Greatgardenswinter2015

WINTER 2015

GREAT

GARDENS Ideas for Smart Gardeners WITH

Back Yard Birding in Winter Mini Houseplants for Tight Spaces Cost-saving Landscape Design Starting Tomatoes from Seed

MAGAZINE

07 Energy Savers

13

Starting Fresh

1|

Great Gardens

03 05 19 22 24 26 27

Editor’s Note A Busy Winter

Our Favorite Things Great Gardening Gear

container Gardening From Trash to Transplants

Small Spaces Little Green Gems

Kids Gardening Back-yard Birding

quote of the season Richard Wilbur

plant profiles Cold Comfort

2|

Great Gardens

At first glance, winter doesn’t offer us gardening folks much to do, does it? When I’m working in my garden in summer and fall, it’s easy to look ahead to winter days and imagine myself just staring out the window, dreaming about garden changes to make in spring and generally pining for the warmth of the sun. The truth is, though, I usually find myself busy with garden-related things in winter, too. Sure, the pace is slower, but there’s no real downtime from being a gardener if you don’t want there to be.

This issue covers a few of my own favorite winter tasks as well as other garden-related indoor pursuits. You’ll read about back-yard birding and how it can help inspire new garden plans. You’ll find houseplants that can cope with little space or chilly drafts. You’ll learn how to battle those drafts, too, with smart landscape design that can lower heating and cooling costs. Read on for these items and more!

— Meghan Shinn :: E d i t o r

3|

Great Gardens

Editorial edit@hortmag.com Community Leader Patty Dunning Editor Meghan Shinn Content Contributors Meghan Shinn, Sandi Crabtree Design & Photography Art Director Bethany Rainbolt Managing Photographer Ric Deliantoni Photographer Al Parrish Advertising advertising@hortmag.com VP, Sales Dave Davel Advertising Sales Michelle Kraemer, 888-457-2873 x13245 Advertising Sales Coordinator Connie Kostrzewa F+w Media Inc. Chairman & CEO David Nussbaum CFO James Ogle Vice President / Group Publisher Jaime Markle SVP, Operations Phil Graham Chief Digital Officer, eMedia Chad Phelps Director, IT Jim Kuster Director of Finance Trent Miller Events Director Cory Smith Audience Development Paul Rolnick

Privacy promise: Occasionally, we make portions of our customer list available to other companies so they may contact you about products and services that may be of interest to you. If you prefer that we withhold your name, simply send a note with the magazine name to: List Manager, F+W Media Inc., 10151 Carver Road Suite 200, Blue Ash OH 45242.

product •

meg’s Fave

print & online editor

NO/NO Mushroom Mesh Bird Feeder Perky Pet birdfeeders.com $13.50

Michelle’s Fave Ad sales rep

Paper Pot Maker Botanical Interests botanicalinterests.com $12.98

patty’s Fave

Community Leader

Michelle’s Fave Ad sales rep

Plant Stands Lee Valley Tools

Winter Welcome Carruth Studio

leevalley.com $74 (A), $69 (B)

carruthstudio.com $45

5|

Great Gardens

Tubtrug Colander Gardener’s Supply Company

gardeners.com $14.95

patty’s Fave

meg’s Fave

Community Leader

print & online editor

The Princess’S Pea Fairy tale Garden Kit Chuckle Farm

Cedar Cold Frame Lee Valley Tools

chucklefarm.com $11

leevalley.com $319

patty’s Fave

Community Leader

Michelle’s Fave Ad sales rep

Mod Planter in Antique Copper Foxgloves

foxglovesinc.com $250

Convertible Herb pots Uncommon Goods uncommongoods.com $30

See more products we love!

pinterest.com/hortmag

6|

Great Gardens

meg’s Fave

print & online editor

Energy Savers Well-chosen trees and shrubs can lower your heating and cooling costs

by Meghan Shinn

As

fall turns into winter, we nudge the thermostat upward and bemoan the related costs. If this sounds familiar, try looking for changes to your landscape’s design that may lower your home’s energy costs throughout the year. The United States Forest Service reports that, for example, just three optimal and well-placed landscape trees can reduce the annual heating and cooling costs of a well-insulated northern Illinois home by 6.5 percent annually. Here are tips for choosing and siting effective energy savers.

