"Echoes of Eden" Dayle King Searle

         Every spring I see crocuses, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and a host of other spring blooming bulbs and think, "I want more of those in my yard. I'll have to plant some next fall." Then fall comes and goes, and I forget to get it done--until the next spring when I see more crocuses, daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths.         So if you're like me and love spring blooming bulbs but never seem to get them planted in the fall, consider this your reminder. IF YOU WANT THESE IN YOUR YARD NEXT SPRING, YOU HAVE TO PLANT THEM NOW!

           First let me make it perfectly clear that I love making dandelion chains as much as the next girl, and I've done my share of making a wish before blowing the fluff off a dandelion that has gone to seed. I find dandelions absolutely delightful in the right place. The right place just doesn't happen to be in my lawn.          We usually think about spraying for dandelions and other weeds  in spring, because that is when they bloom most heavily and so are most noticeable. However, efforts to kill weeds early in the season often only burn off the top of the weed leaving the root intact. In early autumn perennial plants, including perennial weeds, prepare for winter by carrying much of what they take in down to their roots. This means herbicides applied in early autumn are more likely to be carried to the roots. And if the roots die, the plant dies. So early autumn is a great time to spray for weeds in lawns and landscapes.        Spray on a day when there is no win

     Oh how we love perennials, those wonderful flowers that come back year after year after year. However, sometimes they become overgrown with the centers of the plant dying out, or their clumps become too large for the space we've allotted them, or we just plain want more of them. The answer to all of these is to divide the plant--take one large plant and make several smaller ones so we have even more of the plants we love!      Dividing plants is easy to do. First, dig up the plant.          Next, using a shovel or knife, cut the plant into chunks making sure to include a large section of the roots and the plant in each section. Shaking as much of the dirt as possible off the root ball can help you see where the roots are and aid in this step.          And here we see the results--multiple plants from one clump. These plants can now be planted separately.              The cooler days of late summer and early autumn are a great time to divide pla

          Joe Pye Weed ( Eupatorium purpureum)  is a dramatic plant with dark burgundy stems and large clusters of pink flowers. It is a native wildflower in the humid conditions of the eastern United States, where it can get out of hand. But here in the dry conditions of the west, it is better behaved and can easily be kept under control.         Joe Pye Weed is a herbaceous perennial that  dies completely to the ground in the cold winters of eastern Idaho. In the spring it comes back and grows steadily all summer until it reaches 5-6' tall (though smaller varieties are available.)  Because of this, it needs to be planted in a spot where its absence won't be missed early in the season, but where it has plenty of room to grow. It does well behind early blooming perennials or tucked into a corner of the garden.                 Bloom time for Joe Pye Weed is late summer/early autumn. The individual flowers on the plant are not impressive by themselves, but the

         Hydrangeas are a plant most people associate with the Pacific Northwest with its humid climate and acid soil, not southeast Idaho with its dry climate and alkaline soil. But there are some varieties of hydrangea that are adaptable enough to grow well here. The following are a few varieties I've had enough experience with to vouch for.   Endless Summer Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer')               I was skeptical when I first saw this hydrangea being sold in nurseries in this area. It is a Hydrangea macrophylla , a species of hydrangea that is not particularly adaptable. But happily time has proven me wrong. I have a neighbor who has been growing several of these bushes successfully for over five years. Bear in mind that the flowers on these bushes are blue in the nursery, but they will turn pink when growing in alkaline soil. With consistently repeated applications of soil acidifier it might be possible to keep the flowers blue, but

          So it’s that time of year again, sort of the gardening version of World War Z , only in this case the “Z” stands for zucchini not zombie. Even the most diligent gardener is going to have a day they forget to check their zucchini plant every fifteen minutes, and some of those zucchini are going to race right past the perfect eight inch long point and become squash monstrosities.         What do you do with those huge, overgrown zucchinis? I have recipes for zucchini bread, zucchini brownies, and even mock crushed pineapple made from ground up zucchini. But let’s face it, one, maybe two tops, giant zucchini provide enough ground up squash to make enough brownies, bread, and even fake pineapple to supply a small village. So what do you do with the rest of the crop?             I have the perfect solution--throw those zucchini onto the compost pile. When I make this suggestion to people, it is usually followed by looks of horror and the words “wasteful” and “guilty”

          Everywhere I drive these days I see bright bunches of black eyed Susan. These are wonderful perennial flowers to add late season color when most other perennials are done blooming and beginning to look a little bedraggled.          The plant most commonly identified as black eyed Susan is Rudbeckia flugida 'Goldstrum', but there are multiple species and varieties in the Rudbeckia genus with flowers ranging from 2 to 10 feet tall. Some are perennials, hardy even into zone 3. Others are annuals, but these usually seed freely enough that once they are established you can count on them coming back year after year. The one  thing these plants all have in common is the dark brown, almost black, center that gives the flowers their common name.           Rudbeckias are tough plants that tolerate a wide range of conditions and are fairly drought tolerant. They prefer full sun and well drained soil, but can take light shade, especially in areas like southeast Idaho whe