Pansies, cool weather bloomers, are happiest in sunny locations that provide well-drained soils. Simple and easy to care for, they are ideal candidates for beds, borders, window boxes and planters. Tuck them in around walkways and landscape plantings; or in existing pots and planters. Happily, pansies will continue to bloom for the next 3-4 months until summer arrives (they dislike the heat and humidity that we have during typical L.I. summers!). Then, they are easily replaced with more color and interest from hot weather annuals.
Fall is for planting pansies! Cold hardy pansies can be planted during September or October for enjoyment until snow cover arrives. Hardy pansies will perk up in late winter or early spring, once snow has disappeared. They should rebloom for several months until hot weather arrives in June. It’s then time to replant with summer annuals.
Sedum telephium ‘Matrona’, a colorful clump-forming stonecrop, brings flowering interest during late summer through early fall. A hardy perennial for Zones 3-9 (we are considered zone 7), STM is suitable for beds, borders or container plantings.
Why grow STM? It’s all about butterflies and friendly bees that are attracted to the beautiful star-like soft pink to mauve flowers. Strong red stems and attractive gray-green leaves with red-tinged scalloped edges showcase the dense, flat flower heads that STM produces. Allow for proper spacing, plants can grow to 24-30” tall and wide.
STM grows best in full sun, but will tolerate light afternoon shade. Fertile, well-drained soils are a must! Good gardeners will add compost or composted manure to the soil prior to planting.
STM is considered a low maintenance plant. (Thankfully it has no insect or disease problems to speak of and doesn’t require any pruning during the growing season.) If you want to enjoy winter interest in your garden, allow the dried seed heads to remain. (Remove in early spring just before growth begins.) Another perk - STM can be used as a cut flower.
Picture perfect orchids! Phalaenopsis orchids, commonly called moth orchids, are native to India and Southeast Asia. These ever-so-popular orchids are among the easiest to grow! Lucky for us, Phalaenopsis are available in bud and bloom 12 months of the year with amazing flowers that last 6-8 weeks at a time. Well grown, mature plants, may be in flower for up to 3-4 months.
Easy to love and care for, Phalaenopsis need filtered sunlight for flowering. In winter and spring, west windows are the most desirable; east windows are best during the higher light intensity of summer. Well-grown plants generally have yellow-green leaves. In fact, dark green leaves usually indicate that more light is needed, especially for flowering. Night temperatures of 60-65o F are ideal for this warm growing orchid. Daytime temperatures should stay close to 80-85o F. Watering: The potting media should not be allowed to become bone dry. Water thoroughly and then allow the media to dry slightly between waterings. If you can increase the humidity, that’s always beneficial.
