In case you didn’t already know, Pantone Color Institute has become a worldwide color authority with identifying trendy colors consumers will crave in the New Year. Their Color of the Year selections are often featured in fashion, interior design, outdoor living products and even in landscape plants.
2023 Pantone’s Color of the Year
Pantone’s 2023 Color of the Year is Viva Magenta 18-750.
For 2023, Viva Magenta may be more widely used on garden furniture or painting your front door. Perhaps, you may desire to plant magenta colored flowering annuals and perennials on your patio or deck.
Here is a short list of perennials to plant in your landscape that complement the Pantone Color Institute’s 2023 Color of the Year.
Achillea ‘Tutti Frutti Pomegranate’
Achillea ‘Tutti Frutti Pomegranate’
Agastache ‘Kudos Red’
Coreopsis ‘Lil Bang Red Elf’
Coreopsis ‘Hot Paprika’
Coreopsis ‘Uptick Red’
Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’
Dianthus ‘Fruit Punch’ Cherry Vanilla’, ‘Maraschino’, ‘Pretty Poppers Electric Red’, ‘Paint The Town Magenta’
Dianthus ‘Paint The World Magenta’
Echinacea ‘Meteor Red’, ‘Raspberry Beret’
Hemerocallis ‘Double Pardon Me’, ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’
Camel
crickets, also known as cave crickets or spider crickets live in dark damp
places of the home or garage. They are related to grasshoppers, locusts, and
other crickets (insect order Orthoptera) and are six legged as opposed to
spiders that have eight legs. Fully
grown adults range in size from 1-2 inches long, while the nymphs, the immature
stages, have the same body type at a smaller scale, and no wings.
Camel
crickets are strong jumpers, thanks to their long hind legs, and do not have
wings. Camel crickets do not bite and their chewing mouthparts gnaw on just
about anything, including fabrics, wood, cardboard, plants, and other bugs.
Camel
crickets are often seen in eastern and Midwest states. These pests dislike the
cold damp and tend to make their way indoors when the weather is hot and dry in
the summer and fall months. They can breed in your house if the conditions are
right, and may be seen any time of year. They will feed on fungi, wood,
cardboard, fabrics, and other spider crickets.
Prevention
and eradication of spider crickets is to keep them out of your home in the
first place. Basements and crawl spaces are popular hangouts for them. Seal
around entry doors and basement windows and ground-level doors with weather
stripping. Dehumidifiers make room air less damp. Toss away old cardboard
boxes and newspapers will also help.
Sticky insect
traps are available at home stores. You can make your own from a few loops of
duct tape. Place these where walls and floors intersect in basements and
attached garages. Shallow bowls of soapy water also make effective traps. Camel
crickets will fall in the bowl and drown. The key method of managing these
household pests is to reduce the moisture inside your home. They are attracted
to water and high humidity.
Use a shop
vacuum to suck them up and empty it out immediately. Otherwise, they will crawl
out and re-infest your home.
Today’s
most popular perennials are ones asking for low maintenance and have few to no
bug or disease problems. Cutflowers may be used in fresh cut and in dried
arrangements.
