Flower Arrangements from the Flower and Vegetable Gardens

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

A few miniature eggplants and a red onion

Look what you can do with flowers from your garden and a little time. Oh, and vegetables, too!

Perfect centerpiece of a picnic table

This lovely centerpiece is made with hydrangeas, different kinds of tomatoes (and  tomatillos) as well as a sunflower. Hosta leaves were used as a base for the basket.

From your yard-zinnias, hosta leaves, Queen Anne's lace, hydrangeas

Master Gardeners of Franklin County created these floral arrangements from flowers and plants in both the demonstration gardens and their own backyards.

Check out the zucchini used for a base and container. Add some greens with different textures, a few colorful flowers and a sprig of parsley.

Zucchini as a base and container

Also, a bell pepper and watermelon. Perfect for this time of year.

There's enough peppers in the veggie garden to eat so use one as a flower vase.

Watermelon with corn, eggplant and lollipop cherry tomatoes

Flowers found in most yards: hostas, zinnias, cosmos, black-eyed susans, Queen Anne's lace and beautiful grasses (if not in your yard, certainly in a nearby field!), hydrangeas, blanket flowers, garlic chives, and petunias.

Hearth basket uses dried grasses for texture

A beautiful hearth basket, or to use by the front door, has sunflowers, dried grasses, blanket flowers and black eyed-Susans.  The stems are not that long but are discarded stems added to the arrangement.

Vegetables and herbs with a few blooms and grasses tucked in

And here's an attractive basket full of vegetables with some herbs tucked in as well as a few dry grasses.

Go out in your yard and find a few blooms, a few green leaves, and maybe a vegetable or two and put together you own celebration arrangement of summer's bounty.

Tomato Day and Fall Into Gardening - Two Great Events

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

14th Annual Tomato Day

This event, held by the Master Gardeners of Penn State, Franklin County, will host lots of visitors on Saturday, August 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Agriculture Heritage Center, 181 Franklin Farm Road, Chambersburg. As in years past, this event will be on the lawn by the stream but this year it is scheduled on a Saturday. No excuse to miss it!

Preparing for the taste test (Laurie Collins)

Tomato Tasting
The most popular destination on Tomato Day is the big tent covering tables laden with 20 or more varieties of tomatoes, cut-up and coded with a letter. Visitors do a blind taste test, recording their rating for taste and appearance. Paste tomatoes, beefsteak, slicing, cherry, and heirloom types are included in the samples.

At the end they receive a key to the codes and discover the names of the tomatoes. The ratings are tallied at the end of the day and posted on the Franklin County, PA Master Gardeners Facebook page.

Salsa Verde (made with green tomatoes (Public Opinion)

Salsa Contest
Everyone is invited to enter the Salsa Contest. Competitors bring their salsa and recipes along with a bag of chips. Although typical salsa recipes are made with ripe red tomatoes, past winners have included a mango salsa and salsa verde (green tomato) variations. Last year’s winner, Charles White, will be among the judges for best salsa but visitors can also taste and vote for the “People’s Choice” award.
Largest Tomato Contest
If there’s a “big ‘un” in your garden that will be ripe around August 23, consider entering this contest. Past winners have clocked in at about 2 pounds. The 4-H Garden Club will be entering and has some mighty big Mortgage Lifter variety tomatoes and one will definitely challenge all comers.

'Mortgage Lifter' in the 4-H Garden

Join the fun and enter the contests. Deadline to register for the Largest Tomato and Salsa contest is August 18. Call 717-263-9226 to register or for more information.

Flower arrangement display

Flower Arrangements
Master Gardeners will display a large variety of floral arrangements using seasonal flowers and greens from both the demonstration and home gardens. These will be on display in the lobby of the Agricultural Heritage Building.  Stop by and get some new ideas of how to display your beautiful blooms.

 

 

Fall Into Gardening

A new Master Gardener event this year will be on Saturday, September 6, 2014 - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the barn across from the Agriculture Heritage Center, 181 Franklin Farm Road, Chambersburg.

