The celosia family is a wonderful late summer / early fall annual plant noted for its bright colorful blooms of either the feathery type or the crested type. Celosias come in a wide range of colors from deep red to hot pink, yellow and orange. Celosia will bloom for many weeks if given the right location in the garden or in containers. Celosia prefers full sun but will tolerate light shade. They like rich organic soil that is well drained and moist. Monitor celosia so the plant is watered before the soil dries out. Celosia doesn’t require a lot of fertilizer but will
benefit from occasional applications.
Celosia originated in Asia but is now found in Africa, Central and
South America. In these tropical climates the plants reseed and grow very easily. In northern climates celosia is started from seed and most gardeners buy the plants from garden centers. If celosias are purchased in the spring it should not be planted until the soil temperatures are in the 60°F range. The best time to plant celosia is in late summer and fall when the plants are big and colorful, adding instant color to your garden. This time of year celosia will last well into the fall. If frost threatens, don’t give up. Harvest the celosia blooms before the expected frost. Strip off all the leaves and hang upside down in a warm, dark, dry place. As they dry, the celosia bloom colors are muted and change to rich, fall tones. Once dry, the celosia flowers will hold these fall tones and will last indefinitely making it a great dry flower all winter long.
Long Blooming Plants for the Garden
Clematis wilt is a condition that seems to affect large flowered,
Designing a garden that looks beautiful from May to October is difficult, but not impossible. Many plants can contribute to a summer in full bloom, some of our favorites are listed below:
Hollyhock (Alcea) and its cousins the Malvas
Achillea (Yarrow)
Leucanthemun (Shasta Daisy)
Hemerocallis (Daylily – Early, Mid, Late)
Sedums, esp. ‘autumn fire’, ‘Autumn Joy’, ‘Neon’
Asters [begin late July]
Cimicifuga racemosa*
Liatris
Geranium*
Polemonium*
*Plants that will grow in dappled light
Is Your Garden a Deer Café?
It’s frustrating being a gardener and waking up to a deer-munched garden. Deer can do a lot of damage to a landscape overnight. This is not just a problem for those that live in rural areas; it’s a city problem as well. There are deer roaming our city streets at night only to bed down before the day begins. Deer seem to eat almost everything, but they have food they will eat first if they can find it. Unfortunately, they prefer garden plants over native plants available in the countryside. If
deer are a problem in your garden and you are tired of spraying deer replant, look at the list below for deer-resistant perennials. Keep in mind that these are known to be deer-resistant, but not guaranteed.
Achillea
Aconitum
Allium
Aquilegia
Artemisia
Asclepias
Astilbe
Baptisia
Clematis
Digitalis
Echinops
Epimedium
Eupatorium
Fern
Gillardia
Lavandula
Monarda
Nepeta
Rudbeckia
Salvia
Veronica
Tips
Mid-August is the best time of year to kill weeds, reseed,
core aerate, de-thatch, and fertilize.
Harvest potatoes as the tops start to die back. Carefully dig one plant to determine if the size is to your liking. If not, give it another week
or so. The size will increase as long as there is green growth.
Onions should be harvested when the tops fall over. Use onions started from sets (small dry bulbs) first - they don’t keep as well
as onions started from seed or plants.
Now is the time to dig and divide or move perennial oriental poppies.
It is close to the last time to fertilize roses. In the Twin Cities, the last application of fertilizer should be done by mid-August. Further
north it should be done earlier.
Herbs should be in abundance now so harvest and dry by making small bundles and hanging them in a dark, dry spot. Once dry,
store in airtight jars.
The microwave can be used to dry herbs. Clean and prepare a cup
of herbs, spread the herbs out on a paper towel in one thin layer. Microwave on half strength for about 3 minutes. Check herbs and repeat. Every microwave is different and each herb has different moisture content so test the time and change if needed.
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
