zinnias in one pot for containerscaping

   take off the fruit when you plant

plant one tomato in large pot

planted lemon basil with the one tomato 

Love planting the same flowers in a pot

Pots were planted two weeks ago from plants in the packs like these

These are like the ones planted in the pots 2 weeks ago.  Ones in the pot are happy. 

        WOW, we are into summer like weather.  Only 74F(22C) but humidity is high, so it feels really uncomfortable.  This is just the start over the weekend, temperatures are to be in the 90’s.  I will be watering for sure.  I haven’t watered outside since Sunday, but if we don’t get rain this afternoon, I am going to water to keep up with it.  Stay cool, stay safe.
 
Australia family and friends, it is June 18th Wed for them, and fall.  Looks like nice day with a high of 57F(15C) partly cloudy.   Stay warm, stay safe.

Garden lesson #2 Planting tomatoes in a pot
Here I have one tomato plant. The Tomato is a Sun Dipper slender 2.5 fruit perfectly fitted for dipping.  You are tempted to put 2 or 3 in a pot because they are small when you get them.  DON’T you know how tomatoes grow in the ground; they need dirt and space.  But I did plant Lemon Basil around the base.  Tomato grows up and the basil will fill in the bottom.
Now this tomato had fruit on it, and you again are tempted to leave them on.  You need to take them off when you plant.  You want the plant to grow and not concentrate on the fruit.  That is why I took them off. 
​
Garden lesson #3 Planting a container with just one kind of plant.  I love doing this and you can see how nice the zinnias look all planted in one pot.  The pot was planted 2 weeks ago by Natalie. June 3rd and look at it now.  You will see how the plants look in the large 4 packs, they are happy to get transplanted.  I had her fill in with as many plants as she could get in.
Garden Lesson #4 I will show you later that with the pots of all the same, I will put it with other pots of different colors, shapes and sizes to create a containerscape.  Interesting concept. 
​
I have all these plants on sale for $2.00 so if you need color, you can do this simple planting all the same in a pot and you will have an awesome look or have some vegetables to harvest.  Give it a try. 
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer, or Becky’s Greenhouse beckysgreenhouse.com 

​Here is a quiz for you.  What blooms are these from?   I have many of these and they are on sale for $2.00 each in all different colors.  This plant likes shade and will bloom all summer long.  One of my mother’s plants she loved to raise.  I will see how many of you get this.  Have fun and enjoy.  Till next time, this is Becky Litterer Becky’s Greenhouse 

we have white, yellow and red onion sets they are still very firm.

Planted these one week ago.  Look at them pop up.  

      Good morning, we got a little shower this morning, and it was even a little cool, but that didn’t last long. Now the humidity is moving in and sun coming out. Going to be a little uncomfortable.  Rain for the next 3 days but I don’t know if we will get it. I don’t have to water outside today anyway. Stay cool, stay safe.
 
Australia family and friends are experiencing a different weather.  Over the weekend it was at 32F(0C).  It’s a little warmer for them on their Tuesday June 17 55F(13C).  They too have rain in their forecast.  Stay warm, stay safe.
 
A little gardening idea today: Planting onions in containers to grow green onions. 
I have onion sets left in white, yellow and red.  I plant some in pots each week.  Larry really enjoys green onions.  I have the ones in the picture in a big pot but it doesn’t have to be.  The ones I am planting this week will be in a small pot.  If you don’t have a garden, give this a try.  It is easy for sure.  Give it a try. $3.00 for a lb.
Annuals on sale buy a flat of 12 small 4 packs $16.00, buy a flat of 8 large 4 packs, 14.00 individual 4 packs both sizes $2.00 each.  Annual single pots round or square $2.00 each.  That will go for vegetables too.
Baskets on sale for $10 or $12.00
Perennials starting at $4.00 for the 4 ½” pot
A selection of shrubs on sale for $25.00
The plants look awesome, greener from the rain and more color in their blooms.  It will give you a more color for your garden and containers. 
I am open Monday – Saturday 9-6, Sunday 1-6.   Stop in and see what we have to help you with your gardening needs.  Remember your punch cards. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse or Beckysgreenhouse.com 

