Teresa's Design Tip - Create an Intimate Outdoor Room

Outdoor room seating under a shade tree.

Would you like to have a place outside where you can entertain, have a cuppa tea in the morning, or comfortably sit and read? An outdoor room is a designated area in your yard with a self-styled floor, open but lush walls, and even a subliminal ceiling.

Whether you have full sun or full shade, you can create an outdoor room with a few details and of course, right plants, right place.

First, look for existing “walls” (aka tall shrubs, trees, or fences) already in your yard, that you can use visually to enclose your “room.” Comfortable sizes for your outdoor room depend on the number of people you would like to accommodate. For one or two persons, 8’ to 10’ area should be adequate, for five to six people, 15’ to 20’ will work. It can be rectangular, round, or square.

If you don’t have any walls, consider adding trellis panels, single paneled fences, vintage screen doors, or doors with windows, inexpensive china hutches, or garden workbenches, found at flea markets. Think about the area and available air circulation. Allowing the breeze to blow through will be appreciated in the summertime. If you would like to plant shrubs that will grow large, like camellia, native firebush, bamboo, or ligustrum and viburnums. Determine the size of mature plants for amount of plants to buy. Space them at half their mature width, so that they fill in nicely over two-three years. Install correctly so that your “walls” will be stable and withstand wind or can be put away before a storm.

Second, is your floor. This can be mulch, patio pavers, brick, pea gravel, or even an outdoor rug. Make sure it’s level. Mulch can be the least expensive material for the entire area. You can always install hardscape pavers or bricks later.

To simulate a ceiling, or to provide cover from sun or rain, a patio umbrella, shade sails, or awning. Place a real candle chandelier or  try a modern LED candle chandelier.

Add your favorite furniture, seating, coffee table, end tables, bar set, outdoor patio lamps,  garden tools to complete your setting.  Increase the size of your outdoor room by hanging a vintage mirror.

Now it’s time to enhance your room with more plants. Raise the roof by hanging baskets of glorious annuals or blooming vines, ferns. This can be done using strong shrub branches, tree limbs, metal hanging basket poles, or right from the trellis. Add more plants for color and pizzazz with containers, any style that fits your fancy or theme.

 Let your design style flow freely. Make it your own.

What To Do in Your Landscape for September

By Teresa Watkins

September 2024

 Average temperatures High 90 Low 72

Average rainfall 5.76 inches

Autumn arrives September 22nd, 2024

  September Plantings

 Vegetables: Early plantings include lima bean, snap bean, corn, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, southern pea, rhubarb, squash, and tomato; End of the month crops include arugula, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, celery, collard, endive, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, strawberry, and turnip.

 Flowers: Agapanthus, ageratum, angelonia, begonia, blue daze, butterfly weed, buttonbush, cat's whiskers, celosia, cleome, coleus, coreopsis, cosmos, firebush, garden mums, gaura, gazania, gerbera, goldenrod, gomphrena, heliotrope, impatiens, Jacobina, lantana, marigold, melampodium, New Guinea impatiens, nicotiana, pentas, periwinkle, plumbago, roses, salvia, sunflower, sweet alyssum, thyrallis, torenia, Turk’s cap, verbena, and zinnia.

 Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, borage, chives, coriander, dill, lemon balm, lavender, Mexican tarragon, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet fennel, sweet marjoram, and thyme.

 Bulbs: African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, blackberry lily, bulbine, calla lily, crinum, crocosmia, day lily, gladiolus, kaffir lily, narcissus, society garlic, spider lily, rain lilies and walking iris. Look for and purchase cool-season bulbs for refrigeration, including crocus, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, muscari, and tulips.

 Fruit and Vegetable Care

 ·       Get a soil test of garden every year to find out what fertilizer nutrients to apply.

·       Clean used containers before planting.

·       Give large growing plants big containers to have room for good root growth.

·       Keep container-grown tomatoes uniformly moist to avoid blossom-end rot.

·       New to gardening? Start a garden journal and list names of seeds, the varieties, date planted, days to harvest, temperatures, and any weather conditions that might affect growth, i.e., extreme heat, lack of rain, storms.

