Drycreek Blog

Controlling Earwigs

2012-07-03T17:23:00-04:00

Certain earwigs are predaceous, and will eat other small garden pests. They are also known to eat decaying plant matter, which helps in composting the garden soil. But some types of earwigs also love living plants, and thus can be quite the pests, especially to young plants and seedlings.

The earwigs in our yard here in Reno seem to be the young plant loving types. This year, they have taken to eating all of our beet sprouts, keeping the beet greens nibbled down practically to the ground. They are also eating the kale leaves, but the kale grows so fast, the earwig nibbles don't seem to harm the plants overall. They seem to leave the nightshades like peppers and tomatoes completely alone. They will eat all sorts of flowering plants, too. We've given up trying to grow lobelia in our garden since in past years, earwigs would literally strip the plant of all vegetation within one or two evenings. We've thought about using lobelia as a sacrifice plant, but wonder if we would simply be inviting the insects to stay.

Earwigs are nocturnal, so you won't see much of them unless you suddenly expose them to sunlight. At night you can go into the garden with a flash light and catch them in the act. Squish them when you see them. Don't worry about the pincers. They don't bite or sting, and only the large males might pinch, but very rarely. They are much more inclined to scurry away when seen. Squish them in you can! Or squirt them with soapy garlic water.

A sure way to greatly reduce your garden's earwig population is to dust the ground just before nightfall with diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth is not a chemical pesticide. The non-poisonous powdered rock acts as an abrasive which dries out the earwig's body, which kills them. You can pick up diatomaceous earth at Dry Creek. The stuff works wonders.

To make your own garlic spray, smash a couple large cloves of garlic with a tablespoon of mineral oil and a squirt or two of liquid dish soap. Let the mixture steep, then mix with a pint of water. Strain well, then fill a pint spray jar with the liquid. If you're worried about burning your plants, you might want to test your spray on a leaf or two. Once your garlic water is ready, go out at night, find them and squirt them! It's fun to catch them by surprise and to watch them fall from the plants.

The Beautiful, Beneficial Swallowtail Butterfly

2012-06-28T19:44:41-04:00

There are over 500 species in the Papilionidae family. They are found on almost every continent. We are lucky to have nine species as inhabitants of Nevada, including the Two-tailed Swallowtail, pictured here. This is a large butterfly, sometimes with a wingspan of five inches. We see them lingering often this time of year, especially in the back yard where they find more moisture.

In its caterpillar stage, the ash tree leaves are one of its favorite foods. Fully developed adults sip the nectar from many different flowers, including Milkweed, which is the Monarch Butterfly's primary source of nutrition, and other flowering perennials. Besides their beauty, they are also very beneficial, especially with pollination. In both stages of its development, the Swallowtail seems to be a favorite treat of all the backyard song birds.

If you're interested in Nevada's butterflies, check out The Butterfly Site's page on Nevada. You can also find information on how to create your own butterfly garden.

The Chocolate Flower

2012-06-26T18:50:58-04:00

The chocolate scented daisy (Berlandiera lyrata) is a Southwest native. It's drought tolerant, loves full sun and opens fresh blooms about the size of a half-dollar, each day during its long season. The flowers grow on stems that reach about 14 inches. The dried flowers can be used for indoor floral arrangements. The plant itself matures at around two feet in diameter.

We bought plants from Dry Creek a few years back and planted them in a south facing spot close to the front porch steps. The morning fragrance is wonderful. Butterflies are attracted to the flowers, as are honey bees and other pollinating insects.

In late autumn, with the first killing frost, the plants die back completely. They disappear, so the first year we marked the spot to make sure we saved the space for their return the next spring. Sure enough, the plants returned, bigger than the year before.

Grow these great little plants along walkways, near the backyard patio or deck or in your rock garden. Just be sure to give them plenty of sun. They can reseed themselves, too, but are not invasive.

