Sowing seed indoors during deepest winter can prompt some perennials into blooming in their first season. How to grow perennials that bloom the first year from seed.
Making a Garden
Secrets to growing a stephanotis vine
![Stephanotis plants can be coaxed to rebloom. (Photo by Forest & Kim Starr [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons)](https://media.gardenmaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/23182420/1024px-Starr_080530-4657_Marsdenia_floribunda-600x450-100x100.jpg)
A pot of white stephanotis vine (Madagascar jasmine) with clusters of deeply perfumed flowers can become a lovely vine grown in a container.
‘Honorine Jobert’ is a lovely late Japanese anemone
The sparkling white ‘Honorine Jobert’ Japanese anemone begins flowering about the middle of September, and is a Judith Adam favourite. Its tall stature gives it architectural presence.
Hummingbirds love the nectar from turtlehead
Pink turtlehead, sometimes called twisted shell flower, are showy plants that provide nectar loved by hummingbirds. They prefer nectar over sugar water.
Mildew-resistant lilacs
Dealing with powdery mildew on lilacs can require replacing them with mildew-resistant cultivars. Mildew spores are active in late summer.
Time for more Martagon lilies
The flowers resemble butterflies in flight, says Judith Adam about Martagon lilies. Their appeal includes tall skinny stems and speckled petals.
‘Blue Paradise’ summer phlox
The ‘Blue Paradise’ summer phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Paradise’) is lavishly blooming in Judith’s sunny front bed. It’s a cultivar bred for mildew resistance.
Rio portulaca for hot spots
Rio portulaca plants are now on Judith Adam’s front walk gallery of ornamental plants because the location is too hot for tomatoes in containers.
Black Pearl: A heirloom hybrid tomato
‘Black Pearl’ is a vining cherry tomato with 1.5-inch (4-cm), brownish-red round fruits. . ‘Black Pearl’ is what breeders are calling heirloom hybrid.
Problem-solving SunPatiens catch the eye
SunPatiens, a new strain of New Guinea impatiens, thrive in full sun to part shade, bloom from spring to frost. They’re resistant to downy mildew.
Shopping for a new sedum
New sedum varieties. Judith Adam wanted ‘Autumn Fire’ autumn stonecrop, but found some other tall sedums such as ‘Matrona’ and ‘Maestro’ sedum.
Ornamental strawberries and peppers in pots
When Judith Adam grows ornamental edibles in containers, she enjoys pretty pots of strawberries and peppers.
Searching for ‘Red Hot Returns’ daylily
I’m thinking of a red and blue/purple direction for the front garden. I’m looking for several pots of ‘Red Hot Returns’ daylily, a reblooming cultivar.
When to apply spring fertilizers
When is the best time to provide spring fertilizers to help the plants restore themselves? Acting too quickly can sometimes interfere with what’s best.
Catching up with bee balm and other travellers
Beebalm plants. Abundant rain encourages colonizing perennials like beebalm to overtake landscape. My clumps have sent out running roots a full 18 inches.
Getting periwinkle under control
Periwinkle, sometimes called myrtle has a beautiful blue or white spring flower. Its small leaves that work well with perennial plants and woody shrubs.
Benefits of polymeric bonding sand
Use a polymeric bonding sand (sometimes called stabilizing sand) to reduce erosion of the gaps on paths and into joints between pavers, stone and brick.
‘The Fairy’ rose keeps on blooming
The Fairy rose is one of three plants that keep blooming. Any plants that can keep showing a flower into November are well worth having in duplicates.
An easy way to make soil
Autumn is a good time to renovate soil and prepare new beds that will be ready for planting as soon as frost leaves the ground.
Conifer needles good for the soil
The conifer needles that fall on Judith Adam’s property remain where they fall on soil or lawn, making a soft mulch.