thanks for all the congratulations about my award.  Greatly appreciated and a little overwhelmed.  Just posting the picture of this honey bee because I love the picture.   Taken from Old Farmer's Almanac 

image from publicdomainpictures.net

Good morning.  First, I want to thank all that sent congratulations on my honor of getting inducted into the 4H hall of Fame.  I am very humble about all that has been written.  Thanks for the texts, phone calls, cards, and posts from all of you.
We all have been enjoying this very almost perfect weather with cooler temperatures, and lower humidity.  It is going to change, they say for this weekend, and next week. Noticed one thing abut cracked tomatoes.  I didn’t know….
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Ripen those tomatoes faster and more tomato harvest tips by Robin Sweetser
It’s tomato harvest time! See my tips on how to encourage ripening of tomatoes, rescue imperfect tomatoes, and what to do with all those tomatoes—from roasting to other delicious ways to enjoy!
Rescuing Imperfect Tomatoes
Tomatoes do not need to be those perfect, round (and often tasteless) specimens you find in the grocery store. Don’t throw a tomato because it’s “wrinkly” or a weird shape.
Don’t throw away cracked tomatoes, either! If you’ve had a lot of rain and your tomatoes have cracks or blight or blossom-end rot, it’s perfectly fine to cut around the cracks and eat in salads, sandwiches, salsas, and sauces. (However, do not use these tomatoes for canning!)
Taste it! If the tomato doesn’t taste good (sometimes the case with blight), that’s another issue; just toss it in the compost. But rest assured that it won’t harm or kill you. Also, if any pests or larvae are inside the fruit when you cut it, then discard that tomato.
When to Pick Tomatoes
We like to keep our tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. However, don’t let those tomatoes get too soft! Pick them and don’t waste your bounty. A tomato that’s ready to eat will feel slightly tender to the touch. Give it a tug. If a tomato doesn’t want to separate from the stem, leave it a little longer.
Encourage Faster Ripening
Tomatoes will keep ripening on the vine until a freeze. To accelerate ripening on the vine, reduce watering, pick off extra blossoms, harvest smaller fruit, and shift the roots a bit to encourage tomatoes to ripen.
If you pick green tomatoes, you can help them ripen more quickly artificially. Place them in a paper bag, wrap them in newspaper, and set them on a rack in the garage or basement. See how to ripen your green tomatoes both on and off the vine—and also when it’s your cue to remove those tomatoes from the vine.
If you get a local warning for an overnight freeze, pick your green tomatoes and bring them in.
Ripening Tomatoes Indoors
Tomatoes are one of the edibles that do continue to ripen off the vine. If you want to pick a little early because you’re afraid of tomatoes getting overripe or eaten by pests or cracking, then you can pick the tomatoes as soon as they have more red than green. To ripen tomatoes, simply place them on a countertop at room temperature. Yes, you can ripen them even faster in a brown bag with a banana, but it doesn’t take more than a few days for them to ripen naturally.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/what-do-all-those-tomatoes?
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from lines-davies.net

      GOOD morning, and what a lovely day it is.  Low humidity, full sun but the temperature is only 79 degrees at 10:00 AM, high today of 83 with a low tonight of 60. Looks like till Saturday we will have the 90’s again, which for Labor Day the last hurrah of summer that will be ok.  I hope to get that last wagon unplanted before it gets hot again.  Not my favorite job so I have to really push myself to clean up the flats.  We all have jobs like that, I know. 

I hope to start canning this week.  HOW about you?  With having a garden, hope of produce so you can process it is such a great accomplishment. 
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I have been waiting for this small report about our winter from the Old Farmer’s Almanac.  Here is what they wrote for our winter in our zone. 
Heartland (Region 10)
The Big Chill continues in Iowa, Missouri, and the heartland of our country. However, this region won’t experience the above-normal snowfalls of its eastern and northern neighbors.
Will There Be Snow?     
Precipitation and snowfall will be slightly above average. In fact, December will be 1 inch below average, with the snowiest period being late in the month. Also expect snow dumps in early to mid-January.
How Cold Will It Get? 
Winter will be colder than normal. The coldest periods fall in early and late December, early and late January, and early February.
I don’t want to think about this cold winter weather, but it will come if we want it or not.  Enjoy this great weather this week.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/winter-extended-forecast-farmers-almanac
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  