Coneflowers (Echinacea x) – native coneflowers are tough and pretty; flower colors: purple, white, orange, red, yellow. Compact coneflower series (16 to 30 inches tall): Sombrero®, Artisan™, PowWow®, and Cheyenne Spirit® for non-stop blooming June to September; spent flower cones visited by goldfinches or other birds over winter. (Z 4-9)
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) – heavy-blooming native perennial from early summer to frost. Highly recommended new cultivar ‘American Gold Rush’ is disease resistant, heavy bloomer, and should not reseed all over your garden. Deer-free and drought- and heat- tolerant. (Z 3-9)
Hostas (Hosta spp.) also known as plantain lily – the leading shade perennial prized for their large, tropical-looking leaves that come in an array of sizes, shapes, and colors ranging from chartreuse to blue-green to bicolor. Floral spikes of white, lavender, or pale purple appear over the summer months. (Z 3-9)
Daylily (Hemerocallis) varieties are available in almost shape, size and color imaginable. Daylilies are exceptionally dependable long-lived perennials. Ask local gardening friends for a list of their regional favorites. (Z 3-9)
Daylily (Hemerocallis)
Bee Balm (Monarda) aka Oswego Tea – this old-fashioned perennial beloved by gardeners is visited by hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. Flowers come in red, pink and lavender all summer long if deadheaded. Try tall-growing ‘Jacob Kline’ for its 3+ feet high, mildew-resistant, scarlet red flowers and new compact (14-18 inches) Pardon Me® series. (Z 4-8)
Herbaceous Peony (Paeonia) – one of grandma’s favorites and currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Flowers are outrageously gorgeous, some varieties measuring 10 inches across. Color range of white, red, purple, peach, and many pink shades. (Z 4-7)
Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia), aka Torch Lilies and Tritoma – prized for their tall, show stopping flower spikes in bright red, orange, yellow, and other colors; full to partial sun and well-drained soil. Cultivar sizes range from dwarf (14 inches) to tall 3 feet tall. Popular series include Pyromania™, Poco™, Popsicle™, and Echo™. (Z 6-9)
Tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) stand tall height and invite butterflies to large, fragrant clusters of pink, red, purple or white flowers from mid- to late- summer; select powdery mildew resistant varieties like ‘David’, ‘Glamour Girl’, and ‘Jeana’. (Z 3-8).
Leucanthemum ‘Becky’
Shasta Daisy (Lecanthemum x superbum) – bright white or creamy white daisy blooms such as ‘Becky’, ‘Whoops-a-Daisy’ and ‘Banana Cream ll’ in early- to mid-summer. (Z 5-9)
Lenten Rose (Helleborus x) – winter bloom from late December (H. niger) onward into early April and these evergreen perennials are usually deer resistant. Their single or double flowers welcome pollinating bees back into your garden. (Z 4-9)
Daffodils (Narcissus) – prized for their cheerful yellow/white, trumpet-shaped flowers that herald the arrival of spring. Plant bulbs in fall and they bloom for many springs to come; hundreds of types of daffodils to select from yellow, orange, white, and bicolors. (Z 3-9)
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) is well-known as a deciduous conifer native to the southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Pyramidal in form, bald cypress towers over 70 feet tall with a spread up to 50 feet.
Bald cypress is naturally found in southeast U.S. swamps, marshlands, lakes, ponds, and other wetlands. On marshy ground, you may spot their basal “knees” or mounds growing around the tree base. Knees are woody growths that project several inches to a foot above the ground, and are thought to function as aerial roots.
Soft, needle-like feathery leaves emerge in spring. Bald cypress sheds its leaves in autumn, hence its common name, bald cypress. In fall this foliage turns a gorgeous bronze tint in mid-October and early November. The leaves slowly fall from the tree over several weeks, depositing several inches of soft leaf mulch around the tree. Adult trees exhibit a herringbone branching silhouette in the winter landscape. Its exfoliating reddish-brown bark is an added plus.
Bald
cypress thrives in full sun and prefers moist, acidic, sandy loam soils. However, but tolerates a wide
range of soil conditions ranging from average moist soils and in standing water.
‘Cascade Falls’ Bald Cypress
No serious insects or diseases trouble bald cypress. Chlorosis (leaf yellowing) frequently occurs in alkaline soils. Twig blights, bagworms, and various mites are occasional problems.
Varieties for smaller landscapes: ‘Shawnee Brave™ – narrowly pyramidal tree form, 50 feet high and 20 feet wide. ‘Peve Minaret’ – a dwarf tree form growing 10-15 feet high and 6 to 10 feet wide. ‘Cascade Falls’ – a weeping form that must be staked to desired height (8 to 20 feet high). ‘Falling Waters’ – grows 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide with graceful arching form.
The water-resilient
wood of this tree is used in the manufacture of landscape timbers, outdoor
garden furniture, flooring, shingles, flower boxes, and landscape mulch.
Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) is a European native that has naturalized in most areas of North America (zones 5-9). Truly low care perennials, Shasta daisies come back every spring and bloom reliably from early summer into early fall (if deadheaded). Some varieties, ‘Becky’ for example, are multi-year top performers.