·       Add vegetables and herbs to containers for patio and balcony gardens. 

·       All vegetables like a sunny site with at least 6 – 8 hours; leafy crops can often grow in filtered sun.

·       Remember the sun dips south Fall through Winter so note sites that may become shady.

·       Last year’s gardens may need an additional layer of organic compost or manure, like Black Kow.

·       Remove plastic covers from solarization treatments and plant without tilling.

·       Where nematodes are a problem, dig a large hole and fill it with organic amendments or potting soil before planting.

·       Keep new plantings and seedlings moist; water older plantings when the soil begins to dry.

·       Apply a first feeding two weeks after adding transplants or seed germination.

·       Continue with monthly feedings for in-ground plantings, every other week for containers.

·       Use slow-release fertilizer which may be the only feeding needed.

·       Add flowering plants to gardens to invite pollinators to visit.

·       Set tomatoes in the ground or in containers early and start training to a trellis.

·       Provide support for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and others from vegetables above.

·       Rejuvenate older herb gardens in late September by adding fresh plantings.

·       Check the garden daily to determine soil moisture of ground and check for pests.

·       Harvest herbs to encourage continued growth. .

·       Use mulches to conserve water, control weeds and keep soil off leafy crops.

·       Remove side shoots/pups to root from pineapple plants and increase your plantings.

·       Start seedlings of Fall cool season crops later in the month.

·       Begin citrus and avocado tree feedings toward the end of the month. For more specific information on fertilizing different size citrus trees: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS132

 Lawn Care

 ·       Get soil test analysis of turf areas before fertilizing.

·       If your lawn is susceptible to fungus and you have had excessive rains during past storms, apply a preventative fungicide according to the label.

·       Where grass won’t grow because of too much shade, consider use of an ornamental ground cover, like ajuga, Asiatic jasmine, ferns, liriope, mondo grass, or pachysandra,

·       Lawns with aggressive weeds need attention; dig out, resod or spot treat with herbicides, but if temperatures average above 85 degrees, wait until October to use an herbicide.

·       Most local ordinances restrict fertilization until October 1st.

·       To green up lawns, use an iron-only or minor nutrient application until October.

·       Once weeds or pest issues are taken care of, patch pest-damaged or weed areas with new sod, plugs, or seed.

·       Complete seeding of Bahia turf in early September.

·       Lawn caterpillars and chinch bugs can continue in to Fall; control when noted.

·       Several products are now available for nematode control by lawn care companies.

·       Fire ants are frequently found in lawns; spot treat mounds with bait, then treat the entire lawn.

·       Aerate hard to wet or compacted soils.

·       Continue mowings at recommended heights

·       Change mowing patterns on regular basis, overlapping rows so mower doesn’t create ruts.

·       Service lawn care equipment to have it ready for Fall.

 In the Landscape

 ·       Keep eye on trees and shrubs that may have been affected by the drought in Spring and Summer. Decline from 2024 drought may be an issue for next few years.

·       Make sure any shrubs and trees leaning from storm winds are straightened as soon as possible.

·       Note plant decline in landscapes, from excessive gutter drainage. Bury gutter and extend out into yard to prevent displacement of soil and mulch.

·       Prune away dead or declining plant portions affected by Summer weather or pests.

·       Weeds are plentiful; remove them before they flower and disperse seeds.

·       Renew mulches with only a light topping to keep 3” – 4” of mulch.

·       Clean and sharpen pruning equipment to make trimming easy with minimal plant damage.

·       Prune declining brown fronds only and flower stems from palms but leave the green fronds.

·       Sterilize pruners between plants when trimming palms with possible diseases.

·       Many plants have grown out of bounds; now is the time to do needed pruning.

·       Give poinsettias and hydrangeas a final pruning.

·       Check roses that have dead or declining stems and old flowers that need to be removed.

·       Expect caladiums and some ginger to start to decline and go dormant until Spring.

·       Replant declining flowers with warm season selections; delay planting the cool season types until end of November.

·       Avoid planting palms with prevalent disease problems.

·       Scale insects, mealy bugs and aphids have been active; control as needed.

·       Sooty mold grows on the excreta of insects; control both with a horticultural oil spray.

