Your All Things Plants weekly news

for August 15, 2015

This Week's Gardening Ideas:

Celebrating Echinaceas!

By dave
August 15, 2015
Celebrating Echinaceas!

We open the Echinaceas Celebration Week with a look at the top cultivars, top comments, most thumbed images, and more! (2,148 words - Read the full article)

Do You Have Plants That Need Consistent Watering?

By daylilydreams
August 14, 2015
Do You Have Plants That Need Consistent Watering?

I recently planted a Ligularia Desdemona that needed a bit more consistent watering where it is planted. While trying to figure out how to meet the needs of this plant, I came up with an idea when I spotted a empty juice container to be recycled. I know other plants sometimes require consistent water and I decided to share my idea as it may be helpful to others. (131 words - Read the full article)

ATP Podcast #94: Summer Veggies

By dave
August 13, 2015
ATP Podcast #94: Summer Veggies

We're back with another episode of the All Things Plants podcast! In today's episode we chat about our favorite summer vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, etc. We also discuss the ATP site and our social media outreach efforts.

Alfalfa Mulch

By frankrichards16
August 12, 2015
Alfalfa Mulch

I have been using alfalfa hay for mulch for the past two years. I love it! (245 words - Read the full article)

Conclusion:  AHS Region 1 Annual Meeting Diary

By LarryR
August 11, 2015
Conclusion: AHS Region 1 Annual Meeting Diary

Karole Emmerich's address and a pleasant surprise conclude the annual meeting. (570 words - Read the full article)

Day Two at the AHS Region 1 Annual Meeting

By LarryR
August 10, 2015
Day Two at the AHS Region 1 Annual Meeting

This article is a continuation of the diary I kept at my first official daylily meeting. (1,123 words - Read the full article)

Daylily Diary:  Annual Meeting of AHS Region 1, July 17-18, Marshalltown, Iowa

By LarryR
August 9, 2015
Daylily Diary: Annual Meeting of AHS Region 1, July 17-18, Marshalltown, Iowa

Although Daylily Week at ATP is history, I’d like to share with you my personal experiences at the 2015 AHS Region 1 annual meeting. As a newly minted hybridizer, this was my first attendance at a formal daylily meeting. (761 words - Read the full article)

The most popular images last week from our plant database:

By William:
Image from plant ID 665260
By William:
Image from plant ID 665260
By pollendabber:
Image from plant ID 69854
By ardesia:
Image from plant ID 96885
By floota:
Image from plant ID 235335
By floota:
Image from plant ID 25621
By Heart2Heart:
Image from plant ID 59198
By William:
Image from plant ID 700568
By kidfishing:
Image from plant ID 700415

The most popular Multi-Plant Photos from last week:

Photo by Calif_Sue:
Image by Calif_Sue
Photo by Calif_Sue:
Image by Calif_Sue
Photo by ge1836:
Image by ge1836
Photo by Sheridragonfly:
Image by Sheridragonfly
Photo by vitrsna:
Image by vitrsna
Photo by Anderwood:
Image by Anderwood

Noteworthy acorn tips given this week:

7 people gave for the idea "Daylily Diary: Annual Meeting of AHS Region 1, July 17-18, Marshalltown, Iowa" by LarryR

6 people gave for the idea "Day Two at the AHS Region 1 Annual Meeting" by LarryR

6 people gave for the idea "Conclusion: AHS Region 1 Annual Meeting Diary" by LarryR

6 people gave for the idea "Alfalfa Mulch" by frankrichards16

3 people gave for post #927142 in "Banner for August 13, 2015 by krobra" by krobra

3 people gave for post #925579 in "Schochler Watermelon and Israeli Cantaloupe" by saltmarsh

2 people gave for a photo of Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Venetian Ruler') by pollendabber

2 people gave for post #924071 in "My Garden and other stuff - 2015" by glengarry23

2 people gave for post #924027 in "Banner for August 9, 2015 by Paul2032" by Paul2032

2 people gave for post #925758 in "Daylily of the Day - Destined to See" by kssmith

The most active threads this week:

Subject OP Area Replies
Your favorite hybridizer/s and why...janwaxIrises forum52
What new Daylily cultivars did you add this year.kssmithDaylilies forum52
Anyone else have blooming Epiphyllums?beckygardenerCactus and Tender Succulents forum51
Favorite Iris added to the garden this year.BoxergirlIrises forum46
Champagne and strawberriesLynnGIrises forum38
Daylily of the Day - Margo Reed IndeedbeckygardenerDaylilies forum38
A sneak peek at the Plant Me Green crepe myrtlesdaveThe August 2015 Not-A-Raffle-Raffle!31
Daylily of the Day - Destined to SeebeckygardenerDaylilies forum30
Stella de Oro aborts seed podscybersixDaylilies forum29

Some new reviews from the ATP Green Pages:

LizinElizabeth recommended Fina Gardens and wrote:

Fina Gardens sends the largest peony roots of any of the US growers that I've seen to date. Very good selection and healthy roots, good customer service.

LizinElizabeth recommended Klehm's Song Sparrow Nursery and wrote:

Klehm's has the best selection of peonies with unusual blooms; Klehm hybridized quite a few of the "cactus dahlia" bloom types. Very reliable grower with good roots.

LizinElizabeth recommended Tree Peony Garden and wrote:

I've ordered from TPG 3 times, twice for myself and once to send a special tree to a friend in Texas, and I have received very good service on each occasion. Pam answers each query personally and graciously and is quite good about giving advice to new tree peony collectors. The plants received have been very large for the price compared to other tree peony suppliers I've ordered from online. Mine budded this spring but didn't make it to bloom; weather issues--nothing inherent to the roots I received, so I can't say 100% sure the varieties are correct, but the foliage looks right. I'll certainly continue to order from them!

springcolor recommended In The Country Garden & Gifts and wrote:

I ordered 1 Heucherella and 3 Heucheras from this company on August 4, 2015 and they arrived August 11, 2015. I am so pleased with the beautiful plants they sent me, large and well rooted. Packing was great, using recycled newspapers. I am so very happy with the transaction. These are the plants just one day after unpacking. The 4-inch container is for scale. Thank you, In The country Garden and Gifts. You guys are doing this mail order thing right!

dave recommended Plant Me Green and wrote:

Plant Me Green co-sponsored our August 2015 "not a raffle raffle" and they asked me if I'd like to receive a plant, so I could see for myself what the experience is like for their customers. Of course, I was all too happy to say yes! They asked me to choose a cultivar of crepe myrtle, which I did, and then they placed the order on Monday, August 10th and today (two days later) I have a box in my hands. As you can see, this box is fairly tall. Inside is the Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Black Diamond® Purely Purple™) that I had selected, in a 3 gallon pot. I was wondering how a 3 gallon pot would be shipped and I'm impressed with how they did it, and with their careful packaging. They use a length of bamboo from the bottom of the pot all the way to the top of the box, and they wrapped the rootball carefully with paper and then plastic. The box is marked with a "This way up" message but I am confident that even if the box had been shipped completely upside down, the plant would have been perfectly fine because the bamboo would have held everything in place. Quite an innovative solution! Typically when one orders plants online, they are prepared to receive small plants compared with what you'd get in a local garden center. That was not at all the case here. This plant is the largest nursery-sold Black Diamond I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. I have purchased other cultivars in the Black Diamond series, all locally in garden centers, paying about $20 each. The locally bought ones are not half the size of the one received from Plant Me Green. The tree stands around 4 feet tall and its two trunks are each about an inch in diameter. Most impressive of all is that this thing is in bloom and the leaves show zero signs of distress. The soil was even still moist. If I saw this in a garden center, I wouldn't hesitate to pay $35 for it. These trees are not cheap in cost, but the quality of the plant absolutely justifies the price they charge. Anyone looking to order Black Diamond crepe myrtles online will be satisfied and happy by ordering from Plant Me Green. I imagine their other selections of trees and shrubs are just as good as this.

Celene recommended Tropical Plants & More and wrote:

I ordered my first ever real orchid, a Ficus alii, and a plumeria cutting from Ken and they were superbly packed, they arrived in perfect condition, and he is very generous with advice on how to take care of them. I'd definitely buy again, sooo worth it.

CaliFlowers recommended CT Daylily and wrote:

Rich offers helpful advice and sends clean, healthy plants, usually with more fans than advertised. Plants ship when promised, and he includes generous bonus plants as well. Highly recommended.

We keep growing, because ATP is where all the excitement is these days! Check out these numbers from last week: