Poinsettias and Christmas Cactus

       Holiday houseplants, specifically poinsettias and Christmas cactus, make wonderful gifts; but now that the holidays are over what do you do with them and how can you take care of them and can you make them bloom again?

        I received a poinsettia this year and I’m determined to make this holiday houseplant a permanent part of my houseplant collection, but I know going into it that it will be a challenge.  It can be done, but I’ve never been successful at it before.  Maybe this year is the year that I’m up to the challenge.

        Poinsettias are native to tropical Mexico and Central America, which is why they are a big part of Christmas celebrations there.  They are naturally blooming in December, and their popularity has made them a common part of the winter holidays everywhere, and in recent years, plant scientists have developed many varieties and multiple color combinations to entice shoppers to buy these beautiful holiday houseplants.

       

 

This beauty was one I couldn't resist this year.

         If taken care of they will stay colorful for several months, but eventually the color will fade and the general advice is to discard your plant when this happens, but that is not easy for me to do.  So once again I will attempt to get mine to survive and with luck thrive.

        It’s important to note that the colorful leaves of a poinsettia are just that, leaves, but not flowers.  The actual flowers of a poinsettia are small and inconsequential.  They grow at the center of the bracts and give the appearance of the center of a large flower.

         Poinsettias like very bright light, and warm temperatures. It’s common for poinsettias to drop their leaves in low light, which is often the case in our houses.  So if you have large windows and bright natural light in your house, you’ll probably have more luck in keeping this guy happy.

        Average house temperatures are OK, but keep your plant away from drafts and cold windows. Unlike you, this holiday plant can’t put on a sweater, so it will start to turn yellowish and drop leaves if it gets too chilly.

        This holiday houseplant also likes to be kept moist and enjoys higher humidity, which is another obstacle to overcome in dry heated homes.  Putting your plant on a tray of pebbles with a little water in it is helpful, but don’t let your plant actually sit in water. Misting daily is also a good idea and if possible clustering it with other plants will increase humidity too.

         I know someone who has a heated three-season room.  She uses a humidifier in the winter to keep her patio plants happy.  It’s almost like a greenhouse.  I’m not that lucky to have that ideal situation, but I like the challenge of making something grow in spite of not having ideal conditions for it.

         If you’re lucky enough to make it until spring, start watering your poinsettia less often.  (Try every other day or every third or fourth day until it has acclimated to drier conditions.)  Then move it to a cooler location like your basement for about a month or so.

         In April you should cut your plant back to about 4 inches high and repot in a different slightly bigger pot with fresh potting soil.  Bring it back to a full light situation and continue to water when the soil feels dry.  When it starts to send out new shoots, begin to fertilize it with a water-soluble solution about every two weeks.

         When it’s warm enough, move your poinsettia outside to a partially shaded location.  Treat it like any other houseplant that summers outside.  To keep your plant full and bushy, cut it back about an inch a couple of times during the summer, but here is where it starts to get tricky!

          Poinsettias have to have 12 hours of complete darkness for about ten weeks in order to bloom again, and this is where I always run into trouble.  Any light at all will slow down or stop this process all together.

          My aunt used a big box to cover her poinsettia every night, and I know some people put theirs in a dark closet every evening.  You’re probably saying this is ridiculous.  Throw it out and buy a new one.  They’re not that expensive, and will no doubt look far more gorgeous than our home grown versions, but if you’re like me, that’s not the point.  I just want to be able to do it!

          I am going to start my darkness regime in September so that hopefully in late November I’ll have a plant that has set bud.  During the day your plant needs bright light and you should still be fertilizing every couple of weeks.  Once it has you can discontinue the darkness treatment and voila!  You have a blooming poinsettia in time for the holiday season.


        Christmas cactus is another holiday houseplant that can be kept and forced to bloom every year.  I don’t think they are near as difficult as poinsettias to take care of either. In fact, my mother has had a Christmas cactus that is decades old. It hangs in a window and blooms faithfully every year with little or no special treatment.  Years ago it was so enormous, it fell and broke into pieces.  My sister took part of it and my mom repotted the remainder of the plant.  Now my sister’s plant is enormous, and this year it was completely gorgeous and covered with masses of blossoms.

        

       Christmas cactus like warm temperatures and normal dry to the touch watering. They can summer outside, but like the poinsettia they need 12 hours of darkness for several weeks in the fall to set flowers.

