image from garden.eco

image from blog.sunsethostafarm.com

​Good morning and we had more rain.  Now the wind is blowing and a little cooler out.  But this will change as the front coming through will bring more humidity this afternoon which will lead to more storms.  We are in a thunderstorm watch area…see what happens. 
I am at the greenhouse for sure this morning.  I am planting the little containers for the Franklin Co fair.  I will show you a sampling of them later when I get more planted.  I do love to plant and grow so this is a nice change and using up plants we already have.  I love to plant and grow and share it with my gardeners.  I am open today till 5 and then open the weekend from 9-5 on Saturday and 1-5 on Sunday if you are in the need of fillers for your garden or containers.  I have peppers left, but unfortunately the tomatoes and the cold crops have been composted.  It is time not so much to water and take care of.
I will be here July 1st-July 3rd then closing for the 4th of July holiday.  Franklin Co Fair is the following week so we will be loading up and bringing stuff to the fair.  Working in the gardens will be determined again when it dries out.  But at least you don’t have to water.  Enjoy your work in the gardens and stay safe. 
Questions asked this week.  When should I stop harvesting rhubarb? 
To know when to stop cutting rhubarb, consider the following guidelines12345:
Stop harvesting by early July to allow the plant to recover before winter.
Slow down or stop your harvest in late June or early July so the plant can store energy for winter.
Avoid over-harvesting and weakening the plant by stopping harvesting by the end of June.
The stems remain edible and tasty through summer, but it's best to stop to maintain plant health.
What can I do to stop getting holes in my hostas?
3 Proven Methods On How To Prevent Slugs On Hostas  By: Author Daniel
People mainly plant hostas because of their foliage which strengthens your planting scheme. They are easy to grow and resilient.
However, they also attract several pests, which nibble holes in the foliage and strip the leaves.
Some of the pests that eat hostas include snails, slugs, deer, rabbits, and field mice.
How to Prevent Slugs on Hostas?
To prevent slugs on your hostas, first, clean up the area and establish barriers around your hostas. Some people also handpick the slugs off at night. The second approach is using natural methods such as citrus fruits, cucumbers, beer, and nematodes. Lastly, use chemical options like ammonia to kill off the slugs.
How to Stop Slugs from Eating Your Hostas
There are three main approaches you can take to prevent slugs from eating your hostas.
It includes clean up and structuring, use of natural approaches, and use of chemicals.
Clean Up and Structuring
Cleaning up your garden helps remove areas that could hide their clothes, including mulch, leaves, and other debris. You can use a new mulch to replace the debris if necessary.
If you have a small slug infestation, you can control it by simply taking them at night. A flashlight will easily help you to spot them.
Also, prevent slugs on hostas by watering your plants in the morning so that they can be dry at night and prevent the slugs from forming a habitat in your garden.
Barriers can also help to prevent slugs on hostas. Ensure you set up the barriers before the first leaves sprout to keep pests off from the beginning.
You can use fine Grit around the plant. Some people consider poultry grit or cactus Grit.
Pine needles, holly leaves, fine mesh, and sheep wool pellets also create effective barriers.
You can also use some eggshells around your posters to prevent the slugs from accessing the hostas because the eggshells are too sharp for them.
Another structuring option is to use containers to grow your hostas. Slugs will find it harder to get to the hostas if you store the containers well and establish barriers.
Use of Natural Methods
Natural methods are usually home remedies that can help you prevent slugs on hostas.
Some of the most common approaches include using beer, citrus fruits, coffee, cucumbers, and nematodes.
Beer
To prevent slugs on hostas from using beer, simply take a cup and fill it halfway with beer.
The beer will attract the slugs, and once they climb into it, they drown.
Coffee
Coffee offers two advantages when preventing slugs on hostas. First, it is poisonous to slugs and kills them.
Secondly, coffee is a natural plant fertilizer. You will need to reapply the coffee often because it disintegrates and becomes less concentrated.
Citrus and cucumber
Citrus causes the slugs to shift their focus from your hostas. This will help you to remove the slugs easily.
Cucumber works the same way as citrus in attracting slugs from your hostas. Throw the spent citrus and cucumbers in the compost after slug removal.
Nematodes
Nematodes are a biological approach to controlling slugs. Research shows that they are microscopic kill worms that kill slugs from the inside.
However, they do not help to control snails.
Use of Chemicals
You can turn to chemicals to prevent slugs on hostas. However, we recommend trying chemicals when the slug problem persists.
It is better to try natural and organic ways fast as it also helps to preserve the environment.
Ammonia
Ammonia is highly effective and popular for killing slugs.
Use a sprayer to spray ammonia and water solution on the leaves of the hostess and directly on the slabs. Use a ratio of 10 to 1 (water to ammonia).
Ammonia usually kills slugs on contact. Moreover, it is also a helpful fertilizer as it adds nitrogen to your garden.
Spray the stems, too, because the slugs sometimes chew into them. Consider the leaves that fall on the ground because they are an easy meal for the slugs.
It will be best to spray ammonia in the evening because the slugs start to become active. After all, the temperatures are not hot like during the day.
Sluggo
Sluggo is another chemical option for killing plugs. It contains naturally occurring iron and phosphate, which makes it safe for use around pets.
How to Tell Slugs Are Eating Your Hostas
You can stop pests from destroying your hostas if you identify the culprits. In slugs, the most common indication is tiny holes in the hostas’ foliage, especially on the leaves.
The holes that slugs leave have irregular shapes and vary from small to large.
A large slug population can cause considerable damage to your hostas. Slugs are usually active when the temperatures are over 50 degrees Fahrenheit during cloudy days or at night.
They usually hide within crevices, in between rocks, in mulch, or in the dark. Slugs love moisture-rich areas.
The damage slugs cause earlier in the year is more stressful than the damage they cause towards the end of the season.
If the damage comes at the end of the season, you will have to wait till the next season to employ preventive measures.
Small damage from slugs only affects the aesthetics of the plant but not the health.
Can I use sand to keep out slugs?
Though it’s quite peculiar sand can help you to keep out slugs because slugs avoid crawling over scratchy or dry material.
Can Coffee ground help to keep out slugs from my hostas?
Coffee grounds are effective in keeping slugs away. However, a caffeine solution is more effective.
Conclusion
Slug infestation can become a huge problem for your hostas. But, you can use 3 methods to remove them.
First, you can use clean-up and structuring approaches such as speaking of the slugs and building barriers.
Alternatively, you can also use natural options such as cucumbers, citrus, coffee, and nematodes.
Lastly, you can resort to chemical measures such as ammonia and Sluggo when organic, and natural approaches fail.
Taken from https://plantophiles.com/pest-control/how-to-prevent-slugs-on-hostas
Till next time this is Becky Litterer Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337   cell 641-903-9365

