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Microclimate Design for Cold Weather

It can be disheartening when cold weather prevents you from enjoying your outdoor spaces. Creating a microclimate allows you to utilize your landscape well into fall and winter. Here are some tips for creating a warm and cozy microclimate.

If you love spending time outside, it can be a bit disheartening to find you have reached the time of year when it is too cold to enjoy your outdoor living spaces. If only there was a way that you could make those spaces a bit more comfortable even when the temperature drops.

Fortunately, microclimate design gives you the chance to do that. Read on to learn a few microclimate design tactics that will help make your landscape spaces more livable in late fall.

What is a Microclimate?

A microclimate is nothing more than a small area with a climate that is different than that of the areas surrounding it. In other words, a microclimate is a space that is noticeably colder or hotter than the rest of the landscape in which it exists.

Many microclimates arise naturally. You can observe a prime example of this in early spring when the winter snow is melting. You’ll notice that piles of snow that sit in shaded areas take a lot longer to melt than those in the sun.

That is just one example of a microclimate that occurs without human intervention. But what is more intriguing is that designers have some specific approaches they use to manipulate and create microclimates of their own. Often, the goal of these microclimate designers is to use shade and wind protection to maximize the pleasantness of their spaces. With just a slight understanding of how that process works, you can do the same for your yard.

Designing a Cold Weather Microclimate

Designing a microclimate is easier than you might expect. If you want to learn how to make one, use the sections below to learn some of the basics of microclimate design.

Determine a Distinct Area for Your Microclimate

Begin by selecting a distinct area where you would like to make a microclimate. There are a few criteria you should keep in mind during this stage.

The first is the size of your microclimate. Choosing a relatively small area is often the best approach. As you might expect, altering climatic conditions becomes more difficult when attempting to impact a broad area.

You should also plan your microclimate in an area that you love to use often. After all, the main purpose of a microclimate design is to make your favorite outdoor living spaces more usable for more parts of the year. With that in mind, don’t bother making microclimates in areas of low use. Instead, focus your microclimate design on gathering spaces such as:

Location is also critical when making a microclimate. Since microclimate design depends on environmental factors beyond your control, such as wind and sunlight, you should study the conditions of your yard thoroughly before you locate your microclimate.

Once you have your location set, you are ready to begin addressing the wind and sun in that area to create the ideal microclimate.

Block Cold Winter Winds

Late fall and early winter come with cold air temperatures. What makes those temperatures feel even colder is the presence of strong winter winds. One of the first priorities for anyone trying to make a cold-weather microclimate should be to block as much of the winter wind as possible. Here are some of the best design elements you can use to do that:

Each of those elements will be effective for blocking wind. But the degree of their effectiveness relies on their placement.

Where you place your windscreen relates to where you live in the world, as different regions experience different wind patterns. But broadly speaking, those living in North America will feel most winter winds coming from the north and the west. In response, you should locate your windscreen along the north and west edges of your microclimate space. This will minimize the wind chill that you feel while you are in that space.

Let as Much Sunlight in as Possible

Blocking the winter wind is an excellent way to stop your microclimate from becoming extremely cold, but there is another climactic factor you should also address. Allowing the most amount of sunlight into your microclimate is one of the best ways to keep it warm, even late in the season.

Again, the direction of the sun’s rays will be different depending on where you live in the world. But if you are in the northern hemisphere, you can count on the sun to cast its rays from the south. This means that your microclimate should be open to the south to capture as much sunlight as possible.

Don’t place any trees or structures to the south of your microclimate as they could cast an unwanted shadow on the space. Sunlight is the main influence over how warm your microclimate will be. You may be surprised to find how warm a sun-soaked space can be even when the weather is cold.

Advantages and Limitations of Microclimate Design

Designing a microclimate is both challenging and highly rewarding. If you create one successfully, you will enjoy the ability to spend time outdoors in seasons when you would otherwise hunker down indoors. This opens the possibility of inviting friends and family over to spend time in your garden, even in the late fall months.

However, while microclimates can be highly effective, they do have some limits. No matter how careful you are during your design phase, there will still be some days when it is simply too cold to be outdoors, regardless of how well-designed your microclimate is.

Still, with proper planning and implementation, you can make a microclimate in your yard that lets you spend a few extra weeks in your favorite outdoor spaces. Just use the guidance in this article, and you may be shocked to feel how warm and comfy your landscape can be late in the season.

The Basics of Healthy Garden Soil

Keeping your soil healthy can be a challenge but reaps many rewards. This article will teach you the basics of soil health as well as how to improve your soil for healthy and thriving plants.

Your garden plants are only as good as the soil they grow in. If you want a good harvest or beautiful blooms that last through the season, then you need to give them a nourishing place to grow by developing healthy garden soil.

Many factors go into creating healthy soil, and putting in the effort will pay off in a big way all growing season. Here’s what you need to know about the basics of garden soil.

Soil Health 101

Far from just dirt, garden soil is alive and complex. It contains a mix of minerals, water, air, organic matter, and plenty of microorganisms. Achieving the right balance between these components is the key to developing healthy garden soil.

Organic Material

Like all living things, garden soil needs to be fed regularly. Failing to add nutrients back into the ground after growing plants in it will cause the soil to become deficient, leading to lackluster plant growth.

You can support soil health with regular doses of organic matter, such as shredded leaves, aged compost, animal manure, and grass clippings.

Soil Microorganisms

Microscopic life plays a massive role in the health of garden soil. Soil microbes improve soil structure, break down nutrients into forms that plants can access, and help plant roots better absorb water and nutrients.

It’s best to boost soil microbes through regular doses of organic material. As these microorganisms break the material down, the soil texture will improve, and nutrients in the soil will become available for your plants.