7|

GREAT GARDENS

This photo shows a windbreak—a row of tall evergreen trees or shrubs that is positioned to block prevailing winter winds.

A windbreak will sheild the area behind it up to ten times its height; in other words, a 20-foot-tall windbreak will protect the area within 200 feet of its rear.

8|

GREAT GARDENS

WINTER WARMERS Trees and shrubs can’t change the air temperature, but they can stop the wind from blasting a home and chilling us with frigid drafts. Here’s how to site woody plants to make the house feel warmer: • Plant shrubs and small trees near the house’s foundation, where they’ll trap air next to the building. This layer of air will buffer indoor temperatures against outdoor temperatures. Site the plants so there will be a one-foot clearing between them and the building when they are mature, for maintenance.

• Plant a windbreak of evergreen trees or shrubs to the north and northwest of the house. These plants will block the winter wind and send it up and over the home, slowing heat loss from the walls. A windbreak will protect about 10 times the distance of its height; in other words a row of 10-foot-tall shrubs will shield the area within 100 feet behind it.

• A windbreak can be a single row, but two or three rows of plants works better. To make it even more effective, stagger the rows.

• Plant short shrubs on the windward side of the home, where they will stop snow from blowing and drifting against the building.

• When choosing trees for summer shade, pick deciduous types so that they’ll allow warming sunlight through in the coldest months.

9|

GREAT GARDENS

This photo: Low, dense evergreens buffer the home’s foundation from winter wind and snow, while leaving upper rooms and windows open to solar warmth. Opposite page: Tall trees that shade a home in summer will allow for winter solar warming as long as they are deciduous types.

10 |

GREAT GARDENS

This photo: Plantings near paved surfaces cool the air when they release moisture from their leaves. Below: Tall deciduous trees keep midday sun off the roof.

Opposite page: Shorter shrubs block the low angles of late-day sun.

11 |

GREAT GARDENS

SUMMER COOLERS Anyone who has entered the forest on a hot summer day, or simply stepped into the shade of one oak or maple, knows the cooling power of trees. Strategic placement of landscape trees can direct this power toward the home: • Plant trees and shrubs to block the roof and west and southwest walls and windows from strong summer afternoon sun.

• Plant deciduous trees with high, spreading crowns to the south, where the summer sun is highest at midday and most intense.

• Plant shorter or low-branched deciduous trees on the west wide to provide shade from the lower angles of the afternoon sun.

• Additional shading of walls can be done with climbing vines; plant deciduous types against the south-facing walls and evergreen vines on the others.

• Use plants to cool areas near bare ground and paved surfaces through evapotranspiration, in which they absorb water from the ground and release it as vapor through their leaves.

• Site small trees or large shrubs to shade an outdoor air-conditioning condenser to increase its efficiency (leave a three-foot clearance for maintenance and air circulation). •

12 |

GREAT GARDENS

Fresh STARTING

A fall day at Fordhook Farm made this gardener hungry for winter seed starting

L

by Sandi Crabtree

ast September, George Ball, Chairman and CEO of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., invited media to an event featuring freshly harvested and prepared produce at Burpee’s historic Fordhook Farm in Doylestown, Pa. He also promised a peek at the seed company’s new introductions for 2015. It was a gastronomical horticultural experience to say the least.

13 |

GREAT GARDENS

14 |

GREAT GARDENS

The day began with a light breakfast followed by a tour of several areas, including the Kitchen Garden and 2015 Trial Gardens, where varieties of vegetables, fruit, herbs, annual flowers and perennials were planted in the ground, raised beds and containers to replicate a home garden environment. “We want to provide a seed that can be planted, watered and left to flourish in the home garden,” explained Venelin Dimitrov, Product Manager of Flower Seeds.

