Garden Gate September/October 2021

As much as I usually dread the end of summer, when it does arrive, I find that it actually feels more like a beginning. Maybe it’s the back-to-school excitement (that honestly doesn’t seem to be as strong in my kids as I remember for myself!). But even if I didn’t have kids going back to school, fall’s long stretch of terrific weather renews my energy for gardening as plants perk up and start a spectacular stretch of color and change. Suddenly all I can think about is planting new perennials and restarting those projects that stalled out when I could barely keep the garden weeded and watered in late July. This year on our free weekends we’ll be rebuilding the tower that finally buckled under the weight of the sweet autumn…

Save $$ next spring on tender bulbs See the secret to saving all of your favorite cannas, dahlias, gladiolas and more. GardenGateMagazine.com/articles/how-to/ Don’t put those seeds away yet! Keep the vegetables coming well into winter when you sow these cool-weather-loving veggies. Here’s how. GardenGateMagazine.com/articles/vegetables/ See what we’re up to… Follow us on Instagram to see the latest giveaways, join us on our travels and learn what gardens and plants are inspiring us every day. @GardenGateMagazine…

If you hate cleaning up mushy stems of frostbitten hosta and tomatoes, but don’t want to pull them out until you absolutely have to, try Trisha’s tip: She heads to the garden with her pruners first thing in the morning after a frost and cuts them back before they thaw and while they’re still frozen and brittle. It makes the task quick and easy.Trisha Burdick, MN Repurpose knitting needles Jessie King, ME If you have more knitting needles than you need, or you stumble into old ones at a garage sale like Jessie did, reuse them in the garden. With a permanent marker, write the name of the plant on a used wine cork, then pierce the cork with the needle. The other end goes into the ground a couple inches deep, depending…

Fourlined plant bug Poecilocapsus lineatus Colorful bright red to tan nymphs hatch from overwintered eggs in late spring to feed on tender emerging leaves of many perennials and vegetables. As the nymphs grow, they change appearance, and eventually adults have bright yellow wings with stark black lines. They are common in the East and the Midwest but are present in all parts of the United States. Damage Nymphs and adults feed on the juices within the leaves, causing cosmetic damage like the clusters of dark brown pock marks in the photo of the nymph above. The damage rarely affects the health of the plant overall, except in cases of intense infestation. Females slice a slit around 2 inches long on a tender stem and deposit six to eight banana-shaped eggs within. The…

Nothing says fall like a cozy backyard firepit. And firepits have never been more popular. They’re attractive, functional and provide an instant outdoor gathering place. This DIY version uses supplies easy to find at your local home improvement center and can go together in just a few hours. BEFORE YOU DIG Check building codes and ordinances to make sure firepits are allowed and if any restrictions apply. And to avoid accidents, call your utility provider to mark the location of underground lines. Choose a relatively flat spot that is at least 25 feet away from flammable structures and at least 10 to 20 feet from trees or shrubs. Before choosing the final spot, note the movement of wind at different times of day—you’ll want to avoid smoke wafting through windows or doors. MATERIALS •…

Change in the garden is inevitable. Just ask wellness and green-living lifestyle advocate Shawna Coronado. After a decade of creating the garden of her dreams in Illinois and building a reputation as an organic gardening expert, she was diagnosed with severe spinal osteoarthritis in 2015. “I loved that garden,” she says, “but the time it took to maintain, water, weed and contain was nearly impossible for me to keep up with.” So, two years ago she sold that home and garden and moved to considerably less-chilly Arizona. TIME TO ADAPT Shawna adapted her new garden to accommodate her more limited abilities: It’s easily manageable and irrigated so she no longer has to worry about lugging hoses around the property. Instead of lawn in the front yard, she is nurturing a network…