Powdery Mildew in the Fall

Late summer and early fall bring a lot of changes that are frustrating to a gardener. In particular this year I have seen folks worried about late season powdery mildew on many of their plants. While powdery mildew can be a big problem when it attacks plants early in the year, later in the year it is simply a part of the overall changes in the seasons.

Some organic gardeners recommend spraying with milk or other treatments, I say that late in the year you just need to accept change and let autumn come. Besides, the best use for milk in the fall is turning it into a hot cup of cocoa to sip while you watch the colors change!

Manana!

Saving Bees with a Bee Feeding Guild

A honeybee on an ornamental crabapple.

When the subject of bees comes up with my friends many of them are worried. Often they talk about becoming beekeepers as a way to help. While I try not to discourage beekeeping in general, in these cases I encourage them to think of other ways to help the bees first. I always recommend that they cut back on or quit using pesticides, ask them to read books about bees and beekeeping, and I ask them to grow more plants for bees.

While any plant with a flower is an improvement, not all of them are great for helping the bees. This is a list I put together to provide lots of bee food on a quarter acre lot. I focused very heavily on late summer blooms because that is when the bees in my area struggle the most to find food. I highlighted those plants, so if you are limited on space you can focus on those first.

This is only one set of plants I could have used, so feel free to study and come up with your own bee guild (community) that meets the needs of where you live. And remember to plant in groups so that clusters of the same plants are at lease three feet across. The bees will find them easier that way.

Oh, this plan leaves enough space for a veggie garden and some grass. The clover is on the list to make the grass more bee friendly!

Enjoy yourselves, manana!

Common Name	Scientific Name	Start of flowering	End of flowering	Width
Trees
Bigtooth Maple	Acer gandidentatum	April	May	25'
Peach	Prunus persica	April	April	18'
Apple	Malus domestica	April	May	25'
Black Locust	Robinia pseudoacacia	May	June	30'
Linden 'Green Spire'	Tilia cordata	June	July	30'
Shubs and Perennials
Fragrant Sumac 'Lowgrow'	Rhus aromatica	April	May	6'
Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	April	May	6"
Blackberry	Rubus spp.	May	June	As pruned
Chives	Allium schoenoprasum	May	June	10"
Woodland Sage	Salvia nemorosa	May	July	18"
Lavender	Lavandula angustifolia	June	July	3'
Red-Flowering Thyme	Thymus praecox	June	July	Creeping
Catmint	Nepeta x faassenii	June	August	18"
Melissa, Lemon Balm	Melissa officinalis	June	August	18"
Fireweed	Epilobium angustifolium	June	September	3'
Oregano	Origanum vulgare	June	September	2'
Purple Coneflower	Echinacea purpurea	June	September	2'
Milkweed	Asclepias spp.	July	August	2.5'
Peppermint	Mentha piperita	July	August	3'
Russian Sage	Perovskia atriplicifolia	July	September	4'
Bluebeard	Caryopteris x clandonensis	July	September	4'
Blanket Flower	Gaillardia aristata	June	October	10"
Anise hyssop	Agstache foeniculum	July	October	3'
Garlic chives	Allium tuberosa	September	September	12"
Stonecrop	Sedum spectabile	September	September	12"
Aster	Aster spp.	September	October	2'
Goldenrod	Solidago spp.	September	October	4'
Lawn Addition
Dutch White Clover	Trifolium repens	May	August	Creeping

Color in a Drought

This was taken at foreclosed home in Draper UT in September of
2013. The yard was planted with many drought resistant plants
several years before being abandoned. Not every spot was as colorful
as this one, but only the lawn looked worse than the neighbors.

The idea that waterwise plantings in Utah have to be gravel and cactus is absurd. While there are a few spots with little other choice, most of the Wasatch Front is open to a huge array of colors and plants. The planting above combines introduced 'Blue Mist' spirea with native rabbit brush. Both plants do well in Utah with little care.

If you want to cut down on your landscape water, the best way is to chose the right perennials and shrubs. But remember, don't over water them!

If live in Utah County and need help, give me a call.

Manana!

Designing Gardens for a Better Future

What I do is hard for most people to understand. The idea of growing food at home seems to have a hard time getting beyond the idea of the back yard raised planter. Much of that problem is caused by the concept that food production must be something that is hidden in the back yard, or put where the neighbors are not going to see it.

Many Americans have gone even further and decided that growing food is the job of professionals far away and that anyone trying to do it themselves is a menace and should be stopped. This is not far fetched if you look at city ordinances and HOA bylaws.

Since I am taking a step or five in the opposite direction of those trying to prohibit gardens, and since that still puts me a few steps away from the average gardener, I can see why there is a gap in understanding. To help clear up this gap here are some of the ideas I work with:

• Food and support of food should be the primary goal of the yard and home landscape.
• Plants do better with different types associated together.
• Planting different food crops in layers prevents waste of energy and plant nutrients.
• Food plants are beautiful.
• Perennial flowers are good for the food garden.
• The right balance of animals in the garden are better than trying to kill all the insects and critters.
• Perennial flowers are good for balancing the critters and insects.
• Fertilizer creation should be done at home whenever possible. 