      ​Good morning…we had rain. .9 Larry said, and that is good.  No wind damage, and I just said a prayer and didn’t put anything away.  Now with this rain the green is greener, and the blooms are more colorful.  Partly cloudy today but to me it is lots of sun with a few clouds.  But maybe that is what partly cloudy means.  Seems to be getting more humid, and the high today is 83F(28C) stay cool, stay safe.
 
Australia family and friends for Friday June 13 is high of 58F(14C).  Partly cloudy conditions for them.  Sounds like a nice fall day.  Stay warm, stay safe.
 
What are we doing here at Becky’s Greenhouse?  As always, we are adding more things,
1.         Houseplants starter plants are in the greenhouse and growing very nicely. 
2.         With the help of a couple of young ladies, I got the little succulent containers planted for now, and for the Franklin Co Fair which will be starting July 9th.  I will be working on fair stuff during the 4th of July week.  In the past, we have had 2 weeks between end of June and fair, but not this year.  We will get it done; we will. 
3.         Planting of day lilies, and lilies that are growing, and again I hope they are blooming by fair, but not, they will be close for you to plant in your garden.  If you want lilies or day lilies now, they would be a great time to plant.
4.         Hanging baskets are on sale for $10.00 and $14.00.  We planted these later, so they are looking good and for sure to bloom all summer.  Begonias, geraniums, Hawkeye baskets, Iowa State baskets, Sunpatiens baskets.  If you need to replace baskets ours will do that and continue to grow, not be done blooming.
5.         Natalie, Nancy and I cleaned up some shrubs and now they are on the little wagon all for $25.00.  We have had bushes since this spring, and they are not included in that, but they look good.
6.         Trees are doing well if you are looking for ones to replace the ones that have died.  Remember for every $100.00 you spend you get $7.50 off, and that would be including the trees. Come and have a look.
7.         Annuals and vegetables are all on sale.  Mix and match a flat of 12 small 4 packs and the additional savings of only $22.00.  Great way of adding color to flower beds and containers. 
8.         Large selection of perennials, starting at $5.99.  We got herbs.  One gardener was excited because he found caraway plants, and he made his own sauerkraut and added caraway seeds. Now he can grow that too. 
9.         With the vegetables, here is what I found out about your peppers if you are having a hard time with them.   Greenhouse in the Ames area wrote this. We have had several comments from customers recently about their Tomato and Pepper plants. There seems to be a pattern this year with many gardeners that planted their Tomato and Pepper plants mid to late April are having trouble with poor root systems, yellow leaves, and plants not growing ( including myself having to replace a few). Others who planted later are doing well. Cool days and nights along with excess moisture is NOT what these plants thrive in. It's always tempting to plant early, but that's not always what's best for your plants. Hopefully the upcoming weeks will bring us hot days and warm nights. Just what the plants like. If you do have some plants you purchased from us that do not look well, please bring them to us and we will replace them FREE. We still have a large selection to choose from. Please remember to remove all blooms and fruit before planting.  Becky’s Greenhouse will honor this practice of replacing tomato and pepper plants if you got them here.  We too have lots. 
10.      We have vine plants such as cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, watermelon, many different varieties of each.  It is not too late to plant these as finally our nights are warm, so they will grow.  They don’t like cold nights.
Some stuff we are doing at Becky’s Greenhouse.  We have adventures too with little baby kittens, and honey bees. I will post that on Becky’s Greenhouse Adventures.
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse

can you see Natalie watering?  

begonia baskets some of what is on sale.  

