How’s Your Garden?

SIMPLE TIMES THE CO-OP PANTRY

BY LOIS TRIGG CHAPLIN

Keeping Oakleaf Pretty Oh, Oh. Squash Bugs

As oakleaf hydrangeas age, they benefit from a lit- Inspect squash plants for squash bugs because tle pruning to encourage new shoots. The time to do they cause damage quickly, especially on a young this is after they bloom, which is now! This improves plant. At first, they are hidden from sight because their vigor, overall shape and bloom. First, cut away they hatch on the underside of the leaves. There the any dead wood if you haven’t already, then cut about tiny pests pierce the leaf with their mouth to suck one quarter of the oldest stems. You will recognize the sap; as they increase, leaves and stems wilt and cololdest stems by their larger girth. It may take a small lapse from feeding damage. The more bugs, the more saw to cut though the oldest at or near ground lev- damage, so it is imperative to get them early before el. This will encourage new shoots to form from the they can multiply. Infestations begin from clusters ground to make new trunks. The plants bloom on old of tiny, football-shaped, bronze eggs on the underwood, so this year’s growth will form next year’s blos- side of leaves. These hatch into green and dark red soms. nymphs that turn light gray and then brown as they age. They feed in groups on the leaves and vines, and then move to the fruit. Squash and pumpkins are favorites, but they may eat watermelon, cucumbers and gourds, too. They tend to start out in one part of the plant and spread quickly. If only a few plants are

involved, it is best to look for the eggs daily and remove them by simply lifting them off with the sticky side of some duct tape. Insecticides that kill the pests also kill bees, which are crucial pollinators, so if you must spray, apply at dusk after bees are not active for the day and the spray can dry before morning. Avoid dusts, which are likely to be picked up by the bees.

Multicolored Perennial for Shade

Heuchera, a perennial wildflower, was widely known as coral bells because of its coral, bell-shaped blossoms in late spring, but gardeners always also appreciated the silvery pattern of the foliage to brighten the shade. But with modern cultivars, the leaves have become its main attraction. They include variegated, multicolored and patterned, or solid color leaves in shades of purple, pink, green, chartreuse, silver and orange. Some have showy flowers, but for most the foliage is the main attraction. Although traditionally used as a woodland plant, these cultivars are showy enough to mix with other plants in containers, too. Of the dozens of cultivars, some do better than others. It pays to try one before buying multiples. After three years of evaluation at the Mount Cuba Center in Wilmington, Delaware, these emerged as the top 10 performers: Citronelle, Bronze Wave, Cajun Fire, Color Dream, Steel City, Caramel, Apple Crisp, Frosted Violet, Southern Comfort and Spellbound. A .pdf of the entire study is available at https://issuu.com/mtcuba/docs/heuchera_report?fr=sZTNiMjI0NjAxNDg. Of course, rely on local garden center, botanical garden, and master gardener for recommendations first.

Begonia Basket in Urn

Instant Color Hack

One way to make an empty container look instantly full is to plant it with a fully grown and blooming hanging basket. Plants are easily slipped out from the basket and planted into the pot. Then presto, it looks like your plant has been growing in it all along. This is a quick trick for sprucing up pots before a party or special event. The one pictured here is planted with a begonia. Lantana, impatiens and verbena are common basket plants that also work very well for this.

What’s Happening to the Squash?

Shriveling squash is often a sign of poor pollination. The flower end of the stem turns soft and brown along with the decaying flower. This often happens during periods of cloudy or wet weather, but the situation should correct itself as the bees return when the weather clears.