I’ve spent many of my Bonus Bucks on Hostas from The Farm over the years – and right now I’m watching over them, since they’re having a little bit of trouble. The deer can eat them like candy if I’m not careful, and if I miss a scheduled spray of Deer Off or Scram, my hostas can get eaten to the ground. So I actually have a reminder alarm on my computer to get out there and give them a spritz of deer and pest repellant.

We’ve had a few groupings munched down to the stalks, and I’ve just learned that rabbits like to eat younger sprouts of hostas, so sometimes those nibbles are bunnies, not bucks.

If you have lots of different kinds of hostas like we do, you may notice that the deer prefer some cultivars of the plants more than others. Plant breeders have come out with hundreds of different types of hostas, from green and blue-tinged varieties to large, metallic-tinged plants.

Hostas are the most popular shade perennials, because they get better with age. Over the course of our four years in our Morristown home, we’ve divided our hostas a few times, getting great container and ground plant color and texture in our gardens. They love the low light, the shade, and we have some container hostas doing great in partial sun. When they’re in too-bright sun, their color seems to bleach out a bit.

But we’ve noticed a little something that you should look out for in your own hosta plantings, and mention to anyone you give a hosta plant to as a gift:

Slugs love hostas, too. You may see a slug or snail trail of silvery slime running through your hosta plantings, evidence that these nocturnal pests are munching small holes in your leaves. Slugs can turn your garden into their own buffet, so look at organic pest treatments specially formulated to eliminate your slug or snail issues. Some gardeners still use their grandparents’ favorite slug solution: beer traps. You just fill these little saucer-shaped traps with a bit of beer, the slugs get attracted to the beer, fall in and meet their brewed-up end. [Of course, this solution isn’t smart if you have pets or children in your yard…the organic pest treatment may be preferable.]

If you see irregular notches of chewed-up portions on your hosta leaves, the pest may be black vine weevil, whose larvae feed on the roots of hosta plants, causing yellow, wilted leaves. Organic pest solutions can remove this threat to your hostas.

And if you see evidence of nematodes (microscopic roundworms) on your hostas, which would be brown stripes on the leaves, those plants may need to be pulled up and destroyed (not composted.) To prevent this issue, don’t plant hostas too closely, since wet foliage encourages nematode presence. Several other infestation types are caused by too-close plantings and too-wet foliage and stalks, so spread out your plants well to give them airy room to grow without attracting pest infestations.

Some other hosta tips:

• When planting, don’t place individual clumps too close together
• Give them time. It can take three years for some hosta types to reach their largest, fullest size
• Pull mulch away from the crowns of your hosta plantings, to keep the moisture levels controlled and deter pests as well as root rot and other plant-destroying conditions.

Sharon Naylor is the author of over 35 books on family celebrations, including weddings, bridal showers, vow renewals, and more. She is beyond thrilled to be the new guest blogger for The Farm, and she will be posting inspirations and tips for your parties, get-togethers and big family moments throughout the year. Visit her website www.sharonnaylor.net for more on her books and articles.

You might not know that you can try out climbing vines in your garden plantings and landscaping before committing to climbers that will become an everlasting look in your plantings. I love the look of climbing vines trained up and over trellises, giving that English garden look, and if you have rock walls or fences, climbers can paint those blank canvases with natural greenery and color.

Here are some of the top annual climbing vines to plant now, and since they grow quickly, you’ll soon have lush greenery and flower-filled effects on many of your vertical garden elements:

Balloon Vine: requires plenty of sun, and grows quickly, producing tons of tiny white flowers.

Black-Eyed Susan: Normally considered a ground flower, there is a vining variety that also works as a ground cover. This flower isn’t known for growing up trellises well, but it’s a popular draper that grows in hanging baskets, cascading downward for visual interest.

Cardinal Climber: Will often grow up to 20 feet in a single season, blooming bright red flowers all summer long.