     I started this on Monday, so that is why all the days of weather reporting.  
 Monday was a day that changed with the sun out, and then the clouds covering the sun.  I was cold when it was cloudy, sun came out and then it warmed up.  It is going to warm up today and be hot and humid on Wed. For us, it will be a day of watering and keeping things wet. 
Weather for Tuesday: high of 83F(28C)  warming up but there is a nice breeze WSW 13MPH. That does help, but watering is a trick with where to put the sprayers and where we want it to go to. Some of it over the wagons.  Humidity is to be coming up and warmer tomorrow.  Storms and rain, so we will see what happens. Stay cool, stay safe.
Weather for Wednesday:  high of 90F(32C) Thunderstorms accompanied by locally heavy rainfall at times.  Gusty winds and small hail are possible.  Chance of rain 80%, tonight more occasional shoers chance of rain 60%.  We should get this rain, but we will see.  No storms please.  Stay dry, stay safe.
 
Australia family and friends’ weather for June 11, Wed.  They are having the opposite for temperatures low of 41F(5C) and high of 57F(14C).   rainy conditions for them too.  For them lows in the 40’s they are cold.  It will be interesting to see how cold winter are with this being their fall weather.  Stay warm, stay safe. 
Australia family and friends’ weather for today June 12, Thursday.  Low of 37F(3C) high of 57F(15C) and 45% chance of rain for them.  They too stay dry but stay warm. 

Nancy, Natalie and I are working on shrubs that Larry has taken care of thru the winter.  We clean them up and seeing how they look.  We will be putting them on sale for $25.00, give us today to get that done, and then you can come and look.  Tomorrow when we are done, I will give you an idea of what we have. WE GOT IT DONE.  Becky’s Greenhouse Adventure was in one of the pine trees, that was very nice and I was putting out back.  Natalie noticed a bird, Sparrow flying out of it, sure enough there was a nest in there with 2 eggs.  They moved it to a better spot as the wagon we will be moving, and putting other things on it.  What an adventure we have at Becky’s Greenhouse. 
One of my gardeners said yesterday you have sold lots of flowers, and plants.  Before this I wondered, but now we are adding more flats to the wagons, so I know we have sold.  Remember the annuals and vegetables all on sale.
 Just added the hanging baskets. 10” baskets are $10.00, 12” baskets are $14.00.  We just took some out of the greenhouse, and they were planted later so they looked good. We have some Iowa colors in the baskets, and I won’t forget also Iowa State if you want to have fun with them.  Finally, the begonia baskets are looking good and ready to go into your gardens.  The nonstop begonias were really slow in growing this season.
I better cut this short, need to go and move the waterers again, to make sure all the plants look awesome.
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell  641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse 

The begonia bloom reminds me of my mom, who had grown some awesome begonias.  I do believe each of us, has a plant or flower that does remind us of someone.  Good memories.  

     Good morning, it is a change from yesterday as we have cloudy skies.  The temperature is 68F(20C) which is mild but feels a little more humid. Nice breeze and cloudy so it is comfortable outside.  Sounds like all weekend we could have a rain pop up but not everyone will get it.  Enjoy and Stay safe.

Australia family and friends for June 7th Saturday will have 58F(15C) and they have rain predicted.  That might change plans of footie games for the kids. Stay warm, stay safe.

