Do Eggshells Actually Help Your Roses Grow? Here’s What a Gardener Says
The Spruce – Heather Zidack discusses how Egg Shells are best used in the garden, and things to consider before adding them!
Author: Zidack, Heather
Chaos Gardening
Chaos gardening is a growing social media trend that encourages gardeners to relinquish control, scatter assorted seeds, step back, and see what happens. Instead of carefully spacing plants and planning layouts, chaos gardeners toss seeds and let nature decide what grows where. The results can vary widely, ranging from a surprising assortment of plants to a patch of disappointment.
Unlike traditional gardening, this approach emphasizes spontaneity over structure. For many, the appeal lies in its simplicity. Chaos gardening is easy to start, requires minimal knowledge, and often relies on leftover or inexpensive seed packets. The low-stakes, experimental nature makes it especially attractive to busy people or those new to gardening.
Still, the trend raises valid questions. Without site preparation or ongoing care, how well can seeds establish? And does “letting go” invite weeds into the garden under the guise of wildscaping?
In practice, chaos gardening often produces mixed results. While the concept is appealingly simple, success rates can be low, and plantings may struggle to persist long term. Still, gardeners interested in the trend can improve their chances of success by following a few simple suggestions.
Avoid using this approach in large or prominent spaces. Start small, either in a container or a less visible area of the yard. To maintain a sense of experimentation, while increasing success, consider focusing on a single species at a time or scattering spring bulbs through an existing lawn. Tossing out a packet of “wildflower” seeds may sound charming, but it will not produce an instant, picture-perfect meadow. More often, it results in a steadfast patch of mugwort.
Even with a relaxed approach, a bit of planning goes a long way. Key factors such as sunlight and soil conditions still matter. The principle of “right plant, right place” applies regardless of gardening style. Identifying site conditions, selecting appropriate species, and preparing the planting bed can significantly improve outcomes.
Gardeners should also approach seed mixes labeled “wildflower,” “pollinator-friendly,” or “native” with some caution. While not inherently problematic, these mixes can contain species that are poorly suited to local conditions. A quick review of the species on the list can help inform decisions about whether the plants are suited to the region or growing conditions.
Learning how to recognize seedlings, including common weeds and invasive plants, is another important step. Early identification allows gardeners to remove undesirable species before they establish. Observing which plants succeed can also guide future efforts, gradually transforming a disorderly patch into a more reliable and productive space.
Patience is essential. Many perennials grown from seed take more than one season to flower. Including a mix of annuals and perennials can help maintain visual interest while longer-lived plants establish. As with any gardening method, some trial and error is expected.
Chaos gardening may never replace traditional approaches, but it offers an accessible entry point for beginners and a creative outlet for experienced growers. With a balance of spontaneity and informed decision-making, even an unstructured planting can become a living experiment.
The UConn Home Garden Education Office supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension Center at extension.uconn.edu/locations.
What to Know Before You Buy Topsoil
These are damaging plants to avoid in CT gardens. They can kill native plant species and take over.
These are damaging plants to avoid in CT gardens. They can kill native plant species and take over.
The Hartford Courant – Dr. Lauren Kurtz discusses how native plants attract birds and pollinators, while invasive species harm ecosystems and what residents can do in their own gardens.
Solitary Wasps Found in the Landscape and Garden
Solitary wasps are primarily hunting wasps which are either digger wasps or thread-waisted wasps. Most are seldom aggressive toward people because they are not defending a social colony. Instead, females are busy hunting other insects or arthropods to stock cells for a single larva to feed upon as they develop. Many solitary wasps dig nesting chambers in sandy soils, like the cicada killer and the great golden digger wasps. Others may use hollow pipes, tubes, window ledges or even sliding door tracks (a favorite site for the grass-carrying wasp).
Many of these wasps are also considered decent pollinators. They are active from June through late summer. The adult wasps die during the year and larvae generally pupate and emerge the following year. Females hunt specific prey such as caterpillars, katydids, cicadas and other insects which they paralyze and stock the nesting chamber with. An egg is laid on or near these future meals, and the larva will feed on them as it develops.
The great golden digger wasp, Sphex icheneumoneus, is a large wasp that sports golden hairs on the head and thorax and has a distinctive half orange half black abdomen. It is harmless to people and is often found on flowers in or near sandy soils where it digs nests for larvae in the ground. Main prey for larvae is katydids.