·       Check container plantings for plugged drainage holes; repot as needed.

·       Chrysanthemums make attractive Fall flowers, but they only last a few weeks in the heat.

·       Divide perennials and replant in the garden.

·       Now is the time to ensure poinsettias have 12 hours of complete darkness every night to encourage blooming in time for Christmas.

·       Plan for cool weather bulbs, i.e., tulips, hyacinth, daffodils, etc. and refrigerate bulbs for 16 weeks so they can be planted in the landscape two to three weeks ahead of when you would like them to bloom.

·       Add new trees, shrubs, and palms.

·       Feed palms with a slow-release fertilizer three to four times a year.

·       Begin late September shrub and perennial feedings for Fall where permitted.

·       Feed hanging baskets and orchids every other week.

·       Remove declining leaves and flowers from water lilies; give a monthly feeding.

 Houseplant Care

 ·       There is still time to revive foliage plants by moving them outdoors to a shady site.

·       Indoor orchids and bromeliads make good outdoor additions when they begin to decline.

·       Groom foliage plants growing outdoors for an improved appearance.

·       Control pests including scale, mealybugs, thrips and mites with natural sprays.

·       Gradually reduce feedings and watering of Christmas and holiday cactus.

·       Transplant foliage plants needing new containers before the cooler Fall weather.

·       Feed foliage plants monthly or use a slow-release fertilizer according to the label.

·       Replace declining plants with new selections for Fall.

·       Obtain amaryllis and paper white narcissus bulbs for Fall forcing.

Art in Bloom Garden Tour - Philadelphia Flower Show and Longwood Gardens March 7fh - 10th 2025

Photos from 2022 Philadelphia Flower Show and Longwood Gardens. Photo credits: Teresa Watkins

The ultimate flower show in North America. Come with me on A Magical Garden Tour 2025! Here are photos from my 2022 Philadelphia Flower Show. What an experience! Find out more on Art in Bloom https://bit.ly/4fe9m62

The Philadelphia Flower Show has been named the best overall event in the world by traditions the International Festivals and Events Association. The event’s spectacular displays and inspiring designs highlight upcoming floral trends, not to be missed. Included are trips to Longwood Gardens and Jenny Rose Carey's private Northview Gardens https://bit.ly/3SVKoif

Friday, March 7 - Monday, March 10, 2025

Four Days – Three Nights https://bit.ly/3WPpBxZ

These highlights are just a few of my 2022 PHS photographs. So many beautiful flowers, displays, and vignettes. Don’t miss this exciting event.

Teresa's Design Tip - Succulents That Are Summerproof

This tropical landscape with a luscious walk to the front door was installed a year ago. While succulent plants may look small, they do fill in at an easy-going pace, worthy of patience without sweat. The final photo (August 2024) is what the succulent garden has grown into a year later, and they will only get bigger and better.

Why should all the neighbors and passers-by get the pretty curbside views? My client’s office faces out towards the street and now, she has a lovely view of her garden from inside while watching all the bird activity since the landscape was installed. Win-Win!

Check out my article on how to grow succulents in The Family Handyman.

Proverbial heartbreak. It was painful to drive through the HOA and see the scars and evidence of incorrectly planted trees. Criminal. There were over 15 trees that were installed by a landscape company that was paid for their unprofessional installation. Was there not one person who knew how to plant a tree properly?

Before working with a tree company, find out if they are certified tree arborists or knowledgeable landscapers who can correctly plant a tree.  Always take delivery “packaging” off a tree’s root ball.  This includes burlap, metal baskets, plastic, straps, wires, and anything rubber. Don’t listen to the comments of “nurseries won’t guarantee the tree if we take the basket off” or “the burlap will decompose.” If the tree is not healthy enough to take the wire basket off, it’s not healthy enough to plant. And it takes years for burlap to decompose and your tree may not survive long enough for it to rot.

Don’t risk it and certainly don’t pay for it.

University of Florida/IFAS publication on planting a tree correctly.

Teresa's Plant of the Month for August

I first laid my eyes on crocosmia in Scotland about ten years ago. I fell in love and began to research immediately. Much to my amazement, these native African beauties will grow in Florida zones 8 – 10!