image from fairweathernurseryco.uk

      What a lovely morning…we had rain over night .5 which is good.  I don’t have to water today anyway.  It has been so hot and humid just watered this week.  But when it cools down I need to go out and work on getting one more wagon emptied.  I need to work up all the succulents.  I have been reading about over winter tuberous begonias.  So will try to do that.  I will share when the time I am doing mine. 
I have planted some salvia in pots this spring, and find that they can stand the hot, humid weather.  BLOOMING and blooming more.  Keep that in mind for your garden next year.  Also the honey bees and hummingbirds are enjoying them too this time of year.  They take awhile to bloom but when they do they are a lovely blue color. 
If you had me talk about salvia and mint family, I would have you feel the stem and it would be square.  Anytime there is a square stem it is in the mint family. 
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How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Salvia Flowers  by Catherine Boeckmann
Perennial salvias (also known as “sage”) are a heat-loving, deer-resistant plant which thrives from midsummer through fall. The bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds can’t resist saliva! Learn how to grow, cut back, and care for salvias.
About Salvia
Part of the mint family (Lamiaceae), salvias provide colorful spikes of densely-packed flowers with tubular blossoms atop square stems and velvety leaves. Their flowers come in a range of colors, including purple, blue, red, pink, and white.
“Salvia” and “sage” are often used interchangeably; we tend to use “salvia” for the ornamental plant and “sage” for the culinary herb. However, garden sage has a few attractive ornamental varieties itself.
Hummingbirds and butterflies love salvias’ tubular flowers and they’re adored by bees, too, so plant them if you wish to attract these pretty pollinators!
 Fortunately, salvia does not tend to attract deer or rabbits. It is the distinctive, pungent odor of their leaves that acts as a repellent to garden pests.
Salvias are heat- and drought-tolerant, making them survivors in the summer garden. They grow 18 inches to 5 feet tall, depending on the variety. Salvias of all types can be grown in containers, too.
Take care when choosing salvias, because not all plants are hardy in all regions; some are best treated as annuals, but a number of perennial varieties are also available.
PLANTING
All salvias do best in full sun (6-8 hours of sunlight per day) and well-drained soil. Many varieties (typically those with light-colored flowers) will also do well in part-shade, but flowering will be reduced.
When to Plant Salvia
Direct-sow salvia seed outdoors after all danger of frost has passed in the spring.
How to Plant Salvia
Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 inches, removing any large stones or roots. Mix in a 3-inch layer of compost to provide nutrients.
If planting in a container, add some grit to the compost to improve drainage and feed in spring. Plants grown in garden soil don’t need feeding.
Dig a hole twice the diameter of the container the plant is in.
Remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface.
Space plants 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the variety.
Carefully fill in around the plant and firm the soil gently.
Water thoroughly.
GROWING
Add a 2-inch layer of mulch around the plant to retain moisture and control weeds.
Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Salvia does not like excessive summer irrigation.
Feed container plants in the spring. Plants grown in a garden bed really don’t need feeding during the season.
To encourage continuous blooms throughout the season, deadhead spent flowers periodically.
At the end of the season, leave flowers on plants to encourage reseeding (and to feed the birds).
Some develop woody lower stems with age; feel free to prune this.
After the first killing frost, cut stems back to 1 or 2 inches above the soil line.
Divide perennial salvias every few years. The best time to divide is in early spring before new growth begins. Just lift, divide into clumps, and replant.
Every spring, apply a new think layer of compost, and mulch again.
Propagating Salvia
For the adventurous gardener, salvia cuttings can be taken in the spring or early fall.
Some salvias often self-propagate, so you might find seedlings you can use in other parts of your landscape!
efore flower buds have developed, take cuttings (remove stems) from vegetative (non-flowering) branches that are about 3 to 5 inches long. Remove the lower leaves and trim each cutting just below a node (a node is where a leaf emerges from a stem).
Insert cuttings into a pot of prewatered compost. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag—try to avoid the bag touching the foliage.
Place cuttings in a spot with indirect light. After three weeks, cuttings should be ready to pot on.
RECOMMENDED VARIETIES
Part of the mint family (Lamiaceae), the genus Salvia includes about 960 species; many of the tender perennials are grown as annuals in cold regions. Depending on the variety, plants can be 18 inches to 5 feet tall, but many are suitable for containers, too.
These common salvias are usually grown as annuals; they may be grown as perennials in warmer regions:
Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans): Mexico/Guatemala native; bright red, edible flowers in late summer; leaves emit a fruity fragrance when crushed; up to 4 feet tall; hardy in Zones 8 and up
Scarlet or Texas sage (S. coccinea): bright red flowers; hardy in Zones 9 and higher; 1 to 3 feet tall
Scarlet bedding sage (S. splendens): Brazilian native; flowers can be red, purple, orange, lavender, yellow, or white; heart-shaped leaves; up to 2 feet tall
These salvias are usually grown as perennials:
Autumn sage (S. greggii): blooms from spring to frost in a rainbow of colors; disease-free and drought-tolerant; 2- to 3-foot-tall mounding form
Hybrid sage (S. x superba): ideal for cold areas; rosy purple blooms in late spring to early summer; rebloom to fall if faded flowers are cut back; 1 to 2 feet tall; ‘Rose Queen’ bears pink flowers
Pitcher sage (S. azurea var. grandiflora), aka “blue sage”: aromatic foliage; large, sky-blue flowers in late fall; 3- to 5-foot clumping form
Peruvian sage (S. discolor): native to Peru; leaves are gray-green on the top, with white undersides; dark purple flowers; spreading, floppy form; 1 to 3 feet tall
WIT AND WISDOM
Ancient Romans believed that salvia stimulated the brain and memory; they also used it to clean their teeth.
The name Salvia comes from the Latin word salvere, which means “to heal.” Salvia has been used for its herbal and medicinal qualities since ancient times.
The common kitchen herb sage—Salvia officinalis—is a relative of the many ornamental species and has a few attractive ornamental varieties itself.
PESTS/DISEASES
Pests and diseases are rarely an issue for salvia growers. Here are possible issues:
Powdery mildew
Aphids
Spider mites
Whiteflies
Root rot
Botrytis blight
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/salvia
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from phys.org