Soil Structure

Beyond its nutrient content, the soil needs to have a good physical structure. It must contain enough space between particles for oxygen and water to infiltrate to keep microbe populations healthy. The soil’s composition of three main types of particles will impact its overall structure:

Clay: These tiny particles stick together and form large clumps. Clay soil tends to be fertile, but it’s challenging to work with and quickly becomes compacted.
Sand: While sandy soil is loose and easy to work, it dries out quickly, and nutrients tend to wash away.
Loam: Considered the ideal garden soil, loam is crumby, rich in organic material, and retains water well.

Four Factors That Affect Soil Health

Is your soil performing at less than its best? Many factors affect soil health, including the following.

Too much compaction: Compact soil reduces pore space in soil, limiting the air, water, and microorganisms within it.
Growing on a new construction site: When homes are built, the topsoil is often removed from the site, and lower-quality subsoil from the excavation site is spread over the yard.
pH extremes: Overly acid or alkaline soils reduce microbial activity, leaving it less healthy in the long run.
Too many synthetic amendments: Using synthetic fertilizers might give your plants a boost in the short term, but they reduce soil organism diversity and deplete the soil in the long run.

How To Improve Your Soil

Improving your garden soil takes time and research. Following these steps will give you a head start towards achieving healthy garden soil.

1. Get a Soil Test

Before you can improve your soil, it’s important to understand what’s lacking in the first place.

A soil test will provide a comprehensive overview of the nutrient profile and let you know what amendments will make the most significant difference. Most soil tests will identify the pH level, the amount of potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and sulfur in the soil, and the concentration of organic material.

It’s possible to purchase soil testing kits online, or you can connect with your local extension service for resource help and more in-depth analysis. Make sure you conduct a soil test every few years to see how the soil changes over time so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

2. Add Compost (and Other Amendments)

Adding compost is one of the best ways to build up healthy soil. Compost is made from decomposed organic material, and working it into the ground improves the soil structure, boosts its nutrient profile, and even helps with drainage and water absorption.

Take care to apply compost as directed by the seller, as too much can overwhelm your growing space with specific nutrients and lead to problems. For example, excessive amounts of nitrogen will cause plants to put all their energy into leaf production at the cost of growing flowers or fruit.

This is also the time to add other lacking soil amendments. Garden lime can reduce the soil’s acidity, while bone meal adds an infusion of phosphorus and calcium.

3. Mulch the Soil Surface

A proven way to protect the soil for the long term is to apply mulch on top of it. Not only does mulch stimulate natural growing conditions in a forest system, but it helps retain moisture, suppresses weed growth, and prevents soil from eroding or blowing away in extreme weather events.

Best of all, mulch will slowly decompose into the soil to increase its fertility.

4. Avoid Soil Compaction

The more soil is worked, the more likely it is to become compacted. That’s a problem for soil health, as it prevents air and water from reaching plant roots.

Clay soil is most likely to become compacted, and over time it can become barren and nearly impossible to work.

Prevent this problem by creating garden paths so you don’t step into the planting space. Wait to work the soil until it’s completely dry.

5. Rotate Crops Yearly

It’s a mistake to grow annual vegetable crops in the same garden beds each year. Doing so increases the chances of depleting the soil of nutrients, spreading disease, and promoting pest populations.

Instead, plant crops in different locations every growing season so that each plant family only grows in one spot every three years. This prevents any plant family from pulling too much of one nutrient out of the ground and ensures that disease spores and insect pests die out before they return.

Improving your garden soil is a long-term task that takes careful planning and experimentation to get right. Following the tips in this article will help you start out right on your journey to achieving perfect garden soil. With some patience and effort, your hard work will result in healthy soil that lasts for growing seasons to come.

Cleaning Your Garden After the Fall

There’s a lot that needs to be done in the late fall to prepare your garden for the winter months. Here’s what to prioritize to get your garden in good shape for next spring.

For most gardeners, fall is one of the busiest seasons. Vegetable plants are still in full production mode, and flowers are blooming every day.

The finish line to the growing season may be in sight, but it’s a mistake to call it quits before giving your garden a proper cleaning before winter.

Taking the time to clean up your garden after the fall will make for a healthier, more productive growing space once spring arrives. Here’s what to prioritize, so the process isn’t overwhelming.

When to Start Cleaning the Fall Garden

The best time to start cleaning the garden is after the first frost of the fall. This freezing weather will kill off most annual plants so you don’t need to worry about cutting the season short. It’s also possible to start the cleanup earlier in the season once most of the plants start fading and slowing down production.

Be careful about starting the cleaning process too early with your perennials, as cutting them back when the weather is still warm might trigger new growth, which weakens the plants before winter.

If you live in an area without frost, wait until the annual plants begin to brown and die before starting the fall cleanup.

Seven Important Steps for Cleaning the Garden

Taking care of the fall garden doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Follow these steps to ensure the most critical projects are completed.

1. Take Care of Weeds

It’s tempting to give up on weeding once the weather starts to get cold, but doing so sets you up for disaster in the spring. That’s because each weed will go to seed and disperse hundreds of new seeds into the garden to sprout next season

So, if you only prioritize one project for cleaning the fall garden, make sure you complete one final round of weeding. If the ground is bare, consider covering the soil with cardboard or tarps to prevent any weed seeds from germinating.

2. Remove Diseased Plants (But Leave the Rest)

There are different opinions on the best way to take care of dead garden plants in the fall.

In the past, the popular gardening advice was to remove all plant material from their gardens in the fall to make the growing space clean and tidy. Now, people better appreciate the importance of leaving things more natural to create a habitat for beneficial insects over the winter.

The best strategy today is to carefully inspect your growing space and remove only the plant material that shows signs of disease or extreme insect damage. Throw this material away — don’t compost it — so you don’t spread the disease to next year’s plants.