Abundant, Happy and Beautiful Potato Plants

2012-06-23T15:11:00-04:00

This is the second year we've grown potatoes in the Reno garden. After reading several stories on the sorry plight of the commercial potato, we decided to improve our health by organically growing some varieties. So, early this past spring, after hearing that the potatoes had arrived, we stopped by Dry Creek and picked up a couple bags of potato starts.

After talking to John Strickland about last year's harvest, he suggested that we plant the potatoes in trenches. Since they are nightshades, like tomatoes, you can bury the main stem deeper than intuition tells you, which helps grow more roots, and with the potatoes, helps grow more potatoes.

So, we dug trenches in the raised bed two feet or so apart, placed the potato starts at the bottom, covering them with a few inches of top soil. Once growing, as the stems emerged, we kept filling the trench, little by little until they were completely filled in to regular ground level. Since then the main stems have grown several feet. We added bamboo cane tripod supports to help the plants stand tall.

The flowers have been developing through June and should start to open in the next week or so. The greenery and the delicate white flowers make potatoes a nice ornamental feature for the garden, as well as a good producer of food for the table.

In the photo you might be able to pick out some collard leaves. The collards this year have been wonderful, too. There has been very little insect damage, and the leaves grew broad and tender and delicious. We've been sautéing them with turkey bacon and onions. Delicious!

Insect Balance

2012-06-22T14:46:50-04:00

This beautiful little grasshopper is in the garden this morning. I noticed it munching on this fallen grape leaf. I'm impressed that the grasshopper is scavenging a fallen leaf, rather than a leaf still on the vine.

I looked over the area and found no more than this single little green grasshopper, which was encouraging. No indication of a little green grasshopper plague, thank goodness, at least not today.

After snapping this photo, I reached down to see if it would sit on my finger, but its reaction was an amazing hop, springing up into the air completely out of sight.

I've seen many photos of wild song birds with grasshoppers caught in their beaks, so I'll consider this one as possible food for the robin family that lives in the Photinia close by. I'm certainly not going to kill it myself just because it has the audacity to take a few bites from leaves here and there. No, today I welcomed the chance to see a beautiful little green grasshopper.

Little Garden Herb Forests

2012-06-21T14:59:00-04:00

For several years, we would grow basil, cilantro and dill as single plants in eight inch, herb sized pots. But they never did as well as we hoped. Almost immediately after potting the single starts, the cilantro and dill would bolt. Also as a single plant, the basil would so easily stress over the hot part of summer days. We figured the three plants just weren't cut out for our dry desert air. So we struggled along with our less than exciting herb garden.

Then one day a couple years back, we happened to be at our neighbor's house across the street where we saw basil being grown as a thick forest of crowded plants. The pot was large, a barrel type container, and flourishing. So, we tried it. We bought seeds and a good potting soil, and sowed the seeds as you can see in the photo. Each pot provides a little herb forest.

The basil, both green and purple as pictured, is growing quickly now that the weather has become consistently warm and the nights are less cool. We will soon be randomly picking the leaves off these plants. We read somewhere that the cilantro can be mowed like grass, so we tried it. This helps to keep the plants from going to seed, as they are otherwise prone to do rather quickly.

Located lower right in the purple pot is the dill. We're attempting a little dill forest in this pot. It is an experiment. Not that we need to find a solution to bolting. Dill often does perfectly well as a single plant in a pot. We're just interested in seeing what happens.

This year this herb garden also has two fennel bulbs growing in a single pot. They faint if they don't get enough water, but if watered, they are growing large and beautiful, with that deep fennel green. So delicious, too. We can't wait to eat them.

Drycreek has a great selection of seeds. Supplies are limited. You can plant several types of herb seeds anytime of the season, to keep your herb garden going.

Growing Berries in Containers

2012-06-18T14:52:40-04:00

Last year we decided we wanted to try growing more berries, but our growing space is very limited; we don't have room for a full fledged berry patch. We do have blueberries and service berries in the ground, but this time we are attempting to grow two berry types in containers. We want to keep the plants tidy and to move them around the yard, if we want.

