Thrips and Daylily Flowers AND Garden Book Reviews

By Carol Allen

You anticipate for weeks that magic moment when those extra-fancy and expensive daylilies finally bloom and……what’s that? The flowers’ colors are marred with streaks and patches of a paler color or silvery discoloration. That is the damage from a tiny, sapsucking insect called thrips.*

Thrips are minute insects that rasp the plant tissue, causing sap to well up to the surface. The tiny insects then suck it up. It is the rasping damage that we see as pale stripes and splotches on our flowers. Thrips’ feeding damage on daylilies can cause buds to distort and blast as well.

There are several species of thrips we may see on our plants: flower thrips (Frankliniella tritici), western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), and daylily thrips (Frankliniella hemerocallis). F. tritici and F. occidentalis are native to North America. F. hemerocallis is believed to have originated in Japan and eastern Asia. It has been found in New York, Maryland, and Florida as well as the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Japan, and Hungary.

The adults of all three species are about the size of this exclamation point (!) or 1/20 of an inch. They start life as an egg; go through two larval stages, a prepupal stage, and a pupal stage; and finally emerge as an adult. Populations are predominantly females. Eggs are laid in plant tissue and can be quite numerous, depending on the species. The life cycle is heavily influenced by temperature and from egg to adult can happen in about two to three weeks under optimum conditions. Feeding damage occurs during the larval and adult stages. The prepupal and pupal stages occur in the soil where no feeding takes place. There are multiple generations per year. Studies in England found adult females (F. occidentalis) overwintering in weeds such as common chickweed (Stellaria media), groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).

Naturally, those gardens where daylilies are few may not see much damage. However, the adults can fly on their long, slender, fringed wings and start new colonies. Also, thrips can come into a garden on new plants.

How do you tell if you have thrips? A 10x jeweler’s loupe is a handy device to use for examining buds, flowers, and tender new foliage for the insects. They are highly mobile and will rapidly retreat into the deep recesses of the plants. Look for their fecal droppings left behind.

Another technique is the “beat test.” Hold a white piece of paper a few inches under the flowers or buds. Tap smartly and the insects and their debris will fall onto the sheet, where they can be examined and identified.

The challenge in the daylily garden comes with controlling them. Often daylilies are displayed in a mixed perennial border. The use of a generalist pesticide in this environment will have disastrous consequences: Generalist pesticides kill beneficial insects. Pesticides such as organophosphates (Acephate), pyrethrins, and pyrethroids (resmethrin, cyfluthrin, or as the natural form, pyrethrum), or systemic pesticides such as imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced) should not be used.

Cultural controls will start with removing weeds because thrips often feed on a broad range of host plants. They have been found on morning glory, dandelion, wood sorrel, and clover flowers. Daylily debris should be cleaned up in the fall to reduce harborage for overwintering females.

Many natural predators feed on thrips. Minute pirate bug (Orius insidiosus) has been used successfully in agriculture to reduce thrips populations. They will find their homes in gardens with a broad range of nectar, and pollen-rich flowers (perennial, annual, or shrub) that bloom from early spring to fall. Some suggested flowers include: goldenrod, daisies, yarrow, cosmos, crimson clover, willows, and the agricultural crops corn and alfalfa.

Most importantly, do not use chemical pesticides. A more proactive approach would be to use some of the “soft” pesticides such as insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, and Spinosad. Biopesticides containing Beauveria bassiana have also been used with success. Spray before the flowers open because the thrips will be feeding in the buds as they develop. Avoid spraying when bees or other beneficials are gathering nectar nearby. Read and heed label directions.

*Thrips with the “s” on the end of the word is both singular and plural. One thrips, two thrips, three thrips, etc. o

Carol Allen describes herself as a committable plant-a-holic. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the horticulture industry, with a special interest in plant pests and diseases; is a Licensed Pesticide Applicator in the state of Maryland; and is an ISACertified Arborist. She can be contacted at carolallen@erols.com.

The First-Time Gardener: Container Food Gardening

Author: Pam Farley

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

List Price: $26.99

Order Links: https://amzn.to/44tzLHp and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9780760378137

Reviewer: Marissa Yelenik

The First-Time Gardener: Container Food Gardening is a great resource for its intended audience of beginner gardeners. With charts to hammer down exactly the ideal conditions for each edible plant and photo resources to explain how to go about certain tasks, the book works to truly simplify edible container gardening for those who have never touched a plant before.

Author Pam Farley answers seemingly basic questions that more advanced gardeners may not consider. While certain aspects of this book may feel oversimplified for experienced gardeners, it is a great resource for those of us who have no plant-focused friends or family to answer these questions.

The book contains eight chapters so readers can prioritize exactly what they need to know about.

Chapter One, “Why Grow Your Own Food?,” focuses on persuading readers to grow their own edible plants. It explains Farley’s choice of growing her own food in containers and gives a quick review of whether buying a seed-start is right for you, how to buy seedling starts from the store, and instructions on when and how to grow it from seed. It provides a rundown on seed types as well as how (with photo guidance) to plant or replant a seed/ seedling.