To achieve these goals, thinking and design have to be stretched further than most people have the experience to do themselves. So, I try to do it for them.

Now that you have my ideas, what do you think your landscape should provide you?

Tips for Winter Flower Planters

Bright colors in groups show up best!

The hardest part of annual flowers in the winter is the pots and planters. While flower beds in the snowiest parts of the US are covered, planters stick up and often loose their protective snow cover while they are getting the worst of the cold.

Kale is a great centerpiece for a planter.
Redbor, Winterbor, and Red Russian are
some of the best varieties for winter hardiness.

But you don't need to give up hope of nice planters in the cooler months. You just need to plan ahead and give them a little care. Here are a few tips:

• Pansies and violas are your best bet for surviving cold weather.
• Plant bright colors like yellow and orange for the best visibility. Blotches or faces are great for close ups, but they will reduce distance visibility.
• Plant brighty colored plants in clusters of three or more to give them more pop.
• If you live in a USDA zone 7 or higher you might be able to to find some taller annuals to give your bed some hight, if not, look for trailing violas to hang over the sides.
• You will not get color while it is frozen outside, but when it warms up the flowers will start blooming again.
• Water during dry spells. Water with cool water only and do not saturate the soil.
• Planting in the fall gives a chance for roots to develop.
• Be careful when you fertilize. Lots of fertilizer will make the plants grow quickly and show lots of color, but it will also invite aphids and disease to destroy your plants.

Faces and blotches are great 

planters that are viewed close 

up.

Look at the three photos of
pansies. Which ones catch
your attention the quickest?

Feel free to ask questions, I will always do my best to answer them.

Manana!

8 Rules for Storefront Permaculture

This planter is in front of a local nursery. The sweet potato
vine jumps out at you! 

A flower bed or pot in front of a store is one of best ways to advertise. The splash of living color is refreshing and can compete with flashing neon. A traditional permaculturist might say that you can't have sustainability unless it involves food and at least a couple of acres.

I say poppycock!

The large clusters of flowers in bold colors jumps out at you
more than smaller flowers or milder colors.

Anything sustainable must be tuned to the needs of the system it is supporting. In the case of the storefront, sustainability must be focused on bringing in and satisfying the needs of the paying customer.

Two pots at a local nursery. The small pot
works because it accents the larger one. The
leaves of the sweet potato are edible through-
out the growing season!

In other words, it needs to look pretty. That doesn't mean it can't have vegetables or herbs. It just means that they have to be good looking. Here are a few tips to making storefront pots sustainable for your business:

1. Get a big enough pot. Minimum should be at least 18" wide and the same as deep. If you really want to make an impression two feet or larger is better. Rectangular planters are great for fitting into narrow areas and still giving you great displays.
2. Pick plants that are the right size and give you lots of bright color. I love green foliage plants, but they do not attract as many customers from a distance.
3. Don't forget texture, especially if you can't get enough color. An interesting mix of textures works well if your potential client is up close.
4. Fertilize appropriately. Organic fertilizers may not work well because of smell, but a little slow release, pellet type fertilizer like Osmocote can work wonders and still be environmentally safe. Other brands now make similar products.
5. Get plants that drape over the sides of the pot as well as some height in the center. Vining petunias and chartreuse sweet potato are perfect drapers.
6. Space plants about six inches apart. This is tight, but it will make your pots look like they are bursting with color.
7. Water, water, water! The smaller the pot, the more often you will need to water. Make sure you saturate the soil in the summer. You may even need to water twice a day. Check how much water is in the pot by sticking a probe eight inches or more into the soil.
8. Top off the soil mix every season and completely change it every few years if you have smaller pots. Intensive gardening is rough on soil and will wear it out quickly.

This pot has lots of details for close up inspection, but it is so
small it will need very frequent watering in Utah's hot, dry
climate.

Remember, a little color will go a long way to help your business be sustainable for you and your employees!

Gardening for Bees class!

A honey bee on the Agastache plant right outside my front
door.

I will be holding a "Gardening for Bees" class on September 28 at 10:00. This will be a 4 hour class, so we will do two hours in the morning, take lunch, and resume class at 1:30 for the remaining two hours. The location is in Orem Utah.

The cost will be $50 payable to Utah Sustainable Gardening for registrations received before September 21. After that the cost will go up to $65. Seating is limited so, registration will be on a first come first serve basis.

Topics being covered are:

Best trees and garden plants for bees

Weed control

Pesticides and bees

Designing basics for flower beds

For more information contact Alex Grover at utahsustainablegardening@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing more from you!

Utah water restrictions and what to do about them

This is a water feature at Lehi city hall. This photo was taken after water
restrictions went in place. Seems like a bad time to be using water strictly
for show.

It shouldn't be a surprise to Utahns that they live in the second driest state in the US. But every drought year, the cities and residents panic and flail as water restrictions are implemented.

