LAND HOE! Landscape Design and Construction

Garden Trends 2011: Gardening with a Purpose

landhoe — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:47:32 +0000

What’s the latest gardening focus for 2011? This year, the trends lead, not to the newest splashy foliage or the newest color combinations, but to other focuses.

In 2011, according to the Garden Media Group’s research, we have turned our attention to doing what we each can in our own gardens to have a positive impact on the world. As individual gardeners, we may not feel we can save the acres of rainforest being bulldozed daily, but we can make a difference in the environment of the world, starting in our own back yard.

Attention is being paid to the impact our individual garden practices have on the environment on a broader scale. There is increasing recognition of the effects our choices of such things as fertilizers, pest management practices and watering on natural resources. Increasingly, gardeners are making choices that protect and preserve resources. In planning landscapes, there is an interest in creating urban green sanctuaries, for our enjoyment and for the benefit of all life.

The term “sustainable practices” has become less of a trendy buzzword and more of an evolving set of guidelines describing ways in which we, as gardeners can become partners in caring for this planet.

“Ecoscaping” is another trend for 2011. In gardening with a purpose, gardeners are actively participating in sustainable practices. Replacing or downsizing lawns with native plants creates sustainable spaces that require less maintenance – and use less water.

Including plants that attract and/or offer food for birds, bees and butterflies create habitat and add life and interest to the garden. Encouraging pollinators also enhances your gardens chance of abundant fruit and flower production.

There is increased interest in replacing areas of lawn with beds for vegetable and fruit production. Nationwide we have seen a 20 percent increase in vegetable gardens. This author stripped up a long narrow patch of lawn two summers ago and has enjoyed a bounty of tasty fresh vegetables and berries from that transformed area.

Yet another trend is edible ornamentals. Why restrict edibles to a dedicated vegetable garden when they can be worked into the ornamental beds? This is one of the hottest areas of interest.

And then there is the blueberries trend. Blueberries next to a dwarf rhododendron? Why not? The blueberry will provide seasonal interest year round with flowers, berries, and fall and winter foliage color.

Consider substituting dwarf fruit trees for ornamental cherry trees and enjoy the sweet juicy fruit during harvest season.

According to the Garden Writers of America’s study, many gardeners are doing exactly this. Sneak in few vegetables, and a few berries into the ornamental beds and enjoy the bonus of fresh very local food.

Plant edibles in containers and use as a focal point. Benefits of home crops include better taste, better quality and better nutrition.

Plan now, to do what you can to make a difference in your garden this year. Consult a professional garden designer if you’d like some guidance on putting more purpose into your garden.

Enticing New Plants to Tempt the Home Gardener

landhoe — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:42:38 +0000

Cornus sericea ‘Firedance’

One of the best things about the year coming to a close is that it sets the stage for the arrival of newly developed plant varieties. Each year the growers offer some interesting sounding variations on the tried and true plants we’ve become familiar with. What better time than the dark of winter to read up on some of these and start dreaming about enhancing the garden? Even the most well developed landscape has room somewhere for a newcomer.

Color, color, color…This year is all about color; adding color with interesting foliage and or bark color; or adding color at some of the more drab times of the year. If you find yourself in a post-holiday slump, how about adding some cheerful winter color?

Cornus sericea ‘Firedance’ may be just what you’re looking for. This dogwood shrub features shiny red stems that glistens under a coat of winter rain. Cornus ‘Firedance’ does well in both sun and part shade and will tolerate wet soils. It grows to 3-4 feet tall by 4-5 feet wide, making it suitable for many places in the garden. White flowers in late spring are followed by white berries. The fall foliage color makes this a plant with year round interest. It is a disease resistant variety and not at all fussy.

