Have you ever wanted to cut a bouquet from your
own backyard but didn’t have many flowers to
choose from? Why not try filling in with some leaves from hosta, ligulara or Coral Bells? There are so many common shrubs & plant leaves that make gorgeous texture/color arrangements–all you have to do
is experiment.
Other dramatic options for foliage that make a statement in bouquets and hold up well for a week or more are: sedum, ninebark, smoke bush, bleeding heart leaves, peony leaves, weeping white & blue spruce,
weeping larch, cedars, pines & yews! Grass & iris leaves provide height& grace while stems from mint, basil & pepper plants give a twist on scent. Even fallen twigs & branches can add unexpected structure
to your creation.
One great example of a flower many people have but rarely use in
bouquets is the Clematis– although the stems are short, the flowers last up to two weeks when you cut them shortly after they open. Thread the stems down through the heart of hosta or ligulara leaves & you’ll have
an arrangement that looks like you just picked water lilies with pads.
Rebecca Brown
Outdoor Living &
Entertaining Expert
Choosing an Insecticide
Insecticides work in a variety of ways. Some insecticides must contact the insect to work, some must be taken up by the plant to work, and others work by leaving a residue on the leaves to be eaten by the pests. In order to choose the right product, you must find out which bug is doing the damage
(or at least what kind of damage the bug is doing—chewing, sucking, rasping or boring). Remember, the damage may not even be from an insect. Bring a sample to any of our horticultural information desks and we will help you review all treatment options (including cultural and organic possibilities). Enclose several leaves on a stem showing the damage and one of the pests (if possible) in a clear plastic zipper bag. Our staff will help you find out when to treat your plant and find an appropriate solution to your problem.
Boxelder Bugs
During the fall, boxelder bugs swarm onto home and
outdoor living areas– especially on bright, sunny days where they seek dry, protected locations to find places to hibernate for winter. Occasionally, boxelder bugs will bite, and may feed on houseplants, but are
otherwise harmless. The best solution for ridding a home of boxelder bugs is to vacuum them up with a tank type vacuum cleaner. If absolutely necessary, the outdoor insects can be sprayed with an insecticide called“eight.” An alternative to chemical control is a
course spray of water containing insecticidal soap.
When gardeners talk about great fall plants, Autumn Joy sedum comes to mind (a hardy plant that grows 18” tall). They start to bloom in August and continue into September. Even after the ground freezes, the dried structure of the plant still looks good with the first snowfall of the season. Most new varieties are hardy to zone three and are even great for up north. All sedums have fleshy leafs that hold lots of water. Succulent plants don’t like a lot of extra water so plant them with other plants that tolerate dry soils (plants like Tall Bearded Iris and Russian Sage). A bright star in the sedum family is Neon with its large bright rose-colored flower clusters. Or try Xenox with its dark purple leaves and rose-pink
flowers. Enjoy this family of fall blooming, disease resistant perennials.
Lawn Seeding
Fall is the best time of the year to seed a new
lawn or repair an existing lawn (second half of August
to the first half of September). With cooler temperatures and warm soil, grass seed takes off and will be well
established by early winter. Sod too does very well in these conditions; the cooler weather promotes rooting
and fall rains means you need to water less frequently.
When seeding a
lawn preparation is the key. Soil should be loose and the seed needs
to make contact with the soil. The smoother the surface of the newly
established lawn the smother it will be when you mow or walk on it. Once the soil is prepared choose a good blend of seed varieties, the more variety the more the lawn will be able to fight off a disease because different diseases may attack one variety of grass leaving the other free of damage. Putting down grass seed is simple, it can be done with a rotary fertilizer spreader or it can be done with just your hands. Remember, a grass seed is not a blade of grass. A grass seed will be a grass plant; each plant needs room to grow. Many times people put down grass seed too thickly and when those grass seeds grow they form a thick matt choking themselves out and rotting. 6 to 8 grass seeds per square inch is all you need to produce a nice lawn. Once the seed is down cover it with a thin layer of peat moss. Water regularly as the seed germinates. Cut new lawn when the grass is about 2” to 2.5” tall taking off less than a third of the blades.
Tips
To clean clay pots before they are stored for the winter soak the pots in full strength white vinegar to remove the white salt buildup.
Stop trimming rose hips on shrub roses. Seedpods left on roses help
signal the end of the season as the plant gets ready for winter.
Don’t let those weeds go to seed - remove them now before winter comes.
Wait until early September to fertilize established lawns.
Peppers start out green and change color as they ripen. Ripe peppers
have more anti-oxidants.
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.