The group adjourned to the terrace for a tomato tasting where seven varieties were served, including the ‘SteakHouse’ hybrid—the world’s largest slicing tomato, weighing in at three pounds each. I learned that tomatoes should be stored at room temperature on their

15 |

GREAT GARDENS

TOMATO TASTE TEST The big question: What was the besttasting tomato at the Fordhook Farm event? Each variety had a distinct flavor and all were delicious. Because taste is so subjective, I asked Chelsey Fields, Burpee’s Vegetables Product Manager, to share a personal evaluation—something like a tomato sommelier. Here are her comments:

’Orange Wellington’ ’Brandy Boy’

‘ORANGE WELLINGTON’: Outer soft flesh; has notes of tang in center; sweet on the back.

‘MADAME MARMANDE’: Has a thin skin and soft mouth feel; robust, savory flavor with sugar undertones.

‘STEAKHOUSE’: Is the quintessential flavor and well balanced; sugar on front end; spikes with acid; finishes with balance.

‘UMAMI’: Has pink tone to gel and flesh; starts acidic; spikes sour; rounds with sugar.

‘BRANDY BOY’: Big, bold pop of wellbalanced flavor with full sugar/acid balance.

‘SUN GOLD’: Has the flavor of a slicer; starts sweet with an acid finish.

‘CHERRY BABY’: Sugar!

’Steakhouse’ ’Sungold’

16 |

GREAT GARDENS

“shoulders,” or stem-end down, to preserve freshness. This stops air from entering and moisture from escaping at the stem scar.

A combination of perfect weather, gorgeous surroundings, delectable cuisine and great company made the Harvest Lunch memorable. Afterwards, George Ball shared his focus. “It is our goal to double the number of gardeners in America in five years,” he said. Burpee plans to follow through by continuing to revolutionize American gardening through innovation and education targeting gardeners of all ages, but they have a tight focus on the Millennial generation.

Edible gardening is de rigueur and consumers are searching for

varieties of vegetables that can provide larger yields in tighter spaces and yet remain disease resistant, Ball noted.

Many of Burpee’s introductions fill that need, such as the first sweet corn developed for containers. Nine seeds of ‘On Deck’ hybrid corn planted in a 24-inch container will provide a harvest of 2 or 3 ears of corn per stalk in 2 months. A new 2015 introduction, ‘Cherry Berry’ hybrid tomato, is superproductive, offering up to 300 tiny sweet, healthy snacking tomatoes either in a pot or in the garden.

B l a n c h e D o h a n , g ra n d daughter of Burpee’s founder, W. Atlee Burpee, who was

This photo: ‘On Deck’ corn. Opposite: Zinnias in a trial bed.

17 |

GREAT GARDENS

also visiting Fordhook, told me: “Seeds are affordable and offer the chance to grow fresh nutritional produce in urban areas and community gardens where it is needed most. Many children who aren’t familiar with fresh vegetables are quick to eat something they’ve grown themselves, even radishes.” •

STARTING TOMATOES FROM SEED Tomatoes are nearly always set into the garden as transplanted seedlings, rather than being direct sown. Starting tomatoes from seed gives you a wide range of varieties from which to choose, as opposed to relying on whatever varieties your local nursery happens to offer as transplants. To grow your tomatoes from seed: • Sow the seeds about 6 to 8 weeks before your typical last frost date. This will give you good-size seedlings at transplanting time.

• Sow seeds in flats or small pots, using good-quality seed-starting mix. Cover the seeds with a quarter inch of mix.

• Keep the soil mix moist (not wet) and warm. Once the seeds sprout, make sure they receive consistent moisture and strong light. Artificial lights give the best results.

• Thin the seedlings to one per pot (or cell, if you’re using trays) once they develop true leaves. You may need to transplant the seedlings to bigger pots within a few weeks.

• Transplant the seedlings to full sun in the garden after all danger of frost has passed, hardening them off first.

18 |

GREAT GARDENS

CONTAINER GARDENING

From Trash to Transplants Seed-starting gear is as close as your recycling bin

by Meghan Shinn CHOICES ABOUND WHEN it comes time to start seeds indoors in the winter. What to grow?

What kind of potting mix? Artificial or natural light? When it comes down to choosing seedstarting containers, check out your trash or recycling bin before heading out to purchase pots or trays. You just may have some ready-made seedling homes—and more.