Most of this hassle could have been avoided with a little planning. Specifically by designing gardens that are drought resistant. Here are some planning tips:

1. Catch and use runoff water. Quite often extra water can be stored in the ground. This includes snow and rain that hits the roof,  runoff from hardscapes, and water running on sloped ground.
2. Choose the right plants for the right part of the landscape. Make sure you pay attention to needs for sun and shade. And remember, if you caught enough runoff, you might have enough to plant some thirsty plants and keep them happy.
3. You may still need an irrigation system, but it will need to be designed it to limit the water thrown into the air and to be used occasionally rather than every day or even every week.
4. Go ahead and plant a well designed vegetable garden and orchard. If you water correctly and use the produce, you will still have an overall water use reduction in the environment.

I know this is new to many people, but just because it is new to you doesn't mean it is untested. In fact, everything I am talking about I started using in designs over ten years ago. 

This is Salvia nemorosa, a very drought
resistant plant. This one has been growing
for two years with just rain and snow.

To help you get started, here is a list of terms and phrases that you can search online and at your local library:

• Waterwise
• Permaculture
• Drip irrigation
• Swale
• Utah Native Plants
• Xeriscape™

If you need some extra help feel free to contact me at utahsustainablegardening@gmail.com. 

Free Life Giving Water!

Free life giving water!

A few weeks ago I found a bleeding heart plant in full bloom. That is not unusual, but where I found it was. It was on the north side of a foreclosed house with no artificial irrigation. In the wetter areas of the country this is still not unusual, but in a valley of the second driest state in the nation?

Given the basics of climate the plant shouldn't be there. But when I took a closer look at where it was planted, there was a rain gutter drain right next to it. The melting water from the snow covered roof drained into the soil under the bleeding heart and was stored until the plant needed it.

I don't think you can store enough water for thirsty plant for a whole year from the roof. But you can make a big difference early on. And cut your total water bill.

All it takes is just a little planning ahead!

The Four Season Garden

Spring

Back when I was in college, we had an assignment to create a four season flower garden. The point of this garden was to show the visible appeal of the garden in any given time of year and make us design for that look.

Summer

Since that time I have not worked for a client with a keen enough interest to warrant my time and his money to provide such detail. But I always keep it in mind and slip in plants  that will fill the year round need for beauty and food.

This type of analysis is vital to the permaculturist as well as any serious food grower. Every farm and garden needs to consider food productivity and total growing power for the entire year. No useful gaps should be forgotten or productivity will go down.

Fall

Further maps may be needed to point out planting, growing, and harvest times. Or a coding system may be used to give more detailed information on just four maps. As with any design system, the limit of what can be done is only bound by the imagination.

Winter

A Late Season Bee Treat

Lacy buckwheat at a local water-wise garden

I am not a bee keeper, but I do like to keep garden helpers that come to my yard happy. Part of that task is to provide food for the bees all season.

While most gardeners keep plenty of good foraging flowers from spring to late summer, we have a tendency to start wrapping things up as the days get shorter.

Here is a list of some flowers for the late summer and fall:

Chives Allium schoenoprasum May-September Garlic chives Allium tuberosa August-September Aster Aster spp. September-frost Borage Borage officinalis June-frost Bluebeard-blue mist spirea Caryopteris clandonensis August-September Star thistle Centaurea ssp. July-September Sweet autumn clematis Clematis terifolia Late September Melons Cucumis melo June-frost Pumpkin-squash Cucurbita spp. June-frost Lacy buckwheat Eriogonum corymbosum Late Do not over water James buckwheat Eriogonum jamesii June-November Do not over water Pink smoke buckwheat Eriogonum racemosum August-September Do not over water Joe Pye weed Eupatorium esculentum August-September Sunflower Helianthus annuus June-September Alyssum Lobularia maritima June-September Mallow Malva alcea June-September Mountain beebalm Monardella odoratissima July-September Phaccella Phacella tanacetifolia June-September Goldenrod Solidago ssp. September-October Lacebark Elm Ulmus parvifolia August-September

I encourage you to add flowers that are native to your area!

Fall Flowers

My first job out of college was planting annual flowers. That job worked me so hard I had a hard time enjoying the planting. Shortly after I moved to my next employer, I realized how much fun designing and planting the beds can be.

Many professional and home gardeners look forward to planting their flower bed the same way I did. It is the one time they can truly let loose with their creativity. And if they make a mistake, no big deal, it will be corrected in six or seven months when they remove the flowers for the next season.

While I still like doing a few annuals, I find I get a greater charge out of planting and maintaining edibles. 

Anyone who knows me will find it unusual that I planted such a formal style of bed. After having planted the larger of these two beds for a number of years I fell into a rut.

To get out of the rut I did something off the cuff. 

While you can't see it in these photos, the lines of dusty miller are not all parallel, nor are they spaced equally distant. This makes it so that orange pansies vary from two lines of fill to three.

This randomness makes for a looser, more relaxed appearance. I would call it 'formalistic' since it actually resembles the sheer points in slate and shale, rather than some human mechanical construction.