image from pixabay.com

    What a lovely morning we had.  Less humidity and not so warm as it was Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  Tomorrow it is to be the same with this cold front that moved thru and is here now.  I will only water once today as the other days it was twice with each wagon and tall cart. 
Yes, we still have plants, and will continue to be here every day till July 3rd.  Looking at the calendar one more week of being here every day.  We will close at 6:00 on July 3rd and not open up with the plants here till after the Franklin Co fair.  Dates for the Franklin Co fair is July 10th-14th.    We will be moving plants on the 8th and the 9th so we will not be here.  We will move plants and stuff back on the 15th.  I will be around then on July 16th.  We will have had the wagons under the trees by the house, to help conserve moisture.  We will bring them out to water if you want to get some plants.  I will post on internet when I am back.  BUT open next week Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wed.  Love to have you stop in and pick up some filling plants for your gardens or pots.  Enjoy this lovely weather and be safe.
​
Identify what critters are eating your plants.  By Doreen G. Howard
Be a critter detective! Here’s how to identify which animals are eating your garden plants, as well as which repellents for deer and rabbits have proven most effective.
I( author of this article Doreen G. Howard ) live in the country where deer, fox, coyotes, raccoons, squirrels and rabbits thrive. Even in winter, deer will scar fruit tree trunks, scratching their itchy antlers against them, and wild turkeys rut the soil seeking insects.
Last year during the drought, things nearly went nuclear.  Some gangsters took to gnawing holes in the garden hoses, seeking water.  After replacing two hoses, my husband strung one of them in the crabapple tree near the vegetable garden to get if off the ground.  Didn’t work. Holes started appearing in the hose up in the tree.  Husband taped the hose to seal it, and I sprayed it with a critter repellent.  That worked.  But, I never could figure out who was doing the damage. That’s until Joan Casanova of Green Earth Media Group sent me her critter detective guide.
How to Identify Animals Eating Your Plants
Here are Joan’s clues on how to determine and deter which unwanted animal is the assailant in your garden.  She said, “How are you supposed to fight ‘crime’ in your decimated garden if you can’t identify the suspect who’s been devouring your daylilies?”
Deer - Ragged bites, typically a foot or more above the ground indicate deer damage. Deer are notorious for devouring flowers and ornamental plants.  Tall, electrified fences work, but they are expensive and make a garden look like a prison yard.
Rabbits - If plant damage is low to the ground, a few inches above the soil, and includes stems clipped cleanly at an angle, the culprits are rabbits. These foragers will eat just about any kind of vegetation, including vegetables, flowers, bushes and other woody plants. If you don’t want bunnies nesting and raising families near your garden, remove debris that could provide them with shelter.  Also, wire mesh fencing around vegetable gardens deters them, too.
Rabbit fencing around my veggie garden keeps the damage away, but I can’t fence flower beds.
Voles - When flower bulbs disappear from the ground or plant roots go missing, chances are you have voles - mouse-like creatures that burrow underground. Exit holes are further indications that voles are tunneling under your garden. Teeth marks around the base of trees, droppings or trails in the grass can also indicate the presence of voles.
Groundhogs - Mounds of dirt beside burrow entrances are a sure sign of groundhogs, a garden villain that eats just about every type of green plant. They live in burrows underground.
Chipmunks - Damage to flower bulbs, plant shoots and leaves, uprooted plants and dug-up roots are all signs you have chipmunks. Their underground burrows may be a challenge to spot since the entrances are usually only about 2 inches in diameter and not surrounded by noticeable dirt mounds. You can foil their activity by removing yard debris where chipmunks hide.
Squirrels - While you might think of them as mostly the enemy of anyone with a bird feeder, squirrels also damage gardens. They live in colonies, digging underground tunnels and mounds in grassy areas and around trees that can lay waste to gardens and landscapes.
I will try to find ways to get rid of these pests after you have decided what you have eating your plants.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/be-critter-detective
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337   cell 641-903-9365 

rough day for my pet.

West Fork Winners 4-H club planting fair pots to decorate fair ground

​WOW it is warm out temperature at 1:30 PM is at86  feels like 91.  Wind only at 6 mph so that doesn’t help. I would say partly sunny.. I have to be at the greenhouse to move the waterers.  I am sitting in front of fans so warm air is moving.  I have the Clear Lake Garden Club tonight, so hopefully it cools down a little bit. 
Not much to say but when I saw my pet  like this, I know the feeling.  Just too warm, and I am tired.  How about you?  How is your gardening coming?  I am open every day through July 3rd.  The Franklin Co Fair in Hampton starts July 10th, but it takes me two days to get all down to the fairgrounds.  West Fork Winners 4-h club helped plant 20 large pots for the fairgrounds on Sunday evening.  They did it in one hour and were great help.  Thanks to them for helping me. I will take baskets too for the ice cream parlor and the general store.  In the past, I have been known to take over 200 pots, but the fair board has done landscaping so don’t need that many now.  When did I have the time?  All that have helped me work the greenhouse know how many pots and work it was to bring them to the fair. 
Stay cool and stay safe…till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