Shasta daisies tend to form clumps, 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. They bear all-white daisy petals, yellow disk florets, along with glossy, dark green leaves. Shasta daisies make terrific cut flowers, and their blooms last a week or more in arrangements. As flowers fade, deadhead to extend the blooming season. After the first killing frost, cut stems back to 1-2 inches above the soil line.
Shasta daisies grow in average, well-drained soil. At planting time, work in lots of compost around the plants. Feed plants with a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote™ if flowers numbers are low or small sized. Be careful, over-feeding can lead to an abundance of foliage and a lack of flowers. One-year old established Shasta daisies are drought tolerant, but weekly irrigation with an inch of water weekly over the summer.
Purchasedisease resistant varieties. Divide clumps every 4-5 years to avoid crowding. Occasionally, plants may be troubled by aphids, leaf miners, powdery mildew, bacterial spots, gray mold (botrytis), and Japanese beetles.
Recommended varieties:
‘Becky’ – large flowers grow 3 – 3.5 feet tall; considered the “standard” among Shasta daisy varieties.
‘Cream Puff’ –lemon yellow buds, large 3-4 inch creamy flowers; creamy tight compact 14-16 inch tall.
‘Whoops-a
Daisy’ – full 2-3 inch wide white blossoms; uniform compact plant habit
(15 inches x 22 inches).
Caveat: Some varieties may spread from seed. Choose reliable hybrid varieties that don’t produce viable seed or remove flowers before they go to seed.
Living privacy fence offers privacy from street traffic and neighbors
Serves as a sound barrier to reduce noise
A windbreak to reduce harsh winds
Snow fence to reduce snow accumulation
Wildlife protection and food for birds from berries and seed.
Planning: Select vigorous disease and pest free trees and shrubs that suit your region. Wise plant choices create a healthy hedge that’s easy to maintain. Select slow to moderate growing shrubs and trees as fast growing plants require more pruning (hedging).
Your choice of shrubs or seedling trees also should be guided by the style of hedge you want. Formal hedges with solid architectural form will neatly frame landscapes spaces – creating rooms. Deciduous flowering shrubs, such as lilac, spiraea, forsythia, and evergreens, such as boxwood, arborvitae, holly, are effective hedges although much of their flower power is lost. The height and depth of the hedge is determined by the vigor of the varieties of shrubs chosen.
Yew (Taxus) Hedge
Planting
a Hedge
1. Stake and mark the planting area, whether in a straight or a curved one. Use a measuring tape as a guide. Be aware of the location of underground utilities.
2. Space plants apart, permitting the plants to reach their mature heights. avoid overcrowding or developing an “instant hedge”. Stagger plants in two rows for a thicker hedge that will fill in more quickly serve as a sound barrier.
3. Dig the planting holes and remove the shrubs from pots and set them at the same dept. Space according to what shrubs you are setting and refill in the planting holes.
4. Water shrubs as needed during the first growing season.
5. Mulch – Spread a 2 to 3 inch layer of shredded bark mulch around plants to conserve water. Do not pile up mulch around the plan stems (trunks).
Deciduous: European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Linden (Tilia spp.), European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), Hedge Maple (Acer campestre), Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea), Forsythia (Forsythia spp.), Various spireas (Spiraea spp.), Flowering quince (Chaenomeles x), red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima’), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii).
Evergreens: Emerald arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’), Western arborvitae (Thuja plicata), Green Giant arborvitae (Thuja standishi x plicata), Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Schip or Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’), Glossy abelia (Abelia × grandiflora), Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), Boxwood (Buxus spp.), Hicks yew (Taxus x media), Junipers (Juniperus chinensis), Native Cedars (Juniperus virginiana), Japanese Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus).
Mulching benefits garden soil and enhances the landscape appearance.
Here is how:
Pine needle mulch at Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC
Prevents weed seeds from germinating, thereby reducing hand weeding.
Mulching keeps plant roots moist and cool in summer.
Fall mulching acts like a thermal blanket and aids newly set plants to establish their roots quickly.
Reduces the need to water the garden as often.
Conservation measure via soil runoff protection.
Reduces soil compaction which permits rainfall and irrigation water to penetrate the soil surface.
