How to Grow Beautiful Zinnias

July 9, 2016 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Zinnias are my very favorite flower of all times. I will tell you that quite a few flowers are my favorites because quite simply I am a flower addict-I really do love them all. But zinnias really are my absolute favorite flower. They are that perfect mix of a beautiful yet simple flower, they come in a huge range of bright colors and they radiate happiness and family memories for me- not to mention they are so easy to grow!

Zinnias are one of the absolute easiest cut flowers to grow, especially for beginners. I always plant my seeds directly in the ground in a sunny spot in my garden. My current garden has compost rich soil which is great but I’ve also grown them in some pretty cruddy soils successfully. I typically around the first part of May to May 15th (frost free date in Iowa). I cover them with about 1/4″ of soil and then I water them in once (key word-once). Then I let them grow and wait for them to flower. I only water them again if they are truly wilting to the ground. Once they begin to flower, I harvest from them often. The more you cut the zinnia flowers, the more they will produce so enjoy these beauties all over your house. The variety below is one I’m growing this year called Queen Red Lime Zinnia. I love how the center of the flower is rimmed in that limey green.

My zinnias are already blooming this year which makes me so happy! Typically it is mid July to early August before I get to enjoy their blooms but I actually put my garden in much sooner this year and the hot weather has really made them take off. The mix you see below in Benary’s Giant Zinnias , Gift Zinnia and Oklahoma Mix. I love the bright mix of colors and it always reminds me of my mom’s garden and her love for fresh cut flowers (zinnias were always in her garden and still are to this day).

The floral bouquet below contains Red Gift Zinnias. I love the bright red color. I also love that zinnias make an instant floral bouquet and that they are easy to arrange. I don’t need to be a floral designer to create a beautiful flower bouquet to enjoy, another great attribute of these flowers if you are just getting started.

The floral bouquet below contains a mix of Cactus Zinnia and Red Gift Zinnias.

I love placing these little bouquets of sunshine on my kitchen counter and tables. They are such a pretty bright pop of color and knowing they were homegrown in my garden makes them all the sweeter. Why buy fresh cut flowers when they can come straight from your very own garden? The purple variety below is one called Purple Prince Zinnia.

There are many types of zinnias and every year I try some new ones as I love the many colors, sizes and shapes. Check out Etsy for unusual varieties of zinnias, some of my other favorite sources for zinnia seeds are Eden Brothers, Seed Savers, Burpee, and Johnny’s Seeds. As more of my zinnias come into bloom this season.

10 Plants to Use In Fall Containers

October 1, 2015 by Melissa Leave a Comment

#1 Mums

Lets start with the obvious choice of Mums for your fall pots. Yes, it is a plant that everyone on the block might have in their planters, but there are some reasons for their popularity. First, mums come in a ton of different colors and petal shapes from pink, red, yellow, orange, purple and white. Second, they can tolerate really cool temperatures at night down to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The mums should be covered if it is going to frost to protect them and then uncovered once the threat of frost has passed. Finally, mums look great in containers, in window boxes, in the ground or wherever you want to add a quick pop of color to your yard.

#2 Celosia

I love the use of celosia in fall pots. There are some really fabulously bright colors- orange, red, yellow, fuchsia and purple and they add really nice height and texture to pots. Plus you can dry some of the flowers to use in other arrangements! Celosia prefers temperatures in the 60’s for optimal growth, so put it in your containers early in the fall to enjoy for the maximum amount of time.

Celosia Intenz.

#3 Ornamental Kale & Cabbage

I absolutely LOVE ornamental kale in pots! It is a plant that when you put it in your containers looks good but it just gets better and better as the season goes on. Most varieties will have purple, red or white centers with green leaves. They will also thrive in cool temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I’ve had them in some of my fall pots still looking great at Christmastime. Kale looks awesome in combination with other fall plants as well as on it’s own in large groupings.

Peacock Kale.

#4 Crossandra

Crossandra can be grown outdoors in pots or inside as a houseplant. It is a lovely addition to fall planters with its pretty frilly orange flowers and glossy green foliage. It also prefers more of a morning sun or shady location, at too much sun will burn it’s foliage. Although Crossandra prefers cooler daytime temperatures of 65 F, it does not like temperatures below 50 F so plant it early in the fall season, then bring inside to enjoy as a houseplant .

#5 Mona Lavender

Mona Lavender is a fabulous plant that has beautiful dark green leaves with purple underside and purple flowers. The shorter daylight hours during the fall months spur the blooming. Ideally Mona Lavender really prefers to be in temperatures between 60 F to 80 F but it can tolerate some colder temperatures and even a few light frosts. It does best in partial sun. When the weather begins to turn colder bring it indoors to enjoy as a houseplant.

#6 Ornamental Peppers

Ornamental Peppers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. From reds and purple to orange and yellow peppers and foliage colors ranging from green to purple. They are a great filler and add something a little unique to fall planters. Their ideal temperatures are between 55 F to 80 F. While the fruit is edible for humans most do not eat them as they tend to be hot with little sweetness. The peppers are toxic to cats and dogs so keep out of reach of your furry friends.

#7 Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia’s sunny flowers look perfect in fall planters and can bloom continually for a couple of months until it frosts. They grow from 12″ to 24″ tall depending on the variety. Plant these guys in full sun for best effect. Check to see if the variety you plant in your pots is an annual or perennial variety, if it’s a perennial plant in the ground before the ground freezes.

#8 Spilanthes-Eye Ball Plant

Spilathes or Eyeball Plant are something funky and fun that you can add to your fall pots that I can guarantee your neighbors will not have. This fun little plant has yellow gumdrop like flowers with dark red centers. It grows about 12″ to 15″ tall. Plant in full to part sun.

