves vary you’ll have to experiment to see how long it takes.  It will probably average about 10 minutes.  Stay close by and don’t let the suet burn after melting.   You can also melt suet in a double boiler on the stove.

 Suet should be allowed to cool and harden, and then re-melted.  If melted twice the suet gets much harder and won’t be used up as quickly.  After the second melt other dry ingredients are added at the rate of 3 cups of dry ingredients to 2 cups of melted suet.  The added ingredients should be thoroughly mixed in, the mixture packed firmly in molds and allowed to harden.  They are then ready to use.

The dry ingredients are where you can have a little fun and do some experimenting to see what the birds in your yard like the best.  You can use things you have around the house, but you can also purchase seeds or grain at feed or pet stores to mix in. 

 Here are some suggestions for suet cakes. Millet, thistle seed, canary seed, flax seed, quinoa, amaranth, cracked corn, oatmeal, hulled oats, puffed wheat, puffed rice, other crisp, non-sweetened breakfast cereal, hulled sunflowers (small black oiler sunflowers don’t need hulling), peanut chips/pieces, nut meats, preferably chipped, pine nuts, dried peppers, chicken or game bird feed crumbles, cracker or cookie crumbs, popped popcorn, hulled pumpkin seed, raisins or any chopped dried fruit, dry dog or cat food in small pieces.

 Add 3 cups of these ingredients to 2 cups of melted suet. To make two different “flavored” cakes in one batch divide the melted suet and use 1 cup suet to 1-1/2 cup dry ingredients.  You can use 3 cups of the same ingredient or mix several items.  Nuts should have the shells removed before adding to the suet.

A tablespoon or so of peanut butter, or a teaspoon or so of fruit juice can be added for flavor. Don’t use flour, uncooked beans or rice, fresh fruit, sugar, jelly, honey, or candy in suet cakes.

 Keep your unused suet cakes in the refrigerator in a sealed package.    These homemade suet cakes will be softer than purchased cakes in warm weather but can still be used. And birds love suet cakes when they are raising young in the spring.

A good science experiment for the kids (or you) would be to make several kinds of suet cakes and see which ones the birds prefer and what kinds of birds come to eat which suet cakes. The birds will thank you for the homemade treats by putting on a fascinating show as they devour their treats. 

Only 70 days to spring

 Kim Willis

 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

© Kim Willis - no parts of this newsletter may be used without permission.

And So On….

Find Michigan garden events/classes here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

(This is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page)

An interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/623997204362467/?fref=nf

Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/

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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 people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If you are on my mailing list and at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive a notification by email when a new blog is published have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com