Showing posts with label gardening review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gardening review. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Reviewing Choisya Or Mexican Orange Blossom Shrub

 

Choisya Or Mexican Orange Blossom Shrub

Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom is a gorgeous shrub for the garden and one I would highly recommend. It is an evergreen shrub with fragrant white star shaped flowers and lovely sunny aromatic yellow foliage. 

It is related to oranges and other citrus plants and its leaves release a beautiful scent when crushed. It gained its common name Mexican Orange Blossom from its scented flowers 

One of the most sought after varieties and the one we have is the Choisya Sundance. It has bright yellow leaves that add a gorgeous splash of colour to the garden shining out against darker foliage or a dark fence. 

There are other varieties of Choisya some with darker or narrower leaves you may wish to consider. Regarding size they vary between about five to eight feet in height and spread, though will take pruning. 

Choisya Sundance has white scented flowers borne mainly in May and June and yellow-green leaves are very aromatic. It is hard to describe the scent but it is perhaps a little like basil or orange blossom and very gorgeous. I love brushing the leaves and flowers and pruning is a joy! 

Mexican Orange Blossom Shrub


Growing Conditions For Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom

It is always important to know the native growing conditions of any plant so we can try to give it similar conditions in our own gardens. Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom is native to North America and Mexico where it grows in sunny locations in well drained soil.  

So it is a wonderful shrub to have in any sunny border. This is not a shrub that will thrive in deep shade, it must have sunshine for at least a significant part of the day, though will cope with light shade. 

It does best in a sheltered position so near a wall or fence or in the company of other shrubs or in a garden with a good hedge or shrubs all around. 

As an evergreen flowering shrub it has beautiful colourful yellow foliage all year round and can be planted in the garden, on patios in a large pot or planted as a stand alone specimen shrub. It pairs very well with spring flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips and early perennials.

Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom prefers a south facing location in order to get as much sunshine as possible all day. So for most people a south facing position in the garden is ideal. 

The exception to this is if you live somewhere with exceptionally hot summers in which case a west facing location may be better as that gives the plant respite in part of the day from hot burning sun which may scorch its leaves. We certainly do not live in an exceptionally hot climate but  I did notice last year during our prolonged heatwave that some leaves did turn brown but I simply pruned them off in August and the plant recovered.   

Choisya Shrub


Soil Conditions For Choisya

Choisya thrives in well drained soil, that is rich in organic matter. It dislikes sitting in wet or damp soil so drainage is very important. It can tolerate a wide range of soil types from clay to sandy soil but it does prefer slightly acidic to neutral soil. It may not thrive quite so well if you have very alkaline soil in which case you would be better growing in a large pot filled with ericaceous (or acid) soil compost.  

If you are unsure of your soil type you can buy an inexpensive kit to easily test your soil, which is useful to do in any case then you know your soil conditions for all future planting. One like this Soil Tester Kit  is not difficult to use and can give you a decent information about your soil. 

          

Planting Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom Shrub

It is usually best to plant shrubs in Autumn/Fall or failing that in early Spring. When planting it is essential to incorporate lots of organic matter such as rich compost. Dig a very large planting hole about twice as wide and deep as you need in order to add all the organic matter.

Very few of us have perfect soil conditions, so this helps to improve the drainage especially on clay soil and to retain moisture if in a very light sandy soil. It is vital to water deeply after planting and to give it a good watering at least once a week until it establishes itself. 

I would always plant Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom shrub where you are going to brush against it regularly. Although many shrubs are planted at the back of the border, this one deserves to be where you can touch it and smell it every day! So you may like to plant it as a specimen shrub or at a corner or place where you walk past and can brush against it. 

If you do not have a garden or if your soil is very alkaline you can also plant Choisya in a large pot or container. Perhaps choose a variety that is on the smaller side. For container planting it is best to pot and repot in Spring only. I have one in a very large pot and it is doing very well. I planted it first with crocks and good drainage in the bottom to prevent drainage holes getting blocked with soil, then added a mix of high quality ericaceous (acidic) and loam based compost.

 It does require much more deep watering more often than it would if grown in the ground and I need to pay more attention to it to check if it looks stressed or having any issues.

In winter container grown plants are more vulnerable, so I wrap her in fleece and keep by a sheltered wall. 

I also do keep it much smaller at around three foot so it does not outgrow the container too quickly. However, it is worth it as I wanted one in this particular location and it is very happy. 

Feeding Choisya

Choisya in the ground do not generally need feeding although they do benefit from an annual mulch in Spring. In containers top dress each year in spring with fresh compost. If the shrub is not flowering or has few flowers give it a feed in Spring of potassium or sulphate of potash like Bio Nova Liquid Potassium.