      My mother’s plant is so successful because it hangs in a room that isn’t ever used in the evening.  So it gets the dark it needs without much effort on her part.  My sister also has a similar ideal situation.  I also think they can tolerate a little more light than a poinsettia.

      My Christmas cactus always sets bloom, but hardly ever at Christmas.  In fact mine is just budding now.  I know it’s because I don’t have ideal dark conditions for it, but it’s OK.  The fact that it blooms at all for me makes me feel successful.

      So did you receive a holiday houseplant this year?  Are you up to the challenge of making it a part of your houseplant collection?  If so congratulations!  I wish you luck!  Let me know how you do.  I’d love to see your success stories. 

Thanks as always for reading Julie’s Garden Journal.

Christmas is Upon Us

By my reckoning it is less than a week until Christmas.  My wish for you is that whatever you find yourself doing in these final days before Christmas, I hope you also find time to relax and savor every moment.  If Christmas didn't come for another three weeks, we would probably still think we were not ready so it's time for it to come.  You've done enough!

Enjoy the music, the smells, the people, the holiness, and be generous with your forgiveness and love. Thank you all for reading my Blog and don't forget with everything else you're doing to water your plants!  They'll thank you for it!

Sincerely,
Julie

Winter Landscape- It's Not Just for the Birds

Winter landscape- It’s not just for the birds!

      The winter landscape in the north can be dull, dreary, and empty without the lush vegetation of summer, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  In fact, if collectively, urban and suburbanites decided to devote more space to complex vegetation instead of cement we would have more winter interest, healthier environments to live in, and as a bonus, better habitat for winter birds.

       Typically, many of us cut down everything in our perennial beds in the fall and wrap up some of our less hardy evergreens with burlap and stakes- not the prettiest winter landscape!

        But many perennials have beautiful seedpods and stems that are sturdy enough to remain standing throughout the winter.  They not only look beautiful wrapped in in ice on a winter morning, they provide winter birds with shelter and seeds.

        A common suburban look is lots of grass, broken up by a sidewalk and another strip of grass, and I know before I suggest this, that many towns have ordinances that require this look, but it’s worth thinking about and exploring the reasons for changing it.

       As urban and suburban sprawl continues unabated all over our country, more and more space for birds and animals is compromised. So I’m suggesting that some of the dead, grass space could be better utilized with layers of trees, bushes, and perennial plants. I actually see that happening in newer subdivisions.   Many are designed with open fields, separating some of the houses and berms planted with an assortment of conifers.

       In addition to providing better air quality, erosion control, and drought damage to our yards, we would also be creating a lush winter landscape and a better environment for birds and animals that are trying to share our space.

        Winter birds are tough little creatures and it’s amazing to me that such tiny little things can survive harsh winds and subzero temperatures, but they can.  They do need cover, though.

        

         They depend on evergreens and dense bushes for protection from wind and snowstorms, and also as security from predators, something to think about when you are hanging up a bird feeder or a birdhouse. You might want it in the middle of a wide, open space, but the birds would much prefer some nearby shrubs that they can dash to if there is a need.  Shrubs can provide food, shelter, and a winter landscape that is anything but dull to look at.

         If you are committed to creating a more natural look to your yard, I applaud you, but do your research and approach the situation slowly.  Unlike smaller perennials, shrubs and bushes are more likely to become a permanent part of your landscape.  So don’t just plunk something somewhere and think you’ve done all you need to do.

        First you need to research the growing requirements and think carefully where a shrub would do the most good.  One good place to start is with native plants.

        There are many gorgeous trees and shrubs out there, but sometimes they are invasive and what you originally thought was a good idea turns into a nightmare.

         An example of such a plant is oriental bittersweet. Oriental bittersweet is beautiful, definitely livens up the winter landscape and birds love it!  So what’s the problem, you ask?

         It grows easily from seeds scattered by birds, once established it is almost impossible to get rid of, and its roots are a tangled mess that choke out other plants.  A much better alternative is American bittersweet.

         Some good choices to improve your winter landscape and provide food and shelter for birds are serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.), and red-berried winterberry. (“Sprite” is a dwarf version that I want for my smallish yard). Winterberry needs a male pollinator to produce fruit so make sure you get Winterberry “Jim Dandy, too!”

         Other great choices to ramp up your winter landscape and offer food and shelter include all kinds of conifers, Eastern Red Cedar, Staghorn Sumac, Rockspray Cotoneaster, American Cranberry Bush Viburnum, Coralberry, and Black Chokecherry.  These are all shrubs that would thrive in my growing zone 5. You would have to do research to verify that these would be good shrubs to add to your environment.