perennials 

marigolds 

trees  

air plants

carnivorous plants

annuals 

blooming annuals

more perennials 

geraniums, hens and chicks in the front

blooming annuals

house plants finish growing in your home 

potted begonias 

​Thanks for all the well wishes for closing early on Saturday.  We had a good time, and I just love watching all the kids play together, laugh and just enjoy each other.  I have been open, but it has been hot hasn’t it.  Today Wed is a nice day with the mild temperature, so it is a good time to work on gardening.  I am working on little succulent planters for the Franklin Co Fair. 
But to tell you the truth, I have been watering all the time when it has been so hot.  We had over one-inch last night, so I don’t have to water today.  YAH…. now you see the pictures and that is why all looks so good yet.
The sale prices of the 4 pack of annuals and vegetables are $2.00, single premium annuals at $3.00, geraniums are $3.00, large 4 pack of annuals are $3.00, 4” purple pot perennials $4.00, #6 dark purple perennial pots 10.00 and #6  pink pot perennials 12.00
We have asparagus roots yet.  Onion sets and seed potatoes $4.00.  I have glad bulbs for .50 each. Air plants, house plants starter plants inside the greenhouse.
Trees all of them are $15.00 off which is like 10%, and shrubs or bushes are $5.00 off or like 10% off of them.
As you can see from the picture's plants look really good.  I am open Monday through Saturday 9-6, Sunday 1-6 till July 3rd.  I will take off for the 4th and the rest of the weekend.  I looked at the calendar then on Monday July 8th we will start the moved down the Franklin Co Fair with being at the fair on Wed. July 10th with plants and as much as I can bring.  I might get a little panic with the time coming so quickly for the Franklin Co Fair, but we will have things ready and we will be there. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  

​Saturday June 15th and I am closing at 2:00 today.  We have family here from Wyoming, so a family afternoon is planned.  I will be here Sunday 1-6 and even earlier watering if you want to come when it is cooler out.  All the rest of June here every day.  Monday thru Saturday 9-6, Sunday 1-6. Hope all see this before making the trip to Dougherty.  Thanks, and come any other day for sure.
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365 

image from freepnging.com

We have had some nice days on Friday with low humidity, sun and a nice breeze.  Then we had days with the wind blowing strong. And then we have had days with humidity, high and warm temperatures.  Sounds like summer is coming. 

I am still here and open.  Working hard to keep all the plants looking good with watering at least once a day.  If you need some plants to fill in, stop in and see me.  All annuals are on sale.  Starting at 2.00 and most are 4.00.  Perennials all on sale with the 4” purple pots starting at $4.00.  Shrubs, raspberry bushes, peonies are 5.00 off, and trees are 15.00 off.  Succulents start at 1.00. starter house plants are on sale starting at 5.99.  Great selection of house plants to use for terrariums and small pots in the house.  Open this Friday till 6.  Saturday I am open till 2.  Closing early as family Is here.  There is a family picnic to go to.  Then Open Sunday 1-6, but I am here Sunday morning, if you want to come when it is cooler out.  Monday thru Sat next week 9-6, and Sundays 1-6. 
​k
Stay cool, and still work in your gardens and enjoy the beauty you have planted.  Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365 [email protected]