The raspberry bush pictured was planted in its container last fall. We purchased the plant from Dry Creek late in the season and transplanted the two gallon root ball to a weather worthy ceramic pot. The plant was left outside in the pot all winter. Early spring, we pruned it severely, and soon out came several new canes.

Thee are two different types of raspberry plants. One type -- called 'ever bearing' -- produces its fruit on new canes each year; the other produces its fruit on last year's canes. If you have the ever bearing variety, you should severely cut back the plant each fall to allow new fruit bearing canes to emerge next year, and to keep the plant tidy. If you have a plant that needs two years for canes to set fruit, you'll need to be careful not to remove the canes that will be producing next season. We're unsure which type of plant this raspberry is, so will wait to see whether any fruit appears. If it does, we'll know that the plant is an ever bearing variety. If it doesn't, we'll have to wait until next year for its first crop.

You need a fairly large container for berry bush roots. A 16 or 18 inch tomato-sized pot works well. We've added a tall dried bamboo tripod to the container to give the otherwise floppy canes some support. It's been reported that horizontal support is better than vertical support, so we are trying the less popular way just to see what happens. Thus, we hope to train the canes around the bamboo stems. We will limit the raspberry canes to three -- four at the most, to keep the plant nice and tidy.

If you have limited space, like we do, you might try putting the container on rollers so it's easy to move if the need arises.

The Cactus Blooms Continue

2012-06-15T13:58:47-04:00

This year has been an incredible year for cactus flowers. The blooms started a couple weeks early and are still giving us a reason to tour the garden each morning. The colors are bright and rich on the cold hardy types we've collected from Dry Creek over the years. What a way to celebrate springtime in the Truckee Meadows!

We have two different types of Cholla cactus (Cactacea Opuntia) in our south facing front yard. Both have grown to be quite large and impressive in just short of a decade. Each spring the plants cover themselves in a profusion of buds that begin to bloom in mid to late June. This week one of the two plants has started showing its color.

The branches of the Cholla are cylindrical with joints that segment, allowing for many branches to grow from a single stem. The result is an eventual shrub that stays beautiful year round.

Once established, the Cholla needs very little water and very little care. Sometimes we pick off last year's fruit to start new plants for other places in the garden. They can be grown in containers, too. The relatively slow growth will allow potted specimens to last quite awhile before re-potting, sometimes several years.

Remember, the cacti sold at Dry Creek are cold hardy for our area, which means you don't have to bring them indoors during the cold winter months. They can even sit under several feet of snow for long periods. Some might look a bit rough after the snow melts, but the warm spring sun will perk them up in little time.

Next time you stop by Dry Creek Nursery, be sure to take notice of the large Cholla growing near the entrance, just off the driveway, under the sign.

Shade Spots - Shade Plants

2012-06-10T18:10:00-04:00

The fence creates a very visible place to show off some shade loving summer plants. The deep purple Choral Bells is such a beautiful contrast to the light glaze of a twelve inch pot. This plant has been living in the space, year round for several years. We add a bit of new soil and about half an inch of organic, composted Chicken manure as a top layer. The blooms are a couple weeks later than the bright pink Choral Bells in the yard, but those plants get some sun. These flowers are soft white.

The Jacob's Ladder would like more sun. It seems that last year, the plant enjoyed this spot much more than this year. Last year the plant was more compact, more upright. This year it's more leggy, moving all over the place looking for the sun. It still looks great and is blooming.

We waited until now to plant the Coleus out side in its shade corner. Around this yard, Coleus enjoys some morning sun that quickly turns to dappled late morning shade, then deep shade for the length of the afternoon. This one gets full shade.

The purple flowers are abundant and long lasting on the Dalmatian Blue Bellflower. This easy beauty is a type of Campanula and a good choice for the semi-shade or dappled shade garden. This plant (pictured) has been moved several times, looking for its favorite spot and this spot seems to be the one. It gets some early morning sun, with long afternoon shade and flowers for several weeks this time of year. The flowers form a soothing patch of purple color.

