Your Raised Beds Worked Hard All Season—Garden Pros Share 6 Ways to Help Them Recover Before Winter
The Spruce – Heather Zidack and other gardening professionals recommend their top tips to help your garden beds prepare for winter.
DIY
Feeling blue? How Blue Pigments Create Vibrant Hues in Plants
Blue is a color seldom seen in nature. Although the sky and bodies of water appear blue, very few animals and plants also exhibit this striking color. Anthocyanins, a type of pigment, are responsible for creating the red, purple, and blue hues found in plants. Anthocyanins are sensitive to environmental effects, such as acidity and the presence of metal ions. A primary example of this phenomenon is seen in the primary pigment Delphinidin, a type of anthocyanin. Delphinidin changes color in the presence of aluminum ions, which become more soluble/available in acidic environments. Bigleaf hydrangeas contain this pigment, infamously lining the neighborhoods of Connecticut in a range of pastel blues to deep fuchsia hues dependent on soil pH levels.
Other plants, such as the blue oil fern, can appear iridescent blue due to structural color. Since they are accustomed to the dim understory of the rainforest, these plants must take advantage of as much light as they can get. Many plants reflect green light the most, creating their characteristic green hue. Blue oil ferns have specialized chloroplasts on the surface of their leaves called iridoplasts, allowing the plant to capture more green light rather than reflect it. These iridoplasts create a shiny blue appearance despite no blue pigments being present. The arrangement of photosynthetic membranes in iridoplasts creates an optical nanostructure known as photonic crystals that slow down and concentrate light, ultimately allowing the plant to use available light more efficiently.
Many companies have taken the rarity of blue plants as a challenge, working to engineer a blue flower themselves. Roses, orchids, and chrysanthemums have been genetically modified in recent years to achieve this goal, but the results thus far have only yielded shades of purple. One project, the Phalaenopsis Blue Gene Orchid engineered in Japan, was recently deregulated in the United States and thus approved for sale (though not yet widely available). A Delphinidin gene was inserted from an Asiatic dayflower into a pink “Wedding Promenade” orchid. A white orchid flower, an apparent blank canvas, could not be used as a starting point because Delphinidin needs co-pigments to bind and stabilize the color—White Phalaenopsis lacks these important support molecules. The Blue Gene Orchid flowers in a deep purple-indigo, likely due to its intracellular pH and naturally occurring co-pigments that bind and alter coloration.
The easiest method, however, to acquire blue flowers may be available in your kitchen: food coloring. If you place cut flowers into a cup of water with blue food coloring (20-30 drops), the water will be sucked up through water transport tubes (xylem), giving your flowers a pleasant blue coloring. While artificial, it allows for unique customization and can be a great experiment to do with kids. White carnations and roses worked best when I attempted this for my second-grade science fair. Grocery stores selling blue flowers often use this trick via stem injection or may also paint blue coloring on the outside of the flower. While a standalone blue pigment doesn’t exist in plants, nature has found a way to create a beautiful rainbow for us to enjoy!
Gardening Season Isn’t Over Yet: 6 Fast-Growing Flowers You Can Still Grow Through the Start of Fall
Gardening Season Isn’t Over Yet: 6 Fast-Growing Flowers You Can Still Grow Through the Start of Fall
The Spruce – Heather Zidack joins other gardening professionals to recommend fall blooming annuals for extending your season of color.
Tips for Harvesting Herbs
With the Dog Days of summer behind us and Labor Day on the horizon, there’s still plenty of time to both enjoy your garden’s beauty and bounty as well as finish harvesting aromatic herbs for culinary use. Even a small pot or planting of basil, thyme, rosemary and the like can supply a fair amount of flavor to your favorite dishes.
Methods of harvesting vary from fresh use to frozen to dried depending on your preferences. Regardless of how you intend to prepare them, follow these few suggestions for harvesting. Start with clean hands, clean scissors or clippers and a clean container to place your herbs in. Make sure your scissors or clippers are sharp to make clean cuts.
Most herbs can be harvested throughout the summer. Annual herbs can be picked until they start looking ragged or get hit by the frost. Typically, late August through early September is the last time to clip perennial herbs as the tender new growth that is encouraged by harvesting could be damaged by the frost if plants are harvested too late in the season.
Also, as a general rule of thumb, herbs grown for their aromatic leaves are most pungent when harvested before flowering. This may leave some pollinator friendly gardeners with a dilemma as the flowers of many herb plants, like oregano and thyme, are especially attractive to pollinating bees and others. One way to deal with this if plants are of good size is to harvest half to two-thirds of the plants earlier in the season before they flower and later, cut the spent flowering stems back. Usually that gives you a second harvest about now.
Always harvest herbs in the morning, shortly after the dew dries but before the heat of day sets in. The essential oils are highest before the heat causes them to evaporate. When harvesting herbs for their flowers, like chamomile, borage and calendula, pick the blossoms just before fully opened. Seed heads of dill, fennel or coriander can be cut right into paper bags so as not to lose any seeds. Leave a few heads if you want these plants to self-seed. I had not had to purchase dill seeds for over 20 years in my old garden as they just reseeded themselves.
How much of a herb plant’s foliage can you remove? Anywhere from 30 to 70 percent depending on the plant. Quick growing plants such as oregano, mints, parsley and basil can generally have more of their foliage removed than slower growing potted rosemary and, in my yard, tarragon. Collect handfuls of leafy stems and bring inside to inspect before processing.
Plants can be rinsed if they have dust or dirt on them but if harvested after a rain or from a mulched bed, often they are clean enough not to need washing. Pick through them for any insects, damaged leaves or debris. If plants need to be rinsed, shake them and then spread them out on cloth or paper towels to dry. Generally, herbs that are not used fresh are either frozen or more typically dried.
Freezing herbs is quite easy. Simply chop them in small enough pieces to add to your water filled ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, the cubes can be popped out and stored in freezer bags or containers. Use for flavoring in soups, stews and other culinary dishes.
Herbs can be dried in little bundles, on screens, in a microwave, oven or dehydrator depending on your preferences. If you have a dry, airy, dimly lit area, you might want to make small bundles of herbs to hang upside down to dry. Seed heads, such as dill, can be bundled together and placed upside down in a paper bag. Punch a few holes in the bag, gather it at the top and hang to dry. Seeds will fall into the bottom of the bag. Leafy herbs could be spread out and placed on drying screens. Air drying works best when we have periods of low humidity.
Since this is often not the case in August, many opt to dry herbs in a microwave or dehydrator. Old gas stoves with an always on pilot light in the oven make ideal drying places. Except for the dill seeds which I bag, the microwave works best for me. Not only is it a quick way to dry herbs but they keep their nice green color. The key to successful microwave drying is to just dry small batches of herbs at one time and experiment with the timing. Herbs should be placed on a plate between 2 paper towels and then start your microwave from 30 to 60 seconds and see how that works. In between bursts, the herbs can be stirred and the bottom paper towel replaced if it gets too wet. Continue in short bursts until you come up with a good routine for your microwave. I have not used a dehydrator so if using, follow the directions that come with the unit.
Dried herbs are flavorful for at least one year. After drying, crumble them slightly and store in well-sealed glass or plastic jars. I repurpose ones that originally held herbs and spices. Take some time now to preserve some of summer’s best flavors. Come cooler days, you’ll be glad you did.
How to Keep Container Plants From Drying Out So Fast and Cut Back on Daily Watering, According to Pros
The Spruce – Heather Zidack discusses why container mixes dry out so fast and how to maintain healthy container gardens.
Managing Invasive Plants
Episode 166: Managing Invasive Plants
UConn 360– Lauren Kurtz discusses invasive plant management and the new Invasive Species Certificate Program.
Do Eggshells Actually Help Your Roses Grow? Here’s What a Gardener Says
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!
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.
Keeping Valentines Day Flowers Fresh
Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest holidays, next to Mother’s Day, in the floral industry. Whether you’re buying fresh cut flowers, or a potted plant for someone special, helping them keep those flowers looking their best can be part of the gift you give this year.
Start by selecting flowers that look healthy and vibrant. You want flowers with firm petals, with buds just starting to open or have just recently opened. Avoid flowers that are releasing pollen, are discolored, or have drooping foliage. Check the stems for rigidity and make sure that plant material is clean with no indications of mold or decay. When you purchase your flowers, many florists will give you packaging to help reduce their exposure to the extreme cold as you carry them to your car. This is an important step, so don’t skip it if you can! Avoiding large temperature fluctuations will keep your flowers fresh for longer.
When you get home with your flowers find a vase that is clean and free of debris. Always wash vases with warm, soapy water in between uses to prevent the transmission of bacteria and disease from one bouquet to the next. Add fresh, tepid water. Remove all plastic, rubber bands, and other packaging from your bouquet. Cut each flower stem at a 45-degree angle using hand pruners or snips. Using scissors, or knives that aren’t sharp may crush the vascular tissue and prevent the flowers from taking up water, leading to faster decline. Remove any leaves that would sit below the water line before placing stems into the vase.
If you have a bouquet of roses, take special care when you are preparing their stems. These flowers will live longer if you cut their stems under water, using the same 45-degree angle, and place them in your vase of water as quickly as possible. This extra step ensures that air bubbles don’t work their way into the vascular tissue and will keep your roses fresh for longer. When we see roses develop a “floppy neck,” this is most often the cause. While it is possible to revive your roses from this issue, it is best to try to avoid it altogether.
There are many anecdotes out there regarding additives to provide food and antimicrobial agents to the water to help your flowers last longer. Many of these anecdotes aren’t based in research. If your bouquet comes with a flower food packet, mix it as instructed and use it in your vase. However, if you don’t have one, don’t worry about adding anything. Instead, focus on ensuring that you are giving your flowers fresh, clean water.
Decay and microbial growth are two of the biggest reasons our cut flowers pass quickly. Many of the strategies mentioned above help to mitigate this concern, but it is important to keep a watchful eye. Besides washing your vase in between use, sanitize your flower snips or pruners in between uses as well and watch the water quality in your vase, replacing it every couple of days with fresh, cool, water. Always change the water if it appears murky or cloudy in the vase.
When changing your water, make a fresh cut 1-2 inches up the stem to ensure that the vascular system is staying open and clean of any debris or bacteria. If stems are starting to get mushy, cut high enough above the decay, or consider removing the stem entirely from the arrangement. Keep your flowers in a location that is bright but avoid direct sunlight, and keep them away from drafts, or entryways where large temperature fluctuations are likely. Lastly, know when to say goodbye and dispose of any flowers that are past bloom, or showing signs of decay. You may notice that you’ll need a smaller vase as you cut your stems shorter or remove flowers as they pass. A mason jar makes for a great display for those longest lasting flowers!
There’s no doubt that fresh flowers bring vibrancy and life into our homes during these blustery, winter months. Whether you’re buying a bouquet for yourself, or for someone special this Valentine’s day, keep a close eye on them and you’ll be sure to have long lasting blooms to enjoy!
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.
Best Practices for Soil Sample Collection: How You Sample Matters
Soil testing begins with the homeowner, gardener, and farmer. The most critical step in soil testing is soil sample collection. Soil testing can help growers make informed decisions about fertilizer application, soil amendments, and soil health. A standard nutrient analysis can chemically extract calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, aluminum, and boron from the soil. Other tests can also determine the pH and organic matter content of the soil. Poor sample collection can cause errors in the testing results, potentially leading to inaccurate nutrient recommendations and lowered crop productivity. Consistent and proper sampling procedures allow you to make future comparisons of the same sampling area. They also allow you to limit unnecessary nutrient applications that could lead to environmental contamination through the loss of nutrients. In addition, soil testing costs money and can influence the total cost of fertilizer and amendments needed for application. Following proper sample collection procedures can help you avoid unnecessary expenses.
The first step in collecting a soil sample is to determine an area in which the sample will be collected. You will want to select an area that has similar physical appearance, slope, drainage, limestone or fertilizer treatments, and intended plant usage. For example, if your front lawn has a steep slope compared to a flat side yard, you will want to collect a separate sample from both of those areas, rather than grouping them together as one sample.
The second step is to have a clean bucket and tool for collecting soil. This can be done more easily with a spade, auger, or probe. You will want to collect 10 or more random subsamples from across the selected area, that way the sample submission is representative. Flowers, vegetables, and small fruits soil samples should be collected to a depth of 6-8 inches. A depth of 6 inches is widely accepted since it represents the zone in which there is highest root density and nutrient uptake for many plant species. Soil samples collected for turf should be collected to a depth of 3-4 inches, since most turfgrass roots are concentrated in the top 4 inches of soil. Tree and shrub samples should be collected to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. These are the recommended sampling depths from the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory. It is also important to make sure that the sample is collected vertically, rather than at an angle. Sampling at an angle can affect the sampling depth and lead to inaccurate lab results.
Next, you will want to mix the subsamples together to break up the clumps while removing stones and debris. Once mixed, scoop out at least 1 cup of soil into a zipper lock bag and label the bag with a sample identification. Fill out the submission form with the same sample identification and label a crop code. Crop codes are key for making recommendations. Different crops have different needs. For example, blueberry plants prefer acidic soils that have a pH between 4.5 and 5.0 while turf prefers a pH between 6.0 and 7.2.
Soil samples can be collected at any time of the year, as long as the ground is not frozen, but should not be collected when the soil is very wet or within six to eight weeks of a fertilizer or lime application. Many samples are submitted in the spring to prepare for the growing season, but a fall soil sample submission can be very beneficial for soil pH and some fertility corrections. Limestone and sulfur can be added to the soil in the fall to allow plenty of time for the lime to neutralize soil acidity and bring pH to target levels by the spring. Sandy textured soils should be sampled every 2 to 3 years and clay soils should be sampled every 3 to 4 years. If a soil test reveals that a large correction in pH or fertility is necessary, it may be a good idea to have your soil tested again in 1 year to evaluate the correction. More information on soil testing services and soil sampling procedures can be found at the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory.
The UConn Home & Garden Education Center 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 cahnr.uconn.edu/extension/locations.