Seed-starting containers

Pots or trays for seed starting need not be deep (shallow is actually better in many cases), and different materials (paper, peat, plastic) can work equally well.

Paper-based pots offer an advantage in that they break down naturally fairly quickly. Just like storebought peat pots, paper or cardboard pots can be

19 |

transplanted into the garden along with the seedling, reducing root disturbance. Fold newsprint into small pots, or use empty toilet-paper or papertowel tubes. At transplanting time, tear the top of these makeshift pots away so that they won’t wick moisture from the seedling.

Seeds can be planted in cardboard egg cartons, too, though you’ll probably want to transplant them into larger containers before transplanting time arrives. Did you know you can also start seeds in egg shells themselves? Rinse them out first, and don’t worry if they’re a bit cracked. Fill them with soil, sow your seeds, and at transplanting time crush the shell a bit more as you plant it and the seedling into the garden.

Plastic containers have their own advantages.

They can be used for more than one seed-starting

GREAT GARDENS

MAIL CALL! Get the Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Great Gardens and Horticulture’s editors every Wednesday, delivered right to your inbox!

Every eNewsletter includes: • plants we love for the current time of year • practical and design-related tips for the season at hand • news about upcoming online events, special offers and competitions • ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmag.com/subscribe/ enewsletter

season, and the soil mix doesn’t dry out as quickly in plastic. It’s easier to find different sizes of containers in plastic, too, which helps for seedlings that need to be transplanted into larger pots at some point while still indoors, before being transplanted into the ground.

Yogurt and beverage cups make great pots for individual seedlings. Plastic take-out trays or salad containers can be used to grow a bunch of seedlings together, just like store-bought seed trays. Just be sure to thoroughly wash food and drink containers before planting in them, and poke drainage holes in their bottoms.

Growing aids

While looking for seed-starting containers in your recycling, keep an eye out for seedling aids, too.

20 |

GREAT GARDENS

Seeds and seedlings need consistent moisture and humidity, which you can bolster by creating a mini greenhouse out of a lidded plastic take-out tray or bakery box.

If you buy soda or other drinks by the case, use that shallow cardboard box to hold your individual seedling pots or small seedstarting trays. This makes it easy to move them for watering at the sink and for hardening off. Turn the soda case into a greenhouse by slipping it into a dry cleaner’s bag, using chopsticks or something similar to prop the plastic up off the seedlings.

Aluminum baking or roasting trays can be used in the same way, with the bonus of being fully waterproof. You can water a whole bunch of seedlings from the bottom by simply pouring a bit of water to cover the bottom of the pan, then draining any excess once the seedlings’ soil has soaked it up.

Aluminum foil has a use, too—position it to reflect sunshine or your artificial lights onto your seedlings. •

SMALL SPACES

Little Green Gems Short on space? Try these tiny houseplants out for size

by Meghan Shinn HOUSEPLANTS ADD CHEER to a home, especially in winter. A good reference book will help you master their care, but sometimes the biggest hurdle is just choosing the right plants for your place. This is magnified when you have narrow windowsills, little floor space or pets and young children limiting your plant-placement options. Check out these miniature options that offer color and life in exchange for the minimum of space. Remember, small pots dry out quickly, so you may need to water more often.

1.

Miniature African violets. These are tiny versions of the classic flowering houseplant (which isn’t so big to begin with!). Mini violets remain happy in a two- or three-inch pot, offering up several flushes of candy-colored flowers throughout the year.

22 |

GREAT GARDENS

2.

4.

3.

5.

Cacti and succulents. These spiny or not-sospiny water hoarders can grow quite large in the desert, but in the home they grow incredibly slowly, meaning a small purchase will fit your narrow windowsill for years.

Air plants. These curious epiphytes pull water from the air, so they don’t need to be grown in soil, and they’re also naturally small and slow to grow. This opens up more placement possibilities, since you needn’t accommodate a pot.

23 |

Miniature begonias. Look to terrarium suppliers for the multitude of tiny boldleaved begonias that have been bred. Their colorful, textural foliage can brighten a small windowsill or shelf, and they don’t need tons of light.

GREAT GARDENS

Miniature orchids. Moth orchids are among the easiest orchids to grow, and there are miniature varieties available. They’re often sold in two-inch-wide pots, and they prefer indirect light, so they needn’t sit right on the windowsill anyway. •

KIDS GARDENING

Back-yard Birding Keep kids’ interest in nature piqued all winter with a bird feeder

by Meghan Shinn

24 |

GREAT GARDENS

Winter can be rough on gardeners of all ages.

Most of us cope by employing some combination of the following: tending houseplants; starting seeds; making plans for the spring. Kids can help with these tasks, but often they’re not enough to really sustain their gardening interest through the coldest, darkest months.

Happily, winter is a great season for back-yard birding, an activity that can be exciting and educational for kids, while also tying into the garden.

Setting up a simple (or elaborate) feeding station will draw at least a few different kinds of birds in most areas. Kids can identify the birds, read about their preferences and life cycles, make observations and plan changes or additions to the yard that will support these birds in various seasons.

A back-yard feeding station can include one bird feeder or a dozen. Just one feeder, filled with seed that appeals to many kinds of birds, can get the kids off to a great start. As enthusiasm builds, you might add additional feeders in different styles and with different types of seed, since certain birds have specific preferences.

To choose your first feeder, it may be best to identify a couple of bird species already in or around your yard, then get the feeder and seed that they like. A tube-style or hopper feeder with black-oil sunflower seed has broad appeal. Hang it in view of a window, but try to place it within several yards of trees and shrubs, too. Birds will appreciate the quick cover these provide.

It may take several days for the birds to find the feeder and feel confident enough to use it. After a while you’ll notice a pattern in what time of day they visit; early morning and late afternoon are often high-traffic times at feeders—which matches up well with school-age children’s at-home hours!

To guide your kids in observing the birds, try

25 |

making a simple journal. They might write down the days and times that certain birds visit the feeder. Record what kinds of birds seem to travel together—certain different species tend to flock together, such as chickadees, titmice and nuthatches. Note down different behaviors—are certain kinds of birds more aggressive, running other types away? Do some birds eat the seed right at the feeder, while others fly elsewhere before cracking it open? Note the weather on different days and how this may change the birds’ behaviors.

Observing birds in winter opens the door to accommodating them with a bird-friendly garden in all seasons. Lead the kids in researching birds’ needs and activities in spring and summer—such as nesting and foraging for insects—and come up with ideas for supporting those behaviors through changes and additions to the yard and garden to be made come spring. It will be here before you know it! •

GREAT GARDENS

HELPFUL RESOURCES

All About Birds: Cornell’s website includes an excellent bird guide for identification and research on their specific preferences and behaviors, plus many articles on feeders and more.

National Audubon Society: There’s a Family Time section that includes tips for birding with kids and prompts for naturethemed activities.

Project FeederWatch: Submit your observations to help scientists track bird populations. The website includes good tips on identifying and attracting birds.

Now winter downs the dying of the year; And night is all a settlement of snow.

—Richard Wilbur, American poet (1921–)

PLANT PROFILES •

Cold Comfort Houseplants for chilly rooms

JADE PLANT (Crassula ovata) boasts thick, shiny foliage that stores water, making it drought tolerant. Cool winter temps may even prompt this popular houseplant to bloom.

CAST-IRON PLANT (Aspidistra elatior) has earned its name with its tolerance of drafts, general neglect and poor light.

It can reach an impressive size despite being ignored.

MEYER LEMON (Citrus xmeyeri) is the easiest citrus to grow as a houseplant. Give it a rest in winter with cool temps and less water, then let it summer outdoors.

SAGO PALM (Cycas revoluta) grows very slowly, making repotting it an infrequent chore. Not a true palm, it is native to temperate Japan and therefore takes cool air with no problem. •

27 |

GREAT GARDENS

next issue Look for our spring issue in March 2015, at issuu.com/ horticulture, or sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter at hortmag.com/ subscribe/enewsletter so we can let you know when new issues go live. And in the meantime, join us on social media:

facebook.com/ HorticultureMagazine

pinterest.com/hortmag/

twitter.com/CoHorts