      WOW it is 3:00 PM in the afternoon.  Temperature is 93 degrees with high humidity and full sun out.  It feels like 100 degrees.  JUST DARN HOT out.  Stay safe all.  Stay cool.  I was up early this morning to water and move plants around.  Still have work to do at the greenhouse.  BUT I have moved my office back to the house as it was in the clubhouse/camper we had at the greenhouse.  I have been working full time in the greenhouse for 6 months, seems weird to be home now doing what I do here.  Bookwork, cleaning, cooking at getting things back into place. 
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How Does Honey Get Its Healing Power?  By Margaret Boyles
Cuts, scrapes, scratches, burns, coughs, canker sores, heartburn, stomach upsets, diaper rash—mostly minor ailments, but sometimes painful and always inconvenient—are common occurrences in most households. What to do? Some people reach for the honey!
Since prehistoric times, traditional healers used honey for a wide variety of medicinal purposes. A growing body of modern research confirms their wisdom. Honey is even making inroads into mainstream clinical practice, especially for wound healing.
How Does Honey Heal?
Honey has strong bactericidal properties, doesn't stick to healing tissue like bandages, doesn't cause allergic reactions, helps prevent scarring, and removes debris from wounds. Bacteria have shown no resistance to its antibiotic properties. Researchers say it shows promise for treating MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant infections.
Although they’ve discovered many of honey’s healing properties and compounds, scientists and say they’ve only begun to understand the whats, hows, and whys of this complex natural substance.
For one thing, it would be better to characterize honey as “honeys.” Each honey has a distinct constituent profile, depending on its geography and the flowers the bees visited to collect nectar. Although all honeys tested have shown strong healing potential, some honeys are better than others for treating a given condition.
Most of the so-called “medical-grade” or “medicinal” honeys on the market are called "manuka" honeys. Manuka honeys contain unusually high levels of antibacterial activity for reasons only partly understood.
It was once thought that pasteurizing removed some of the nutrients from honey, but this is not true. Both pasteurized and unpasteurized ("raw") honey contain the same nutrients (assuming that they come from the same source).
How Honey Heals
Note: Before using honey, see a doctor first for puncture wounds (you may need your tetanus shot updated), deep wounds (may need stitches), badly infected wounds, and hard-to-heal wounds. During your visit, ask about using medicinal honey for treating these and other wounds.
For treating a cut or wound, including hard-to-heal or infected wounds, clean and pat dry the injured area, wash your hands well, and apply raw honey directly to the wound. You could also soak a strip of sterile gauze in honey or purchase bandages already impregnated with medicinal honey. Apply a sterile, waterproof tape to seal the wound. If the wound oozes, change the dressing periodically. Once it’s started to dry out, you can leave the dressing on for the whole day.
For a sore throat or sores in your mouth, swirl a teaspoon or so of raw honey around in your mouth several times a day.
For effective cough suppression, sip honey with lemon juice, or just sip a spoonful of raw honey as needed
For occasional mild heartburn or stomach upsets, sip a spoonful of raw honey from time to time!
For burns, use medical-grade honey as directed above for cuts and other wounds. The honey may sting; if the pain continues or becomes stronger, discontinue the honey treatment. Visit a doctor first if your burn covers a large area or has resulted in charred skin.
For diaper rash, combine warm olive oil, beeswax, and honey (1:1:1) and spread it over the area.
Caution: Don’t feed honey to infants less than a year old; some experts suggest withholding honey until four years old. Honey may contain botulinum spores the young child’s digestive system isn't mature enough to destroy. External honey applications, e.g. for diaper rash or wounds, don’t carry this risk.
Which Kind of Honey to Buy
Most honeys on supermarket shelves have likely been pasteurized, heated, and/or otherwise processed, which destroys some or most of their beneficial properties. Some “honeys” are also adulterated with other forms of sugar.
For healing purposes, look for “raw” (unheated, unpasteurized, unprocessed) honey, ideally one whose source you can vouch for such as a local beekeeper or a one of the several brands of commercial medical-grade honey.
Medical honey, usually a Manuka honey, is available online or in speciality stores in jars, or in honey-impregnated dressings, creams, gels, and  ointments. For local honeys, experts suggest the darker the better.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/honey-health-benefits
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from umassamherst