Easy and Beautiful Remedies

2012-06-09T18:42:00-04:00

Quick color solutions are easy. There are many different types of plants, both annual and perennial, that can be planted in June for immediate color and texture. Plants planted now can be full and in crazy bloom by July.

Annuals mixed with perennials can insure color all summer long. Annuals and perennials in containers, too, allow you to move color to different places in the garden for changing accents, adding interest, and setting the stage for every summer dinner party.

Our Sequoia Neighbors

2012-06-08T17:45:00-04:00

Calaveras is a California State Park dedicated to the preservation of a grove of giant sequoias that became a popular tourist destination in the 1930s. The park boasts of being the first big trees discovered by white settlers, back in the mid 19th century. Many of the trees are still standing, having endured the abuse of curiosity, greed, and a host of other exploits attached to these rare, gigantic novelties.

This park has a hiking trail (no park road for autos through the grove) that winds in, among and literally through some of the trees. It's only about one and a half miles in length, but it brings you into the intimacy of their otherwordly presence. The trees are truly fantastic, and the drive to see them over Sonora Pass is well worth living seeking it out, one of the good reasons to be close to the Sierra Crest. All this close enough from Reno to catch it in a weekend.

Cactus Flowers Are Abundant This Season

2012-05-29T18:39:00-04:00

Cactus flowers seem to be blooming earlier than usual this year, and ever so abundant!

The Claret Cup Hedge Hog bloomed in mid-May this season, and now the Beaver Tail is in full swing. In stock are several species with many flower buds on each plant, yellows, pinks, cream-salmon, chrome-orange, green, the colors are spectacular and lure the garden visitors into the mythical desert wonderland that is easy to create with these cold hardy, drought resistant, carefree cactus wonders.

The yuccas, too, are blooming earlier and more abundantly this year. Some plants have over twenty stems rising. Plant them in proximity to create the mythology of the desert right in your own yard.

Currently Dry Creek has a limited supply of many different cold hardy cacti in stock. They grow well in containers, too.

The Beauty of Cactus Flowers

2012-05-16T13:54:00-04:00

This little Hedge Hog, from Dry Creek Garden Nursery, has been in the ground for eight years. It's a small variety that grows slowly but surely from year to year. The flowers are smaller and more subtle than many Hedge Hog varieties, and is a strange copper yellow green color.

Another cactus that has similar springtime flowers is the Green Pitaya (Echinocereus viridiflorus). The cactus stays small, growing to a height of two to three inches, eventually filling a space between six and twelve inches. This cactus, like most, enjoys very hot, dry conditions in full sun in poor, well draining soils. In other words, it is very easy to care for and conducive to our region of the world.

Currently Dry Creek has a limited supply of Green Pitaya and other cold hardy cacti in stock. This is the time to buy, too, as the cactus sell fast and the blooming season has just begun.

Cactus Blooming Season Is Here

2012-05-15T17:57:00-04:00

Since we've been having warmer than "normal" temperatures this spring, the cactus flowers have started blooming a bit earlier than usual. The deep red Claret Cup blooms are already almost over while the bright orange Hedge Hog flowers are now in full force. And, these beautiful pink Beaver Tail flowers are just beginning.

For cactus enthusiasts, the blooming season of late spring and early summer is the best time of the year. The flowers are incredibly beautiful and as they open in the early morning, they seem to conjure up the reasons why we love living in the desert: hot days, warm nights, perfect clouds, clear night skies. Live seems hopeful, even fantastic, when the cactus flowers are blooming.

Hellebore Blooming

2012-04-16T21:37:06-04:00

Even with the very dry winter we've had, our Hellebore paid no attention. This one pictured was planted last year in full shade. Frost and freeze-resistant, this beautiful plant did not die back, nor did its exposed, leathery leaves suffer from cold or lack of water. The blooms began about a month ago and are continuing.