Encourages beneficial insects and microorganisms.
Mulch decomposes and improves the organic level of the soil.
Offers a tidy appearance to the garden.
Certain kinds of mulch increase or decrease soil pH over time. Decomposition of oak leaves, holly leaves, and pine needles will lower pH over time. Mulch derived from hardwood bark tends to raise soil pH slightly over time.
Acid-loving plants such as blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas, mountain laurels (Kalmia), and many evergreen shrubs benefit from low pH soils. To raise soil pH, apply hydrated lime (contains calcium) or dolomitic limestone (contains magnesium). Mulches derived from fresh sawdust or wood chips may tie up available soil nitrogen and plant foliage turns yellow (chlorotic). Do not over apply uncomposted mulches around landscape plants.
Typically, spring mulching entails adding 3-4 inches of composted mulch which may be purchased from garden centers or big box stores. Your city may sell or giveaway partially decomposed yard waste, a mix of cut tree/shrub prunings plus lawn clippings and leaves which have been ground up and composed for 3-6 months.
When not to mulch: do not mulch fall-planted fruit trees and shrubs the first year. Vole and other critters make their winter homes in the mulch and gnaw on the sweet soft bark of these plants. After the winter is over, fruiting plants may be permanently mulched.
Crape myrtle bark scale (Photo by Dr. Frank Hale, UT Entomologist, Nashville, TN)
Crape myrtle bark scale (photo by Dr. Frank Hale, Univ of Tenn. Extension Entomologist)
A new scale has been observed infesting crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia x indica) in north Louisiana and Texas cities. In the summer of 2016 it was found threatening crape myrtles in the Piedmont area of North Carolina and in west Tennessee (Memphis). Crape myrtle bark scale is a felt scale related to azalea bark scale and oak eriococcin scale. (Eriococcus lagerostroemia). It feeds on plants in Japan and China.
Female scales produce fluffy white filaments that cover their bodies. In spring they produce eggs beneath their body then die. Tiny crawlers hatch from the eggs, settle in their new spot, and begin producing white filaments. They have at least 2 overlapping generations. At low density, crape myrtle bark scale feeds in rough areas around branch collars but as the population increases all the bark may be covered. These scales are most often noticed because trees become covered in black sooty mold. At first many people assume this is from crape myrtle aphids and the scales may go undetected. If you notice unusually heavy honeydew and sooty mold on crape myrtles take a closer look at the bark.
This pest excretes honeydew that coats leaves and limbs, resulting in a sticky coating from the excess sugars excreted from the insects’ feeding. Sooty mold grows on the honeydew. This results in a black (sooty mold) coating that appears on the bark of the branches and trunks of crape myrtles. Additionally, white cases are visible, and they enclose the adult female scales.
Insects appear as white, waxy encrustations likely to occur anywhere on the plant but often near pruning wounds or in branch crotches. Up close, the bark scale insect is white to gray in color. Larger female scales “bleed” a pink liquid when crushed. Crape myrtle scale appears pink in color inside the case. Careful examination may reveal dozens of pink eggs under some of the larger white scale covers.
Recommendations for managing the scale are still being developed; however, current management suggestions for this scale include:
Wash the trunk and reachable limbs of heavily infested plants with a soft brush and mild solution of dishwashing soap. The egg masses and female scales will be washed off, resulting in improved effectiveness of insecticides. Also, the black mold building up on the bark of infested trees will be removed by washing. The scales and sooty mold may be removed by using water pressure. Removing the loose bark is important because the protected areas where the scales hide are removed. This removes the areas that the scales may use for protection from unfavorable weather in winter.
First application should be made between May and July with follow-up applications every 3-4 weeks as needed. Systemic insecticides include dinotefuran (Safari™) and imidacloprid (Merit™ or Bayer Advanced Garden Tree and Shrub Insect Control™). Drench applications of neonicotinoids are typically effective against phloem feeders. Read the labels for restrictions on using neonicotinoid pesticide as crape myrtle flowers attract multitudes of beneficial pollinators. Horticultural oil, especially the heavier dormant rate, can also reduce scale numbers.
If you find this scale on your crape myrtles, take a sample to the local Extension office for identification.