Many healthy plant stalks can be left in place. Not only will they anchor the soil against erosion from winter storms, but they provide a habitat for beneficial organisms. Flowers with seeds, like sunflowers, also offer birds and other wildlife a winter food supply.

Note: Consider cutting back early blooming perennials and other self-seeding plants if you don’t want them spreading throughout the garden in the spring.

Also, you should always cut back irises to a few centimeters above the soil line so iris borers can’t overwinter in their foliage.

3. Make a Plan for Fallen Leaves

Fallen leaves have a place in garden beds. Rather than throwing your yard debris away, shred some of it with a mulcher or by running over it with a lawnmower to layer it over the garden beds. It will decompose over the winter and add fertility back to the soil.

You can also add a few piles of leaves to out-of-the-way corners of the garden to supply habitat space for butterflies, native bees, and other valuable pollinators.

Finally, add shredded leaves to your compost bin to balance any green material and make a nutrient-rich soil amendment for the spring.

4. Plant New Shrubs and Tend to Established Ones

Fall is the best time to plant new bushes, shrubs, and trees in your garden. The soil is still warm enough to give them a head start before winter dormancy so they can take off in the spring.

You can help your established plants by watering less in the early fall to slow down growth. Once the leaves have dropped, you can give each plant a deep watering before mulching around their trunks to protect against dropping temperatures.

5. Amend the Soil

The best time to restore fertility to your garden is early fall, once the growing season is starting to wrap up.

Once the perennials have gone dormant, you can add organic material like compost, shredded leaves, or rotted manure to the garden beds and mix it into the top few inches of the bed. It will break down over the winter and be ready for plants to access in the spring.

This is also the best time to get a soil test to determine what nutrients the space may need.

Note: Minimize tilling as much as possible, so you don’t disturb any burrowing insects that are hibernating.

6. Mulch for Winter Protection

Unless you’re growing a winter crop, it’s best to mulch garden beds in the fall to protect the soil and less hardy perennials.

Spread a ten-centimeter layer of shredded leaves, straw, or wood chips on bare ground and around existing plants (leaving space between the stems and mulch) to offer some insulation. Rake away or till in any material that didn’t decompose by spring to clear up the planting space.

7. Take Care of Equipment

Finally, fall is the best time to take care of all your gardening tools for the season. Wipe down every hoe and trowel to prevent rust, and winterize everything with a motor to ensure it won’t freeze. You’ll likely need to drain the gas out of lawnmowers, weed-whackers, and other power tools.

Bring ceramics and clay pots indoors to prevent breakage, and wipe down every planting tray with a diluted bleach solution to protect against disease spread.

Clean the Fall Garden for Success in the Spring

Though it may feel like a lot of work, taking time to clean the fall garden is the best way to enjoy a better growing space in the spring. Taking steps to prep the soil, remove weeds, and support beneficial insects helps everything stay healthy and thriving in the future.

How to Protect Outdoor Roses From Freezing

Roses are incredibly beautiful but quite vulnerable to winter temperatures and frost. Proper protection and planning will ensure your roses survive the winter and thrive throughout another blooming season. Here are some tips to help you protect your roses throughout winter.

Roses are one of the most beloved flowers in the world that make a beautiful addition to any garden. With so many cultivars available, most gardeners can find a rose that captivates them. However, like other perennials, roses require a period of dormancy during the winter to rest and generate resources for the next blooming season.

It is important that these lovely flowers receive protection during the winter, as unusually cold or extreme weather can damage rose plants. While some hardy varieties may not require special care during a typical winter, other varieties are naturally more vulnerable to frost damage.

It is impossible to change the weather, but there are some steps you can take to protect your outdoor roses from being damaged when temperatures drop. This article presents a few ideas on how to keep your roses protected throughout the winter.

How Does Freezing Weather Affect Roses?

Most people consider freezing to be the condition where the air temperature is at 32˚F (0˚C), and that is true. However, plants don’t become damaged immediately upon coming into contact with freezing air. In most cases, plants are considered at risk for freezing when temperatures remain at 28˚F (-2˚C) or lower for more than four hours.

Of course, there will be variations as several factors play into how a given plant will react to freezing conditions. The species, how mature it is, and other environmental considerations all affect how a plant reacts to cold weather.

Roses can withstand short periods of below-freezing temperatures, but prolonged cold is dangerous. Temperature fluctuations are especially harmful to roses, as their cells experience the stress of thawing and refreezing multiple times. In addition, strong winds or accumulated ice can cause physical damage sufficient to kill roses in some cases.

Signs of Cold and Frost Damage in Roses

It may not be evident during the winter that a rose has suffered from frost damage, but once the plant enters its active growth stage, the symptoms become apparent. A frost-damaged rose may have some or all of the following problems:

Giving roses ideal care throughout the growing season will help them stay strong enough to survive the winter unscathed. However, there are several other steps you can take to maximize your roses’ chances of survival during a cold winter.

How to Protect Outdoor Roses From Freezing

1. Choose Roses Suited to Your Location

The majority of rose cultivars available grow in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 10. Certain varieties of roses can grow in zones 3 or higher. If you live in a climate with prolonged low temperatures, be sure to only plant rose cultivars that can withstand harsh conditions. Check labels or consult with garden center staff to ensure the rose you purchase is suitable for your climate.

Also, remember that your garden has various microclimates based on light, heat, wind, and water conditions. If frost damage is a concern, be sure to plant roses away from depressions or wet areas that stay colder than the rest of the garden.

2. Cover Your Roses

Covering roses during the winter months has several benefits. It not only protects the plant from high winds and ice damage but also keeps the plant at a constant temperature during the winter months and avoids temperature fluctuations.

Preparing to Cover Your Roses

Plan to cover roses once the temperature is below freezing for several nights, or after a hard frost causes the plant to lose most of its leaves. Roses should be bare-stemmed, with no remaining leaves or blooms. Tall canes can be pruned, as well as any damaged or dead stems, before covering them. Bundle and tie the canes to minimize them being blown around by the wind.