Flowers come in many colors and shapes, including green, deep purple, white, pink, lavender and multicolored. Some flowers resemble wild roses. The flower's sepals stay intact, holding the flower's shape for long periods, sometimes for months on end. Plants with cup-like flowers often hold water; wild song birds can often be seen taking a sip just after rain or watering.

Storm in the Sierra

2012-04-14T14:44:00-04:00

It usually goes without saying that if you live in the Truckee Meadows, the northern valleys, the southern valleys, or anywhere approaching the Sierra, at least once in your life you'll find yourself at Donner Summit during a snow storm. Even in April, if you find heavy rain in Auburn, the cold front at the higher elevations just might be throwing heavy snow as you attempt the pass.

Even if the moisture doesn't drench our dry soils, the snow in the high mountains melts into the ground sending the river waters our way in summer when beloved plants get thirsty.

By mid April, there's not as much concern about diving over Donner Summit, but it happened again this year. Such weather ends up prompting a celebration, another chance for snow shoes before the warmer weather sets in.

Cold Nigh Time Temperatures Again This Week

2012-04-09T18:28:00-04:00

Another late winter/spring storm is predicted for later this week through the weekend, and even if snow doesn't reach the valley floor, cold night time temperatures dipping down into the high 20s, low 30s are predicted.

This time of year is always iffy for many of our most cherished plants just waking up to the spring -- fruit trees, grape vines and early vegetable sprouts. The best gardening tip for these erratic events is to either bring your vulnerable plants indoors, or add protective wraps and water walls.

Dry Creek has various sized plant wraps, water walls and other protective products to help us get through the late storms that seem to inevitably threaten a smooth transition between winter and spring. If you haven't already, stop in and see what might be done to protect your plants from yet another approaching cold snap.

A Typical April

2012-04-06T15:39:06-04:00

The nectarine tree has been in full bud for a couple weeks now, and then arrives several cold nights with temperatures in the city dropping down into the low twenties.

Last year the same thing happened and the result was no summer fruit. So, this time we decided to cover the flowering tree at dusk to see if it might help. So far, we wrapped the tree with two drop cloths at dusk, then removed them each morning. The cold temperatures are predicted for a few more nights, so we'll continue to wrap it up.

We won't know until later whether our efforts will pay off. But, it's worth the try.

Dry Creek has all sorts of protective devices and covers. If you haven't already, stop in and see what might be done to protect your flowering trees and early sprouts from this cold snap.

While The Weather Is Erratic

2012-04-03T17:22:00-04:00

It's always exciting this time of year to take some day hikes around our area to catch a glimpse of the native perennials reemerging for the next growing season. Right now is a good time because the non-native, incredibly invasive Cheat Grass has not yet sprouted. The green that is emerging are the indigenous plants, for the most part, and because the Cheat Grass is still brown, the emerging plants are easy to see.

There's not a lot of snow on Peavine this spring (the photo is one of the lesser peaks on the way to the summit). But more snow is predicted for later this week, so perhaps soon the mountain will look more like itself for this time of year.

It's beautiful out, so take a hike, then stop by the Nursery to see what's arrived for planting this week.

Happy April!

Get a Head Start with Cool Weather Vegetable Starts

2012-04-01T20:17:26-04:00

Even if you plan to grow lettuce and cabbage from seed, it's always fun to plant a few six packs of beautiful spring lettuces and cabbages to set the garden in motion right away. In just a few days, the plants establish themselves and begin responding to the spring sunshine, and especially with lettuce, the leaves are delicious when young and tender and are ready to eat pretty much as soon as you put the plants in the ground.

Early April is the time. Setting these cool weather plants into the ground early gives a quick sense of accomplishment, and inspires even more planting as the days grow longer and the nights warmer.

Onions and potatoes, too, can be planted now. It's time!

Happy April!