Chapter Two, “Decide What to Grow,” gives a comprehensive chart of the different requirements of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. It also includes Farley’s top vegetable plants for a container garden, as well as different combinations of plants in containers with a “recipe” of what to include in which planter.

Chapter Three, “Choose Your Containers,” focuses on the container itself, telling the readers to remember “BFG: Big Enough, Food Safe, and Good Drainage.” Farley then breaks down each of these tenets, specifying differences for certain plant types, container materials, how to add your own drainage holes, and more.

Chapter Four, “Container Gardening Soil,” breaks down what makes some soil better, the different types, how to determine what good packaged soil is, and how to make your own soil.

Chapter Five, “Sun & Location,” is a simple chapter about a complex topic. It expands on the types of sun really are and explains what a microclimate is and how to create one.

Chapter Six, “Watering,” helps readers understand what may be changing the needs of their plants, and how they can adapt to this. It also explains how to best water plants (“low and slow”) and what equipment might be best. The chapter also expands on pollinators in the garden, and how to attract them.

Chapter Seven, “Fertilizing & Soil Amendments,” digs into the different types of fertilizers and what might be best for your needs. It explains the role of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in fertilizers; how to apply them; and different soil amendments.

Chapter Eight, “Troubleshooting,” helps readers get out of a bad situation, emphasizing not to panic. The chapter has three main sections: plants, insects, and animals. Each section includes pictures of the issue, symptoms, and solutions (or preventive measures).

This book is a good resource for those in need of the basic, but comprehensive, foundational knowledge of edible container gardening. The charts and photos help readers get a good understanding of daunting topics, and the clear differentiation between chapters helps separate the complexity for those who may be afraid to approach a full-scale gardening book. o

Marissa Yelenik is a rising junior journalism and psychology major at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an intern this summer with Washington Gardener. She is a Savage, MD, native and amateur gardener

Field Guide to Outside Style: Design & Plant Your Perfect Outdoor Space

Author: Ryan McEnaney

Publisher: Cool Springs Press

List Price: $30.00

Order Link:https://amzn.to/46U76wA and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9780760372999

Reviewer: Taylor Edwards

The Field Guide to Outside Style is an easygoing guide to decorating any outdoor space. The author invites readers to think about what the ideal garden looks like to them by exploring personal choice and style. This book has a good balance of instructions and pictures throughout to provide some inspiration. Take your time reading through it, because it has a lot of information to digest.

The author cleverly divides the book into sections so it can be referenced in the process of designing an outdoor space. It covers what you might not think of when designing a space, such as high expectations from social media or maintaining it throughout the seasons. Reading the book felt like someone was carefully guiding me through this detailed process.

The book is divided into five parts where the author explains the many steps of designing a yard. The first section, “Polka Dots or Stripes,” is about using your personal sense of style as a starting point to determine what your garden style is. The author wants the reader to consider fashion, furniture, and architecture. I was surprised to see how much thought can be put into each category so you can have the layout you want.

The second section, “Date Night with Your Space,” encourages readers to get acquainted with their home through

“dating” it. I liked the cleverness of having ideas like coffee and brunch dates with particular tasks attached to them. It made the planning process less daunting and more fun. The brunch date, for example, talked about the different types of soil you might use in your garden.

In the third section, “Guardrails,” the author encourages readers to think about why they’re designing an outdoor space in the first place. By doing this, you can find a theme such as beauty, function, or activity to center the space around. This was a good section to include in the book because it also talks about considering the seasonality of the space and maintaining it. The chapter warns readers about potential maintenance, budget, materials, and labor. The author’s balance of both the fun and serious parts of planning was a nice touch.

The fourth section, “Designing Your Space,” goes into three styles that you could follow. “Martha” refers to a classic style, “Tommy” refers to a minimalist style, and “Kelly” refers to a naturalist style. The author gives examples of how various spaces could look if you follow one of the styles, with graphics to demonstrate what a space would look like if you followed one of the styles. I found that the graphics of the different sites were extremely helpful for visual learners.

The last section, “Recipe Cards,” gives readers plant combinations that coincide with the three styles mentioned in the previous chapter. Each card has the region, style, and goal of each combination. It was a unique way to categorize the plants into different styles.

Overall, this is a comprehensive book that covers all aspects of outdoor space planning. It goes into great detail about each step and provides more references at the end that people can look into beyond this book. I liked how the author focused on creating a safe space for friends and family to come over and enjoy themselves while honoring your tastes. It has diverse options for how to design an outdoor space, which are insightful. o

Taylor Edwards is a rising senior majoring in journalism with a minor in Black Women’s Studies at the University of Maryland. She is a native of Waldorf, MD, and an intern this summer with Washington Gardener.

The Green Gardening Handbook: Grow, Eat and Enjoy

Author: Nancy Birtwhistle

Publisher: One Boat/Pan Macmillan List Price: $24.99

Order Link: https://amzn.to/3NYlJ9w and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781035003716

In The Green Gardening Handbook: Grow, Eat and Enjoy, Nancy Birtwhistle—yes, the winner in 2014 of “The Great British Bake Off” and author of two other green-friendly books—combines gardening environmentally with recipes for cooking with one’s harvest, helpful tips, personal experiences, and more.