HI, this is 3:30 in the afternoon.  We are still having almost perfect weather.  Low humidity, low temperature 72 at this time.  WOW…nice with watering to do.  We didn’t get rain last night.  DID you?  NOW it looks like very warm, hot weather is moving in on Saturday till next Friday.  94,96,97,100,99, all week long next week.  No fun working outside in the afternoon that will be sure.  Get my work done in the morning.  ENJOY and hope your gardens are producing and blooming.  Stay safe.
Why Are My Hydrangeas Not Blooming?
5 reasons why hydrangeas aren't flowering--and what to do! By Robin Sweetser
Though they are pretty foolproof plants, the most common problem gardeners have with their hydrangeas is failure to bloom. Need hydrangea help? Here are 5 common reasons for hydrangeas not flowering—and what to do about it!
5 Reasons Hydrangeas Don’t Bloom
1. Cold Injury
Many varieties of big-leaf hydrangea (H. macrophylla) and oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia) form buds in late summer or fall. These tender buds can be killed by frigid winter temps or even a late spring cold snap.
You can try to protect hydrangeas from winter damage by wrapping the plant with chicken wire or burlap and stuffing leaves or straw around the stems to insulate them, taking care not to snap any of the branches.
Better yet, grow a variety that is cold hardy in your region or one that forms its buds on the current season’s growth. Panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata) often called PeeGees, and smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens) are the most cold hardy species and both blossom on new wood.
Lace cap hydrangea flowers are made up of both fertile (the small center ones) and infertile (the large outer ones) blossoms.
2. Improper Pruning
The time of year you prune makes a big difference. Knowing what type of hydrangea, you have! This will lessen the chance of cutting off your flower buds.
Panicle hydrangeas and smooth hydrangeas form their buds on the current season’s growth so they can be pruned in the late winter or early spring before spring growth without sacrificing any future flowers.
However, the other hydrangea varieties (showy big-leaf types including mopheads and many lace-cap varieties as well as oakleaf varieties) form their buds in the previous year. You can safely remove dead canes but if you feel the need to prune them further, wait until AFTER they have blossomed in the summer. If you prune in fall, winter, or early spring, that means no flowers this year.
Find a chart on when to prune hydrangeas with more information on pruning.
Upright blossoms on this panicle hydrangea make a stunning statement in a green garden. This type of hydrangea is pruned in late winter, before spring growth.
3. Not Enough Sun
Though hydrangeas are touted as being great shade plants, but we’re talking about part shade.
To flower well, these shrubs need 3 to 4 hours of direct sun each day.
They grow best with morning sun and afternoon shade, especially in hot southern gardens. They can take more sun in cool northern areas, especially if the soil is moist.
Oakleaf hydrangeas do better than the others in shady places.
When you first planted your hydrangea, it might have been the perfect location but after a few years the surrounding trees and shrubs may have grown enough to cast more shade on it. Try pruning the plants around them to let in more light or, if your hydrangea isn’t too big to handle, move it to a sunnier spot.
4. Too Much Nitrogen
If grown in good soil with a high amount of organic matter your hydrangeas don’t really need extra fertilizer. Adding too much nitrogen will promote lush green growth at the expense of flowering.
If you have poor soil and feel it is necessary to add fertilizer look for one low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus—sometimes called a bloom booster.
5. Lack of Water
The “hydra” in the word “hydrangea” should tell you that these flowers need to be well-hydrated to flower.
If your hydrangea is wilting in the sunlight or is drought-stressed, it is not going to blossom well, if at all.
Hydrangeas like consistently moist but well-drained soil, not waterlogged.
A layer of mulch can help keep the soil around their roots evenly moist.
A Word on Potted “Gift” Hydrangeas
If you were given a potted hydrangea as a gift, it’s usually not meant to grow in the ground. It’s a gift to enjoy as long as you can.
If want to try growing it outside, be aware that it might not be hardy in your region.
Since it was grown in a greenhouse and forced into bloom at an unnatural time, it may take years for it to recover and grow, if it survives at all.
It is worth a try but don’t expect it to blossom as copiously as it did in its foil-covered pot. It was grown for that one-time show at the expense of the long-term health of the plant.
All hydrangeas are not the same. Knowing what hydrangeas, you already have or taking the time to research appropriate ones to add to your garden will go a long way toward ensuring your success with these classic garden plants.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/why-are-my-hydrangeas-not-blooming
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  