image from soilhealthnexus.org

        IT WAS HOT out…87 degrees yesterday June 12th.  Now today June 13 the temperature is 78 with a high today of 80 and low tonight of 56.   Wind has picked up out of the N with 16 MPH.  so that makes it feel cooler, I think.  But watering from sprinklers to wagons is interesting.  Maybe doing 2 or 3 at a time.     We work hard to keep the plants looking good.  So far, we have done that.  
I have been hearing that the ground is hard, and that makes the garden vegetable seeds not to come thru.  Have you had that problem?  I have had gardeners in that are replanting so that must be one of the reasons. 
A gardener came today bringing me some of her plants that had died.  She has several of these, and just a few and not all together have died.  They have underground watering, so they were wet enough.  But there was a crust on top of the soil, so made me wonder if that was the reason.  Here is what I found out.
​
Written by Steven Edholm,
 One of the first subjects I would try to explain to any beginning gardener is the evils of soil crusting.  Ideal soil for growing most things has a structure or openness to it.  There is space incorporated into the soil which allows the infusion of air.  Since the pore spaces make the soil more friable, roots and organisms can make their way through it more easily.  The structure of soil is created over time as creatures move through it, roots penetrate it and then eventually die, and worms wend their way about leaving their neatly formed earth filled droppings behind.  When disturbed very much by digging and pulverizing (especially if too dry or too wet), and left exposed to the open environment without the covering of living or dead vegetation found in most natural environments, most soils form more or less of a crust.  The crust is made of tightly packed small mineral particles which are no longer formed into the structures that make up good aerated soil.  An extreme example would be to take some soil mix it in a blender with water, and then pour it out and form a sort of slurry that would dry to a packed smooth surface.  That may be extreme, but many of our garden practices, some avoidable and some less so, can do nearly the same thing.
But wait, there’s more bad stuff!  There is often more talk about getting air out of the soil when planting plants than getting air into the soil, but it should probably be the other way around.  Plants may not appreciate large air pockets that their roots encounter, but very few plants are well adapted to survive or thrive in completely air free soil.  In fact, ideal soil for most of the stuff we grow has a good bit of pore space and a ready exchange of air and gasses.  Ever stepped on a garden bed?  Your foot should sink a good divet into the bed as it crushes the soil structure and closes up the air spaces in the soil. Though I have never formally tested the proposition, it seems to me that plants grow much better if the soil surface is kept very open.  Soil “breathes”, or at least it should, in order to keep the gajillions of living things in healthy soil thriving.  Soil should be like a sponge containing a portion of air rather than like a uniform adobe brick.  In fact if we are making adobe bricks or pottery, it is essential to thoroughly destroy any structure forming a homogenous mix where the clay particles are smeared over every grain of sand locking them together like glue.  Digging and cultivation can ruin the structure of soil causing the air spaces to collapse.  Generally the worst times to dig soil are when it is very wet, or very dry and powdery.  One makes mud, the other makes powder that can turn into mud when the soil is eventually watered or rained on.  Either one can lead to soil crusting.  The spectrum in between when the soil is moist, but not too wet or dry is when you should do your digging and cultivating if possible.
Okay, so there it is.  Soil crusting makes it harder to get water into the soil but the water evaporates more readily.  Soil crusting also inhibits penetration of the air essential to keep the life of the soil buzzing along. 
Taken from https://skillcult.com/blog/2016/7/15/the-evils-of-soil-crusting-causes-prevention-and-rectification
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty, Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from istockphoto.com 

Good morning….it is almost perfect.  Blue clear sky, little wind…what a great day to be in the garden.  I am enjoying my garden, all the wagons and tall racks.  I am watering, which is daily sometimes twice a day.  Wind really dried the soil out.  How about your gardens?  I bet it is time to weed, and work in them.  OR just have that cup of coffee and enjoy the beauty around you.
Here are some easy perennials to plant.  Yes, I have these here if you want to plant them. AND they are on sale.    

What are Perennials?
Perennials are those flowers that return reliably year after year—whereas annuals are those one-season wonders that add color and need to be replaced every spring. It’s the perennials that form the backbone of a garden, whereas annuals are planted for spots of color. Think of perennials as the foundation. Learn more about the difference between annuals and perennials.
An advantage of perennials is that they require minimum maintenance. After establishment, most perennials require minimum pesticides or pruning. They just need well-drained soil that’s amended with compost or organic matter. However, there are literally thousands of varieties of perennials, and while some are indeed as easy as pie to grow, others require at least as much attention as annuals. So, if an easy garden is what you seek, choose the right perennials!