         If you are currently looking at a stretch on frozen grass with out much snow cover, and you’ve resolved to change the picture before many more winters drag by, start researching native trees, shrubs, and perennials and vow to create a layered, more productive yard that is healthier for our environment, easier to take care of than constant fertilizing and mowing, a luscious winter landscape and a haven for small winter birds. 

         When you finish your project send me a picture.  I’d love to share your success with my audience and thanks for reading Julie's Garden Journal.

Overwintering Annuals

Overwintering Annuals

    Overwintering annuals is something I do every year, but not always with complete success. They are just so beautiful in the Fall, I can’t just let them just die.  So sometimes even against my own better judgement I haul many of them inside.

(Here are four of the nine geraniums that are presently enjoying the best light I have in the house.)    

Typically though, your house is going to have less light and less humidity than your plants are currently accustomed to so to prevent shock start bringing in your plants gradually.  I usually bring mine in for the night when temperatures start dipping to the 40’s at night. 

    The problem is every year is different. This year we got unexpected early freezing temperatures so some plants I had intended to bring in…never made it. (I still saved more than is probably practical...so don't feel sorry for me.)

    Garden rooms or greenhouses are ideal, but probably not the reality for most of us.  So put your plants where they will receive the best light or under grow lights if you have them. 

    Overwintering annuals and tender perennials would benefit from about twelve hours of light daily, but in the dark North this isn’t always possible from sunlight alone so grow lights are helpful if you can afford them.

    The irony is you bought tropical annuals in in the first place because you couldn’t resist the lovely colors, or textures, or prices; but now you are prepared to invest mucho bucks to create a perfect tropical environment for them!  Such is the life the avid gardener!

     Placing a tray filled with pebbles and a little water under your pots will increase the humidity around your plants if your house gets very dry in the winter, and humidifiers are helpful too, but remember in the coldest, driest part of the winter too much humidity can cause your windows to start condensing water.  (In other words a little humidity is good, but too much isn’t good for your house.)

    Don’t be worried if your precious plants start dropping leaves.  This is normal from the stress they are experiencing, but if the idea is just keeping them alive until they can go outside again they should be fine.

    For me, overwintering annuals and tender perennials is pretty much a trial and error process, and I have to admit that I’ve never found a method that is truly fool proof.  A procedure that works for me one year doesn’t always work the next and what works for other people may not work for you at all.

    Every year at this time of year my soft heart gets in the way of my practical side, which says: “Just let it die!”  This is very difficult for me to do, but our house certainly can’t contain all the pots I want to bring inside.  Every year I seem to try, anyway and this year is no exception. 

     In fact this year I have gotten a little fanatical about it.  I’ve actually hauled upstairs to a vacant bedroom several bricks and two long pieces of wood that are part of a son’s abandoned bookcase from college. (At least it’s doing more than gathering dust in my laundry room-where said son originally dumped it.) 

     But I digress!  Some plants are easy to bring in.  I always bring in a couple of begonias and some of my best geraniums.  I treat them just like houseplants and they actually continue to blossom most of the winter.  If they start to leggy, just cut a few inches off the top to keep them full and compact.

My dad has always stored his geraniums in the basement for the winter.  He brings them back upstairs in early March, cuts them back and starts watering.  Voila!  They start growing right away.  (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried this, but never once has it worked for me.)

      I know other people who dig up their geraniums, and hang them in a cool, dark place.  They replant them in the spring, cut them back and they start growing again.  (I’ve never tried this method, but again some people swear by it.)

      Tropical plants like hibiscus can also be treated like houseplants.  Decrease the amount of water and fertilizer you give them during the winter and they’ll adapt better to your house.

    If your plant has grown quite large, it can be cut back by 1/3 or more.   I have a hibiscus that is almost 20 years old.  It is quite large now and heavy.  I have to cut it back to make room for it in the house, now. The first time I did it, it was afraid I'd kill it, but now I realize that doing this has actually helped it maintain a pleasant shape and sturdier stems. 

    Tender bulbs like dahlias and gladiolas need to be dug up, cleaned and dried off and stored in moist peat for the winter. Throw away any bulbs that are soft in the spring and replant the rest.     Sweet potato vines can be saved the same way.  Letting them get a small dose of frost is OK because it signals them to stop putting out growth.  Cut off the vines, dig them up, and let the tubers dry off.  Then bury them in peat and store in a cool dry place until spring when you can replant them again.