Another good source of winter color is Hellebore. The new variety “Cinnamon Star; showcases its flowers during the months of December through February. Cinnamon colored buds open to creamy white flowers painted with hues of rose and cinnamon that contrast nicely with the dark green leaves. This Hellebore is hardy to around minus 20 degrees, so hopefully will withstand anything La Nina has to send us. Reaching 15-18 inches tall by 24 inches wide, this could be a nice foreground plant on the north side of the house.

The common wallflower (Erysimum) has just become less common. Erysimum ‘Fragrant Star,’ with its green and yellow variegated leaves can brighten up a garden bed. Its fragrant yellow flowers are a delight. This compact, bushy perennial grows to 15” wide and 24” tall and will be happiest in full sun or light shade. This plant is hardy to around minus 10 degrees, so is another plant undaunted by what the weather forecasters are predicting for us this winter.

There have been a number of new varieties of plants with leaves and or flowers in shades of chocolate lately. New to the chocolaty trend is Sedum ‘Chocolate Drop.’ This tidy mound of succulent leaves shows off its chocolate colored foliage well in a rock garden. The pink flowers hover above the plant, nicely contrasting with the leaves. As with most sedums, Chocolate Drop prefers full sun. It stays a small 10-15 inches tall.

A few others to look into: Holboellia latifolia ‘Ritak,’ for an out of the ordinary vine, and Silver Mist mondo grass, with its soft silvery foliage.

Brighten Up the Winter Garden

landhoe — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 21:38:50 +0000

Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’

Has the November weather drowned out much of the bright spots of color in your garden? Grey days can drive even the heartiest gardener to retreat to the comfort of a steaming mug of tea and the warmth of the fireplace. But the gloom of the winter months offers a great time to survey the garden, looking for places to slip in a bit of colorful foliage that will add brightness.

One way to lighten things up is to use plants with variegated leaves. There are varieties for all the different microclimates and soil conditions. The most benefit of these during the winter months is achieved by using plants that are evergreen or that keep their leaves year round.

For hedging, or continuous drifts, there are several varieties of Euonymus that can be used. Euonymus japonica microphyllus variegata makes a tidy low border plant, growing a diminutive 1-2 feet tall. The leaves are a soft green with cream-colored leaf margins.

Brighten up a planting bed even more with the golden edged leaves of Euonymus japonica microphyllus ‘Butterscotch’. Euonymus ‘Butterscotch’ is a small shrub that reaches 3 feet in height and has dainty bright yellow new leaves.

For even more gold color; try Euonymus fortuneii ‘Emerald and Gold’. The foliage is edged in brilliant gold colors on this evergreen shrub that grows to 4-5 feet tall and benefits from yearly pruning to shape. When given the support of a trellis, or stakes, Emerald and Gold will climb. Like most Euonymus, Emerald and Gold prefers full sun.

For taller hedge, Euonymus japonica ‘Silver Queen’ has a larger presence. This shrub will provide a hight of about 6 feet and grows 3 feet wide. The large leaves are green, edged in a creamy white. This can also be used as an accent plant in a sunny planting bed.

A cheerful plant that adds foliage color, as well as flowering throughout the summer , is Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’. The leaves on Kaleidoscope have a golden variegation, changing hues spring through fall. Growing 2 1/2 feet tall, this can be planted in a small bed that is in full to part sun. Use as a contrast to plants with burgundy foliage for dramatic effect.

A current favorite variegated plant of mine is Pieris japonica ‘Little Heath’. This slow growing evergreen tops out at 3-4 feet and does best partial sun. New growth in springtime is bright red and is enhanced by the clusters of white flowers that appear. This would be a great plant under the filtered sunlight of Japanese Maples, or on the north side of a house.

What about those wet and shady spots in the garden? Carex morrowii aureovariegata (variegated sedge) will be happy in such a spot. This sedge is a short grass like clump that nicely complements a pond or Asian-style garden.

The evergreen foliage does not need cutting back and adds brightness year round. Bring on those dark days!