The Eastern Cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus, is one of the largest wasps in North America. It has amber wings and females are most evident in late July and early August as they burrow into sandy soils, leaving behind a squared off entrance and a sandy mound. Deep inside underground, the females have dragged paralyzed cicadas upon which they lay an egg. The larva will hatch and eat the paralyzed cicada. Next summer, after having pupated underground, the adults emerge. The females rarely sting but do alarm many homeowners due to their size and activity in lawns and along sidewalks.
Grass carrying wasps Isodontia spp. create cells from grasses collected by the female. Each cell is stocked with paralyzed tree crickets, katydids and other orthoptera insects. Often packed together, these nesting cells can be found on windowsills, on bases of slider doors and on upper window ledges. Larvae overwinter in these cells and emerge as adults the following year or later that same year if there are two generations.
The oak apple gall wasp Amphibolips spp female lays an egg inside the tissue of an oak leaf inside which the larvae will hatch. The apple-like gall forms as a response to secretions from the larvae as it feeds on the leaf tissue safely inside. The gall turns brown after the adult wasp emerges. No damage is done to the oak. Cutting open the gall when green will reveal the wasp larva in the center.
Potter Wasp, Eumenes fraternus, females construct a small, rounded clay structure with a neck-like protuberance with a flattened top that makes it look like a tiny pot. After laying a single egg inside the female puts some paralyzed caterpillars and beetle larvae which the larva will eat. She seals the small opening with mud, which will be chewed open when the adult emerges next year. These tiny pots can be found on plants, rocks, pieces of wood and other places.
Solitary wasps pose little risk to us as they go about completing their life’s work. Defending nests is not a behavior such as is done by social wasps and hornets. Females will sting if handled or alarmed though, so avoid doing that. If digger wasps make you nervous, consider amending sandy soil with organic matter and keeping it moist when females are looking to excavate nesting chambers. Try to tolerate them for the short period of time they are active. Almost all can be found obtaining nectar from flowers in the wild and in cultivated landscapes.
The UConn Home Garden Education Office supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension Center at extension.uconn.edu/locations.
A Familiar Bloom in a Season of Change
Spring is the ultimate bringer of change. The restless souls contained within all forms of life begin to awaken, bringing fiery hues back to the formerly dreary expanse of winter landscapes. We meet this shift with a warm welcome, grateful for a chance to start anew. Innately, we crave change, constantly striving towards something greater that will fill a part of ourselves we feel is missing. Also, innately, we are walking juxtapositions. Above our desire for change floats an asterisk, denoting an extraneous condition—our deep fear of the very thing which we wish so desperately for. New experiences bring about uncertainty and inconsistency. Thus, we cling to that which we find familiar and trustworthy to ground us while careening through the unknown.
For me, ol’ reliable is the lilac shrub in my backyard. Season after season, I look out my window and am reassured by its presence, whether it is flush with vibrant blooms or displaying its tall barren branches. The leaf and flower buds of common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) are among the first whispers of spring I observe, appearing early in the season.
Members of the olive family, Oleaceae, lilacs are well suited to life in cold climates—in fact, the chill of winter is essential to their bud development and maturation. Although new plantings take a few years to adjust and establish themselves, these perennial shrubs are equipped with substantial longevity. Common lilacs can live for up to a century, cementing their place as a companion to rely on during every phase of our lives.
Common lilacs grow rapidly and immodestly, filling their landscape with a dominating sense of confidence. Success is dependent on being planted in sunny locations with moist, well-drained, and neutral to slightly alkaline pH soils.
The lilac’s blooms are dichotomous, both quietly delicate and also boisterous with a showstopping flair. Flowers emerge between late April and early May. A strong, sweet fragrance diffuses from the quaint petals which cluster together in formations called panicles. Lilac blooms appear in a variety of hues, ranging from lavender to blush pink or even a creamy white.
Even after the flowers of lilacs retire, matte heart-shaped leaves remain until the fall, painting the tall shrubs with dark green. During the dormancy of winter, gray stems and branches are visible, standing tall and proud even when cold weather casts its icy shadow over the once vibrant landscape.
Lilacs are relatively self-sufficient yet require some care and attention to maintain their vigor. Susceptible to fungal diseases like powdery mildew and septoria/pseudocercospora leaf spot, it is important to ensure proper airflow throughout plantings to discourage sporulation. Powdery mildew is characterized by gray mycelial growth on leaf surfaces, while septoria/pseudocercospora leaf spot appears as brown spots that expand into broad patches. Insect pests, namely the lilac borer and oystershell scale, also impose their will on lilacs. Borers tunnel and weave through branches, leaving holes and open wounds as evidence of their travels. Oystershell scale refers to small insects, resembling their namesake in appearance, that take refuge on lilac bark. These pests and diseases can commonly be managed through removal and destruction of damaged tissue. In severe cases, additional integrated pest management strategies may be necessary.