 

Pruning Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom Shrub

Once established Choisya needs very little care and maintenance. The main task is to do annual pruning to the desired size and to shape the plant how you like it to look. 

It is a fast growing shrub and can grow to be six foot wide and tall which looks amazing if you have the room. However it can easily be pruned to keep it smaller than this as required. 

The best time to prune it is when it has finished flowering usually around July to late summer. Try to get all pruning done by August as the shrub needs time to recover before winter cold sets in. I usually prune with a pair of sharp secateurs like the Wolf Bypass Secateurs  though you may need Loppers for thicker branches if it is a large shrub. It is simply a matter of shortening each branch to the desired length.


Watering Needs

For the first year after planting it is very important to water your Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom regularly. This helps to establish a strong reliable root system for the health of the plant. It is vital to not skip this step. 

 As it grows older it can tolerate drought better and will rarely need watering if it is planted in the ground. However, it is advisable to water deeply and thoroughly perhaps once a week if you have a long period of drought. Do remember that it hates sitting in wet so check the soil first. 

This basic level of care will help promote healthy growth and enable prolific flowering.  

I would always find room for this gorgeous shrub, even in a packed garden I would have to have it! 

Choisya or Mexican Orange Blossom is a joy in all seasons with fresh spring growth, gorgeous white scented flowers in May and June, evergreen and scented leaves all year round and providing much needed structure in winter. 

Grow it tall and wide or prune to the desired smaller height. A beautiful evergreen, scented and well behaved shrub that I would not be without in the garden.

Choisya Or Mexican Orange Blossom Shrub


More Gardening Articles












Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Spring Into the Garden, Give Nature a Helping Hand! A Garden Review

Spring has sprung!  Gardeners and Conservationists are all jumping for joy! 

But wait a minute, before you get all excited about getting your hands dirty and your gardens in shape, let's take a few minutes to think and see what Mother Nature would have us do instead!

Many gardeners are just itching to get their gardens cleaned up and looking tidy and I can't say that I blame them.  After a long cold winter, making things (garden beds) look nice is a job that many gardeners love to do.  Why wait?  Well, would it help for you to know that many bees are still hibernating within the leaves and debris that is in your garden?  We have a serious problem with declining bee populations, so anything you can do to help them would be a welcome thing to do.

I'm not advocating that you leave your gardens in a messy state, but rather wait just a few weeks before getting to the "mess".  That will be time enough for the bees to wake up from their winter slumbers and start looking for those first dandelions for food.

That brings up to the second thing that gardeners should really stop doing in the springtime.  Did you know that dandelions are one of the first spring flowers to come up in your gardens?  Well they are and they are full of good nutrition for the bees who wake up hungry.  Leave those flowers alone, let them bloom and welcome the sight of those bees that are doing the hard work!  If you don't want a proliferation of dandelions in your lawn, just watch the flowers and when they have all been pollinated, and start to produce their seeds heads, go out then and cut them off and dispose of them so no seeds are flying around the garden!  The parent plant will produce another flower for the bees and then you can do the same thing again.  Pluck the spent flower head before it sends it's seeds everywhere.  This way you will be providing food for the bees without dandelions taking over your gardens.  Easy peasy!

Spring comes on quickly, so you need to be ready for all kinds of wonderful things that will happen during this time.  Number three on my list of things to do (or not do) is check for migrating birds in your area.  Hummingbirds are the Number One bird everyone is looking forward to seeing.  They too will come to your gardens hungry from their travels north!  You can check out this Hummingbird Migration Map to see when they will arrive in your area!  

So what can you do to help those Hungry Hummers?


Have your hummingbird feeders out a week or so before they are due in your area.  Keep them clean and available with fresh nectar that is changed weekly!  Why do you need to change the nectar?  Well as with anything left out to the elements, nectars can go "bad".  That means they will get moldy and rancid.  The idea is to feed those hungry hummers, not to harm them!  So clean fresh nectar is a MUST!  (p.s. nectar is simply four parts water to one part sugar, NO DYES)  In the early days of their migration you can make up nectar and keep it in the fridge.  Just put a small amount in the feeders until you know they have found you!  Once you know they are around, then you can fill up those feeders to a cup of nectar and again keep the nectar fresh!
 
hummingbird
                                                                                  Ruby Throated Hummingbird

           

Migrating Birds, what you need to know!

 
Along with the bees, migrating birds are also having "human" problems!  What are those, you might ask?  Well in large urban areas where skyscrapers and really large windows are the norm, many migrating birds fly into those windows and drop like stones onto the pavement below! They suffer broken necks, wings and sometimes are just so stunned that they don't recover.  This is truly a sad situation for birds that fly so far to get to their northern nesting areas.  Large windows are almost invisible to the birds, so their tracking is off!  How can we help them?  It's easy, first is awareness and then there is something as easy as placing "cling decals" on the windows so that they will see them and avoid crashing into them.  You can easily purchase these decals in many styles, some are transparent to the human eyes or others are decorative and produce an ambience in your homes as you look out those windows.  It's a small price to pay for the benefit of the birds and possibly for you to enjoy them as they make their homes in your yards. 