Don’t be shy about pruning roses. The goal is to cut them back to about one-third of their current size. This is the best way to prepare plants to produce new growth once the weather starts to warm. Make cuts at an angle, just above a bud, to encourage new stems from each bud.

Choosing an Insulating Material

There are many options when choosing a material to cover and protect roses during the winter. While there are pros and cons to each, many gardeners prefer not to invest extra money to insulate roses, so they use whatever is readily available.

Some potential options include:

There are a couple of considerations to keep in mind when choosing insulating material. First, if you decide to use old blankets and sheets for this purpose, they must be kept dry. Wet bedding will make your plants even colder, so use them in conjunction with plastic.

The plastic covering should not be allowed to come into direct contact with roses because cold can affect plants through the plastic barrier. Instead, use a frame around the plant to prevent contact with the covering.

An ideal scenario is a wood or metal frame around the plant, wrapped in a layer of old blankets or other fabric, and then a layer of plastic around that to keep everything dry.

3. Mulch Around the Base

Mound at least a foot (0.3 m) of soil or compost around the base of the rose plants. This helps regulate the temperature around the roots and lower stalks. Be sure to remove the layer of mulch once the weather warms up in spring, to avoid high temperature and moisture levels around the root system.

4. Keep Roses Thoroughly Watered Before the First Frost

Usually, there will be enough rain to keep the soil moist in the late fall. However, in especially dry years it is important to water roses when you know a freeze is predicted. This is important because moist soil holds heat much better than dry soil.

Treatment

Frost-damaged portions of rose plants can’t recover their health, so any unhealthy pieces should be pruned once the weather starts to get warmer. Be sure not to cut back roses too early, as that can further injure the plant. All danger of freezing should have passed before you attempt any pruning.

It can take a frost-damaged rose plant several seasons to fully recover, so it is better to prevent the damage from happening in the first place. By taking precautions early, you can maximize your roses’ health and be rewarded with plenty of blooms.

A Beginner’s Guide to Bringing Plants Indoors in the Fall

Bringing plants indoors in the fall can help them survive a chilly winter. However, rushing this process will cause more harm than good. Here are some tips for moving plants indoors during fall.

The leaves are turning, and the temperature is dropping—fall is in the air. While cooler weather often means the end of the gardening season, you may not be ready to say goodbye to some of your favorite plants.

Bringing frost-sensitive varieties indoors can prolong their lifespan and let you enjoy them again outdoors when the weather warms in the spring. However, you don’t want to bring flowers into your house too soon. Bringing your plants indoors too early could stress them out and may do more harm than good. The process should be gradual and includes a bit of preparation.

In this article, you will learn about the best timing to bring plants indoors in the fall, as well as some tips to transition your plants successfully.

When to Bring Plants Inside

All frost-sensitive plants need to be protected from the elements before the temperature drops too low. Ideally, this should be before nighttime temperatures dip below 45°F (7°C). Most species will experience damage at temperatures under 40°F (4°C), so you want the transition period to be well underway by the time temperatures drop this low.

Don’t wait too long—frost exposure will damage plants more than rushing the moving process.

Ten Steps for Bringing Plants Indoors

The growing conditions in your home are nothing like the outdoors. Temperature, lighting, airflow, and humidity levels all differ significantly. Bringing a plant from one environment to another without a transition phase will cause unnecessary stress and may cause the plant to struggle.

Therefore, it’s important to let your plants gradually transition to their new winter environment. This transition takes some time and a bit of preparation. Below are some steps to help your plant successfully adapt to the indoors.

1. Prep Indoor Plant Space

Before bringing plants indoors, ensures you have a place set up to put them.

Look for stable shelves or tables that are protected from cold drafts and have exposure to plenty of natural light. Consider clumping multiple pots together for species that require high humidity. It’s also wise to protect these surfaces with extra trays so spilled dirt and water don’t damage them.

2. Clean Your Windows

Once you know where you will place your plants, it’s time to maximize their natural light exposure over the winter by cleaning your windows. Wash the windows inside and out to ensure as much light filters through them as possible.

Note: Supplement your space with artificial lighting if your windows do not provide enough natural light.

3. Look for Pest and Disease Problems

While deciding which plants to bring indoors, scrutinize them for signs of insect and disease damage. You don’t want to bring a compromised plant indoors, as the problem will flourish in the warmer conditions and spread to other plants in your home.

Prune off any problem areas immediately, and rinse off all leaves to wash off insects. A dose of insecticidal soap is a smart idea. Consider repotting affected plants in new potting soil to remove disease spores and insects burrowing out of sight.

4. Only Keep Healthy Plants

It pays to be picky when deciding which plants to move indoors for the winter. Choose only the healthiest varieties, as the transition to indoor conditions might not help a plant that’s already struggling.

5. Repot If Necessary

Your plants may need to be repotted before they move indoors. Look for signs of cramped growing conditions or leggy growth, and transplant affected plants into larger containers. Ensure each pot is cleaned with a diluted bleach solution and filled with fresh potting soil before replanting.

6. Take Cuttings (If Desired)

Fall is a smart time to propagate new plants by taking cuttings from your established one. Many annual flowers, including geraniums, begonia, and coleus, will root easily in water or rooting mix to become a winter houseplant that you can plant outdoors in the spring.

To make a cutting, choose a healthy shoot and trim off a three-inch section directly below a leaf node. Remove any leaves or buds below it. Place the cutting in a rooting medium like coarse sand or potting mix.

Keep the cutting in a place with bright, indirect light, and keep it well moistened. New roots should form within three weeks, at which point the cutting can be potted.