Climbing Snapdragon: Climbs up trellises and also cascades from hanging baskets or window boxes. Blooms in late spring through the summer, producing colorful snapdragon flowers.

Dutchman’s Pipe: Native to our region, this climber can grow to over 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide in a single season, which means it requires plenty of space of its own, so that it doesn’t crowd out other nearby flowers. Dutchman’s Pipe doesn’t produce showy flowers but it may produce mahogany and cream blooms and grows easily even in the shade.

Hyacinth Bean: The climbing variety of this plant is a fast-grower, often reaching 30-40 feet in a single season. This plant comes in many varieties and is a top choice for scaling trellises and fences. In summertime, you’ll get lots of white or purple flowers.

Moonflower: Interestingly, moonflower prefers less than perfect soil conditions and will not produce blooms in fertile soil. It produces large, white flowers that bloom during the night hours, and is a great grower.

Morning Glory: Owing to its name, the morning glory flowers greatly during the morning hours, and is available in varieties that bloom in different colors. It prefers a sunny location and does well in almost any type of soil.

Nasturtium: A preferred plant for growing and covering a trellis, arbor or pergola, since it thrives with very little care. It doesn’t require a lot of sunlight or moisture and will grow even in poor soil conditions. Blooms with colorful and fragrant flowers in summer.

Sweet Peas: Sweet peas are a popular climber, coming in many different varieties. In one season, it will grow to approximately 6 feet tall, providing colorful blooms all through the summer. It prefers cooler temperatures and lots of moisture.

Once you see how your annual climbing vines perform on your property, with your soil and light conditions and your hand at positioning, you might decide to plant perennial climbing vines for your garden’s lasting beauty.

Sharon Naylor is the author of over 35 books on family celebrations, including weddings, bridal showers, vow renewals, and more. She is beyond thrilled to be the new guest blogger for The Farm, and she will be posting inspirations and tips for your parties, get-togethers and big family moments throughout the year. Visit her website www.sharonnaylor.net for more on her books and articles.

If my last post piqued your interest in giving bamboo as gifts, or having someone give you bamboo to bring luck, health, wealth and happiness into your home, here are tips for caring for your bamboo plant.

Light: Avoid too much sunlight. Lucky bamboo grows naturally under the canopy of wet tropical rain forests, so it needs very little sunlight to thrive. In general, the more indirect the light, the better. If you see browning on the tips of the leaves, the plant’s location may be in too much sunlight.

Water: Keep your bamboo plant moist at all times. The plant prefers a few inches of fresh, filtered water, especially when planted in a vase filled with small rocks. If you notice yellowing of your leaves, your natural tap water supply might have too much chlorine or salt. You may need to buy fresh spring water for this plant and others in your home. You can grow bamboo in soil, provided you keep the soil quite moist.

Feeding: Most bamboo will grow well in simple water, but since water doesn’t contain the nutrients that bamboo enjoys in its natural environment, ask our staff which plant foods work best with bamboo plants.

Avoiding pests: Bamboo is a plant inside your home, and pests might see it as the perfect home. So talk with our staff about your potential needs for organic pest treatments to remedy your bamboo’s unwelcome visitors.

Sharon Naylor is the author of over 35 books on family celebrations, including weddings, bridal showers, vow renewals, and more. She is beyond thrilled to be the new guest blogger for The Farm, and she will be posting inspirations and tips for your parties, get-togethers and big family moments throughout the year. Visit her website www.sharonnaylor.net for more on her books and articles.

With the days getting longer, gardeners are busy planning for springtime, thinking about what new plants, flowers, trees and shrubs they’re going to put in their garden or yard. If you’re among them, here are five gardening trends you might want to keep in mind as you get ready for planting season. The first is a move to native plants, and a reduced emphasis on exotic species. One of the big plusses for gardeners: native plants are easier to care for – they thrive in their native habitats, so you can spend less time and money cultivating them. Read more…