Did you know that there are several species of migratory birds in North American?  Quote taken from All About Birds.org:
  • Magnolia Warbler by Gerrit Vyn"Long-distance migrants typically move from breeding ranges in the United States and Canada to wintering grounds in Central and South America. Despite the arduous journeys involved, long-distance migration is a feature of some 350 species of North American birds."

 

Learn More About Bird Migration

 
If you want to know more about Bird Migration, there is a wonderful website by Cornell University that follows and updates information on all kinds of migratory birds!  You can find it RIGHT HERE!  This is excellent reading material for any bird enthusiast!  Don't stop with dedicated Birders, get your young ones involved in becoming Bird Ambassadors, they will learn and do so many things in a fun and really rewarding way.  
 
There are great books available for children and adults too!  Easy to read and understand, they will teach you everything you need to know and look for when searching the skies and yards for those feathered friends.
 
bird in blossoms


bird
Yellow Rumped Warbler

This Easter, instead of just filling our children with chocolate and candy, let's feed their minds with some easy and interesting ways to keep their future in balance. Add some of those window decals or a bird feeder to their Easter basket for an Eco-Friendly alternative to chocolate or candy! 

Happy Easter to Everyone!
 



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Birds Butterflies and Bees in the Garden, What you Need to Know

How to successfully attract birds, bees and butterflies to your garden and enjoy them all season long!

Everyone that I know is so tired of winter.  Once the clocks have moved ahead for Daylight Savings Time, all of us are just counting down the days until we see those first signs of spring.
I have not yet had the delight of my first Robin or Blue Birds.  I know though that they will be coming very shortly.  And I am ready to welcome them all with some special treats that I know they will love.
 
bee and monarch butterfly on asters
Monarch Butterfly and bee on Asters

Three Basics That Are Essential

 
If you want the birds, bees and butterflies to come to your yard, you need to provide some of the things they will want.  
 
Like any other living creature, these little marvels of nature are looking for shelter, food and water.  Those are the essentials for any living being that you would care for.  Garden visitors are no different in that regard.  The only other thing that they may be looking for, would be a safe place to nest.  Trees and bushes are great for that!


Flowers are food!

Bees and butterflies and yes even the birds are looking for flowers to feed their appetites.  Pollen laden plants are a bee's best friend.  Butterflies and bees like nectar laden flowers too.  Birds are more attracted to seed heads that will come later in the year.  But they will use petals, and leaves to line their nests.

Attracting different kinds of birds

If you set out bird houses, you will certainly get some feathered friends calling your yard their home too.  Feeders for finches and hummingbirds will almost guarantee their arrival at your doorstep.  Plant the right kinds of flowers and you will have an abundance of these lovely little creatures to watch and enjoy.
 
Butterflies, birds  and bees will enjoy a bird bath.  The birds will splash around cooling themselves off in the heat of the summer, while the butterflies and bees will also stop for a drink and a little rest.  Butterflies and bees can also make use of the sugar water that is in your hummingbird feeders, so don't be surprised to see them there too.
 
Having a place that is rich in flowers and shrubs with a few trees for their safety will make all of these creatures very happy to call your home, their home too!
 

Picking the flowers and shrubs to enhance your garden!

If you really want the butterflies, bees and birds in your garden, here is a list of some of the best ones to plant.

  1. Butterfly bush, as the name indicates is a magnet for many different types of butterflies, but they are also a magnet for hummingbirds too!
  2. Sunflowers, their flat heads are wonderful landing pads for all garden critters.
  3. Coneflowers will attract bluebirds, bees, and butterflies as well.
  4. Service Berry Bushes will attract cardinals, robins, cedar waxwings and more.
  5. Phlox is another great plant to attract birds and butterflies.
If you enjoy having these critters in the garden with you, make their lives easier by planting lots of the flowers that they love.  The list above is just a small sample of what plants are great to encourage wildlife in the yard.  It is by no means a complete list.  For that I refer to my book produced by Birds and Blooms Magazine. 
 
 Gardening for Birds, Butterflies and Bees!

You can get your own right here! It is a great resource book and one that you can come back to and reference for future garden projects or additions.