7. Gradually Introduce to the Indoors

Once plants are prepped for indoor life, you can begin to bring them into your home gradually. Start by bringing pots indoors in the evening and setting them outside again in the morning. It’s smart to decrease the plants’ light exposure over this same timeframe if they are going to spend the winter somewhere with less light.

Over a week, shorten the amount of time the plants spend outdoors until they make it inside full time.

8. Avoid Overwatering

One of the quickest ways to kill off an indoor plant is overwatering, especially one that’s used to being outdoors. Bringing a plant indoors for the winter often triggers it to go dormant, which reduces water needs even further.

Always test the soil before watering to ensure whether it’s really needed. Wait until the top half-inch (~1 cm) is dry between watering sessions and water succulents even less.

9. Provide a Boost of Fertilizer

You can help an outdoor plant resettle to indoor conditions with fertilizer. However, this isn’t necessary if you repotted the plant with potting soil that contains fertilizer already. Follow dosage instructions carefully, as overapplying can be more damaging than not using it at all.

10. Bring Them Back Outdoors When the Weather Warms

Once spring arrives, it’s time to bring your indoor plants back outside. You may want to replant any cuttings to revive a flower bed or place potted plants back around your balcony or patio.

Make sure you follow the same slow reintroduction process by bringing plants outdoors for short periods at first and gradually extending the time over several weeks. Again, protect sensitive plants whenever there is a risk of frost in the forecast.

Bringing plants indoors is an easy way to extend their lifespan and give your house gorgeous natural décor in the winter months. Follow these steps to ensure you don’t rush the process and keep each plant as healthy as possible throughout the transition time.

How to Make a Golden Bouquet for Thanksgiving Day

Gold is a brilliant color that exhibits the beauty of autumn. So what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than by making a golden bouquet? Read this article to learn how to make the perfect golden flower arrangement for Thanksgiving Day.

Gold is a warm and comfortable color that truly exhibits the enchantment of autumn. It’s a great color to enjoy throughout the season but also adds brilliance to any Thanksgiving display. So what better way to decorate your Thanksgiving Day table than with a bouquet of your favorite golden flowers?

This article will share the best golden flowers and decorative items to use in your golden Thanksgiving bouquet, as well as some flower arrangement tips that will help perfect it.

Best Golden Flowers for a Thanksgiving Day Bouquet

The first step to creating a golden bouquet is picking the right blooms! Many flowers come in golden varieties, but the options below are the most popular flowers that people often use in their Thanksgiving Day bouquets:

Each of these flowers has an impressive appearance and will look great in nearly any display. However, you can further enrich your bouquet with the right choice of decorative items.

Decorative Items for Thanksgiving Day Bouquets

Creating an attractive Thanksgiving Day bouquet requires more than a carefully selected group of flowers. Decorative items that evoke the spirit of Thanksgiving will further enhance your bouquet. The following items will help make your gold bouquet a bit more festive:

Any of these items will bring a nice autumn charm to your floral arrangement. However, there is another essential element to a flower arrangement that has not yet been discussed. All bouquets need a perfect container to hold the arrangement together. Here are a few of the best container ideas that work well for Thanksgiving:

Now that you know what materials are needed for a golden bouquet, you’re ready to learn a few flower arrangement basics that will make your bouquet look better than ever before.

Arrangement Tips for Thanksgiving Day Bouquets

Even if you find the best flowers and décor for your Thanksgiving bouquet, they won’t be worth much if you don’t know how to arrange them. Below are a few flower arrangement tips to help you perfect your gold bouquet.

Start with a Layer of Foliage

It’s easy to focus solely on the flowers in any bouquet, but the foliage is just as important. A layer of attractive green leaves at the base of the bouquet will not only provide a suitable backdrop but also fill in any gaps or empty spaces between the flowers.

Choose Flowers that Make a Statement

Every bouquet has either one or a few flowers that are showcased as the primary feature of the arrangement. Select these flowers from the beginning and build your secondary plant selections around them. Large, bold flowers are best for making this kind of statement. Many of the flowers listed earlier are perfect for this role.

Take Time to Prepare Your Flowers

For a beginner, it can be tempting to stick your flowers in a vase right away. A better approach is to take your time in preparing these flowers. Clean each flower by removing any unwanted leaves or secondary blooms that detract from the flower’s appearance. These small steps will go a long way in making your bouquet look neat and elegant.

Focus on Flower Length

Your flowers will need to be cut before they are placed in your container. While this is a functional task, it also significantly impacts how your flowers will look in the end. Make sure to cut your flower properly so that they fit well in the container. You can also cut the flowers at different lengths to add some depth to the display.

Use a Foam Base

Sometimes it can be frustrating to get your flowers to stay in your desired arrangement. That is where a foam base can be extremely useful. Sinking the stems into floral foam will keep them in a distinct location, allowing you to be a bit more precise with your arrangement. Soak the floral foam with water initially so the flowers can continue to receive moisture while on display.

Don’t Neglect Texture

For those making a golden bouquet, color is a primary concern. But that does not mean that you should neglect other traits that will make your display look great. At times, texture can be as impressive as color. Try adding both flowers and leaves that will bring intriguing textures to the arrangement.

Conclusion

With the right flowers and decorative items, you can create a golden bouquet that will add wondrous brilliance to your home on Thanksgiving Day. By following the tips in this article, you can create an amazing display that your friends and family will talk about for years to come.

The 4 Best Birth Flowers for Sagittarius

Are you a Sagittarius interested in learning more about your birth flowers? If so, you’re in luck! This post explores four flowers that are a perfect match to the traits and personality of a Sagittarius.

Extroverted and energetic, there are few signs more adventurous than Sagittarius. As a fire sign, Sagittariuses are passionate and forthcoming with their thoughts and feelings. However, they are also quite steadfast, loyal to their loved ones and committed to their goals. If you were born between November 22nd and December 21st, that means you are a Sagittarius and probably exhibit many, if not all, of these traits.

