Revisit Winter Blogs of Interest

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Here are some links to past blogs that may be of interest, especially the one about de-icers. We are fast approaching a day when we will have to deal with ice - either at home or work.

Also be sure to check out our upcoming workshops and classes. January programs are taking registrations now. Call 263-9226.  E-mail franklinext@psu.edu and be added to our monthly notification of upcoming programs and events.

Check out these previous BLOGS for interesting and useful information. Most have additional links with even more information.

Winter Weather and Deicers
Salt Tolerant Gardens

Overwintering Rosemary

Rosemary-Spending the Winter Inside

 

Poinsettia Season
Poor Poinsettias






Landscaping for Fours Seasons of Interest

Plants for Winter Interest- Many plants in Iris Masters' yard showoff in the winter landscape (Crape myrtle, magnolia, oregon grape, birch trees, nandina, cypress, Japanese Andromeda).


Japanese Andromeda

The following blogs are part of a continuing series highlighting plants with winter interest. These are plants chosen by our Master Gardeners to provide color or interesting shapes during the winter season.

Winter Interest Pt. 1- Partridge Berry
Winter Interest Pt. 2- Snowdrops
Winter Interest Pt. 3-Stinking Hellebore
Winter Interest Pt. 4-Rattlesnake Plant
Winter Interest Pt. 5-Lavender
Winter Interest Pt. 6-Witch Hazel
Winter Interest Pt. 7-Paperbark Maple
Winter Interest Pt. 8-Teaberry
Winter Interest Pt. 9-Harry Lauder Walking Stick
Winter Interest Pt. 10-Coral Embers Willow

Coral Embers Willow in the Winter Landscape

Winter Interest Pt. 11-Corkscrew Willow
Winter Interest Pt. 12-River Birch
Nandina
Ascot Rainbow’ Spurge - A Year-round Delight
Whimsical Winter Wonderland

Wings Holiday at Longwood Gardens

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

It was cold and dreary but not yet raining during our recent visit to Longwood Gardens. They were dressed for the holidays and celebrating in so many different ways – indoors, outdoors, up in the trees, floating in the water, lighted fountains dancing to holiday tunes, local choral group singing and trains zizzing around outdoor tracks.

The theme is wings. Here are some inside highlights.

Red, pink and white poinsettias



Roses and more

 

A succulent wreath and others inside a warm and humid room.

Red wings and red and white flowers

Anthurium, dusty miller and more

Hand-cut paper feathers adorn the far viewed alcove

Lots of different wings

More flowers and decorations

Lots of white

Much more on display. Even on dreary days this is a good bet. Indoors is weather-neutral and outdoors is best enjoyed in the dark.

 

Before you go, Longwood now uses timed admission tickets. These are required and a limited number of tickets are available for each time slot. Take care of this online and you'll whoosh through the entrance. Otherwise you'll be in a long line negotiating when you can actually get in.

 

Once you are in, you can leave and return if you remember to get your hand stamped upon exit.

 

We opted for 3 PM. We took in some of the outdoor displays such as the train and some of the outdoor trees. We had time for a light meal in the Terrace Café. (Be warned! We went on a Monday, the non-peak times. We were told it is crowded, crowded, crowded in the café and the 1906 restaurant may have seating but be prepared for this to be your big-ticket meal for the outing.)

 

Check out more about Longwood Garden and their Longwood Christmas displays and upcoming ones such as the Orchid Extravaganza.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter - Interesting and Useful Information

The weather is changing and winter is bearing down on us.
Check out these previous BLOGS for interesting and useful information. Most have additional links with even more information.

Winter Weather and Deicers

Salt Tolerant Gardens

Overwintering Rosemary

Poinsettia Season

Poor Poinsettias








Landscaping for Fours Seasons of Interest

Plants for Winter Interest- Many plants in Iris Masters' yard showoff in the winter landscape (Crape myrtle, magnolia, oregon grape, birch trees, nandina, cypress, Japanese Andromeda).


Japanese Andromeda

The following blogs are part of a continuing series highlighting plants with winter interest. These are plants chosen by our Master Gardeners to provide color or interesting shapes during the winter season.

Winter Interest Pt. 1- Partridge Berry

Winter Interest Pt. 2- Snowdrops

Winter Interest Pt. 3-Stinking Hellebore

Winter Interest Pt. 4-Rattlesnake Plant

Winter Interest Pt. 5-Lavender

Winter Interest Pt. 6-Witch Hazel

Winter Interest Pt. 7-Paperbark Maple

Winter Interest Pt. 8-Teaberry

Winter Interest Pt. 9-Harry Lauder Walking Stick

Winter Interest Pt. 10-Coral Embers Willow

Coral Embers Willow in the Winter Landscape

Winter Interest Pt. 11-Corkscrew Willow

Winter Interest Pt. 12-River Birch

Nandina

Ascot Rainbow’ Spurge - A Year-round Delight

Whimsical Winter Wonderland

Poor Poinsettias

Via Garden Professor Holly Scoggins of Virginia Tech:

I linked to earlier pest control information of a new invasive species from the same source here.

Poinsettia Season

We first saw the poinsettia plant (Euphorbia pulcherrima) in the 1820s,  brought to the US from Mexico by our ambassador, Joel Robert Poinsett.  The latin name came from a German botanist who thought the color was dazzling (pulcherrima means very beautiful).  Willliam Prescott, a historian and horticulturist, assigned the common name Poinsettia to the plant in honor of the person who brought it to the US.

The poinsettia is native to Mexico, and was known to the Aztecs as Cuetlaxochitl, and they used the bracts to produce a red dye.  There is a story that Montezuma had the plants brought by caravan to his palace because they wouldn't grow at that high an altitude.

True Poinsettia flowers

Many people don't realize that the colored bracts we enjoy so much are simply colored leaves; the poinsettia's true flower is inconspicuous, tiny and yellow.  I always heard that the poinsettia was poisonous if ingested, but Purdue University tests showed no signs of toxicity when they force-fed the plant to rats.  Their only negative finding was that some individuals may be sensitive to the plant's sap as a skin irritant.

Pink bracts

When you are buying a poinsettia, look for two things: bright green foliage all along the stem, and plants with little or no pollen showing on the true flowers.  Plants with older flowers will tend to drop their leaves earlier.  Always ask for a sleeve or some protection for your plant when you take it outdoors: if the poinsettia is exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees, it can cause wilting and dropping of bracts.  Indoor conditions in PA are not ideal for poinsettias: they are a native of the tropics.  They enjoy temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees, moderate and not excess watering.  They like sunny days and cool nights.  A south-facing window sill is often an ideal location where it can get sun during the day and cooler temperatures at night.


(Information in this post was taken from the University of Illinois Extension and Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service)