Nov/Dec 2018

Garden Gate

The Illustrated Guide to Home Gardening and Design

Garden Gate1 min read
From the Editor
As I look back on 2018 I’m reminded that each year in the garden is a unique opportunity, and every season is different from previous years. Last summer my ‘Sum and Substance’ hosta had gorgeous chartreuse leaves and was absolutely huge. This season
Garden Gate2 min read
Great Ideas From Smart Gardeners
If you bag up your leaves in plastic trash bags each fall, check out Jerry’s tips for putting the bags of leaves to use: After he fills them up, he lays them flat to cover the ground in an area where weeds need to be smothered or where he wants to ma
Garden Gate1 min read
From the WILD SIDE
With a fluffy tail and rusty-colored face, the adorable red fox can be found all across North America. Fruit, worms, grubs, spilled trash, pet food and small rodents or birds are the fox’s favorite foods. It’s not aggressive toward humans, but it mig
Garden Gate3 min read
Multiseason Makeover
Have you ever installed a garden bed only to find that after a few years it was looking pretty dull? That’s what happened to us with this 18-by-12-foot bed in our test garden. It didn’t age very well, and you can easily see the lack of color and inte
Garden Gate9 min read
Flowering Annual Vines
Annual vines are sort of like slipcovers for the garden. After all, they can cover a multitude of sins in a single season—from ugly chain-link fencing to unsightly utility boxes. But they’re also lovely in their own right, adding vertical color and i
Garden Gate5 min read
The Right Rose
Oh, the classic, romantic emblem of the summer garden: the rose. Gardeners have been enamored with the amazing fragrance and stunning beauty for centuries. Its reputation for beauty is well-earned. Its reputation for being high-maintenance and hard t
Garden Gate3 min read
Turn Up The Temperature
There’s nothing quite like a splash of hot colors to add sizzle to the summer garden. After the pastels of spring, flower borders can begin to look a little lackluster. So why not ignite some fiery reds, bright oranges, and vivid yellows? Warmer colo
Garden Gate7 min read
Find Your Path
When you wheel your load of tools to and from the shed, a sturdy path eases your burden. When you welcome your friends into your place of beauty, an inviting path beckons them. If you want to escape, a simple path leads you deeper into your garden. T
Garden Gate1 min read
Plants Along The Path
Plants that settle in between the stones or along the edge of a path are a cozy and alluring sight. But not all plants can handle being stepped on or like growing so close to a heat-reflecting surface. Fruity germander stands up to dry locations and
Garden Gate2 min read
A Drought-tolerant Walkway That Shimmers & Shines
A well-designed walkway is key to making a great first impression. Too often garden pathways (which tend to meander) and walkways (which tend to be straight and lead to a destination) are simply edged in ground covers. But why stop there? This pretty
Garden Gate4 min read
Welcome Friends To The Garden
Take a walk in this small Northern California town and you might come across this charming home and garden. There’s just something welcoming about its neatly trimmed hedges and topiary in numerous sizes and shapes. If John Ritter is out working in hi
Garden Gate4 min read
Secrets To A Long-lasting Hose
It’s such a simple piece of garden equipment: A tube to disperse water. But nothing causes more aggravation than a hose that kinks, leaks, is stiff and won’t unwind or is heavy to drag around. Here are my secrets to finding a hose you’ll be happy to
Garden Gate1 min read
White Garden Wonders
With these long-blooming flowers, your garden is ready for company anytime. Fragrance is a bonus — some scents float on the breeze while others require you to get up close and personal to enjoy the perfume. A Star jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoi
Garden Gate1 min readGardening
Weed Watch
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE Mayweed grows 12 to 24 in. tall and 12 to 18 in. wide with charming ½- to 1-in.-diameter daisy-shaped white flowers from summer to fall. Its deeply divided leaves have a foul scent when they’re crushed, which has given rise to one
Garden Gate3 min read
Q&A
Q I plant my dahlias in large pots each spring and have had good success in the past, but last year I had no flowers. The tubers and foliage look healthy. Do you know why this might happen? A If your dahlias get plenty of sun—6 hours or more—then to
Garden Gate2 min read
Try This Pink Charmer
You can make dreams of a beautiful garden come true with ‘Fairytale’ veronica. Wands of pale pink provide loads of color starting in early summer and last for several weeks. Adding to the wonder are the bees and butterflies, which are frequent visito
Garden Gate1 min read
Great Gifts For Gardeners
1| GARDEN GATE ART Give your gardener something exclusive from our Fine Art America store! From tech gear to stationery to home decor, you can customize a variety of products with our gorgeous garden-themed watercolor illustrations and photography —
Garden Gate6 min read
BUILD A Better Bed In 9 Simple Steps
Sure, you could just go into an area, strip off the sod and start planting a new bed. But maybe your soil isn’t so great, and starting a new garden sounds like a lot of work if you’re not confident of your results. This method doesn’t require much di
Garden Gate1 min readEarth Sciences
Test Your Texture
Mineral particles in soil are rated by size. All soil is made of various-sized particles, called “sand,” “silt” or “clay.” Varying amounts of these account for differences in garden soil’s texture. Sand Large particles; drains and changes temperatur
Garden Gate1 min read
When The Sod Has To Go…
If you’re not building a berm but planting directly in the ground, you’ll want to remove the sod. Here are a few chemical-free options. Strip it For a small bed, this might be your best option. Use that shovel and scrape off the sod layer. If you ha
Garden Gate7 min read
Perennial Problem Solvers
Even the best gardeners run into problems every now and then. It could be a favorite perennial going dormant and leaving a gaping hole in the perennial border, or that vine that just won’t climb the new arbor. We’re here to help with solutions to the
Garden Gate3 min read
Damaging Insects
From vegetables and fruit trees to flowers, grasshoppers aren’t picky eaters. Blooms and foliage will look tattered, but a big outbreak can defoliate plants or ruin fruits and vegetables throughout the summer, decreasing your potential harvest later
Garden Gate3 min read
Conquer Weeds
Every garden has weeds. They travel from one spot to the next by any means they can — wind, water, birds and animals. But if you’re armed with a little knowledge about a weed’s life cycle, you can attack it when it’s most vulnerable, which makes gett
Garden Gate1 min read
5 Annual Or Biennal Weeds
Annual with tufted habit; full sun; 1 to 4 in. tall, 3 to 5 in. wide. Use a preemergent on lawns and gardens to keep this fast-growing pest from sprouting. Pull or hoe out plants early in spring before they have time to set seed. Annual with bristle
Garden Gate2 min read
5 Perennial Weeds
Sprawling vine with purple flowers and minty scented foliage; full sun to full shade; 2 to 18 in. tall, spreading. Spreads by seed and rooting stems. In flower beds and borders the best control is hand-pulling. In lawns, broadleaf herbicides applied

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