There are many ways to embrace and express your zodiac sign, but one of the most visual ways is through floral arrangements. This article will introduce you to four Sagittarius birth flowers that are symbolic of the sign’s most prominent characteristics. Read on to learn about these flowers and how they can show off what it means to be a Sagittarius.

4 Sagittarius Birth Flowers and Their Meanings

Carnations for Steadfastness

When a true Sagittarius sets their mind to a task, there is nothing that can stand in their way. This sign is both loyal and resilient as they pursue their relationships and their life goals. For that reason, carnations are one of the most suitable flowers to represent a Sagittarius.

The bold reds and pinks that are so common for this flower are a perfect match for Sagittarius’s fiery nature. However, there is another quality about these flowers that make them even more symbolic of the nature of a Sagittarius.

Carnations are one of the longest-lasting cut flowers in nearly any flower display. Much like a Sagittarius who has a goal in mind, a carnation will not fade away quickly. Instead, both a carnation and a Sagittarius are apt to remain steadfast as they press on through life’s challenges.

These flowers are impressive enough that they can create impressive displays without the aid of other blooms. But like a Sagittarius, the vibrance of a carnation doesn’t necessarily detract from other valuable blooms. Instead, a carnation can serve as a perfect accent color to a larger flower arrangement while still remaining unique.

Chrysanthemums for Extroversion

Anyone who has spent time with a Sagittarius knows that they are the last person to fade into the background of a social gathering. On the contrary, the nature of a Sagittarius permits them to be friendly to all those they meet and gravitate towards gaining attention in social situations. If only there was a flower that could represent the intense extroversion of this sign. Thankfully, there is!

Chrysanthemums are an ideal birth flower for a Sagittarius for multiple reasons. The first reason relates to the appearance of these flowers. With large blooms full of astoundingly colorful petals, a chrysanthemum is not a flower that will go unnoticed. On the contrary, it is far more likely to stand out and make a strong impression, whether in the garden or a vase.

Many chrysanthemums also come in shades of orange and yellow that harken back to the fact that Sagittarius is one of the fire signs in the zodiac. Those colors are also indicative of how daring and outgoing a Sagittarius can be. What makes this flower even more appropriate for Sagittarius is that it is one of the most popular fall annuals around.

As the colder season approaches, setting out some potted chrysanthemums is a must for many gardeners. And if you are a Sagittarius, there is no reason why you shouldn’t use these flowers to show your individuality and personable spirit.

Crocus for Adventure

As mentioned before, one of the top traits of any Sagittarius is adventurousness. A Sagittarius will often be the first to explore new territory or venture into the unknown, while others remain too sheepish to do so. That sense of adventure is what allows Sagittarius to continually seek new experiences and get the most out of life.

Crocus flowers share that same pioneering spirit. In early spring, most plants are reluctant to put forth their blooms. It is almost as if they are fearful that a late winter wind might arrive to destroy those flowers before they reach their fullest potential. However, that reluctance is not the case for crocuses as they emerge from the recently frozen ground before nearly any other flowering plant species.

Their willingness to bloom while other plants are dormant is what makes an excellent birth flower for Sagittarius. Beyond that, crocuses are also highly attractive. While they may be small, they present a pleasing bell-shaped flower that points upward towards the sky. When they burst forth through the soil in late winter to early spring, a set of healthy crocuses will create a colorful carpet on the ground.

The early arrival of crocuses gives people hope and reassurance that winter is ending and warmer weather is on the way. In the same vein, a Sagittarius is likely to inspire those around them with their confidence and desire to set forth and find new and exciting experiences.

Liatris for Boldness

No one can claim that a Sagittarius is meek and mild. On the contrary, this fire sign is one of the boldest around. As such, a Sagittarius is someone who is unafraid to share their personality and their beliefs. At times, this can lead a Sagittarius to state what they deem to be the truth even if it offends others.

For better or worse, boldness is inextricably linked to a Sagittarius lifestyle. That is why Liatris is one of the best birth flowers for this sign. These flowers have a bold shape that stands above surrounding plants. With an elongated, spike-like shape, Liatris flowers do their best to catch your eye. The deep purple that covers these blooms is another testament to their ornate nature.

Appearances aside, there are other aspects of Liatris that make it a great companion to a Sagittarius’ personality. These plants are perennial bloomers that are resilient enough to survive even in poor conditions. Much like a Sagittarius, the boldness of a Liatris flower will not diminish simply because conditions are less than ideal.

Liatris flowers are also quite resistant to pests, just as a Sagittarius is not likely to let the opinions of others deter them from their pursuits. The fact that these flowers also enjoy the sunlight is further proof that they complement a fire sign like Sagittarius.

Veterans Day, Veterans Poppy

You may notice that people wear red poppies each year on Veterans Day. But why is that? In this article, you will learn the origins of Veterans Day as well as how the red poppy became a symbol of remembrance.

If you live in the United States, you might notice that people wear bright red poppies on Veterans Day. But how did these cheerful-looking red flowers become a symbol of the remembrance of sacrifices made in war? This article will explain the origins of Veterans Day and how red poppies became its symbol.

Veterans Day Origins

Veterans Day is a day that honors and remembers all soldiers who have died in previous wars. It is always on November 11th, which was the day that World War I ended in 1918.

At the time, World War I was the most devastating war in history. While it only lasted four years, the advancement of military technology made it one of the deadliest wars. An estimated 20 million lives were lost, including both soldiers and civilians.

Initially called Armistice Day, the first recorded observance of Veterans Day was on November 11, 1919. This was exactly a year after the initial armistice between Germany and the Entente was signed and a little over four months after the official end of the war on June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed.

The United States switched over the name to Veterans Day after World War II while other countries opted to change the name of this holiday to Remembrance Day.