 The vibrant, red crocosmia featured in the photo is my favorite and the variety is called ‘Lucifer.’ (If you’re concerned about its name, balance your garden out with plenty of Angel wing begonias, Angelonias, and Angel’s trumpets.) You don’t have to be concerned about pests; these easy-care flowers have few issues. Plant in full sun, at least 5 hours, moist, organic but well-draining soil, with a pH of 6 to 8. They are tolerant of salt-spray. This is an excellent flower to attract hummingbirds and other gardeners. They are easy to be a pass-along plant.

 For more information: https://bit.ly/3SyGeNd

Lizzie's Garden Adventures

Who knew turkeys naturally like to sleep on the ground? Not me, obviously!  

After 4 months of beating myself up trying to build & create a proper bedding for my older rafter of turkeys, I learned they are happy sleeping on the ground. They like to roost in trees at night but move to the ground to sleep, if they feel safe. This realization brought me comfort instead of anger in that I created a safe environment for them to slumber, naturally without trying. 

Remember, life can be a joyful journey. Enjoying all moments is up to YOU! 

Get updates through “Lizzie Said What” socials. 

What To Do In Your Backyard in August

Central Florida

Average temperatures  High 92    Low 74

Rainfall 7.69 inches

(https://weather.com)

 

August plantings

 Vegetables:

Cantaloupe, collard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lima bean, okra, pepper, pumpkin, snap bean, southern pea, squash, tomato and watermelon

 

Flowers:

Amaranthus, angelonia, begonia, black-eyed Susan vine, blue daze, butterfly weed, bush daisy, cat's whiskers, celosia, chrysanthemums, coleus, coneflowers, coreopsis, crossandra, dusty miller, firespike, gaura, golden globe, gomphrena. heliconia, hibiscus, impatiens, kalanchoe, Justicia, lantana, marigold, melampodium, moon flower, pentas, periwinkle, plumbago, porter weed, portulaca, purslane, roses, salvia, Stokes aster, sunflower, torenia, tropical sage, and zinnia.

 

Herbs:

Anise, basil, bay laurel, cardamom, chives, Cuban oregano, cumin, dill, ginger, lemon balm, lemon grass, Mexican tarragon, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, thyme, and turmeric.

 

Bulbs type plants:

African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, blood lilies, bulbine, canna, crinum, crocosmia, day lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, kaffir lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, star flowers, rain lily, tuberose, and walking iris.

Vegetable & Fruit Care

·       Warm winters encouraged growth & fruiting of mangoes and lychee, prune after harvest.

·       Check pineapples: fruits are ready when fragrant and  turn yellow to orange.

·       Feed bananas and figs monthly but lightly; keep moist and mulched.

·       Give grape, apple and peach plantings a summer feeding. Follow label instructions.

·       Many gardens have filled with summer weeds; remove and lightly till the soil for planting.

·       Enrich sandy soils and old garden sites with organic soils, organic matter and manure.

·       Test soil acidity and adjust the pH if needed before planting in ground and in containers.

·       Remove plastic from solarization after treatments and plant immediately.

·       Transplants started in July should be ready for the garden during mid to late August.

·       Plant quick growing warm season vegetables mid-August through early September.

·       Seeds of melons and pumpkins must be planted during early August.

·       Grow vegetables in large containers with a good potting soil if you have limited space.

·       Give tomatoes an extra-large container and keep them moist to prevent blossom-end rot.

·       Groom and feed herbs monthly; shelter container-grown herbs from the daily rains.

·       Mints in containers that stop growing may only need dividing and more fertilizer.

·       Clean containers between crops and add  fresh potting soil.

·       Plant flowers that attract pollinators among vegetables to obtain better fruit set.

·       Where possible, plant nematode-resistant vegetable varieties.

·       Open wide, 8-inch or deeper holes in nematode infested beds and fill with fresh pest-free soil or organic compost.

·       Begin staking or trellising taller growing crops when young.

·       Mulch new plantings to conserve water and promote better plant growth.

·       Feed sweet potatoes monthly and check for ready-to-harvest potatoes after 100 days.