When to Plant Perennials
You can plant a perennial any time, but the best times are fall and spring. This allows the plant to get well-established before winter or hot, dry summers. We prefer fall because the soil is already warmed. Planting in summer is okay, but you’ll need to water frequently.
The following are among the easiest perennials common throughout most of North America.

Why These Perennials Are So Easy
The plants listed here are perfect perennials because they …
do not need fussy care, such as pinching, staking, and deadheading (although some of these plants, like daylilies, can benefit from deadheading)
are fairly resistant to pests and diseases and may even be unappealing to deer (although a hungry deer will eat just about anything)
have a long life span (more than 5 years)
adapt to a wide range of conditions
do not spread all over the garden via invasive rhizomes
grow and bloom well even if you do not divide them
are tough enough to hold their own against invasive neighbors
will grow almost anywhere in North America (Zones 2 to 9)

Easy-to-Grow Perennial Flowers for Beginners
Black-eyed Susans
Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are a popular native flower and have been a staple for so long that just about everyone grows them. Sturdy stems bear cheerful golden daisy-like flowers with a black, conelike center. They occur singly atop 1 to 2-foot stems. Take note, though, that this is a late starter, flowering at the end of summer.

Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)
Echinacea purpurea, commonly known as coneflower, is a popular and easily grown native perennial in the U.S. that produces long-lasting lavender flowers on smooth 2 to 5-foot  robust stems and bears a prickly, green to orange center. It blooms from midsummer to early fall, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. The flowers are used to make an extremely popular herbal.

Daylilies
Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are the workhorse of the garden and very low-maintenance, thriving in full sun but also can tolerate partial shade. It’s not an original native, but it’s been here a long, long time. Lots of choices here, from big flowers to small, from dwarfs to giants, from early bloomers to fall bloomers—all trumpet-shape and borne over attractive, arching, grasslike foliage. Some varieties, such as the ever-popular ‘Stella de Oro’ (yellow flowers), bloom all summer! Colors include yellow, orange, pink, purplish red, and “white” (well, more like cream), often with a contrasting eye. Each flower lasts but a day (thus the name, “daylilies”), but stems can produce dozens of flowers… and there can be dozens of stems!

Hostas
Ever popular, hostas are tough as nails as long as you remember two things: You must buy slug-resistant varieties (these usually have thick leaves), and deer belove hostas. Hostas come in various sizes and are grown mostly for their foliage—usually large leaves, with attractive veining in shades from dark green to chartreuse and blue, often with beautiful yellow or white variegation. The trumpet-shaped flowers are white to purple and usually fairly insignificant; however, there are some large-flower, highly scented varieties. Hostas require full shade to partial shade and bloom from early summer to fall.

Peonies
Your great-great-grandmother probably grew peonies (Paeonia spp.)—and, likely, they’re still exactly where she planted them! Peonies are about the longest-lived perennials around. The deeply cut leaves are a glossy dark green that reddens in the fall, but their main attraction is the huge, showy, blowsy blooms that are pink, white, or red (and, more recently, yellow or peach). Flowers can be single, semidouble, or double, but take note: many of the double varieties require staking. Peonies bloom in mid-to-late spring..

Foxglove
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a stunning tall flower with tubular blossoms that often looks best at the back of a garden; it’s also rabbit- and deer-resistant. Common foxglove is a biennial, which means they form a rosette and leaves in their first year, bloom in their second year, and then die. Foxgloves reseed easily, so plant foxgloves two years in a row for flowering plants. Also, new perennial varieties of foxglove have been developed that flower in year one.
NOTE: Foxglove is highly poisonous, so don’t plant them if you have pets or young children who might gnaw on the plants. Additionally, foxglove is not native to North America and may be considered invasive in some locations.