Consistent pruning practices are essential for lilacs to remain healthy throughout every season of change. Lilacs are beings of extreme preparation, developing next year’s buds as soon as the current flowering period is complete. By deadheading blooms promptly after they have run their course, lilacs are able to dedicate more energy to generating healthy flowers for future growing seasons. Renewal pruning is another beneficial technique—cutting back overgrown stems to remove barriers preventing light from reaching inner branches. This encourages new growth and results in lilacs which appear fuller, bursting with color from the inside out. Spring is the most appropriate time to employ these pruning tactics in accordance with lilac’s growing needs. Prune immediately after flowers start to fade for best results.
Lilacs are a cornerstone of spring, providing a familiar and reassuring sight to ground us when our own lives become unrecognizable. Lilacs and the endless wonders of spring gently remove the asterisk from our desire for change, reminding us to take solace in the familiar while welcoming all that the unknown may bring.
The UConn Home Garden Education Office supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension Center at extension.uconn.edu/locations.
Putting Plants Outside, Lilacs, Butterflies & Other May News
Interesting Insects: Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies
Tiger swallowtail butterflies can be seen by late April when crabapples and native little bluets (Houstonia caerulea) are flowering. They visit both flowers for much needed nectar. Bluets often form large stands on lawns and woodland edges where there is a good amount of sun. Tiger swallowtails use small black cherry and tulip trees as caterpillar host plants. They breed as early as May.
Spring is For Lilacs
To maintain the striking beauty of your lilacs for many years to come, practice regular pruning techniques. As a spring-blooming shrub, lilacs develop new buds for the next season following the current year’s flowering period is complete.
For this reason, prune immediately after bloom (often in May) to avoid removing next year’s flowers. Deadhead by pruning spent blooms promptly to promote strong flowering next year. Late spring is also the ideal time to practice renewal pruning. Cut back old growth (tall and overgrown stems) at the base, allowing light to reach previously shaded areas.
Over the course of a few seasons utilizing this technique, lilacs will appear fuller and vigorous with new shoots and flowers blooming on lower areas. Lilacs can be shaped according to your preferences by pruning during this time as well.
The tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera, commonly known as yellow poplar or tulip poplar, is a fast-growing, deciduous native of eastern North America that belongs to the Magnolia family.
It has attractive green, yellow, and orange flowers in May that resemble tulips. It is one of the largest North American native trees and sometimes reaches over 200 feet in height. Its leaves are distinctive, forming a broad, flat apex that ends at right angles to the midvein.
The CT Native Plant Availability List: Updated and even MORE user-friendly!
This native plant guide was created to assist municipalities, conservation organizations, homeowners, landscape architects, designers, and contractors with locating native plants for habitat restoration and wildlife enhancement.
The Connecticut Native Plant Availability List, by UConn Extension and CT DEEP Wildlife Division, identifies nurseries and garden centers that grow/sell native trees, shrubs, and perennials. Along with several nurseries that are new to the list, we have also added the ability for users to view the Availability List sorted by Nursery!
Keep Your Seedlings Going Strong!
So, you started your seeds, have been watching them attentively, and spring is knocking at the door. It’s still a little too early to put some things outside, but overzealous gardeners may find themselves swimming in seedlings that need management. Consider taking these steps to help you and your seedlings find a comfortable compromise as they wait to go outdoors.
If you haven’t done so already, thinning your seedlings is an important step in ensuring that the plants you put in the ground will be robust and strong. As a fellow gardener, I’m familiar with the pain of disposing of “perfectly good seedlings.” However, this isn’t an entirely true belief. Seedlings that are not thriving in optimum conditions, may be indicating to you that they aren’t strong for planting in the garden.
Thinning prevents crowding and allows for more air flow between seedlings. When crowded, seedlings compete for water, nutrition, light, and space. By thinning, we ensure that plants have enough resources to grow healthy. Thinning also helps to encourage airflow, which can reduce the risk of fungal development. Fungal pathogens can lead to issues like “damping off,” and other plant diseases that put your seedlings at risk.
You may decide to thin your plants by snipping out weaker seedlings at the base. If you have the heart, the patience and the amount of valuable bench space to dedicate to extra seedling trays or containers, you may decide to carefully tease apart seedlings and replant them for one last chance.
Your strongest seedlings should be potted up into a larger container to encourage them to continue to grow. Putting seedlings into 3- or 4-inch pots (or recycled plastic cups with holes in the bottom) gives them a little bit extra wiggle room while we wait out these temperature fluctuations of a New England spring. Extra space for the root zone will allow the plants to continue to expand. More roots mean more water and nutrient uptake, leading to healthy growth. This practice may also help reduce watering needs on your part, since there is more media to hold moisture in the root zone.
Are your tomato seedlings getting leggy? You can bury the stems of the tomato seedlings to help promote adventitious root development. Remove the cotyledons and any small leaves that you intend to bury below the soil line. Make sure to leave at least one third of the plant’s total height above the soil line to continue healthy growth.
To this point, our seedlings have grown in optimum conditions, or as close to optimum as we’ve been able to provide. Not only have these conditions been ideal, they’ve also been consistent. When your plants get out to the garden, the new environment may be shocking. Hardening off is a process of transitioning them from their ideal growing conditions, into a more realistic environment. Any plant, whether it is a new seedling, a beloved houseplant, or a sheltered patio tropical, needs this transition when moving from inside to outside.
Take your plants on “field trips” during warm spring days by placing them outside in a location with bright, indirect light. Full sun may be too strong for seedlings that have been acclimating with grow lights or through sunny windows so introduce direct light incrementally.
Using cold frames can help to transition your plants from indoors to outdoors. These small, unheated enclosures use the sun’s energy to store heat like a greenhouse. This helps to reduce the drastic temperature swing of nightfall and insulate plants from frosts during the temperamental spring season. Crack them open during warm days for ventilation and to help start reducing humidity.
When conditions are right for hardening off and planting your seedlings, continue to monitor weather conditions. Late spring in New England has been known to throw us a cold snap or two. If frost/freeze warnings occur, bring in potted plants and use a frost cover or breathable fabric to cover in-ground plants as frost protection. Garden stakes will help keep fabric from directly touching your plants and help create a warm air pocket around them to survive those incidental cold nights.
Spring in New England is a season of transition. Warm days may signal planting time, but cool nights and shifting conditions remind us to move forward carefully. By thinning crowded seedlings, giving roots room to grow, and easing plants gradually into outdoor conditions, gardeners can help reduce stress and build resilience. A little patience and flexibility now can pay off with healthier transplants, stronger growth, and a more successful garden as the season continues to unfold.
The UConn Home Garden Education Office supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension Center at extension.uconn.edu/locations.
Starting Raised Beds
There are many styles of raised beds to choose from, depending on your needs. Raised beds exist on a spectrum, ranging from framed boxes above ground to unframed, elevated planting mounds. When planning new raised beds, both types have specific considerations to keep in mind.
Mounded Raised Beds
Mounded raised beds are created by mounding existing soil or adding additional material so the planting area sits above ground level. This method works well on compacted sites, in poorly drained areas, or on top of heavy clay soils.
Most mounded raised beds do not have a barrier between the ground and the mound. However, if you are wish to start a raised bed over lawn, cardboard can be placed underneath the mounded soil to smother the grass. If you use cardboard, it is best to allow it to decompose for a few months before planting. This will allow plant roots to grow freely into the soil below rather than being blocked by the cardboard layer.
The bed can be built using soil already on site, by mounding soil from the paths or edges into the bed. Alternatively, you can bring in topsoil and compost to create the beds. Any imported soil or compost should be free of pathogens, contaminants, and invasive weeds. Mounded raised beds are not tilled, and walking on the mound will compact the soil, so foot traffic should be avoided. These beds may need to be reshaped or re-mounded annually. Soil tests can be taken every two to three years, then apply amendments added as needed.
Framed Raised Beds
Framed raised beds offer many of the same benefits as mounded beds, along with additional structure and accessibility. A framed raised bed is more contained than an in-ground bed and can be made of wood, metal, or pavers. These beds are well suited for compacted or poorly drained sites, locations with contaminated soil, or in gardens designed to improve accessibility for people with limited mobility.
Raised bed depth can vary depending on the intended use. Some beds are only a few inches deep, while others may be up to 2 feet. Gardeners who use wheelchairs or who have difficulty bending may want to consider an elevated or deeper bed. Most annual vegetables require 12 to 18 inches of soil depth, root vegetables will require greater depth. Length and width can also vary based on site conditions, but a width of about an arm’s length is generally recommended for easy planting, harvesting, and weeding.
Prefabricated wood or metal beds can be purchased, or you can build your own using lumber. Cedar is often preferred over pine because it lasts longer, although it is more expensive. Use caution when considering repurposed or pressure-treated wood. Before 2004, pressure-treated lumber was treated with copper, chromium, and arsenic, which could leach into the soil. If pressure-treated wood is used, make sure it is labeled for ground contact. Whenever possible, choose untreated or naturally rot-resistant materials.
A good soil mix for framed raised beds is about one-half to two-thirds topsoil and one-third to one-half aged compost. This can require a large amount of material and may be costly depending on the size of the bed. Buying bulk topsoil by the cubic yard is usually less expensive than purchasing bags of raised bed mix. For smaller beds, bagged raised bed mix may be more practical. Avoid using free fill or topsoil from unfamiliar sources, as these may contain contaminants, invasive weeds, or invasive jumping worms.
To save money on filling a raised bed, some gardeners use hügelkultur, a method that fills the lower portion of the bed with logs, sticks, leaves, grass clippings, or kitchen scraps before adding topsoil and compost on top. Larger materials are placed in the bottom then followed by smaller organic materials overtop. Over time, the bulky material breaks down and enriches the soil. Because the material settles as it decomposes, additional topsoil and compost may need to be added annually.
Plant Choice
Annual plants are generally better suited to raised beds than perennials or shrubs. Extreme temperature fluctuations in raised beds are not ideal for overwintering perennials, and the need to periodically add more soil makes raised beds better suited to annual crops.
Care and Maintenance of Raised Beds
Both mounded and framed raised beds dry out faster than in-ground gardens, so supplemental irrigation is usually needed throughout the growing season. Weed pressure may be minimal, but regular weeding will still be necessary. Raised beds should be mulched to help retain moisture and reduce weeds.
The paths between raised beds can be planted in turf, covered with wood chips, topped with crushed gravel, or left as bare ground. Keep in mind that paths between mounded beds may need to be mowed or weeded regularly. They will also likely become compacted over time due to foot traffic.
The UConn Home Garden Education Office supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension Center at extension.uconn.edu/locations.
Look Before You Leap Before Buying Fruit Trees
Garden centers and other retail stores have fruit trees for sale now, and in some instances, the price is too good to pass up. But before you run out and buy fruit trees, there are some things you need to consider before purchasing. First and foremost, consider whether you will need more than one tree, or variety of tree, to ensure good cross-pollination.
Peaches, tart cherry, and apricots are self-fruitful and do not need another variety in order to pollinate well. A single tree will produce fruit if all environmental conditions are adequate. But most sweet cherries and pears will not produce much fruit unless the proper cross-pollinator variety is nearby. For example, if you want Bartlett pears, then you will also need another pear variety- d’Anjou, Bosc, or Comice- to ensure proper pollination and good fruit yield.
Providing a cross-pollinator with apples is especially tricky. They are self-unfruitful and require another variety of apple whose flowering period overlaps with it to ensure optimum pollination of the flowers. Pollinator requirements are often not well- understood by novice gardeners who are planning to grow apples for the first time. Many people make the mistake of only buying the apple trees they want for fruit, such as MacIntosh, and they do not realize they will need one more variety of the correct cross-pollinator to get fruit of an acceptable amount.
Apples belong to one of three groups- early, mid, and late-season -blooming. So early and mid-season blooming varieties will provide adequate cross-pollination and fruit set with each other, while mid and late-season varieties will do the same. A late blooming variety then will not provide cross-pollination with an early blooming variety. Conversely, an early blooming variety will not help a late- blooming variety cross-pollinate. The mid-season flowering varieties can be effective cross-pollinators of both the early and late-season varieties.
Note: if there are flowering crabapples nearby that flower at the same time as the apple variety you have, then cross-pollination can be sufficient. Crabapple flowers attract diverse bees and other pollinators. If you already have an ornamental crabapple that flowers when your apple tree does, that will likely be sufficient to ensure good pollination of your apple tree. Apple varieties like Jonathan, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Gal and several are listed a self-fruitful, but they will set more fruit if cross-pollinated.
To simplify a gardener’s efforts to get the best cross-pollinators for their fruit trees, there are charts available that can be printed and brought to the garden center or nursery that will help in fruit tree selection. If you find a fruit tree variety you really like, do a little research before buying it see whether another variety will be needed for cross-pollination or not. For a good fact sheet that explains the ins and outs of fruit tree pollination there is valuable information on the following link:
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6001
I hope we have a great fruit growing year here in Connecticut. May the pollinators and good weather be with us.
The UConn Home Garden Education Office supports UConn Extension’s mission by providing answers you can trust with research-based information and resources. For gardening questions, contact us toll-free at (877) 486-6271, visit our website at homegarden.cahnr.uconn.edu, or reach out to your local UConn Extension Center at extension.uconn.edu/locations.