Today, many countries celebrate this holiday by having a two-minute silence at the eleventh hour. Many people wear red poppies on this day as well. So what is the connection between poppies and Veterans Day?

Poppy Symbolism

Before diving into the connection between poppies and Veterans Day, it’s important to note that poppies in general have had a connection to death and sacrifice for quite some time.

A good example of this can be found in Virgil’s epic tale, The Aeneid, where he uses poppies as a metaphor to describe fallen soldiers. Christianity also ties poppies to sacrifice with the red of the poppy symbolizing the blood of Christ and his sacrifice on the cross.

Red poppies in particular have had an association with conflict since the Napoleonic Wars where a writer noticed how the poppies grew over the graves of soldiers. So what was it about World War I that transformed the red poppy into an enduring symbol of remembrance?

The Poem That Started It All

It all started with a poem written by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. After a particularly horrific battle on May 3, 1915, where many young soldiers lost their lives, including his friend, McCrae noticed something interesting. Poppies had quickly grown on the graves of those who had just died. The next day after the funeral, he composed the now-famous ‘In Flanders Fields’ poem.

Written from the point of view of the dead, the poem speaks on the soldiers’ sacrifices and commands the living to press on. At the time of its publication, it became the most popular poem of its era, being republished numerous times throughout the world.

Poppies in the United States and Europe

McCrae’s poem inspired many people from around the world, but it especially touched two women – Moina Michael and Madame Anna Guerin. Thanks to the poem, both women championed the use of poppies as the symbol for remembrance in the United States and beyond.

While Guerin is credited as the originator of the Veterans/Remembrance Poppy, Michael began campaigning for the poppy’s adoption back in 1918. Thanks to her work, the concept was not new to the United States and thus more readily accepted when Guerin broached the topic with the American Legion in 1920.

Initially, Guerin’s Poppy Days benefited the widows and orphans of the war-devastated areas of France. Her idea was to have all the World War I Allied nations adorn these poppies, made by the widows and orphans, as an emblem for remembrance. In this way, it would create some funds to help support the families of the fallen.

With the backing of the French government, Guerin traveled to the Allied countries and encouraged the various veteran organizations to adopt the poppy. She was successful and now poppies have become an international symbol of remembrance.

Conclusion

Poppies have long symbolized death, remembrance, and sacrifice. However, it was thanks to McCrae’s famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ and the tireless work of Madame Anna Guerin that the flower became such an internationally recognized symbol of Remembrance Day.

Today, the modern Veterans Day Poppy has been trademarked by veterans’ associations in many jurisdictions. When you purchase a poppy, the money goes towards providing financial, social, and emotional support to members and veterans of the armed forces.

How to Use Edible Flowers to Elevate Your Cooking

Edible flowers are easy to grow and can add abundant flair to dishes in your culinary repertoire.

The leaves and petals of edible flowers can add a touch of elegance and whimsy to a range of different foods. Whether they serve as a delightful garnish to a dish or contribute to its core flavor profile, the right flowers can raise a dish or cocktail to the next level. Best of all: Edible flowers are easy to grow — you may already have some in your garden. Here are some of the tastiest edible petals to know and grow.

Nasturtiums

These delicate blossoms impart a bold, peppery flavor when tossed with fresh salad greens, or arranged atop a carpaccio or fresh oysters. The bright flowers grow easily in a sunny spot, and they attract beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. Harvest flowers just before serving for the freshest presentation and flavor.

Try topping crostini with avocado mousse and bright orange nasturtiums for a surprising welcome to guests. The colorful blossoms add panache to frittatas, pizzas, and grilled vegetables. For a culinary-forward twist, use nasturtiums to flavor savory ice cream, or serve with English peas or cold summer soup. Fish tacos have never been cheerier than when garnished with bright orange nasturtium blossoms. Its flowers and leaves are edible, so experiment with arranging a vitamin-rich mixture.

Anise Hyssop

This linear purple, pink, or blue beauty has tones of mint and licorice, making it a perfect candidate for adding to desserts, vegetables, poultry, or lamb. Its leaves and flowers can be safely eaten. Anise hyssop attracts honeybees and butterflies, making it a welcome complement to your garden.

The plant may be dried hanging upside-down in a cool, dark place. Dried flowers can be steeped in tea, or infused into alcohol for a specialty cocktail that will have guests guessing the secret ingredient. Carefully remove the fresh tiny flowers from the stem, then toss onto cupcakes, panna cotta, or mascarpone gelato for a whimsical spark of flavor as well as fanciful decoration.

Zucchini Blossoms

While some flowers are tastiest fresh from the garden, others shine brightest when incorporated into cooking. Zucchini blossoms, or courgette, with their light orange color and tubular shape, offer versatility to your menu. If you wish to grow zucchini squash, leave female flowers with their new fruit undisturbed. Use male blossoms soon after harvesting to avoid tearing. Whether arranged in a radiating pattern atop frittata, or filled with herbed ricotta, then battered and fried, these beauties add garden-fresh flavor to your menu.

Pansies

These cheery annuals add a variety of colors and a mild minty flavor to mixed greens, desserts, or cheese platters. They are easy to grow, producing an abundance of blossoms. The classic pansy-topped fancy cake is always a crowd-pleaser, but creative chefs can branch out beyond the expected. Top green smoothies with pansies for added color and elegance. If you make your own pasta, try layering pansies between sheets — the fresh, floral pasta can be crafted into picture-perfect ravioli. Or line summer rolls with pansy blossoms, then roll with traditional savory ingredients. This makes a stunning display that your guests will rave about long after the party is over.

Borage Flowers

Also called starflower, these purply-blue beauties have long been used medicinally for their anti-inflammatory properties. Their vibrantly colored pointy petals can be frozen into ice cubes for a whimsical touch in lemonade or sparkling water.

