Smoothie Land

This happens to be one of my favorites, Wax Begonia (Begonia semperflorens), is a plant that will grow and bloom in the shade. Mine has been relatively easy to care for. It has remained beautiful and bloomed all year when some of my other shade plants seem to shrivel from the heat. It is kind of an all-around plant, in my opinion, because you can grow them as houseplants, outside in a tub, or even plant them in beds. This is also another one of those plants that do not like to stay wet. I noticed that when I watered it as often as the rest of my plants, the blooming would slow down. When I cut back on the watering a bit, it got lush and started blooming like crazy. I have also noticed that this certain plant does not seem to get bothered by bugs or other critters. I am also able to make new plants from cutting very easy, without the help of a growth hormone.

Happy Gardening!

The Boston Fern, or the Sword Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) is one of the prettiest plants I have ever seen. I also think that they are one of the easiest plants to grow. They love moisture and partial shade. I have sat mine in a tub of water (on a brick where the bottom of the pot just sits in the water) and it got very green and lush. If you have this plant indoors, be sure to mist it regularly. Now, if it is planted outside in zones 9-11, it will come back up the next year. It will look dead through the winter, but it will grow back. In my home state of Florida, they grow wild.

Happy Gardening!

Miss Crystal

Regular maintenance is the only way you are going to ensure that you have a nice, healthy yard that is free of weeds. The most important step, as far as I am concerned, is that you keep your yard free of debris and leaves. This keeps the grass underneath from getting the sunshine it needs to grow. The next most important step is to be sure that you are giving your grass enough water throughout the year, especially in the driest times of the year and at the end of the year before it begins to freeze. Next, you can pick out a weed control spray, and luckily, they now sell it in weed and feed, it only kills the weeds and then feeds the grass. (Be sure to follow the directions on the label to a T.) And the last step, and definitely not the least important one, is to cut your grass on a regular basis. Be sure that you do not cut the grass too short, or this will cause it to brown and look as if it is dying. I suggest setting the blade a little higher than you normally would and cut a little more often. (As you can tell in the above picture, I am constantly fighting cloves in my yard)

Happy Gardening!

Miss Crystal

There are many types of fertilizers on the market these days. I prefer the old tried and true Miracle-Gro.  I use it on everything from my roses, azaleas, and peace lilies to my tomatoes, peppers, and squash. I also use it on the plants I keep indoors just in a watered-down state. I have tried a whole bunch of others out there and as far as I am concerned, none can stand up to the power of Miracle-Gro. I use the regular kind year round, but during the time certain plants are blooming, I use their Bloom Booster. Wow! It will literally make buds and blooms pop out within days.

Happy Gardening!

Miss Crystal

Caring for Purpe Fountain Grass, Penniston rubrum, is pretty easy. It grows fast and comes back year after year. You can plant this in a bed or container and use it as the main focus. It can grow as tall as 3 feet and fill a space quick.  It can take most soils and does not need a great amount of water, it is pretty hardy and does need full sun. The plumes that come out feel like a cat’s tail, soft.  I have this plant in my garden (and you can see it if you look through earlier posts) and it is probably the prettiest plant I have. Out of all of my plants, this one did not wilt any all summer long. It took the heat and drought like a trooper. I do plan to buy more of them next year and plant them in several places.

Hi ya’ll! I was going through some photos on my ole computer today and came across some of the photos I took this last spring when my flowers were in full bloom and before the heat burned a lot of stuff. I don’t know about ya’ll, but we did not get near enough rain. Anyway, here are the photos, enjoy!

Blackspot (Diplocarpon rosae) is a bad fungus your roses can get. It starts off as a small blackspot, turning the leaf part around it yellow, and can eventually spread to the entire plant.  You can catch it as soon as it starts to keep it from spreading by cutting off the infected parts of the plants and disposing of them by burning them, do not let them fall to the ground.  The fungus will work its way back onto the plant.  You can prevent it by treating it with a fungicidal soap and liquid sulphur, both of which you can find at your local nursery. (Always follow the instructions on the label.)  You can use a home remedy that works well: in one quart of water, add a few drops of dish soap and then about a teaspoon and a half of baking soda and spray your roses with it. Be sure to reapply whatever treatment you choose after every rain. Also, water your plants first thing in the morning to give the leaves a chance to dry. The roses having wet leaves will help it spread. If you do not have roses but want to get some, there are a wide variety of disease-resistent roses. Just visit your local nursery and they will be happy to help you out. You can tell them Miss Crystal sent you. It won’t do you any good, but you can tell them that anyway.

 Happy Gardening,

Miss Crystal

When you are planting your fall bulbs, you have to keep that different type bulbs get planted at different depths.  For example, you want to plant your crocus at 2 – 4 inches, lilies at 4 – 8 inches, tulips at 4 – 6 inches, and hyacinth at 4 – 6 inches.  The packaging should tell you at what depth to plant the bulb. If not, you can consult www.bulb.com or your local nursery. Planting depth is important, because if they get planted too deep they may bloom late or not at all. On the other hand, if they get planted too shallow, they could get damaged by winter weather.  If you live in the southern states, you may have to dig up your bulbs and winterize them in the refrigerator for a few weeks to simulate a good winter. Otherwise, they may not bloom every year.

When you are selecting plants for your garden, take into mind what shape the bed will be, what color scheme do you want to use, the height of the plants you would like to use, whether or not the soil needs to be amended and whether or not it is a shaded or sunny area.  Then you need to consult a local nursery to determine what hardiness zone you are in and what plants are right for your zone. (I am in zone 7 and my mother is in zone 8.) Also, remember that plants and bushes that flower are not the only beautiful ones out there. I get a great deal of pleasure at the different colors of foliage I have in my yard. Putting in flower beds and gardens takes plenty of planning to have a successful garden. There is no rush, take your time and add a little bit at a time until you are satisfied.

I have found the perfect plant for anyone who likes vines and groundcover. It is an Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine. I put these in my garden, knowing they spread, but daggum, I had no idea just how much they would take over.  I do love the green ones and also the Blackey Sweet Potato Vine, which is purple in color, and makes a wonderful contrast to the green ones.  As of now, I have the green ones in the ground and the Blackey’s in a hanging basket. Next year, I will have them growing side by side down the hillside in my front yard. I will post some pictures of my Blackey’s when I take some tomorrow.