·       Feed citrus with ¼ pound of citrus fertilizer per inch of trunk circumference.

·       Apply a minor nutrient spray and insecticide to citrus at each flush of new growth.

Lawn Care

·       Mow lawns higher to encourage deeper roots during droughts.

·       Sharpen dull mower blades.

·       Lawns may appear yellow green by mid-summer; apply an iron treatment where permitted.

·       Sod webworms have been feeding in lawns; apply a natural control if needed.

·       Set up an inexpensive rain gauge or clean pet food can to keep track of rainfall on your yard.

·       If you’re lucky to have consistent rainfall, turn off irrigation systems during rainy periods; lawns can go several days without water.

·       Allowing your lawn to wilt a little between waterings helps deepen the root system.

·       Raise or replace pop-up sprinkler heads that don’t reach far enough above the sod.

·       Fill bare areas with sod, plugs or seed to take advantage of the good growing weather.

·       Wait until Fall to sod shady areas to prevent decline due to excessive moisture.

·       New lawns are susceptible to fungal problems; apply a fungicide to help reduce decline.

·       Have problem turf samples diagnosed at your local University of Florida Extension Office.

·       Mushrooms are common in lawns after rains; no need to remove them. Smelly mushrooms are often called stinkhorns; they should be considered poisonous.

·       Handpull weeds that are filling bare spots and overgrowing good grass.

·       Consider another ground cover for hard-to-maintain and problem turf areas

Landscape Care

·       Landscape plantings that are growing too high during summer can be pruned by 1/3  to keep in bounds.

·       Avoid trimming sheared plants back to the same height; allow a little new growth to remain.

·       Thin out any shrubs close to house to provide good air circulation.

·       Don’t let vines climb trees and shrubs; train them to arbors and trellises.

·       Pruning time is over for azaleas, camellias and gardenias that are forming flowers buds.

·       Give palms a break; with sterile tools, only remove the dead fronds and old flower heads.

·       Complete pruning of poinsettias, bougainvillea, queen’s wreath, and wisteria by month’s end.

·       Weeds grow out of control during summer; remove to prevent seeding and more weeds.

·       Renew mulch to keep it at 3” – 4” high to control weeds: keep mulch back to expose flare at base of shrubs.

·       Summer rains can cause container plants to decline; check for proper drainage.

·       Replace annuals and perennials with heat-tolerant selections.

·       Do not count on summer rains to water new plantings, most need daily hand watering of one to two gallons for the first month.

·       Slow-release fertilizers will cost less and feed landscape for several months.

·       Many shrubs & flowers need a summer feeding; fertilize where permitted.

·       Palms need fertilized with 8-2-12 +4Mg and application of all micronutrients.

·       Feed crape myrtles where permitted  and remove seed heads to continue summer blooms.

·       Yellowing and leaf drop of crape myrtles is often due to a fungus but usually ignored.

·       Edge walkways and drives to keep the landscape attractive.

·       Stake newly-planted small trees and shrubs that might be affected by wind.

·       Caladiums may start to decline by month’s end which is normal.

·       Trim both declining flowers and foliage from perennial beds.

·       Divide bromeliads, Shasta daises, day lilies and other landscape perennials.

·       Dig gladiolus bulbs to store in dry peat moss or allow them to remain in the ground.

·       Transplant palms and sagos.

·       Start poinsettia cuttings in early August.

·       Pinch the tips of chrysanthemums in early August to grow well-branched compact plants.

·       Feed water lilies and bog plantings in home water gardens monthly.

Foliage & Houseplant care

·       Time to prepare foliage plants for fall; reshape and trim to encourage new growth.

·       Transplant root bound and poorly drained foliage plants.

·       Check for mealy bugs, scales and mites; control with natural soap or oil insecticides.

·       Take cuttings of your favorite plants.

·       Feed all foliage plants with a slow-release fertilizer where permitted.

·       Indoor plants accumulate dust like furniture; rise with water or a mild soapy solution.

·       Move light-starved plants outdoors to a shady location.

·       Enjoy orchids and bromeliads indoors when in bloom, then move then outside to the shade.

·       Divide clump-forming foliage plants like Spathiphyllum and Sansevieria.

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