They have a mild cucumber flavor and complement seafood salads, tossed baby lettuces, steamed vegetables, and even gin cocktails. This bright addition to your garden prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade, summoning welcome pollinators.

Lavender

Culinary lavender is no newcomer in the kitchen. No wonder Van Gogh and Monet were inspired by the graceful beauty of lavender fields. They add sprays of color and movement to your garden, attracting honeybees and other pollinators. Although there are numerous varieties of lavender — some preferred for essential oils, soaps, and lotions — culinary lavender imparts a sophisticated floral flavor without bitterness. A homemade lavender simple syrup serves as the base for a floral martini with lemon juice and vodka.

If you are looking for a simple warm-weather dessert to serve, lavender sorbet with lemon poundcake, adorned with sprigs of the flower, will conjure images of Provence.

As with any edible garden, avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Shake flowers gently to dislodge insects, then add blossoms to a bowl of cold water to wash. Air-dry on an absorbent towel. With minimal preparation, edible flowers are an easy way to add sophisticated flair to your entertaining.

How to Create a Plant-Friendly Microclimate Indoors

Not all growing spaces in your home are the same. Understanding microclimates will help you decide where plants will thrive and what spaces to modify for better indoor growing.

Indoor plants add plenty of benefits to your home. Not only do they bring beauty to your space, they can also boost your mood.

However, keeping indoor plants looking their best can be a challenge. You might move a favorite potted plant to a new corner of the house, only to find it’s starting to wilt. Why does this happen? The microclimates in your home affect plant health more than you might realize.

Here’s how to create plant-friendly microclimates inside your home or office.

What is a Microclimate?

A microclimate is a growing zone that has similar conditions throughout, no matter how small it is.

Each microclimate might be hotter, cooler, shadier, sunnier, or more or less humid than the regions around it. One corner of a room may have a different microclimate than another, depending on the doors, windows, and air vents.

We all experience microclimates in nature. They are the reason you might take a sweater on and off throughout a day of hiking, even if you don’t change how hard you’re working.

Indoor plants placed in the wrong microclimate for their growing needs will struggle to thrive. It’s essential to understand the factors that affect a microclimate so you can give each indoor plant the optimal conditions for healthy growth.

A change in microclimate can be as simple as moving a plant higher on a shelf, putting it closer to a window, or misting its leaves more regularly. Placing multiple plants together can also affect the microclimate by making the space more humid. But without knowing what parts of the environment are a problem, you might change the wrong variable and cause more harm than good.

Here’s what to know about the four primary factors that affect an indoor microclimate.

Four Key Variables Within a Microclimate

Every indoor microclimate is a combination of four factors: lighting, airflow, humidity, and temperature.

Lighting

All indoor plants need access to light, and the amount they get will affect their microclimate.

You can perform a “light test” to determine how much light your plants are really getting. On a sunny day, take a plain sheet of paper and place it where your plant goes. Hold your hand about 30 cm above the paper, so it casts a shadow on it.

If the shadow is clear and crisp, this spot gets bright light. If the shadow looks fuzzy but still recognizable as a hand, the area gets medium light. When the shadow is too fuzzy to define, the space is defined as low light. Perform this test around the house to identify different microclimates.

Sunlight intensity also varies by season, so you may want to repeat this test over the year to see how the results change.

For example, the sun sits lower in the sky in the winter, which means it can penetrate windows more deeply than the overhead summer sun. You may need to move light-sensitive plants in the winter to ensure they aren’t getting fried by the extra winter sun exposure.

Airflow

Air circulation is essential for healthy plants. Without it, leaves stay overly wet after watering, and you’re creating space for mold and fungal diseases to get established. An open window or ceiling fan keeps things moving and can prevent these problems.

Humidity

Regular watering matters, but the amount of moisture around a plant’s leaves makes a big difference in whether the microclimate will support its growth.

Some species, like the ferns found in the tropics, prefer to live in high humidity. Others, like cacti and succulents, want conditions as arid as possible.

Most homes are much drier than what a plant experiences outdoors. Bathrooms, basements, and occasionally laundry rooms tend to be exceptions.

You can monitor the humidity level of different rooms with a hygrometer. A low-tech alternative is to take a glass of water and set about five ice cubes within it. Leave it untouched in the room you’re testing for 10 minutes. Inspect the glass after the time has passed. If there’s lots of condensation on the outside, the room has high humidity, while no condensation means there’s low humidity.

When the moisture level needs to be tweaked for the whole room or floor of your house, a humidifier or dehumidifier should do the job. If you only want to make a minor change to your plant’s microclimate, you can make a humidity tray.

Take a large shallow saucer without drainage holes, and fill it with pea gravel. Pour in water to just below the gravel, and place your potted plant in the tray. As the water evaporates, it will raise the relative humidity around it.

Temperature

Thermostats can be deceiving, as they make you assume your whole house is one temperature. In reality, they are only accurate for the spot they test, and the rest of your house can vary by several degrees. Even the different shelves on one display unit can be varying temperatures, as hot air will rise to the ceiling, and cool air collects on the floor.

While plants can handle some temperature fluctuations, most will struggle if their temperature goes too high or low beyond their average.

A maximum/minimum thermometer can help you gauge the temperature range within a plant’s microclimate. Leave it next to your plant for 24 hours, and it will record the highest and lowest temps during that timeframe. This helps you determine if a heat-loving plant is getting a little too chilled at night or whether the direct sun from a south-facing window is roasting a pot beyond what the plant can handle.

Small changes, like pulling the blinds down to block the sun, can make a big difference in the ambient air temperature in a plant’s microclimate.

Pay Attention to Microclimates for Healthier Plants

Improving the microclimates in your home comes down to careful observation and a willingness to tweak details when necessary. Take the time to learn about the optimal growing conditions for your indoor plants, and you can make the right changes to ensure your home keeps them as healthy as possible.