First, I want to let you know I am here till 6:00 tonight Friday. .I am closing at 5 on Saturday, as a grandson is in the musical Lion King at the Osage Cedar Stock event.  We will be attending his show.  I will be here Sunday 1-6.
​
Just reminding you about Becky’s Greenhouse Adventure of having a SALE.  Becky’s Greenhouse adventure is a sale that is starting.  All annual and vegetable packs are on sale.  Single vegetables and annuals are $4.00, and small 4 packs are on sale for $2.25, large 4 packs are $4.00.  A flat of 12 small 4 packs is $22.00  mix and match the four packs with annuals and vegetables.  Savings of $7.00
With the rain we had, the plants all are very green, blooming and happy.  All ready to go into your gardens.   We have moved out Gerbera Daisies that are blooming, the nonstop begonias are inside on racks, and they are looking good.  One common bedding plant is the moss roses, we have, and I am hearing that they are hard to find.  I don’t know just what I was told.  We still have a nice selection of Calibrachoas or Million Bells in many different colors. Sun Patients, and the wave petunias are very colorful. 
In bedding plants, we have zinnias, marigolds, alyssum, snapdragons, dianthus, salvia, regular petunias, coleus, celosia, dusty miller, gomphrena. Impatiens, double impatiens ,pansy. torenia, just to name a few of the bedding plants.
We have geraniums and hanging basket.
We have planted house plants starter plants which you can buy starting at $4.00, and watch them grow.  We have the carnivorous plants ready to sell.  Big hit this year are miniature little pots of succulents.  They are in a little pot with saucer.  We have a selection of potted little decorative pots of cats, sheep, dogs with succulents.  We will be planting more of them. I could list more  and more, but like I say every week, we are adding more and more different kinds of plants.  We are here to help with your gardening needs. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Beckysgreenhouse.  Beckysgreenhouse.com

image from heritagechristiancollege

      Good morning what a lovely morning after a good rainfall.  Haven’t checked with Larry what we got.  Now the sun is out, and we are to have the smoke causing some air quality. So far it seems clear?  Today’s temperature will reach 76F(24C) It should be a good day to work outside in your gardens.  It might be a bit wet.  I know Natalie and I will be working outside this afternoon.  We have perennials to put on the wagons and organize.  Enjoy and stay safe.

Australia family and friends are telling me it is cold for them.  They are having a low tonight which is now as I write this at 10:30AM (1:36AM) is 39F(4C) high for them on Thursday June 5 will be 59F(15C)  stay warm, stay safe

Becky’s Greenhouse adventure is a sale that is starting.  All annual and vegetable packs are on sale.  Single vegetables and annuals are $4.00, and small 4 packs are on sale for $2.25, large 4 packs are $4.00.  Flat of 12 small 4 packs is $22.00  mix and match the four packs with annuals and vegetables.  Savings of $5.00

With the rain we had, the plants all are very green, blooming and happy.  All ready to go into your gardens.   We have moved out Gerbera Daisies that are blooming, the nonstop begonias are inside on racks and they are looking good.  One common bedding plant is the moss roses, we have and I am hearing that they are hard to find.  I don’t know just what I was told.  We still have a nice selection of Calibrachoas or Million Bells in many different colors. Sun Patients, and the wave petunias are very colorful. 

In bedding plants, we have zinnias, marigolds, alyssum, snapdragons, dianthus, salvia, regular petunias, coleus, celosia, dusty miller, gomphrena. Impatiens, double impatiens ,pansy. torenia, just to name a few of the bedding plants.

We have geraniums and hanging basket.

We have planted house plants starter plants which you can buy starting at $4.00, and watch them grow. 

We have the carnivorous plants ready to sell. 

Big hit this year are miniature little pots of succulents.  They are in a little pot with saucer. 

We have a selection of potted little decorative pots of cats, sheep, dogs with succulents.  We will be planting more of them.
​I could list more  and more, but like I say every week, we are adding more and more different kinds of plants.  We are here to help with your gardening needs. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Beckysgreenhouse.  Beckysgreenhouse.com 

image from clipartmag.com 

image from picturesai.com    One of the oldest living types of plants

             Welcome to a warm day in Iowa.  Temperature is to reach 87F(31C)  Humidity is here but not like July Dee point is at 58.  We have SSW wind at 17 so that helps a little.  My biggest concern is watering these plants outside.  It will take me all day to do the wagons.  I hate it when you come as the gardener and see droopy plants, but I am working on it.  Thanks for understanding.  We are to get rain, and KWWL said 100% rain up to one inch to 1.25 inches of rain.  That is needed I am hearing.  I am hearing hard ground, I have been watering for 2 days and still dry.  It seems so early to water, but like true gardeners you want produce or flowers you will do what you need to do.  Stay cool, stay safe.