    The next obstacles you might face when trying to overwinter annuals and tender perennials are insects and disease. For several years now I’ve filled my laundry tubs with water and insecticidal soap.  On the day I bring in my containers, they get a 90 second dunking in this mixture.  My sister does the same thing except she uses a garbage can outside.

     We’ve both found that this usually cuts way down on strange flying moths and white flies that sometimes plague overwintering annuals.

      Insecticidal soap comes in a spray bottle, too, and can be used any time during the winter if you start to notice white flies or scale.

      Another way to overwinter annuals is to take cuttings. This works best with plants that have soft stems like coleus and oxalis.  Actually I’ve tried in on geraniums and begonias, too, but I have better luck with the first two I mentioned. 

      To take cuttings choose a nice healthy stem and strip it of its lower leaves.  Then put it in a glass of water on a windowsill.  Remember stem-no leaves in the water. In a few days you should start to see tiny roots.  When you have a good set of roots transplant your cutting into a small pot and keep in the window or under light.  Use a water- based fertilizer regularly throughout the winter and by spring you should have a bigger, healthier plant than ones you’ll probably see for sale in the garden centers.

     Overwintering annuals is fun to do and if you go into it not expecting 100% survival, everything that does survive is a bonus and it makes you feel like super woman (or man!)

     Until the next time, Thanks for reading Julie’s Garden Journal! 

Creating a Christmas Spray

     Creating a Christmas Spray is easy and fun to do.  I actually had the privilege to take a class recently at Baltimore Woods Nature Center about making Christmas swags and sprays, and I enjoyed it so much, I thought I would share with you what we learned and some of our finished projects in hopes that you’ll be inspired to create your own Christmas Spray.

       Our class was taught by Regina Lewis-Middleton. She brought with her a wide variety of fresh evergreen branches, holly, colorful branches, and materials to create bows.  She also had all manner of branch cutters, scissors, and wire for completing our projects.

        So before you can start, you will need to take a nature walk and collect your own assortment of natural materials. Wear your garden gloves and bring along a branch snipper.

        If you have evergreens in your yard, cut off a few of the lowest branches: (ones that might hang down anyway and won’t be missed).  Some of the prettiest ones are white pine, Cyprus, arborvitae, and spruce, but that’s a matter of taste and there are many more choices available.  Try to gather as much variety as is practical. 

         If you have difficulty finding evergreen branches you might get them free from fresh Christmas tree lots, because there are always scraps of branches and twigs lying around that have broken or been cut off.  Often, if you ask, they will give you some.

         Now, look for some pretty twigs like red and yellow dogwood, or white birch, and if you can find any, pick some holly, rose hips, variegated Euonymus, or bayberry for special touches.

          Pinecones come in many shapes and sizes and make good accents when you are creating a Christmas spray, so collect a few of these, too.

Now you need to gather a few supplies.  You’ll need a couple grades of wire, burlap for bows, raffia, the snippers and your scissors.
 (Hint: Don’t use your good scissors to cut wire or sturdy branches.  That’s what the snippers are for!)

If you need to purchase ribbon for bows, the red velvet bow is timeless, but if you are creating a Christmas spray with a more natural look, look for natural materials like burlap (and not necessarily red either.)  I saw one lady use dark brown and it turned out spectacularly.

Now, that you have all your supplies, lay them out and start creating your Christmas spray.  Your biggest branch goes on the bottom and then you are going to create layers above it.

Wire a few branches together and gradually add more.  Step away and study your creation as you layer it.  If it pleases you wire it together, but keep in mind where you are going to hang your spray. If it will hang between doors, don’t make it so thick that it will interfere with the door closing properly.

Now add a few twigs, and then the holly or other berried branches.  Pinecones can be wired anywhere you find pleasing.

The next step in creating a Christmas spray is adding your ribbons.  We used very wide burlap, and many people created a very pleasing effect with just a knot, not a bow.

You can also use just raffia if you choose, or both raffia and burlap-there is no wrong way. Whatever works is right!  Use your ribbons to cover your wires.

Now make a wire loop for hanging, by wrapping the middle of a piece of wire around a couple of fingers a few times and then using the ends to attach to your spray.  Your Christmas spray is finished and ready to hang! 

Now, use your left over greens to decorate mantles or dining tables, perhaps in a container outside your door, or as a living centerpiece. Use damp florist foam if your creating a living centerpiece to keep branches fresh and green all season.