This family-friendly event will have a self-guided tour of the eight demonstration garden areas, a scavenger hunt for younger visitors, a demonstration of planting bulbs for forcing, and a fall plant sale plus interesting exhibits in the Clubhouse near the barn.

Garden areas, created and maintained by the Master Gardeners of Penn State, Franklin County, include drought-tolerant, perennial, herb and pollinator gardens. Stroll through the Woodland Meadow and Native Habitat area and check out the Victory Garden with a variety of vegetables and fruits as well as the new 4-H Achievement Garden.

Pink hyacinth (tomylees)

 

For the younger visitors up to age 12, accompanied by an adult, there will be a scavenger hunt. Prizes are available for the first 75 participants.



Learn how to plant beautiful flower bulbs that will bloom during both the holiday season and the gray days of winter.

Daylilies to Highlight the Fall Plant Sale

A Fall Plant Sale will be held in the newly renovated holding area near the greenhouse. Locally grown perennials for sun and shade plus a variety of herbs, shrubs and trees will be available. Of special interest is the wide variety of unusual daylilies (Hemerocallis). They won't be blooming  but here are a few waiting for you to grab them up.

'Frances Joiner': This stunning mid-season re-bloomer, is a light yellow with rose eye above a greenish yellow throat

'Francis Joiner'

'When My Sweetheart Returns': A small, single mid-season re-bloomer in pale yellow with rose eye above a greenish yellow throat

'When My Sweetheart Returns' Daylily (Nancy Miller)

'Morning by Morning': Eye-catching fragrant, early season coral pink double flower with dark coral eyezone above a yellow throat

'Morning by Morning'

'My Sweet Rose': A very fragrant, mid-season bloomer in rose pink with cream to deep green throat

Master Gardeners will be available at each of the gardens to answer questions and share information as well as at the Patrick Gass Garden at the north edge of the parking lot on the west side of Franklin Farm Road. This is a work-in-progress project but already has historic plants and information signs.

Free. Parking at the Agricultural Heritage Center lot, west side of Franklin Farm Road.

Colorful Autumn Garden Series, Part 4

Perennial chrysanthemums brighten any fall garden.

Fall has so much to offer us...much cooler temperatures, endless foliage colors, and rain.  Walking around my garden yesterday to take blog pictures took much longer than I thought it would, not because I could not find plants to photograph, but I just could not decide which plants photograph. (All the pictures in this blog were taken October 25, 2010.)

While most of my asters have finished blooming, Aster tataricus 'Jindai' is in full flower.  This tall aster has a stiff, upright habit and blooms well past October.  The 1" clusters of bright blue flowers with glowing yellow centers is a perfect partner for perennial chrysanthemums.

Itea 'Little Henry'

Double-duty shrubs are among my favorites.   ‘Little Henry’ Itea is a useful native plant that will not only reward you with lightly scented, pure white flowers in early summer; but just when you’re not expecting anything more from this little wonder, its green summer foliage changes to a brilliant multitude of burgundies and reds in the fall.

Fothergillia

Another favorite is Fothergilla Blue Shadow.  Blue Shadow is adorned with honey-scented, bottlebrush flowers in early spring before it leafs out. But what sets this outstanding plant apart from the rest is its colorful dusty blue leaves. In the autumn the blue foliage transforms to shades of rich red, orange and yellow.

Penny Mac and Sambucus Black Lace

Ninebark and Black Lace Sambucus are two shrubs that provide year-round dark burgundy foliage.  Hydranges are known for their flower power, but many hydrangeas offer beautiful burgundy fall foliage as well.  Endless Summer, Penny Mac, and Oakleaf  are just three of the many hydrangeas that provide stunning fall color.  As an added bonus, Penny Mac and Endless Summer bloom right through the fall.

Moudry

Fall seed heads on grasses are as varied as the grasses themselves.  One of my favorites is Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Moudry'.   While Moudry is an especially beautiful grass, the seed heads need to be cut back before winter to prevent reseeding.