image from publicdomainpictures.net 

      ​Good morning.  IT is a lovely morning out.  75 degrees at 11:00 AM and a wind from the SSW at 15 mph.  So it feels good now.  BUT with that SSW wind there will be humidity and higher temperatures coming.  High today of 85 low tonight of 60.  Highs of 90 next week.  OF course, it is because school starts for most.  Enjoy today and stay cool the rest. 
How to Ripen Tomatoes Quickly Three Ways BY AMANDA MACARTHUR
When the summer starts to wind down, and the early frost warnings start to kick in before you settle in for a long winter’s nap, you probably have a few fledgling tomato plants left. If they’re like mine, they’re probably not pretty; a bit of disease starts to crop up, leaves are beginning to change with the season, but yet…the tomatoes live on. Once it’s colder, though, they’re just not changing color anymore (or at least not quickly), and you’ll want to know how to ripen tomatoes quickly so you can get your lunch on.
You might run into this dilemma during the early summer too, maybe you just want a darn tomato basil mozzarella salad, and all your ‘maters are in that half-way stage. In any case, there are lots of ways to get them to the finish line more quickly.
How to Ripen Tomatoes Quickly with Ethylene
A couple of the methods below use ethylene as the magic ripening ingredient, and for a good reason – it works! As fruits like bananas, apples, and tomatoes ripen, they release a gas called ethylene, which tells all the other fruits to get to work ripening and release their own ethylene. It’s also used commercially to ripen fruit for sale.
The Paper Bag Method for Ripening Tomatoes
If you’re asking your grandmother how to ripen a tomato, she’s probably going to tell you about the paper bag method. This tried-and-true method for how to ripen tomatoes quickly has been passed down for generations.
Loosely fill a small paper (lunch) bag with up to 6 healthy, non-diseased, unbruised tomatoes and make sure they’re not packed tight. Packing them tightly won’t allow for proper aeration, and they can grow mold.
Add a banana or even an apple that is ripening to the bag. As that fruit ripens, it releases ethylene, which speeds up the ripening process of tomatoes. Don’t expect any fast miracles with green tomatoes, but if they’ve begun to color and they’re placed in a warm spot, you could get red tomatoes in as early as a week.
You might be thinking, “can I ripen tomatoes more quickly by putting them in a sealed plastic bag instead?” Technically yes, you’ll trap more ethylene. However, you also trap humidity and moisture, so your chances of mold increase.
The Hanging Method for Ripening Tomatoes
I love this method for autumn, when it’s time to start cleaning up the garden, and your indeterminate tomatoes are still persistently growing. If you have a group of tomatoes, simply cut the whole stem with the bunch, then tie a string around the bottom of the stem and hang them upside down in your home; This could be on the back of a door, or anywhere. If you want your tomatoes to last longer, hang them in a cooler place out of sunlight, and you can get tomatoes ripening for a month or more. If you want your tomatoes to ripen quickly, place them in a warmer, sunnier spot.
The Newspaper Method for Ripening Tomatoes
If you have a large batch of tomatoes, put them in a cardboard box or even a drawer, in single layers, with newspaper between them. You can also wrap them in newspaper individually instead, although checking on them for ripeness can get tedious this way. As the tomatoes ripen, they release ethylene. If I wanted to know how to ripen tomatoes quickly in bulk, this is how I would go.
If you want to know how to ripen tomatoes quickly, these are certainly your best bets. And the warmer the environment, the faster they’ll ripen. However, if you want your tomatoes to last for canning and are having trouble keeping up, a cooler climate will complement that process.
Taken from https://foodgardening.mequoda.com/daily/vegetable-gardening
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell  641-903-9365

images from Becky's garden 

      ​Sun is shining now at 12:30 PM but the temperature is awesome 66 degrees.  I am working on the blacktop with the wagons.  Doing a job I don’t like to do, but needs to get done. UNPLANTING the flats….we compose the plants and keep the containers.  Doing a little at a time, then coming in the clubhouse/office/camper to work on bookwork.  It doesn’t seem possible that I am ending the season with  unplanting which seems just yesterday we were planting these flats as little plants.  I had a gardener come this morning for radish seeds which you know we have vegetable seeds in bulk.  Stop in if you want to plant vegetables for the fall harvest.  Tomorrow I will do an article on what to plant now for vegetables. 
I am showing you some of my baskets that I have in my garden area.  I want you to think about them for next season as look at the blooms on the non stop begonias.  They have to have morning sun, but afternoon shade.  These baskets have morning shade, full sun from 11-3, then afternoon shade the rest of the day.  My mother grew non stop begonias and they looked like this.  If you have them in the right shade, they will bloom and are easy to grow. 
The last basket is a Sunpatient.  See how it is blooming and it also likes a little shade but can tolerate more sunlight.  I know many of you love the petunias, but by this time of year, they are looking a little weary.  Think about these baskets for your garden next year. 
I found this short article on vegetable container gardening and they can be planted now.  I will give it a try.    Remember we have bulk vegetable seeds here.  Maybe not all on the list but most of them if you want stop in and pick up some vegetable seeds. 
Quick-growing vegetables that are good for container gardening  BY Catherine Boeckmann
It’s not too late to plant a few pots! Late summer provides plenty of time to grow in containers, which are perfect for small gardens. Find out which vegetables are best for container gardening during the summer and fall!
There are all sorts of tasty produce many gardeners can still sow now—even this late in the season. Some vegetables are far more flavorful and successful in fall than in spring, such as spinach which loves cold weather.
You can’t go wrong with leafy salads which will grow into fall. They will be far less likely to bolt in the late summer and fall months. Also, you can plant beets and many roots now for a late fall and early winter harvest. With beets, the greens are very tasty, too, similar to spinach!
What Vegetables to Plant in Late Summer
There are some vegetables with are cold-hardy and don’t mind frost, such as kale.
Best Vegetables for Container Gardening
Here is a full list of quick-growing vegetables. Just go to the garden store, look at some seed packets, and back out the number of weeks from your first fall frost date, plus a few weeks for harvesting! Many of these vegetables need 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. Look for faster-producing varieties as well as dwarf varieties which are perfect for containers.
Spinach
Collards
Bush Beans—Dwarf borlotti beans are a fave!
Radishes
Daikon (type of radish)
Beets/beetroot
Turnips
Carrots
Spring onions—plant from onions sets
Pea shoots
Lettuce
Endive
Arugula/rocket
Mustard greens
Cilantro/coriander
Swiss chard
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/best-vegetables-containers-late-summer-and-fall
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image form homegardenandhomestead.com

      Good morning….all ready at 9:00 AM the sun has lots of strength and heat.  The temperature isn’t that high, but the humidity must be.   We got .3 inch of rain last night, so all the plants look wet.  I don’t have to water today….not too many days I have said that. 