I had a lot of fun the day I spent at Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus, NY, and now I want to give a shout out to the many wonderful people, most of them volunteers, that have made Baltimore Woods a success story, and especially Regina Lewis-Middleton, our craft teacher, and Sue Jones, the office manager, for providing such a pleasant informative afternoon.

Baltimore Woods Nature Center is a not-for-profit environmental education organization located in Marcellus NY, 15 minutes outside Syracuse in central NY.  The mission is to connect people with nature, and the goal is to give people of all ages opportunities to enjoy and learn about nature first-hand.

Baltimore Woods offers year-round programs to our members and to the public, as well as school programs.

The Nature in the City programs brings nature education to urban youth. For more information contact Baltimore Woods Nature Center at: info@baltimorewoods.org. 

There are many wonderful nature centers everywhere. There might be one near where you live.  Check out their programs.  You might find a hidden gem in your own back yard. 

So that about sums it up. Perhaps you’re inspired now to create your own Christmas spray, or maybe you’re going to find out the calendar of winter events scheduled at a local nature center near you.  You might be surprised at how much they have to offer and how we can enjoy our yards and gardens-even in the cold!

Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

Christmas gifts for gardeners are easy to find and very appreciated, but you don’t have to spend a fortune or look in exotic catalogs for good ideas.

The best place to look for gifts for gardeners is your local hardware or garden nursery store.  This isn’t the high season for planting outside so you might not find likely items front and center, but they’re still there.

In fact start in the back of the store in the clearance department.  You might find some excellent buys at steeply discounted prices, and that’s even cooler!

If you can’t find gardening supplies, ask!  They’re still there somewhere and again you might be able to score some serious bargains.

Serious gardeners don’t need glitzy gadgets or other novel do dads, but if they’re like me they probably need and would probably appreciate some more basic choices.

If I was Christmas shopping for gardeners, I would look for a heavy- duty trowel, good garden gloves with rubber palms, plant ties, labels, seed starting pots, or perhaps even potting soils and fertilizers.

High quality tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruners and scissors would also be good Christmas gifts for gardeners. (I lost three pairs of garden scissors this year- how could that happen?)  I also wore holes into two pairs of gloves and broke the handle off one trowel and the tip off another one.  Hey, maybe I should have my family read this article!  They could use some ideas for Christmas gifts for the gardener in their family!!!

Is your gardener a reader?  Bookstores usually have large sections devoted to gardening books, but this is where it gets a little tricky.  Which one do you choose?

You know the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words?”  This especially applies to gardening books. Books with lots of excellent photographs are an almost sure bet, and if the pictures are described in thorough detail, even better!

If you know that your gardener is planning on tackling a new project or has been heard to mention something that annoys her about her garden a book on the topic would be appreciated, and if she happens to be moving to a new region a book about that gardening environment would be awesome.

Gardeners are usually practical people so try to think of some practical gifts. Gardening soap or thick, rich, hand creams are an idea (especially if your gardener forgets to wear her gloves…hmmm I might know her!)

I get a lot of catalogs from garden supply stores, and I love looking at them.  There are products out there to address every possible problem a gardener might have.  If you know something about your gardener’s situation you might be able to find something that would be a great addition to her garden.

If your budget is a little bigger, a water barrel, or a compost box might be a good idea.  Garden statuary, a fountain, or birdbath, are also possibilities.

Some other Christmas gifts for gardeners could possibly include houseplants.  Perhaps they would like a project to keep their green thumb brown.  Something new to nurture might be just the ticket. 

Some cute little pots and a few packages of herb seeds would make a nice windowsill garden and be fun to have in the winter.  Then include a cookbook about cooking with herbs to make your gift complete.

Forcing spring bulbs or making a terrarium are also projects that gardeners might enjoy.  Buy the supplies and let your gardener put it together.

Winter is when many gardeners plan their new garden so how about a garden journal, or a gift certificate to a reputable flower nursery or catalog so they won’t feel so guilty about wanting everything in the spring catalogs. (Ha! That wouldn’t be me, would it?)

A magazine subscription is another ideal Christmas gift for a gardener.  Most regions have a garden magazine that focuses on local plants and highlight some of the newest and best varieties for the area.  They are a pleasure to look at and would be a welcome gift.

Some gifts don’t require money at all.  The most thoughtful gifts aren’t always the most expensive. Would your gardener appreciate a little help once in awhile?  You could make a coupon booklet and fill it with coupons for minutes weeding, or pruning, or rototilling, or whatever is needed.