Grasses Add Feathery Plumes to Gardens

landhoe — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:18:16 +0000

Backlit by the late afternoon sun, the plumes of Stipa gigantea glow iridescent, lending fairy like magic to the autumn garden. I love to use ornamental grasses in the landscape. They wave in the breeze, take little maintenance and add color and interest year round. The resourceful gardener can find a variety of ornamental grass for most any place in their garden.

Stipa gigantean, or giant feather grass, is just that. It has a large evergreen presence with the grass blades reaching 2-3 feet tall and the flower/plumes standing 4-5 feet above. This grass takes up the space you’d imagine a plant with a name like “giant.”

Another grass with some height is Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal,’ or Switchgrass. Switchgrass adds color with its blue-gray foliage and stands 4 feet tall. It will tolerate many soil conditions, and sun or part shade. During the winter, the grass blades turn tan in color.

Silver grasses, or Miscanthus sinensis ‘Yaku Jima’. Reaching 3-4 feet tall, this grass is green during the summer months with striking red fall colors. Use this as an accent plant or in drifts of threes or fives. Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens, another silver grass, starts out in spring with green foliage. Later in the summer, the drama begins as the foliage turns a striking dark burgundy. The flower plumes glow with a magenta cast making this a real conversation piece on a late summer afternoon. Miscanthus s. strictus, with its striped foliage, brings yet another element into the garden. This silver grass grows to 5-6 feet tall.

Looking for something smaller for the foreground of a bed? Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) is a real beauty! The variety H. m. ‘aureola’ is a small graceful clump 14 inches tall. The leaves are banded lengthwise with yellow. This makes a beautiful addition to a shaded rock garden or a woodland bed. In deep shade, the foliage may be chartreuse or even develop pink tones in the cool fall months.

Then there are the sedges, or grass-like clumps (carex). Most varieties having evergreen leaves, and most sedges will tolerate moist soil so they can be used in those difficult spots in the yard. Carex morrowii aureo-variegata is bright golden mass of arching leaves that grow to about 1 foot tall by 1 1/2 feet wide. Arrange this golden sedge to cascade over boulders along a stream bed or spill over an awkward intersection of path and lawn. Mix with the tiny vaccinium vitis ideas minus (dwarf lingonberry) ground-cover and summer flowering astilbe arendesii ‘Fanal.’ Carex ‘Cappuccino’ must have been developed for the Seattle gardener. Its coffee drink colored foliage flops over in colorful mass and adds interest to a container or along a path. Another sedge, Carex buchannii, with its stiff upright foliage has a coppery color year round.

Fall is an excellent time to introduce some grasses to your garden. Enjoy their bright new growth next spring and their airy texture in your garden.

Fall Garden to-do list

landhoe — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:15:48 +0000

What? Fall already? What happened to summer this year? If the much too short summer left you with some garden chores undone, no worries! Fall is actually the best time of the year for new plantings. The soil is warm enough to allow root growth to occur most of the winter here in the Pacific Northwest. This gives new plants a chance to get somwhat established by springtime so they can support that burst of spring growth.

Fall is also perhaps the most important time of the year to fertilize lawns and shrubs. If your lawn only gets fertilizer once a year, apply it now. Chose an organic slow release fertilizer with a 3:1:2 ratio. Follow the application instructions on the package. A slow release fertilizer allows nutrients to be made available to the plants over a longer period of time. It’s important to use an organic fertilizer so that chemicals from runoff aren’t washed into storm drains and eventually end up in creeks or in Puget Sound, threatening our already dwindling salmon population. Fertilizing shrubs gives them a supply of nutrients to help withstand the effects of the long rains, of winter leaching out important nutrients from the soil, and contributes to the plants being in a healthier condition come spring and the vigorous growing season.

Any general cleanup you do now will make spring easier. Remove any weeds. This will reduce the population of weeds that go to seed in your garden this fall, waiting for the warmth of spring to pop up and overtake the beds. Remove any desiccated vegetable plants or fruits and berries. Mulch planting beds to suppress weed growth over the winter.