Columbine
Columbine (Aquilegia) is a beautiful woodland perennial with dropping, bell-like red petals which attract hummingbirds. Once started, columbine propagates for years and, although perennial, increases rapidly by self-seeding.

Showy Stonecrop
One of the taller members of the genus Hylotelephium (formerly Sedum), these popular garden plants are extremely easy to grow. White to pink cauliflower blooms appear over succulent, blue-green leaves. Blooms in fall. Read more about Stonecrop.

Astilbe
Astilbe (Astilbe x arendsii) has a low growing habit that makes it work as a border plant or ground cover. The flowers are fluffy pink or white panicles above dense fern-like foliage

Phlox
A very common wildflower, phlox blooms anytime from late spring through the summer months in pastel pink, purple, or white flowers. Most species need full sun to thrive. Butterflies and hummingbirds love phlox!

Bee Balm (Wild Bergamot)
Bee balm (Monarda spp.) blooms yearly in mid to late summer. It’s beloved by pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, who enjoy the sweet nectar found in its tubular-shaped florets. In zones 4 to 8, it grows in full sun to part shade and prefers average to consistently moist soil. Deer tend to leave it alone due to its minty-scented foliage.
​
New England Aster
The native aster has colors ranging from lavender to blue to white, with showy flowers. The perennial’s hairy, clasping leaves are arranged densely on its stout stems, and the plant can grow to six feet or more in height.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/easy-perennial-flowers
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa   641-794-3337  641-903-9365  cell  [email protected]  

image from publicdomainpictures.net

What a lovely morning.  It is breezy out but no humid so it makes it very comfortable to work outside.  Clear blue sky.  Great day to work in your gardens and just be outside.  I AM….

SALE, Sale, sale is on.  All annuals, perennials, and vegetables are on sale.  Plants are still looking good just want them in your garden not mine.  We still have a wide variety of plants for you to use.  Annual 4 packs, single plants, vegetables are available and still time to put in your garden. We have asparagus roots.  Onions and potatoes can still be planted.

Our cucumbers and squash plants are ready to be planted.  Sorry the watermelon and muskmelon didn’t come up for me.  I think I need new seed so next year. 

We have a full wagon of perennials plus more on carts that are for sale and ready to be planted in your garden.  We have hostas, coneflowers of all sizes and colors, clematis,  hardy mums for coming back in our area, lemon grass, hens and chicks, sedum, lilies, as always just to name a few. 

Succulents starting a $1.00 and up. 

We have 7 long racks of flowers and vegetables.  Plus lots of tall racks full of plants.

Remember we buy in the perennials and some of the annuals, but most of what you see we have grown out of this greenhouse.  There have been 4 of us planting since March.  That is one reason we have the variety of bedding plants and ones in 4 packs, not just as single plants. 
​
Stop in for the SALE….Monday thru Saturday 9-6, Sunday 1-6.  Thanks for all that have stopped in, I love growing the plants but love the gardeners more and giving you some great looking plants. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  

images Becky's Greenhouse .

​When I walked over this morning, this is what I saw.  We work hard to keep all the plants looking well.  Lots of color, and all ready to go into your gardens or containers.  The rain has helped to make them look like this, but I still have to daily water all of them. 
All the plants are outside, except for the impatience and the begonias they are in the greenhouse.   Nice selection of house plants are also inside the greenhouse. 
We have sweet potato plants that you eat.  Growing nicely and they are ready to plant in your garden.  We have cucumber, English cucumbers, squash, zucchini, burpless cucumbers all in plant form ready to go into your garden.  I will take the last of them off the propagation bed with heat underneath to start to harden off, then they will be ready to go into your garden.   
How is your garden doing?  Planting coming, ok?  Weeds growing, am sure.  Take time to enjoy what you have planted.  I need to do some moving of plants.  Imagine that always moving and rearranging the tall carts, wagons and inside the greenhouse.  Keep things fresh.  Possible chance of wind and hail later today. Stay safe, stay cool.  Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]   641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365