Christmas gifts for gardeners could be big gifts, too. Perhaps a group gift for a new tree or retaining wall might be in order.

If you have a gardener in your family, put your gardening hat on and get thinking.  I bet you’ll come up with some ideas for Christmas gifts that are both unexpected and very appreciated, and I hope I’ve given you a few ideas that might help you give the best gifts ever this year.

Oh and here’s once last thought:  Bookmark my blog for your gardener…and me too!  (We have time to read and write during the winter!)

First Snow

What a dark, gloomy day!  We were surprised with early frigid temperatures: 10  days of temperatures ranging from 9- 15 degrees.  That is more typical of February weather.  Today is much warmer.  I believe it might even hit 50.  (It feels tropical.)  It would be even nicer if it wasn't raining!

The result of this unseasonable weather is that all our leaves are not raked.  The tender bushes are not wrapped.  The garden isn't completely cut down and the lawn furniture is not put away.   Some of you out there are probably happy that all your outside obligations are completed, but hopefully I'm not the only one that left some tasks undone.

I was hoping that we'd get a few more days of mild weather so I could finish my chores and decorate the outside for Christmas without freezing my buns off, but the ten day forecast doesn't look promising.

       

Oh, for the child like joy of first snow. (My grandsons woke up and immediately put their snow suits and boots on....over their pjs no less).  I tried to look at the glistening, sparkling snow with that in mind, but the beauty was undermined by adult concerns.

It's all a matter of perspective I guess, and if the chores don't get done, my chore clone is very irresponsible by the way,  I'll make tea and enjoy the trees covered in their first winter cloak.

Monarch Article

I was so surprised...today when I picked up the newspaper and there was an  article entitled:
Monarchs may be loved to death posted from the NY Times. I had just talked about monarchs myself the day before, but now I was concerned that my information wasn't accurate...but it was. WHEW!

The article talks about "tropical milkweed." I have never heard of this variety of milkweed before, but the milkweed I'm talking about is a native plant and it doesn't live long into the Fall like this tropical cousin.  So if you want to add milkweed to your garden do a little research first and be sure you're planting Asclepias syriaca or common milkweed.

The bigger plant is common milkweed. The plant next to it with the orange flowers is butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa).  Reportedly some monarchs will eat butterfly weed, but it's never happened to me personally.  The good news is it is another native plant of the midwest prairies, and when in doubt...go native!

Below is a link to a federal chance to help Monarchs:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/02/10/nows-your-chance-help-save-monarch-butterfly?cmpid=tpanimals-eml-2015-02-14-cove

Monarch Butterflies

This is the last Monarch that I released this year.   I have been been raising Monarchs from eggs for several years now, but in the last three years several things have happened to our environment to make these beauties become threatened.  Two of the biggest issues are:
1) Violent spring storms have made the annual migration North more difficult.
2) Spraying and cutting down of median and roadside "weeds," including milkweed, which is the only food source of monarch caterpillars,  has even casual observers notice there are far fewer Monarchs than there were just a few years ago.

We can't control the weather, but we can provide safe havens in our gardens for Monarch butterflies and their eggs and larva.

This is milkweed.  Monarchs lay their eggs on the leaves and the caterpillars eat the leaves.  Milkweed has beautiful flowers, and it smells great, too.  It is easy to add it to your cottage garden. 
Your reward will be a constant display of beautiful Monarchs drifting over your garden and sipping the nectar of your flowers.

I want my gardens to be a safe and beautiful haven for birds and butterflies.  Milkweed helps me to do that.

Introducing Julie's Garden Journal

For the last 4 years I have had a website entitled Gardening with Julie. As of this month the website will be no more.

This blog is taking me in a new direction.  I am a retired teacher and amateur gardener.  I love all kinds of gardening, but my favorite gardens are full of perennials and flowers that are either native or delicious to birds and animals.

I love cottage gardens and exuberant English gardens.  I live in gardening zone 5 so there won't be a lot of tropical or desert plants emphasized in my posts...unless of course they are so gorgeous that I decide to try to grow them in spite of their preferred growing locations.

During the winter, which has apparently already started, I have more time to write, as I'm usually out in my gardens when weather permits.

I plan on filling my blog with lots of pictures and the wisdom I've gained from several decades of gardening.  Hopefully, this journal will help you to enjoy your garden more, too because not only will I share the tips that have worked for me, I hope to bring you along with me on the journey of my garden.  So please come back again and again.
Thanks,
Julie