Late blooming anemones do not easily give up and continue to flower, as do some of the roses.  Hyssops that were cut back late summer are still flowering.  And while the blooms on butterfly bushes have slowed down quite a bit, they continue to push out some new blooms. 

But the true stars of my late October gardens are
the peren- nial chrysan- themums  And do they know how to ham it up! Sheffields demand attention of anyone who passes by.  Shrugging off frost, these flowers will last well into November without blinking an eye.  I would never garden without  perennial chrysanthemums.

I hope my fall gardening series has encouraged you to discover the enjoyment of fall gardening. 

While we often search for plants that offer beauty, sometimes all we have to do is to take time to see the beauty.

Two books I highly recommend for seasonal gardening:
Time-Tested Plants by Pamela J. Harper and
Continuous Bloom by Pam Duthie 


Related blogs:
Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 1
Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 2
Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 3
Mums the Word

Colorful Autumn Garden (Part 3)

Autumn garden bouquet

On a recent early October afternoon under a clear blue sky, I had tea while on my swing in the garden. Nearby were fall asters in full bloom. In addition to enjoying the beauty of the asters, I watched as the bees and Monarch butterflies busily move from one blossom to another.  I would not want to miss these moments in my fall garden and neither should you.  Choosing the right plants will keep color in your garden well into late October. 

Asters and Eupatorium Chocolate

According to ancient Greek mythology, goddess Asterea looked at earth and could not find any stars, she cried. The aster, with flowers resembling blinking stars, grew out of the soil, wherever her tears fell. Perennial asters are late season bloomers that come in a wide range of colors: pink, white, blue, red and purple. It is impossible to imagine an autumn garden without asters. In fact, there are hundreds of aster varieties to satisfy any taste.  Pinch them back around mid-July and they will produce a profusion of 1- to 2-inch-wide, star-shaped flowers.

As the name implies, Eupatorium Chocolate (Chocolate Joe Pye Weed, Chocolate Snakeroot) is a mass of chocolate-purple leaves all summer with shiny deep purple stems and petioles, smothered in autumn with small white flowers. While Eupatorium Chocolate likes moist shade, it does fine in the sun if ample moisture is provided.  Pinching back around mid-July will keep the plant more compact, if desired.

Hardy Begonia and Wood Asters

Hardy begonias are still going strong and look great with Eupatorium Chocolate and asters.  The red veins of the begonia look like stained glass in the sunlight.  The great thing about the begonia is that it seeds freely.  I was excited when I found some white begonias.  Absolutely one of my favorites in the shade garden.

Stems on ‘Lady in Red’ hydrangea become more intense in the cooler temperatures.  Other hydrangeas such as Little Lamb, Limelight, and Tardiva are taking on a more blushed tint while Endless Summer is still putting out new flowers.
 

Fall Anemone

Hibiscus Diana blooms on tirelessly which, by the way,  is why she is not a prolific reseeder.   Agastache Blue Fortune and Phlox that had been cut back in late summer are flowering once again along with spirea Anthony Waterer.  Fall anemones are still vying for attention.  Even though the flowering has slowed down, butterfly bushes that have been deadheaded regularly are still in color.

Callicarpa

Fall gardeners need to look beyond flowers for color.  Grasses are sending up beautiful seed heads of various shades and texture. Nothing is more beautiful than sun glistening on dew covered seed heads of grasses.  Clusters of Callicarpa’s (American Beautyberry) glossy pink-purple berries cling to the stems.  Callicarpa should be cut to the ground each spring as berries form on new wood.  Not to be outdone by brilliant red Chokeberry, the berries on cotoneaster and winterberry are turning brilliant red-orange as well.  

And soon ….but that will all have to wait for Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 4. 

Remember, fall bloomers can get very tall and leggy growing foliage all summer. Once they bloom, they are often top heavy and fall over. To ensure your fall display is as glorious has it should be, you will either need to stake your fall bloomers earlier in the season or do some periodic pruning to make the plants stockier and more self-supporting. Keep in mind that if you prune your plants, you will be delaying the bloom period by a week or more.