Now for the Australia family and friends, remember they are in their fall.  43F(6C) with a high of 57F(15C) it is Tuesday for them, and they are to have rain.  Stay warm, stay safe.

What is happening at Becky’s Greenhouse?  I want to help you with your gardening needs, so I have some vegetables that are free.  I will be putting out different ones each week. 

The potting gals have planted houseplants, and I am selling them as starter plants.  These plants start at $4.00.  Great way to increase your houseplants by growing them yourself. 
​
One of them is Peacock Fern is surprisingly not a fern.  Some of its other common names included peacock moss, rainbow moss, spike moss and more.  However, it is not a moss either.  The Peacock fern belongs to a group of plants calle Lycophyte.  Lycophytes are vascular plants and they are one of the oldest living groups of plants. 
Peacock Fern (Selaginella Uncinata): Ultimate Care Guide
Written by Garden Biology  in Ferns
Why are Peacock ferns called ferns and moss? Like many plants, they have several common names because people have described them based on their looks and attributes. The Selaginella uncinata (the peacock ferns scientific name) has foliage that resembles a fern but it grows similar to moss.
 Peacock ferns do not require a ton of care, but some things should be known about how to care for them. They can be finicky about lighting, water, and humidity. This section of the article will discuss how to care for a Selaginella uncinata plant.
The peacock fern is a fairly easy plant to care for. They can be planted inside a house, in a terrarium, in a garden, or near an aquarium. This versatility makes them an excellent option for someone looking to get into plants. They do require shade and a humid, moist environment.
How to care for Peacock Fern indoors?
A peacock fern can be an excellent indoor plant since they like low light. They do best in hanging baskets as they grow over the sides of planters. They can also thrive inside terrariums and outside of aquariums.
These plants should ideally be planted in full shade areas or areas that only receive morning light. Constant direct light can scorch a peacock fern’s leaves.
Even though the peacock fern is not a true fern, it does thrive in a very moist environment like many other ferns. This plant thrives with routine consistent watering. It is recommended to check the soil every 2-3 days and only let the top inch of the soil dry.
Peacock ferns are considered a tropical plant and therefore love temperatures in the 80s with a humidity of at least 90%. They will thrive as long as the temperature does not drop below 50 and the humidity is around 50%. Hardiness zones 6-10 are where this plant thrives.
 A newly potted peacock fern should not be fertilized for at least the first two months. If a fish emulsion is used as the fertilizer, follow the instructions on the container. Just be mindful to not over-fertilize the plant as over-fertilization can scorch the plants’ leaves.
 Selaginella Uncinata will typically grow a couple of inches tall, but it will grow very wide. At a maximum, they grow to 10 inches tall. However, they more commonly grow to 6 inches tall and can spread up to 20 inches wide. Selaginella uncinata is considered a slow-growing plant. This plant can begin to grow over the sides of a planter within a couple of weeks. Regular trimmings will help keep it in check and prevent it from overtaking your pot or basket. Pinching back the tips of the stems is a form of pruning that will stimulate the plant to start growing wider instead of upwards.
Selaginella uncinata are beautiful plants and will make a great addition to any home or terrarium. They are relatively easy plants to care for as long as they are routinely watered and kept in a shady and humid environment.
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook  Becky Kerndt Litterer, or Becky’s Greenhouse


 

starter house plants at Becky's 

   Our weather is changing with warmer weather moving in till Tuesday, then maybe we will get rains. Temperature today will be 83F(28C) with sun and haze possible from the Canada wildfires.  Stay cool, Stay safe.

Australià family and friends for Sunday June 1 will be 63F(17C) Looks like a nice fall day for them.  Enjoy, stay warm, stay safe.