Consider planting a cover crop in the vegetable beds. A cover crop covers the soil, preventing erosion and suppressing weed growth. In spring, the cover crop can be tilled into the bed to add nutrients, improve soil structure, and increase the soils ability to hold water. Some good cover crops for our area are: fava beans, red clover, or mix these with rye or barley. The grasses don’t add nitrogen to the soil, but they do add organic matter.

You can divide perennials in the spring or fall. To divide in spring, plan to do this 6-8 weeks before the first hard frost. Tackling this chore in fall may reduce some of your “to do” list for spring, a very busy time in the garden. Be sure that newly divided perennials receive adequate water.

Reseeding lawn areas is best done prior to end of September to ensure good germination. If early October stays warm, you may be able to extend this into the first week or so, but germination may not be as good, requiring overseeding in the spring. Soil temperature is what is important for this process to be successful.

Put on a hat and coat if needed and get out there and make up for those lost summer days in your garden.

‘Living Fence’ Alternative for Gardens

landhoe — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:10:25 +0000

Don’t want to feel fenced in as you garden? An alternative to fencing a garden is a ‘living fence.’ A well-planned planting buffer nicely frames a garden and provides privacy and varying color and texture.

Plants for a living fence should be primarily evergreen; either conifers or broadleaf evergreen shrubs. If you have the room, create a layered living space. Place taller plants in the background with progressively lower plants in the foreground. If space doesn’t permit this, then try mixing a wider plant with a grouping of narrower plants to develop a more interesting line.

The traditional English country garden was framed by hedgerows of plants of several varieties. Combining groups of several different plants, rather than a solid hedge of one variety, created interest during different seasons of the year. The hedgerow also offered cover and nesting places for birds and wildlife. One living fence I created for a Mukilteo residence recently used groups of Arbutus unedo “Compacta” (fall bloom) seperated by Viburnum tinus (winter/spring flowers), with an occasional larger growing rhododendron like Anna rose ‘Whitney’ for spring color.

A nice addition to this could be an occasional narrow flowering tree like a columnar ornamental pear, Japanese maple or an evergreen like Juniper ‘Wichita Blue’ or Pinus flexilis ‘Vander Wolf’s Pyramid.’

Since privacy fences are usually 5-8 feet high, choose an evergreen shrub growing to this size that can easily be maintained at this height. Some choices for this could be:

Arbustus unedo, (pictured above) a drought tolerant shrub from 8-30 feet tall (Arbustus unedo ‘Compacta’ stays under 10 feet). Arbutus blooms in the fall and winter with small clusters of white flowers and a strawberry-like fruit. The bark is a dark, reddish brown.

Ligustrum japonica ‘Texanum’ (Waxleaf Privet) grows to 10-by-6 feet with glossy, dark green leaves.

Myrica californica (Pacific Was Myrtle), an attractive native plant with tooth edged narrow leaves grow to 10 feet or more. It has purplish fruits that are attractive to birds.

Taxus x media is a conifer with soft needles that will tolerate shade. Expect Taxus to reach 6-10 feet depending on variety.

Juniperus virginia ‘Blue Arrow’ is a good choice for a narrow, sunny area, growing to 12-by-2 feet.

Prunus luitanica (Portugal Laurel) densely growing to 10-20 feet tall and wide, so give this some room. It has dark, glossy, green narrow leaves with small, white spring flowers.

Clumping bamboos offer a soft buffer without the invasiveness of running bamboo.

Fargesia rufa will tolerate sun and grows to 8 feet with an arching habit. Fargesia robusta grows taller, to 12 feet.

If you have a dog or child to contain or a pool to protect, a wood-framed wire fence with shrubs planted closely to grow through can satisfy these requirements. To create an inhospitable barrier, use prickly-leafed plants like barberry, mahonia or pyrachantha.

