I Hate Slugs!

We have had a wet early summer, receiving few bright, DRY, sunny days, which has resulted in an astromonical number of slugs devouring my plants.  I usually don’t spend a lot of money on annuals, chosing instead to divide perennials and maybe add a few new ones, but this year I spent quite of bit on impatients, marigolds, snapdragons and zinnias.  The zinnias were the first to be stripped of their leaves, then the marigolds and zinnias disappeared almost overnight. As soon as I realized the culprit was slugs, I armed myself and declared war.

My weapon of choice is salt.  Because slugs are mostly water, an ample sprinkle of salt turns them to gel in a matter of seconds.  I go out several times a day to wage my attacks, often arming my 3-year old granddaughter with a salt shaker as well.  In one trip around my yard I can easily find and destroy fifty or more slugs, and I do this at least three times a day.

Yet I still have not gained the upper hand in this all out war. I found one this morning in the middle of my deck, which is wooden and five feet in the air. I hate to admit that they have the power to bring out this rage in me, yet I am unable to get past the idea of all the money and work I spent putting in annuals only for them to eat them.  I am not waving the white flag; I will continue my attacks, lest they take over my house! So far, they haven’t found the plethora of house plants I have (sh-h!)

I can say with certainty that I will not invest a lot of money in annuals next year, unless it is to make colorful planters that hang. I will spend the money on more salt.

Unusual Plant Containers

        Looking for ideas for creative plant containers? 

 

Yard sales are a great place to look for unusual containers to use for plants. Old tins, lunchboxes, baskets, bird feeders, old stove-top coffeepots, old metal pots and coffee cans can all make great plant containers.  Just remember that there must be drainage—poke a hole or two in the bottom and you’ll be all set.

 

I always thought it was strange that people would put their old shoes, some quite worn, in yard sales. I had better-looking gardening sneakers at home. Then it dawned on me that they would make unique planters!  I found a cute pair of toddler saddle shoes for 25 cents at a garage sale and brought them home for my first experiment.  I filled them with good potting soil and tucked in lobelia along with some long-acting fertilizer.  I tied the laces into cute bows and put them on from front door step.  They grew like crazy!  Anyone who came to my door commented on how original they were.  I had to remember to water them often, since there wasn’t a lot of room in there.

 

My aunt gave me an old work boot that she found in her shed; it was well worn, to say the least.  I filled it with dirt and planted “hens & chicks” wherever I could fit a root through a hole.  I leave it outside year round and it keeps coming back, year after year. The old boot sits in a spot in my flower bed that is easily seen. It, too, gets a lot of notice.

 

My mother gave me an old pair of boots she had; black vinyl lace-up things that she used to wear in the fall before snow came.  They were in pretty good shape but she didn’t want them anymore. I filled them up with good potting mix and planted impatients and alyssum in them.  They sit on my back porch.

 

I’ve heard of using an old purse hanging from the back of a chair as a container; might be really cute with ivy or a hanging petunia coming out of it. A pair of shoes tied together, hanging over a railing, planted with lobelia would be quite a conversation piece as well.

 

Be brave and open-minded when it comes to looking at old things with a new eye as unique plant containers; check our your basement and attic and you might be surprised to see an old wooden miter box that just calls for marigolds, or an old metal watering can that could be overflowing with bright white petunias. Go wild and have fun in your quest to find original plant container ideas!

Daffodils

Springtime brings splashes of color that will surely chase away the winter blues; specifically the bright daffodil.  In my opinion, one can never have too many daffodils.

There are a huge array of colors and “faces” available and they are truly easy to grow and very easy to divide.  Some gardeners keep their daffodils in large groups, some, like me, love to plant them anywhere I can make a six-inch hole.  

I would strongly suggest that you invest in the best and biggest bulbs, and to keep a longer span of daffodil color, buy some early, mid-season and late bulbs.  In the northeast, the bulbs are planted in the fall.  I sprinkle a small amount of wood ash in the hole before covering the bulb and tamping down the ground. Cats and squirrels like to dig if the ground isn’t tamped down, I discovered one year.

In the spring, the bright green nubs of the daffodils will quickly come up once the snow is gone.  Don’t do a thing to them, other than watch their splendor.  I look around my yard to see where I want more and mark it, so that I can add bulbs there in the fall.

After the third year of a daffodil’s life, I disturb them a bit.  While they are still in bloom, I take a spade, deeply dig all around the cluster of plants and gently pull the entire bunch up.  I remove some of the bulbs, keeping the entire flower intact and separate the bulbs, leaving only two or three to go back into the hole. The ones I removed go quickly back into the ground elsewhere in my yard.  I’ve never lost a daffodil by doing it this way; the plants don’t even seem to notice the move. This is a very good way to expand on expensive fancy types of daffodils without paying the fancy price for the bulbs; another way is to find another person with varieties different from yours and making a swap.

After they start losing their beautiful flowers, I cut off the dead heads so that the energy will go back into the bulb.  I give them a bit of general garden fertilizer and some wood ash. In the fall, I cut the faded stems off and let them be until they once again bring Spring to my yard.

The Lovely Lupine

Lovely Lupines

 

Lupinus Perennis (wild lupine) and Lupinus Polyphyllus (Russell Breed) are a joy to behold in a spring garden.  Most dramatic plants in like-color groups, lupines are often a focal piece for your garden, especially placed near the back. The plants are tall; often over four feet in full bloom, so tucking them in the back will keep them from hiding smaller blooms in the front.  An added bonus is that when the lupines die back, you can easily deadhead them and the plant will still give texture to the garden.

 

Lupines can offer spectacular color choices for your gardens, including blue, violet, lavender, white, apricot, yellow, pink and red.  If you currently have lupines and want to move them so that they will have more of a visual impact, you have to wait until fall.  For now, tie a piece of yarn that is the color of the blossom around the base of the stalk.  When fall comes and the plant has died away, be prepared to dig deep to get as much of the root as possible.  Even a small plant can have a root larger than a large carrot with many offshoots. Plant it in a new deep hole and add some composted manure along with the dirt.  Snug it in with your shoes to make sure it is tightly packed.

 

You can also grow lupine from seed, although occasionally this method seems to make for weaker plants. Gather the seeds, place them in a small baggie, and freeze them for at least three months.  Take them out of the freezer and put in a tablespoon of water; seal up the bag and let it sit overnight.  Before planting them, take the side of a meat mallet or a hammer and gently tap the seeds to crack the tough outer shell. Plant the seeds in composted soil in peat pots; keep them warm and on the damp side.  In just a few days they will germinate.  Let them stay in the pot until they are about four inches tall; then you may transplant them into your flower bed.

 

Lupine grow in many areas of the United States and in Europe (Zones 3-9) They grow best in sandy soil with full sun to partial shade. They like well drained soil with no lime.

 

Lupines are a wonderful addition to anyone’s flower bed.  They are easy to grow and not invasive.  With very little care they should give you many years of bountiful spires of color in your gardens.