  I started this 2 days ago, maybe today I can post it.  The gardeners are saying we need rain again.  It looks like it is going to warm up which we need it to do.  We had a busy day.  I wish I had a dollar for every time I hear this.  “Do you get rid of all of this?”  My answer is I am open the whole month of June and I do get rid of most of the plants.  If not in June, then the Franklin Co Fair in July and the Herb Fest at the end of July.  We plant just for the fair, and they are planted now for fair.   I tell them that the perennials are brought in, and some of the annuals, but all the rest is grown out of this greenhouse.  I start in Feb., so I have been at this for a while. Planting, water, and moving to make more room for planting. 

Last night I got another order from Swift’s.  I have rosemary, Borage, caraway, lavender, Leeks, lemon and orange balm.  I had sold out of Blunt Mountain Mint, so got another flat.  One of the gardeners of North Iowa garden club was so excited to get it.  She uses it in floral arrangements, said the white flower on it is awesome. It is the perennial of the year 2025. I ordered more hens and chicks, and they are just huge coming out of Swifts greenhouse. 

We just started another display in the greenhouse.  Houseplants starters.  We put into small pots for growing and you can take them home to watch them grow.  We have them starting at $4.00.  For those of you that love house plants this is a very inexpensive way of getting house plants.  When they have grown, then you can transplant them into bigger pots.  We are planting more each day. 
​
I am very proud of the work from Natalie.  She is a trooper when it comes to moving plants outside and making room for them, I have a space problem, I want 6 trays to fit into a space for 3.  Ya, I know.  Not possible, but I figured out a place to put them anyway.  We have plants growing in the back of the greenhouse, but mostly everything is out or in the front of the greenhouse.  With it getting warmer out, this will be good. 
I better quit writing so I can get this posted.  Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell  641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse

image from gardentabs.com

       IT is WED.  The sun was out early this morning, but now at noon it is overcast.  It was warming up nicely inside the greenhouse, but now it is cooling down. As I was working with plants, I noticed how cold the soil is.  The plants I were transplanting aren’t doing that well, and now I know why.  High today 64F(17C) cloudy skies and maybe some rain.  All the outside plants are wet, but I think I will start to water later today to stay ahead of it drying out.  Natalie and I are moving out plants that haven’t been out.  I will post pictures of what we are moving out.  Stay safe. 
 
Australia family and friends today May 29, Thursday weather for them are 64F(17C) Do you notice we are at the temperature?  Unbelievable being in different hemispheres, different seasons and miles away. Sunny conditions expected with wind up to 13MPH.  Enjoy your fall day.  Stay safe. 
 
I found this chart online with what our soil temperatures should be for vegetables.  Give it some thought about your vegetable gardening that you have done, and why the seeds aren’t coming up.  I just looked it up and the soil temperature for Cerro Gordo Co, and Franklin Co is 60 degrees.  Last week it was 51 degrees.  Now you can plant more in your garden.
Taken from a gardening site:  The author is in first person.  Not me.  
I see a lot of folks direct sowing seeds in their garden way too early. Yes, sometimes the seeds will survive and germinate when the soil temperature is right, but sometimes the seeds rot or get eaten by wildlife...so why not wait until garden conditions are right?
I use an accurate meat thermometer to test soil temperature in the morning. Doing these 3 days in a row, I take an average and only sow seeds when the soil has reached optimal temperature:
Green beans 60 degrees F.
Beets 50
Cabbage 45
Carrot 45
Cauliflower 45
Chard 50
Corn 60
Cucumber 60
Eggplant 75
Lettuce 40
Parsnip 50
Peas 40
Pepper 65
Radish 45
Spinach 45
Squash (summer & winter) 70
Tomato 60
Turnup 60
Credit: Proverbs 31 homestead 
Hope this helps with your gardening planting.  It proves that we have to be aware of the area around us and not looking at the calendar. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer, or Becky’s Greenhouse