Think beyond the wood fence. Mix and match foliage textures and create a living fence for year round interest.

Late Bloomers

landhoe — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:49:44 +0000

Ahhh…this is the time of the year to be out enjoying the garden. All those early spring and summer hours of weeding have paid off, the planting beds are a riot of color, and the gardener wants to prolong the enjoyment of this color. Here are a few suggestions of plants that continue to bloom throughout those late summer days and even into early fall.

Agastache. A name like that sounds like a plant with some personality! With a long blooming time, the tubular flowers of this perennial come in many colors (apricot, yellow, dark purple, lavender, orange) and attract hummingbirds and bees. The foliage can be fragrant and airy textured. Depending on variety selected, heights range form 18-36 inches.

Another fabulous perennial for late color is Helenium. Try Helenium ‘Mardi Gras’ for a multicolored flower – yellow petals with splashes of red and a chocolate brown center. Reaching 36-48 inches tall, it’s worth waiting until August for this display of color. This might need staking. Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ is a bit shorter and sturdier, less likely to need staking. It’s brown center is surrounded by rust red petals. Give this drought tolerant plant a spot with full sun.

What gardener can resist Echinacea purpurea or Purple Coneflower for late season color? Echinacea ‘Hot Summer’ a new introduction for 2010 goes beyond the traditional color with its orange-red florets, growing 36 inches tall and wide. Situate this plant so it’s backlit in the late afternoon sun and watch the center glow. Its drought tolerance makes it ideal for the usually dry August weather.

Speaking of orange flowers, Achillea ‘Fireland’ has clusters of deep orange flowers atop is lacy, silvery grey foliage that last into late summer. Another drought tolerant plant (seems to be a theme for many of these late bloomers), Achillea (yarrow) attracts butterflies to the garden.

In addition to perennial color, there are several shrubs that flower during late summer.

A favorite of mine is Hebe ‘Autumn Glory.’ This Hebe is hardy to around 10 degrees Fahrenheit and evergreen reaching 2 feet tall. Blossoms are dark blue spires with a bit of white at the tips. The foliage is a dark green with small leaves. This can be a good foreground plant in a mixed border.

Abelia is an evergreen shrub with a long season of bloom, sometimes carrying on through late fall. With a zone 6 hardiness rating, it may suffer some damage in a very cold winter in our area. The variety Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’ features colorful foliage that undergoes seasonal changes with hues of golds, light chartreuse and crimsons. At 2-3 feet tall it can fit into a spot in most gardens. The white flowers continue for a long duration. Abelia grandiflora ‘Edward Goucher’ is taller, reaching 3-5 feet. With green leaves, the plant becomes a billowing, spilling mass of light pink flowers.

Head out to your favorite nursery to see these and several other late bloomers that will add some color and interest to your garden this August.

Gardens… Rambling and Inspirations

landhoe — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:42:04 +0000

Just back from a fun week of creating a display garden for Sorticulture, the Everett Garden Arts Festival. If you missed it this year, be sure to put it on your calendar for next June. This fun and funky event has grown in popularity each year and is a great way to get some new and creative ideas for your garden.

Bruce Gaudette of LAND HOE! and his energetic crew and I put together a show garden in a mere four days complete with building facade, flagstone patio, drystack stone walls, basalt column water feature, cedar arbor, and an abundance of colorful plants. We featured some exquisitely done metal sculptures by a local artist Lance Carleton.

For three days we hung out at the show, answering questions. We watched the delight people took in pausing in front of the garden taking a quiet moment to simply appreciate the beauty it offered. This motivated me to ask the question: What are the elements that make a garden rewarding or inspiring?

Water. The presence of water in a garden is very evocative. It was described as peaceful by many of the viewers and several folks mentioned they felt like they were on a mini-retreat. A simple upright basalt column with water bubbling out of the top and streaming down the rock was all it took to offer this brief moment of peace in the garden. A water feature can be added to a garden of any size and can take on many personalities from peaceful reflection (as in a simple dish rock holding water) to energizing and powerful (as in a waterfall or moving stream).