#9 Pansies

Pansies are simply one of the happiest little flowers on the planet. I love using pansies alone in pots or in combinations with other fall plants but they are a great choice to add color and they will last a long time into the fall for you as they can take really cold temperatures! Pansies have been known to survive temperatures of just 5 F, although their ideal temperatures are below 75 F during the day and between 40 F and 65 F at night. Plant in full sun to part shade for best performance.

#10 Coralbells

Coralbells make fabulous container plants! They come in a wide variety of color – oranges, yellows, bright green, burgundy and blacks. Plant in part sun for best effects. Perennials are often overlooked for use in containers but they can really add a nice pop of color and you get a perennial to plant int the ground at the end of the season! Before the ground freezes remove your coralbells from the pots and plant in the ground to enjoy next year!

Do you have other favorite plants to use in your fall containers? Drop me a note, I’d love to hear about them!

A Tour of Reiman Gardens

August 23, 2015 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Last weekend I taught a fairy gardening class at Reiman Gardens in Ames, Iowa. Reiman Gardens is a 17 acre public garden that is located on Iowa State University’s campus with a children’s garden, rose gardens, herb garden, pond and many other gardens to explore. After I was done teaching class I took a few hours to meander through the gardens, here are a few photos from my tour.

There were several mass plantings of Millenium Allium in the gardens that were breathtakingly beautiful. I’m definitely planting some in my gardens next year.

I absolutely loved this small courtyard garden. The formal boxwood plantings and peeling wall with the subdued colors of white and purple made me feel like I was in European garden.

This formal herb garden was my favorite spot this trip. It was so peaceful with the beautiful shades of green and the garden art in the center of the garden. The tall plants you see in the garden are columnar basil and they were quite fragrant.

Tucked into the herb garden was this beautiful collection of scented geraniums including scents like rose, lemon, mint and pineapple. I was in seventh heaven! I’ve had an obsession with scented geraniums ever since I was seven years old and first visited the Botanical Center (now Botanical Gardens) in Des Moines. There is something magical about rubbing a leaf and having a scent appear that smells like a fruit or flower.

This formal garden was beautiful with the water streaming toward the Campanile art form.

This green tunnel was covered with wisteria vines, it was beautiful and cool inside despite the summer heat.

A mass planting of celosia in Iowa State colors, Go Cyclones!

Trial gardens for filled with many types of annuals including petunias, angelonia, sweet potato vines, coleus, cannas and vegetables.

Spectacular colors with a combination coelus and sweet potato vines.

Gorgeous bed with purple angelonia, coleus, millet grass and lantana.

The peachy orange colors of these dahlias are gorgeous and I love their pretty blooms.

Another garden that ties in the Campanile art piece.

Upright prairie coneflower which is an Iowa native.

Lotus water plants in full bloom, quite a spectacular site.

This planter is beautiful in it’s simplicity-baby tut grass, petunias and diamond frost.

This adorable setup is the entrance to their potting shed area and near by to their vegetable gardens.

Joe Pye Weed, love this Iowa native.

Three tables were setup in the conservatory, each with a different garden themed party. The old fashioned string lights were a nice touch to the party atmosphere.

Reiman Gardens also has a beautiful room called the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing that houses hundreds of butterflies. Here are a few photos of the beauties that I was able to capture.

Take time this week to slow down and marvel at the beauty that surrounds you.

Morton Arboretum Tour

August 17, 2015 by Melissa Leave a Comment

While I was in town for the IGC Show in Chicago, I got to visit the Morton Arboretum in the west suburbs of Chicago. It was such a treat to get a glimpse of the many beautiful gardens and trees that this arboretum hosts. The day we visited we only had a few hours so I didn’t get to see nearly as much as I would like but it is on my agenda to return to next summer for the full tour. Here is a small peek at the some of the beautiful plants we saw at the arboretum.

This is hypnotic perennial hibiscus. Few things can survive our Iowa weather like perennial hibiscus. They can take the wet spells, the dry spells and the hot spells and will reliably produce big beautiful flowers. If you haven’t added one of these to your gardens yet, it should be on your wish list. Some of my favorite varieties are Cranberry Crush, Sultry Kiss, and Party Favor.

Little lime hydrangeas are one of my absolute favorite plants! Little limes are great plants because they stay nice and compact at about 3-4′ tall and wide. They have nice sturdy stems that support the beautiful flower heads and I love their transition from green to white to light pink in colors. The arboretum made use of these frequently throughout the gardens and I believe everyone should have at least one of these beauties in their garden.

A closeup of little lime hydrangea blooms.

Every time I look at this picture, it brings a sense of peacefulness to me. Green is such a soothing color and the textures of the leaves with the grass is just beautiful.

Look at this huge awesome trunk on this Weeping European Beech.

Weeping European Beech tree.

An amazing clump of bald cypress trees growing together, I love the soft texture of their leaves.

Yowsers! I love the color combinations and textures used in this annual planting. It includes exotica cordyline, asparagus fern and red dragon wing begonias.

A massive planting of Chelone (Turtlehead).

A potful of cuphea llavea. Beautiful. This is an annual I definitely want in my pots next year.

This plant was gorgeous- Split Second Morning Glory, it climbed high into the sky on the provided trellises and had blooms galore.

Berry Canary Digiplex (Foxglove).

I’m always a sucker for good bark on a tree. This Katsura tree is no exception with its shaggy bark.

Katsura tree.

This is cassia popcorn plant (Senna didymobotrya) that has been used in a planter. When you rub the leaves of this plant they are said to smell like buttered popcorn. The plants will typically grow 6-10 feet tall in the Midwest and are a tropical or annual but may be wintered over indoors. I love their compound leaves and striking yellow flowers.