 I am having a hard time cleaning up the wagons, as it isn’t my favorite thing to do, so I still have annuals, perennials, houseplants, succulents, herbs, some vegetables on the wagons.  I am here every morning, and if you come in the afternoon, I will come over from the house.  I am closed on weekends.  Grandsons are helping me set up my garden on the blacktop so always something to do.  HOW about you?  Weeding, watering, harvesting your garden, and then there is the clean up.  You must love this work in the garden. 

I was asked about transplanting hostas, and it looks like spring is the best.  I have known gardeners to do it all season long, just remember you will  have to water lots if you do it in summer and fall.  The hostas do grow so you need to divide them for sure.  Stay cool.  Stay safe. 
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Transplanting or Dividing Hostas
Hostas do not usually need dividing for their health. If they have less space, they’ll simply grow less quickly. However, if you wish to divide a hosta for a neater garden appearance, it’s best to do so in early spring once the “eyes” or growing tips start to emerge from the ground. This is also a good time to move or transplant a hosta to a new site.
Leave as much of the root attached as possible to each crown or plant. Plant the new hostas at the same soil level as they were previously. Water well until
Once you start exploring hostas, you’ll find they get rather addictive! From 4-inch miniature hostas to 6-foot-wide giant hostas, there’s a hosta variety to fit any situation from large borders to tiny rock gardens. Here are just a few:
H. fotunei ‘Aureo Marginata’: Deep-green oval leaves accented by a golden edge.
H. x ‘Blue Cadet’: A small hosta with heart-shaped, bluish leaves. It makes for a nice edging plant. In mid-summer it blooms with mauve-blue flowers.
For sunnier spots, select plants from the Hosta plantaginea group. These plants also tend to have fragrant flowers in late summer. ‘August Moon’, ‘Honeybells’, and ‘Sum and Substance’ are a few of the varieties in this category.
WIT AND WISDOM
Young hosta leaves are edible. Known as urui in Japan, they’re commonly boiled, fried in tempura, or eaten raw. The flavor is similar to lettuce and asparagus.
If you wish to remove your hostas, cut off the leaves to the ground and then dig out the crown located just below ground level. Pour vinegar or boiling water over the plant. If you have a larger area of hostas that you want to remove, cut the leaves off, remove the crowns, and then cover the area with black plastic for the rest of the growing season.
PESTS/DISEASES
Slugs and snails:  If you see irregular holes along the leaf’s edges or entire leaves chewed off at the stem nocturnal slugs may be the culprit. Look for shiny slime trails on the leaves or on the ground around the plants.
Deer: It’s true that deer love hosta. To discourage deer, use fencing or motion-sensitive sprinklers.
Rabbits: If you see clean-cut chew marks on young hosta stems and leaves you may have rabbits in your garden. Look for dropped leaves and rabbit droppings on the ground and around the plants.
Good luck with the transplanting, and enjoy what you have done in your garden. 
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/hostas
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