Color. Our garden featured an abundance of plants with gorgeous flower color – the bright fluffy blues of ceanothus, some early summer dark purple salvia ‘Cardonna’ and the dainty flowers of columbine. Foliage color was provided by perennials heuchera ‘Peach Flambe’ and heuchera ‘Pewter Moon.’ Contrasting shrub color was offered by dark burgundy Berberis ‘Helmond Pillar’ and upright columnar barberry and Spirea ‘Magic Carpet’ a low growing deciduous shrub with leaves in hues of golds and coppers.

Focal Points. Including a plant with unusual or striking features adds focal interest to any garden. While selecting plants for the show, a plant new to me caught my eye with its soft feathery texture and multiple hues. The plant? Sorbaria sorbifolia or common name, false spirea. The sorbaria reportedly shares some of the same spreading habits as sumac, but its beguiling beauty has earned it a trial spot in my own garden.

Garden art. This is what Sorticulture is all about. We were fortunate to display several metal sculptures in our garden that added structure and interest. The use of a bold, strong element such as metal balanced the softer textures of plants. A bit of colorful tumbled glass softened the metal.

Balance. Or is it magic? The harmonious blend of the above elements created a whole that complemented each of the individual pieces and offered beauty to enjoy.

Tomatoes 101

landhoe — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:39:01 +0000

Ahh, tomatoes. During last summer’s unusually dry, hot weather, everyone had an abundance of ripe, juicy tomatoes in their garden. Will it happen again this year?

Tomatoes like heat and sun, two things that may be missing on a typical summer day in our area. Despite our weather, there are several things one can do to improve the chances of enjoying plenty of sweet, tasty tomatoes Locate your tomatoes in the hottest, sunniest part of the garden. They prefer at least 8 hours of sun everyday. Even better is to plant them against a wall that will absorb and reflect heat.

Tomatoes can be planted in the ground in the Pacific Northwest, but they will most likely produce a heavier crop, sooner if planted in raised beds or in containers.

The soil above ground, is warmed up by the sun. When planted in containers or raised beds, the tomatoes also benefit from better drainage. They may also be up, out of the way of some of our common garden pests. The slugs have yet to discover the tomatoes I plant every year on the back deck. Containers can also be put on rollers to move as the sun moves during the day.

Give your tomatoes rich, loose soil. For pots, fill with a 50/50 mix of organic compost and sterile potting soil. Using sterile potting soil minimizes some fungal problems that can occur. Some experts recommend that each year, the soil in the container gets dumped into the garden and replaced with a new mix since tomatoes use so many nutrients while growing and the soil in containers tend to by compacted by watering over the course of a growing season. In the ground, incorporate 2-3 inches of compost into the soil. Space plants 2-3’ apart. Put a tomato cage around the seedling. Rotate crops yearly.

Fertilize the tomatoes with a granular organic fertilizer such as Dr. Earth’s Tomato and Vegetable fertilizer. This product has some of the trace minerals and calcium which helps prevent Blossom End Rot, an all too common tomato disease. Apply fertilizer again in about 30 days.

What are the 2 most important things you can do for a successful harvest?

1) Pick a variety with as short of a time period from seed to fruit as you can find. Look for a time of 65-70 days, with less being even better. Talk to the staff at your favorite nurseries to find out which varieties they have had good success with. Emery’s Garden has some great varieties ready to go in containers to give you a running start against the summer clock.

2). Wait to plant until soil temperatures have warmed up and night temperatures remain consistently above 50 degrees. This usually means late May or early June. If you plant earlier, protect plants with a cloche or tomato cage plastic “greenhouse.” When you plant tomato starts, plant deeply, as this vining wonder of nature will grow roots along the stem you bury and establish a deeper root system sooner. (PLEASE NOTE…DON’T DO THIS WITH ANY OTHER PLANTS!)