All photographs were taken October 3, 2010, and can be enlarged by clicking on the picture.

Two books I highly recommend for seasonal gardening:
Time-Tested Plants by Pamela J. Harper and
Continuous Bloom by Pam Duthie 


Related blogs:
Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 1
Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 2
Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 4 

Colorful Autumn Garden (Part 2)

As you are learning, the end of the summer doesn't have to mean the end of your colorful garden. There are plenty of options for your garden with fall-blooming flowers and shrubs. Fall gardening will put you in the spirit of the season, and is a superb way to enjoy the beautiful outdoor weather before the frosty wintertime sets in and you'll rather be looking out at your lawn through a window with a cup of hot cocoa.  Here are more of my favorite fall bloomers.  (You can click on any photo to get a larger image; hit back to return to article.)

Eupatorium coelestinum

Hardy Ageratum (Eupatorium coelestinum 'Cori') provides wonderful blue color in the fall and looks so good at that time I would never want to be without it. The plant emerges late in the spring as small attractive green leaves and slowly grows to its full size of 3’, flopping and spreading all the time.  If you do not deadhead, you will have many seedlings next spring.  The seedlings are easy to weed out or transplant.  While hardy ageratum prefers full sun, I have many growing in part shade.  Eupatorium coelestinum 'Alba' is the white specie and is just as beautiful.

Ceratostigma

Ceratostigma (Leadwort, Plumbago)  is a  semi-woody, mat-forming perennial which spreads by rhizomes to form an attractive ground cover. Like many nice groundcovers, it can be somewhat invasive in optimum growing conditions.  These plants add a leafy green texture to the garden in summer, electric deep blue flowers from mid-summer on, and couldn't be prettier in autumn with its reddish leaves.

Buddleia 'Blue Chip' and Gomphrena 'Fireworks'

Buddleia 'Blue Chip' and Gomphrena 'Fireworks' continue with their beautiful blooms. Both are new on the gardening scene this year.  While most buddleias require deadheading for continuous bloom,  Blue Chip has been blooming since mid summer and hasn't stopped, without deadheading.  Fireworks was slow to start, but is now exploding with color.  Your choice of buddleia is almost endless.

Chelone

Nick-named for their blossoms shaped like a turtle's head, Chelone is a carefree fall blooming perennial whose only real dislike is excessive dry heat. Chelone behaves itself, growing in a dense clump with attractive foliage and red, pink or white blooms.  An added bonus, Chelone is self-cleaning

Anemone

Fall-blooming anemones also bring a touch of beauty to the autumn garden scape when delicately beautiful flowers burst open atop the plant’s willowy . The white and pink blossoms illuminate the shade garden, especially at dusk.  Newly opening blossoms mingle among the seed heads, providing a lovely show for several weeks between late July and October.  In favorable conditions, anemones will self-seed freely.

Hibiscus syriacus 'Diana'

Hibiscus syriacus 'Diana', a rose-of-sharon cloaks herself with flowers as lovely as the Greek goddess for which she is named. Lovely, large, pure-white flowers produce little or no seed so troublesome with many hibiscus syriacus.  Thus, 'Diana' will bloom continuously from late June until frost.  I shear Diana back each spring  to about 5' as she blooms on new wood only.

Remember, fall bloomers can get very tall and leggy growing foliage all summer. Once they bloom, they are often top heavy and fall over. To ensure your fall display is as glorious has it should be, you will either need to stake your fall bloomers earlier in the season or do some periodic pruning to make the plants stockier and more self-supporting.  Keep in mind that if you prune your plants, you will be delaying the bloom period by a week or more.

Two books I highly recommend for seasonal gardening:
Time-Tested Plants by Pamela J. Harper and
Continuous Bloom by Pam Duthie.

Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 1

Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 3
Colorful Fall Gardening, Part 4