All of this makes for a rounded look at cultivating a food-producing garden and eating the fruits—and veggies and herbs—of one’s labor. Birtwhistle’s delight in gardening comes through. Especially helpful is the organization, which flows with the seasons, including early, mid and late for each season, and nature’s cycle. With the author living in England while having followers globally, using seasons rather than months is good for all readers and immensely helpful in planning. The result is that readers know what’s coming up and can focus at the appropriate time on such things as how and when to prepare for a new growing season, preserve a variety of herbs for use in the colder weather, and learn when to harvest seeds and beans to save for future gardens.

No single space or section is dedicated to recipes. Rather, they are placed with the seasons and the seasonal foods they feature. This may be disconcerting to readers who prefer to find all recipes in one area. But consider the gardener trying to expand their diet who doesn’t know how to cook with an unfamiliar vegetable and who now has a recipe at the ready. Besides, it does flow with the organization of the book. Recipes also can be found using the index.

I grow zucchini largely because it’s an excuse to make chocolate chip zucchini loaf. After reading Birtwhistle’s straightforward how-to for growing and harvesting parsnips, and her easy recipe for chocolate chip parsnip loaf to be baked in cooler weather, I think that homegrown parsnips and homemade chocolate chip parsnip loaf are in my future.

The book is an easy, chatty read. It offers practical, down-to-earth advice and common-sense ideas. Birtwhistle uses personal experiences as cautionary tales and success stories. They remind us that we should learn from our mistakes—after her black currant bushes died, she’s been careful to clean her garden tools to reduce the risk of spreading diseases among plants—as well as from our successes.

Its breadth is a reminder that green gardening includes many aspects. The author addresses ways to be environmentally friendly, save money, and reduce waste, including how to upcycle plastic milk jugs, make use of torn rubber garden gloves, save seeds, and preserve herbs. It includes details about companion planting, beneficial insects, and pollinators.

The book may not offer up enough new ideas for experienced gardeners. Still, it makes information very accessible, and has it in one place. That’s a huge help for people starting out who want to eat foods they’ve grown in environmentally conscious ways. o

Andrea Siegel is a master gardener in Maryland.

The Color of Roses: A Curated Spectrum of 300 Blooms

Author: Danielle Dall’armi Hahn

Photographer: Victoria Pearson

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

List Price: $35.00

Order Links: https://amzn.to/3rsWnZU and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781984861160

Reviewer: Teri Speight

This carefully curated book about roses is written as a guide for learning what roses to choose from when looking for specific characteristics. It would also be quite useful as a non-intimidating resource for the care and use of one of the world’s most-loved flowers.

Author Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn demonstrates her personal knowledge of roses. She is the owner of Rose Story Farm in Carpinteria, CA, which has over 40,000 rose bushes. She is an active member of the American Rose Society.

The experienced rosarian understands the challenges of selecting roses. Each rose doesn’t just have physical beauty, but may have a specific scent that can affect the mood of the garden. Other roses might have a specific bloom type or petal count, which can reflect a specific theme in the garden. Roses, when used properly, can play a large role in the garden of any homeowner.

The photos were selected to show the beauty and color of each rose that Hahn features in this book. What I found wonderful was some of the pho- tos show roses with blemishes and yet they are still imperfectly beautiful. This was intentional: The author wanted to make certain the expectation of a perfect rose is a myth. Each photo captures a rose and has useful information with it such as the name, breeder, year of introduction, and type of rose.

There are two charts that are quite useful. The first is about scent. When describing the scent, the author rates them by their intensity. Some roses can range from slightly scented to strong. The level of scent can be important when choosing a location such as under a window or beside a door. The second helps with plant height. Noting the plant height is useful when choosing the right rose for the proper place. Both of these simple charts should prove useful as rose aficionados select which plant will work in their landscapes.

Selected as a Great Rosarian of the World, Hahn has used her experience to help others become knowledgable in rose selection and expectation for their landscapes. She also guides readers in selecting the ideal color(s) of rose(s) for special events or floral arrangement. This is a great book to keep on hand for anyone who loves roses. o

Teresa J. Speight is a garden speaker, podcaster, blogger, and author. You can find her work and links at Cottage in the Court, https://cottageinthecourt.com/.

GROUNDCOVER REVOLUTION IS OUT NOW!

By Kathy Jentz

https://amzn.to/3IlYHYL

“Groundcover Revolution is must-have book for anyone who is interested in having less lawn, fewer weeds, and reduced mulching. The properties charts will save the reader time and money, the pictures provide inspiration, while the detailed plant portraits give the focused information needed for creating beautiful, functional landscapes.”

―C.L. Fornari, GardenLady.com

Note: These book reviews include links to Amazon.com and BookShop. org for ordering them. Washington Gardener Magazine may receive a few cents from each order placed after you click on these links.

Love Reading?

The book reviews in this issue are by volunteer members of the Washington Gardener Reader Panel. To join the Washington Gardener Volunteer Reader Panel, send an email with your name and address to: KathyJentz@gmail.com. We look forward to having you be a vital part of our local publication and its gardening mission. o