Anticipating the Coming Growing Season

2012-02-24T15:17:00-04:00

It's been a surprisingly dry winter for the Sierra and Great Basin. So dry, in fact, that gardeners needed to compensate for lact of rain and snow by watering their trees, perennials and lawns from time to time during the cold winter months. But if your watering efforts were too little, too late, damage and die back, especially with plants that are strangers to the desert to begin with, are probably the inevitable results.

Some plants will survive and recover. Some will die. As the soil begins to warm with night temperatures rising, the damage will become more evident. Many drought tolerant plants -- the yucca, agave, hardy cacti and others -- will probably be just fine. Plants with deeper root systems might send up their new spring growth like nothing strange happened at all. Time will tell.

If you keep a gardening journal with maps for locating and tracking your plants, it will be easier to tell what's been lost. Whatever the case, this is the time of year to work on preparing and improving the soil for the typically hot, dry growing season to come. If there was little water in the winter, we can most definitely expect more of the same for summer.

Right now, though, as the lack of water continues, it's important to add moisture to your soil, especially for your large trees and shrubs, as well as your less drought tolerant perennials. For large trees and shrubs, twice a month, slowly soak the dripline areas (away from the trunk toward the outer edges of their branches), at least to a depth of 8 inches. Do this slowly so that the water does not run off, but rather soaks in.

Finding Ways To Celebrate Basil

2011-09-13T22:58:48-04:00

Caprese

The name of the recipe means a salad in the style of Capri. This year we have a climate that must be similar to southern Italy as the tomatoes are abundant and delicious and the basil is vibrant and prolific.

On a large platter, place thin slices of sourdough bread, place medium thick slices of fresh tomatoes on the bread; on the tomato slices place a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and top the cheese with one or two leaves of freshly picked green and/or purple basil; lightly drizzle organic extra virgin olive oil over each stack. Finish with cracked black pepper and cracked sea salt to taste.

These were served at a small dinner party recently as one of the appetizers. The entire meal was a series of appetizers. The Caprese went fast and everyone loved the summer flavors.

A note about fresh mozzarella: once opened, the cheese needs to be consumed pretty much right away. The mozzarella should be all gone by the end of the next day's meals.

The Garden is Wonderful. Magical. Vibrant and Productive. An Oasis.

2011-09-11T21:44:00-04:00

Tomatoes are ripening more rapidly this week. So far we've stored away twelve dozen plump cherry tomatoes in the deep freeze. The small group of plants are producing between one and two dozen ripe tomatoes a day now. No sign of stopping as we look into the near future hoping for more constant perfect growing weather such as we've had all summer.

The larger tomatoes are also ripening. Delicious.

These next few weeks will be full of great food celebrating the tomato.

Chicken Soup with Tomatoes and a Thousand Cloves of Garlic.

Last night we had Chicken Soup that's based on a WeightWatchers recipe called Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. This recipe doesn't actually call for that much garlic; it's less than forty, more like twenty or thirty, separated with the skins on. Get the garlic ready, Then heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan or dutch oven. Brown all sides of two chicken breasts cut into four pieces in the olive oil. It takes a few minutes. A nice brown crispiness gives it good flavor. Once the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate. Drain the pan of excess oil. Put the pan back on the stove. Over medium heat add between half and one cup of delicious wine left over from the last dinner party. Add the garlic along with two or three cups of homemade chicken stock. Bring that to a simmer as you add a couple sage leaves, a bay leaf, about a cup of basil leaves and stems, one or two stems of marjoram leaves, and stems of leaves from three types of oregano. (If you only have one type of oregano, use that and make a note to buy more varieties next spring at Dry Creek, because it's great to have several types of oregano for delicious summer cooking.) Then take two large fresh garden tomatoes -- we used Red Krim, which were amazing -- dip the tomatoes into boiling water for just a few seconds, remove the skins, chop the tomatoes into large chunks, about an inch square (use large 'Beefsteak' sized tomatoes). Add that to the broth. In a 3 qt oven safe casserole pan that has a lid, place the chicken into the pan, pour the broth over the chicken. Bake with lid on for 1.5 hours. Check occasionally to see how it's doing, but until your house is filled with that delicious aroma that comes from cooking garlic, let it simmer. Once out of the oven, remove all herbs, shred the chicken into the soup. When served, instruct your guests to remove the garlic from their soup bowls. Put it on a bread plate. The cooked garlic cloves easily come away from their skins and make a great companion to fresh baked bread.