pictures from Pamula Gamble 

      Good morning, it has been a few days since I have posted.  We took Larry’s sister and husband to the Mlps airport to start their trip back to Australia.  They were here 8 weeks, and we so thank them for spending all that time here in Iowa with family and seeing old friends.  Our family thinks of the world of them, and the time they spend with them.  Safe travels   Evelyn and Tom 
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Here is some information about dahlias…I know you will not be planting them now, but some food for thought for next year.  I have tubers here for sale,and got them out for sale late.  We planted them in pots so hopefully I can dig up and have them here for you for next season.  I found this information very informative about them.  I have been seeing some lovely posts on Facebook.  Another flower to think about…
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Dahlias  by  Catherine Boeckmann
Dahlias are breathtakingly gorgeous flowers that come in every color of the rainbow. The tubers are planted in late spring, and the flowers will bloom continuously from midsummer through fall. Learn more about planting, growing, and caring for dazzling dahlias in our Dahlia gardening guide.
About Dahlia Flowers
Picking a favorite dahlia is like going through a button box! The flowers can range in size from petite 2-inch lollipop-style pompoms to giant 15-inch “dinner plates.” Most varieties grow 4 to 5 feet tall. Dahlias grow in a wide range of beautiful colors, including white, yellow, orange, pink, dark pink, red, dark red, lavender, purple and black, light blend, bronze, flame, dark blend, variegated and bicolor!
 Dahlia is a genus of tuberous plants that are members of the Asteraceae family. The tubers are planted in the ground in late spring (around the month of May) and generally flower from July to the first autumn frosts. Dahlias are perfect for a border garden and make lovely cut flowers. Growing vegetables? Put a row of dahlias on the border, where they will not shade your edibles.
Are Dahlias Perennials or Annuals?
Dahlias are tender perennials in their native warm climate of Mexico. In the U.S., they are considered a perennial in hardiness zones 8 and higher. See the USDA hardiness zone page.
However, in colder regions (zones 7 and lower), dahlias are treated as annuals. That said, some gardeners have had luck keeping the dahlias in the ground in zones 6 and 7.
Luckily, cold-weather gardeners can also just dig up the tubers after the first fall frost and store them in their garage until spring.
PLANTING
Dahlias thrive in 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, especially morning sunlight, and they benefit from protection from wind. Consider their size at maturity when planting. They grow best in rich, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Amend heavy clay soil with aged manure or compost to lighten and loosen the soil texture for better drainage.
When to Plant Dahlias
Dahlias will not tolerate cold soil. Plant when the soil reaches 60ºF (15°C) and any danger of frost has passed. Planting dahlias a few days after tomatoes are planted in the ground is a good rule of thumb.Some gardeners start tubers indoors in containers a month ahead to get a jump on the season. Medium to dwarf-size dahlias will do well in containers.
How to Plant Dahlias
Avoid planting dahlia tubers that appear wrinkled or rotten. Pink “eyes” (buds) or a little green growth are good signs.  Plant large dahlias and those grown solely as cut flowers in a dedicated plot where they will be free from competition from other plants. Set tubers in rows spaced 3 feet apart. If you plant dahlias about 1 foot apart, they make an excellent flowering hedge and will support each other.
Plant medium- to low-height dahlias, usually in the 3-foot tall range, among other summer flowers. Set them 2 feet apart.Plant the smallest bedding dahlias, grown from seed, 9 to 12 inches apart.To plant the tubers, start by digging a 6- to 8-inch deep hole. It also helps to mix some compost and a handful of bonemeal into the planting hole. Otherwise, do not fertilize at planting.
Set a tuber into the hole with the growing points, or “eyes,” facing up.
Do not break or cut individual dahlia tubers (as you would with potatoes).
Cover the tuber with 2 to 3 inches of soil. (Some say 1 inch is adequate.)
As the stem sprouts, fill in with soil until it is at ground level.
Do not water the tubers right after planting. This encourages rot. Wait until the sprouts have appeared above the soil, then water.
Do not spread mulch. Dahlias prefer sun on their roots, plus mulch harbors slugs.
Tall, large-flower cultivars require support. Place 5- to 6-foot stakes around plants and tie stems to them as the plants grow.
Dahlias begin blooming about 8 weeks after planting.
Growing Dahlias in Containers
Medium- to dwarf-size dahlias do well in containers that have drainage and are big enough to support the plant at maturity. Generally, a 12x12 inch container will suffice.
 Use a soilless mix and co-polymer moisture-retaining crystals, per the package’s guidance.
Follow the depth requirements.
Cover the tuber with a few inches of soil-crystal mix.
Spray water on the tuber, if necessary, until growth starts.
Do not water if the soil is damp 1 inch below the surface.
Fertilize through summer as directed.
Add soil if the roots become exposed.
GROWING
When dahlias are established, water 2 or 3 times a week and more in hot, dry climates. Be prepared to tend to plants before or after rain, when open blooms (especially large ones) tend to fill up with water or take a beating from the wind.
After sprouting, dahlias benefit from a low-nitrogen, liquid fertilizer, such as 5-10-10 or 10-20-20. Fertilize every 3 to 4 weeks from sprouting in midsummer until early autumn. Do not over-fertilize, especially with nitrogen, or you risk small or no blooms, weak tubers, or rot.
When plants are about 1 foot tall, pinch out 3 to 4 inches of the center branch to encourage bushier plants and increase stem count and stem length.
For large flowers, try disbudding: Remove the two smaller buds next to the central one in a flower cluster. The plant will put all of its energy into fewer but considerably larger flowers.
Bedding dahlias need no staking or disbudding. Simply pinch out the center shoot just above the third set of leaves to encourage bushiness.
For more blooms, deadhead as flowers fade; deadheading keeps the flowers blooming for months!
HARVESTING
The more you cut dahlias, the more they’ll bloom! For a bouquet, cut stems in the morning before the heat of the day and put them into a bucket of cool water. Remove the stems’ bottom leaves and place the flowers into a vase of water. Place the vase in a cool spot and out of direct sun. Check the water daily. Vase life is about 7 days.
Dig Up and Storing Dahlia Tubers
Dahlias are hardy to Zone 8; in these more temperate regions, dahlias can simply be cut back and their tubers left in the ground through winter, cover with several inches of dry mulch. In Zones 7, some gardeners claim their tubers survive winter in the ground; others have had varied results. It all depends on the severity of winter; native to Mexico, dahlias won’t survive freezing temperatures. → Find your USDA Hardiness Zone here.
In Zones 8 and north, dig up (lift) and store tuberous roots in late fall; tubers can be expensive and this will save you the money that would otherwise go into buying new ones each year. See your fall frost dates
Dahlia foliage blackens with the first frost. Take it as a warning to begin digging up the tubers. Complete the task before a hard frost.
Cut off blackened foliage, leaving 2 to 4 inches of top growth.
Carefully dig around tubers with a pitchfork, garden fork, or shovel. Avoid damaging them.
Lift the clump and gently shake off the soil.
Cut off rotten tubers.
Leave clumps outside in the sun upside down to dry naturally for a few days.
Pack them in loose, fluffy material (e.g., vermiculite, dry sand).
Store in a well-ventilated, frost-free space: 40º to 45ºF is ideal, 35º to 50ºF is acceptable.
Check on the dahlia tubers occasionally over the winter. Remove any tubers that have started to rot before the decay spreads to healthy tubers.
Readying for Summer
In spring, separate healthy tubers from the parent clump and discard wrinkled or rotten ones. Plan to plant the survivors. Each tuber must have at least one “eye” or piece of the crown attached, or it will not develop into a blooming plant. The eyes are little pink bumps at the base of the stem. → See our gardener’s article on how to unpack and divide your stored dahlia tubers!
If this all seems like too much bother or you do not have the right storage place, skip it all and treat dahlias as annuals, buying new tubers in the spring.
WIT AND WISDOM
The dahlia was named for Anders Dahl (Swedish botanist), born on March 17, 1751.
Dahlias are a member of the Asteraceae family which includes sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, zinnia, and, of course, aster.
In the 16th century, dahlias grew wild on the hillsides in parts of Mexico. There, they were “discovered” by the Spanish.
Both dahlia flowers and tubers are edible. The tubers taste like a cross between a potato and a radish.
Dahlias were often grown in front of hollyhocks to hide their “shins.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/dahlias
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from pinterest