Credit: information for this blog supplied by the Extension Services of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Leaf scorch or foliage burn is caused primarily by environmental stress factors such as drying winds, drought, mechanical root injury, and winter injury . Natural pathogens, such as viruses, fungi, or bacteria, can be secondary causes. Spraying the wrong pesticide or accidentally allowing spray to drift onto a nearby susceptible landscape plant can result in chemical foliar burn. Applying too much fertilizer may also injure roots and mimic drought- like symptoms.
If sun intensity gets too strong, leaves may turn brown, typically along the edges, or take on a bleached out appearance. Shallow-rooted trees like Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are often troubled by leaf scorch. Drying winter winds may cause leaf burn on conifers if soils are frozen. Too much sunlight and lack of adequate soil moisture will result in brown-edged leaves or leaf tips.
Leaf scorch symptoms commonly show up on edges of leaf, leaf tips and/or between the veins. Yellowing becomes increasingly severe and tissue dies at leaf margins and between veins. Sudden changes in summer light intensity, such as from a loss of an adjacent large branch or an entire shade tree, may scorch the foliage of low-growing (understory) shrubs and small tree in spring and summer.
Deep watering of soil will enhance moisture uptake. Too much water, such as periodic flooding, can also be injurious. Do not fertilize most trees, shrubs and perennials after September 1st. It stimulates shoot growth.at a time that plants should be going dormant. Leaf scorch symptoms may result.
If tree roots have been injured, prune off top growth to compensate for loss of roots. Stressed trees and shrubs should be mulched with an organic-based mulch to help conserve soil moisture.
Variegated agave in sidewalk planting in Burbank, CA
Agaves (Agave spp.) are long-leaved succulent landscape plants. These native perennial succulents grow in desert-like environments (USDA hardiness zones 8 and warmer). Plants grow in a rosette form with long their fleshy leaves frequently tipped with one or more sharp spines and a prominent bloom spike with cup shaped flowers. Most are native to the Southwest U.S. and Mexico.
Agaves are exceptionally drought tolerant and ideal for xeric gardens. Temperature hardiness, sunlight, and soil drainage are the three key components to successfully growing agaves. Agave have a large tap root and do not transplant well, so carefully select an appropriate site where to plant. The majority of the roots are surface roots and do not require a deep hole if planted when young.
Porous, well-drained soil is an absolute must! When planting in clay soils, deeply amend bed or container soil with coarse sand or pea gravel in a 50:50 ratio. Water the plant diligently the first week after planting and gradually wean it back to 2-3 times monthly in containers, all depending on season of the year and outdoor air temps.
Never overwater agaves! They are famous for their low water use. In early spring apply a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote™ or Nutrikote™. This should supply nutrient needs for the entire year.
Most agaves naturally dieback after blooming. They form new plants (“pups” or offshoots) at the base of the “mother” plant. Many gardeners opt to remove the spent floral spike with long handle lopper pruners to avoid their sharp spines. Agaves should be re-potted every year, usually in the spring in new media. Prune off old lower leaves if they detract from the plant’s beauty.
Non-hardy types are moved indoors or in an unheated garage where temps drop below 37°F and grown in an east facing window. Over the winter months reduce frequency of watering intervals and do not fertilize.
Agaves are deer-resistant. The tall bloom stalks attract hummingbirds.
Agave parryi var.
Four popular agaves:
Century plant (Agave americana) – a lovely flower (inflorescence) and leaves have a white stripe running along the center.
Parry’s or Mescal agave (Agave parryi) – an attractive slow growing compact form that measures 2-3 feet across. Leaves are grey green tipped with a spine (zone 7 hardy).
Ocahui Century Plant (Agave ocahui ) (zone 7b -10) – this 2-3 feet wide ball-shaped agave has attractive rigid dark green leaf blades with attractive red margins and sharp flexible spines. Bloom spike will eventually reach nearly 15 feet tall with yellow-green flowers.
Black spine agave (Agave macroacantha) – a medium sized rosette form and 1 ½ feet long thick grey green leaves, each tipped with a 1-inch long sharp black spine. Small grey and red flowers form on sturdy 7-10 feet high stems.