Pumpkin Flowers Become Delicious Food

2011-09-08T20:12:00-04:00

This year the nine pumpkin vines have only produced two tiny pumpkins. We know not why, except that the soil needs to be reworked from several seasons of vegetable growing. Maybe a lack of bees to pollinate the flowers, but even hand pollination has only taken twice.

And yet, all is not lost; the plants have produced an abundance of flowers -- more than enough to create several delicious meals this summer.

There are many ways to bring squash blossoms to the table. You can find recipes online for "Battered Squash Blossoms," or "Stuffed Squash Blossoms," or "Squash Blossom Pizza," or "Squash Blossom Frittata." You can add them to soups and omelets. Make everyone wonder what on earth you've done to grandma's famous hush puppy recipe by adding squash blossoms to the potatoes.

Enjoy these remaining great days of summer weather and may your cold sensitive vegetables ripen before the killing frost.

Blue Geranium Blooming

2011-06-16T23:38:51-04:00

Geraniums are very popular plants, but here in the high desert most types you find in local nurseries and garden centers are grown as annuals or indoor plants. Not so with this hardy Blue Geranium. This interesting low to medium high growing ground cover is cold hardy, will grow outside even in bright sun and come back to make you happy with its interesting foliage and true blue flowers that bloom all summer. Deadhead for an extended bloom.

This plant works well as a medium high border plant in sun or dappled shade. You can also grow them in containers, or as pictured here, in full sun in a xeric rock garden setting. They are drought tolerant, enjoy average, well-drained soil.

The Blue Geranium is a Drycreek favorite, but the nursery also sometimes carries hardy geraniums in other colors, too, like pink, purple, magenta and white.

Pin Cushion Flower Blooming

2011-06-14T23:17:00-04:00

As late spring turns to warmer days, the Pin Cushion (Scabiosa) begins its prolific display of beautiful long stemmed flowers. When exactly depends upon the particular microclimate within which they grow, but this plant (pictured) loves its full morning sun and mid-afternoon shade. Just this week the blooms have begun to open. The blooms will keep coming for weeks and will respond well to deadheading, especially if the the long spent flower stems are cut away. You can also let some of the flower stems mature to collect the seeds, and as years go by, you can divide the root ball for propagation.

Give your Pin Cushion average well-drained soil and regular watering. It can handle semi-arid stretches, but it's best not to allow the soil to completely dry out between waterings.

Honeybees and butterflies love this plant. It works well for medium high borders and as a container plant. The cut flowers are great for floral arranging.

Aphids Appearing

2011-06-13T10:00:00-04:00

Aphids are tiny, soft bodied insects that suck plant juices from leaves, stems and flowers. They quickly form colonies and if left unchecked, can do quite a bit of damage to your plants. You might be tempted to buy pesticide poisons to fight your fights, but such chemicals are almost always completely nondiscriminatory when it comes to what types of insects they kill. Who wants to kill honeybees? Who wants to kill Lady Beetles (pictured)? Who wants to kill Praying Mantids? Who wants to risk such chemicals leaching into the ground water to kill earthworms and ultimately to contaminate the water supply?

If you find aphids collecting on your flower plant stems, rub them off with your fingers or spray your plants with a strong enough jet of water to knock the aphids from your plants. And encourage beneficial predator insects into your garden (by not using insecticides) such as Lady Beetles. A single Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens) will eat thousands of aphids during its life time!

Considerate gardeners also use home made sprays made with garlic and a tiny bit of Castile soap. Some make tea from other plants known to thwart aphids, such as yarrow, stinging nettle and tomato leaves. There are many solutions that don't involve deadly chemicals. Try this link for more organic suggestions.