Tomatoes need about one inch of water per week, and benefit from infrequent, deep, consistent watering, rather than light daily watering. Early on, trim plant to or 4 main branches. As it grows, remove foliage up to 12 inches from ground.

Try planting several different varieties to maximize your chances of success. There’s nothing tastier than a tomato from your own garden!!!

Beauty and Bounty: Ornamental Edibles

landhoe — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:30:04 +0000

Beyond rows. Vegetables without borders. Delicious and delightful. These are terms that come to mind when I think about adding edibles to the ornamental beds in a garden. All too often, vegetables are segregated in a dedicated edible area. While this can certainly be a workable solution to where to plant them, there are many other creative ways to sneak a few tasty plants into the landscape. Why not include some edibles here and there as focal points in the ornamental beds and enjoy the perfect marriage of good to eat and aesthetic appeal.

Two years ago I started replacing some of the ornamental shrubs in my garden that weren’t doing well with a variety of edibles. The first additions were a couple of blueberries…Vaccinium “Sunshine Blue.” This small partially evergreen shrub bears an abundance of fabulously sweet blueberries. With its spring flowers, and maroon winter foliage, this is a star performer in the garden for both appearance and production! I added a couple more the next summer, taking a grower’s advice to plant them near another variety of blueberry for better pollination.

Rhubarb, with its huge leaves is another edible that makes a major statement in a garden bed. The sheer scale of the leaves is impossible to ignore and they make a great contrast next to a finer textured plant. Give rhubarb plenty of room to grow and enjoy the fruit in sauces, pies, and salads.

Another bold, architectural plant is artichoke. The long, narrow serrated leaves add an element of blue gray color. They offer a vertical accent, reaching heights of four feet or more. Last year’s warm summer gave the plant an opportunity to actually produce artichokes, but this doesn’t reliably occur in our climate. The foliage alone is usually enough of a payoff.

For some bright red color in the garden, try scarlet runner beans. This old favorite quickly climbs a trellis and shows off it’s striking flowers that attract hummingbirds. You can also let them wind their way up a sunflower plant or an obelisk. Another bean, Royal Burgundy adds a spot of deep purple to the garden with it’s unusual purple beans.

Colorful produce such as Rainbow Swiss Chard and Winter Red Kale can be tucked into the beds here and there as tasty accents. Are you bored with boxwood hedges? Line a bed with a low hedge of red leaf lettuce such as Red Sails, or a crisp butterhead lettuce like Speckles. chives with their cheerful summer flowers can be used as an accent or a low border.

Sprinkle in a few plants with edible flowers just for fun. Nasturtiums have edible flowers and make a fine topping to a summer salad. In addition, the nectar of nasturtiums offer food to hummingbirds and bees. Important Note: Before consuming any flowers from sources other than your garden, positively identify them and be sure they came from organic growers. And likewise, be sure that you are not using any systemic insecticides around your edibles. A common example of this is systemic rose food which is both fertilizer and insecticide in one container.

Think outside the box this spring. Get creative with your edibles to enjoy a bounty of beauty in the garden…and on your plate!!

Bruce’s Note: It is my privilege to be “first in line” for Pam’s great articles as the company’s editor in chief. I get to quietly slip in a few things here and there periodically…and sometimes a whole paragraph!

Just yesterday I was rearranging some containers at my home and doing some garden bed spring cleaning. Lo and behold, there was a nice sized red loose-leaf lettuce up and growing from seed off a plant I let bloom last year! Lettuce loves cool weather, so get that salad going now (peas too by the way). Also, lettuce grows oh-so-cleanly (just ask Robin) in planting pots as opposed to on the ground. Visit Territorial Seed Company’s website for a gazillion choices of pretty lettuce! www.territorialseed.com.