image from BBC Gardeners World

      ​Good morning…it is really warm out, with high humidity.  I was out at 7:00 AM to water and move more out of the greenhouse.  I have more succulents that I needed to move out.  There is always something to do at that greenhouse and now on the blacktop.  Water every day…but sounds like rain Saturday night and Sunday.  LET us hope that happens.  We all need rain.  2 stories today so enjoy and learn.  Stay cool and stay safe. 
First story is from the Old Farmer’s Almanac to see what you should be doing in your gardens in August.  Second story is from How to Do the Chelsea Chop for Better Blooms  by Robin Sweetser.  The I in that story is Robin talking about what she does with the Chelsea Chop..
For gardeners, each month comes with different garden tasks to complete, whether it’s planting, seeding, pruning, amending the soil or replanting tired containers. August is no different. In fact, some of the most important garden duties take place during this last full month of summer.
The days are still long and warm, but shorter days and cooler nights are coming. Right now, your garden probably looks exhausted, a sign it’s time to tidy things up. The work you do this month will refresh your garden and get it through the early autumn stretch with beauty that will last till first frost.
August through September is a good time to transplant your perennials. Moving them now, while they are full size, will help you select the best positions for them in your garden. It will also reveal bare spots that can be filled in with fall-planted bulbs. Come spring, you’ll have a garden full of blooming plants with no glaring gaps.
August is also a good month for collecting seeds as your annuals and perennials begin going to seed. Harvest seeds only when seed heads are completely dry—don’t harvest under damp conditions. After harvesting, store the seeds in a container labeled for next growing season.
Start deadheading your dahlias as their blooms fade. This will ensure continued flowering well into autumn.
Give flowering shrubs a good soak if conditions are dry. Do this each week for the next couple of months. Certain flowering shrubs—camellias and azaleas, for example—form their flower buds in late summer and autumn, so their spring performance is largely determined over the coming weeks.
Trim your hedges. This not only helps them hold their shape, it restores a lushness to their appearance.
And don’t forget to order your fall bulbs—now! Depending on your garden zone, bulbs need to be planted in September, October or November. Planning ahead and ordering today the bulbs you’ll need later will make planting and growing a breeze.
It’s full speed ahead as we prepare for the next growing season—and I’m excited about what the gardens and fields have in store!
Happy Gardening!
Taken from http://www.dutchbulbs.com/blog/augusts-garden-to-do-list
How to Do the Chelsea Chop for Better Blooms  by Robin Sweetser
What is the Chelsea chop? A new hairdo, dance craze, or fancy cut of meat? Nope, it’s just a pruning technique. By cutting back perennials in early summer, you can get better blooms, over a longer period, and stop your plants from becoming leggy! Here’s how it’s done.  The name “Chelsea chop” comes from the Brits because they do it around the time of the annual Chelsea Flower Show in May. However, for many areas, the timing is simply late spring or early summer. For me, it should be called the “4th of July chop,” since cutting the plants any later than that won’t give them enough time to recover and blossom before fall. The whole idea is that one hour of pruning now would result in three more weeks of flowers at the end of their season! As well as extending the blooming season, you are controlling the growth and shape of your perennials for a better-looking, fuller, more compact plant. This pruning technique is especially suited to perennials to get too tall and leggy such as phlox, aster, and sedum.
It’s hard to chop but it works and you’ll be happy once you see the renewed blooms! I ruthlessly chop off the top 1/3 of 1/2 of the New England asters and tall phlox in my front flowerbeds because they get so tall we can’t see out of the windows! I am a little more selective in the other beds, cutting back only about half the plants in a clump, leaving a few to grow tall and blossom earlier. The shorter ones help to support the leggy ones, lessening the need for staking, and hide their “naked ankles”, the leafless stems at the base of the taller plants.
I usually just use my trusty kitchen shears to make random sharp cuts but you can use pruners, loppers, or even hedge clippers to get the job done faster. If you are as frugal as I am, save some of the cuttings to root and make new plants! New England asters and phlox cuttings placed in a glass of water will produce new roots in no time. They can be potted up to share or planted out in the garden where they often bloom the first year.
The Chelsea chop is best done on late summer or fall bloomers like rudbeckias, helenium, goldenrod, asters, phlox, marguerites, chrysanthemums, and nepeta. Since it encourages branching, the plants will be shorter, more compact, and have more flowers. By leaving a few tall ones to bloom earlier you can extend the bloom time. Give it a try!
Take from https://www.almanac.com/chelsea-chop-cutting-back-perennials-better-blooms
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365