Penstemon Blooming

2011-06-12T17:58:40-04:00

It seems that after the biggest rain day in June in over ninety years, the penstemon are reacting in mass with abundant flowers.

There are almost three hundred species of penstemon (Plantaginaceae and/or Scrophulariaceae family). Also called beardtongue, penstemon vary greatly, with many shapes and sizes with flowers in a wide range of colors: blue, magenta, orange, pink, purple, red, white and even yellow. Foliage is varied, too, some with broad bright green leaves, others with delicate gray green, still others with almost blue leaves. Some types are tall, up to almost two feet; others are quite small, reaching only six or eight inches in height. Honeybees and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers.

Nevada is a penstemon paradise. Several types are native to the area and thrive on dry air and dry soil. They are perfect for xeric landscaping plans as well as sun drenched rock and container gardens. Many types, including European hybrids flourish here with little care and little watering. Give them full sun and well drained average soil and they'll be on their way to making June a bright and colorful month year after year.

Traditionally, Native American cultures used penstemon as a medicinal plant. The plant is beloved by many. There is even a Penstemon Society for true penstemon enthusiasts.

Penstemon is one of Drycreek's favorite and most popular perennials. Each year you can find many different types available.

Hedgehog Cactus Blooming

2011-06-11T20:49:00-04:00

These last few days of perfect springtime weather has the Hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus) excited for blooms. This little gem (pictured) lives in a very sandy, well-drained south facing rock garden in downtown Reno. It's been living here for almost a decade. It usually blooms each year around the first of June, but this year it's a about a week and a half late. You can guess why.

Drycreek has a great selection of cold hardy cacti this year. These little hedgehogs usually go very quickly. They require no maintenance after becoming established and each spring the flowers are definitely something to look forward to. Hedgehog cactus plants are great for displaying in containers, and because they are slow growers, you can start out with a small sized pot. Just make sure they get full sun and a well-draining sandy soil. Most hedgehog cactus plants tend to stay very compact with their stems growing no more than a foot high. If you're lucky enough to live a long life with this cactus as your companion, you will get to see your little cactus develop into a fully mature mound consisting of many stems and many amazing flowers from year to year.

For potting cacti, it's easy to create a good soil match without having to purchase expensive mixes from the big box stores. All you need is some regular potting soil and some pumice. Mix the two with a ratio of about one third pumice to two thirds potting soil. Doing it yourself can save a lot of money, especially if growing cacti becomes a hobby.

To say the least, the Hedgehog cactus is a spectacular addition to any xeric landscaping plan.

The Story Of Two Veronicas

2011-05-31T10:33:00-04:00

Speedwells are great plants for borders, rock gardens, planters and other areas with sun or partial shade where small ground covers are needed. Both of the plants pictured have similar growth patterns and texture, so if planted together, will fill a space more or less evenly, but with contrasting color. Both are rapid growing, compact floriferous perennials that take sun or part shade. Both bloom from late May to August into September. Flower stalks on each plant reach a a more or less even height between twelve and eighteen inches with a spread between eighteen and twenty-four inches. And both have deep green foliage setting off their spikes of long lasting flowers. One, the Royal Candles Veronica (Veronica spicata 'Glory') produces deep blue flowers. The other, Eveline Speedwell (Veronica longifolia 'Eveline') produces deep purple flowers. The combination is striking, complimentary and will produce color for your garden all summer long.

Easy to grow, simply give these Veronicas ordinary, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist. In winter, make sure the roots don't sit in water as root rot is probably the plant's greatest danger. Since our summer heat can be intense, it might be best if they receive a full dose of morning to early afternoon sun, then the rest of the day with dappled shade. This will help in keeping the roots moist. If the summer sun seems too intense, try giving the plant a modest layer of mulch. If you find your plants fainting, don't worry, just give them some water. They usually will perk back up in quick time. In the summer, deadheading will promote more flowers and a longer blooming season.