You might also like to take up photography when you see how beautiful it is to have these creatures in your garden.  Mary Beth (another writer on Review This) shows us what it's like to take pictures and how to do it too!  You can check out her article right here: Bluebird Facts and Photography

Having a natural flower filled garden will surely bring you and all the visitors to your garden a lot of joy and happiness.  The colors and scents, along with all the activity will inspire you to enjoy the beauties of nature.

swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail Butterfly
bee on sunflower
Bee with sunflower






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Halloween Garden Cleanup and Planting Time Too! Let's Review How to Get This Done

Summer's Heat has given way to Autumn cooler temperatures, let's review ways to get your garden ready for the oncoming cold that is sure to happen.


Autumn is that wonderful time of year when the weather gets a little cooler and the days start to have a little bite in them.  Leaves are turning those beautiful shades of yellow, gold, orange, and red. Everywhere the eye goes, it's a myriad of beautiful colors to keep us all in Awe!  What a wonderful mystical, beautiful time of year.  The Maker's  paintbrush is never still and our picture changes daily.

fall trees
Everyday,  I look out over my balcony and the trees are changing colors from one day to the next.  Yesterday the leaves were all green and today it seems that they are turning shades of gold, red, browns and oranges.  One day makes such a difference.


fall leaf
It's also time to get cracking on the Autumn garden chores! 


If you are not sure what to do with all those leaves,  give that link(Autumn garden chores) a quick review, your garden will love you for it.  It doesn't hurt to organize our chores for the best outcomes in our gardens. 


Cooler Days and changing colors are a shock to the system after all of summer's warm days.  Time moves on and these changes are a gardener's Alarm Clock, because the next thing is garden cleanup before the winds of winter come.

clock in the grass


Don't fret!  Garden cleanup is easier than you think.  You just need the right tools and the right attitude and your job will be done lickety split!


Because Autumn is also the time for Halloween, we can do two things at once!  By using our leaves in funky Halloween decorator bags, we now have our glorious pumpkin display all done.  Or if you prefer you can also make crazy spiders and pumpkins to give all the kids a good chuckle.   Packing those bags will be child's play after raking them all together and then using our monster hands to stuff the bags. Now after all the festivities are over, don't throw all those beautiful leaves away. Use a chipper/grinder to make the world's easiest and best mulch for your garden beds. The extras can go into the composter along with the worms and everyone will be happy! You won't believe the work that those worms will do in the composter.  Even in the winter months, those worms are working away.  The beauty of a compost heap is that it will remain warm all winter long.  The worms will be happy and so will you when you see what they accomplish while you are inside staying toasty warm.

Autumn is also a great time to buy yourself a new pair of gloves, because I'm sure the ones you started out with in the spring have seen better days, and they just might be on sale at this time of year. You know you will always use them.

spring flowers


Once the gardens are all cleaned-up, it will be easy to see where to plant all the tulips and daffodils, crocus and snowbells, grape hyacinths and some irises too!  The time to do that is now!   Fall Bulbs are available in just about every garden store around.  If you want that gorgeous Spring Garden you do have to plant those bulbs in the fall.  Spring will be just bursting forth sooner than you think and those bulbs will be so happy to grow in your well mulched beds. It's a little bit of heaven in just a few short months and something to pin your hopes on while the cold winds blow. The Leaves you have mulched added under the bulbs will give those bulbs an extra boost of good compost right under their roots, so they will grow big and strong! You won't be disappointed. Good gardeners and great gardens all give so much credit to the mulch that is brought right down into the soil. Best of all, it's free fertilizer and no chemicals! All natural, Mother Nature will thank you and so will all your family when they are enjoying the fruits of your labor. Such a pretty sight, a well tended garden can bring a smile to you and everyone else too!

I hope you take the time to enjoy the changing of the seasons and preparing your gardens for the Spring of 2018!  In planting for the spring, you give everyone a reason to hope for the future and the brightness of your fabulous garden to come.
reviewthisreviews.png

All pictures are courtesy of Pixabay.  




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, October 4, 2017

5 Important Tips to Keep Orchids Happy All Year-A Review

Orchids have become one of the most popular gifts for many occasions!  Let's Review how to keep  these orchids happy and growing.

 

Introduction

Orchids at one time were very expensive plants to buy.  Mainly it was because they did not multiply easily.  Science has made great inroads into cloning plants especially the Phalaenopsis Orchids or Butterfly Orchids.

These once elusive plants are now available to the everyday gardener and home garden.  Orchids that used to carry price tags of thousands of dollars are now within everyone's reach.
review this orchid care and tips

As you can see from these examples of Phalaenopsis orchids, they vary in color and some have stripes or dots of colors.  Some are plain solid colors while others are variegated.  There are endless varieties of this type of orchid available and at reasonable prices too.  Orchids are no longer a plant for only the rich, they are the plant for everyone!

Care of your Orchids

There are 5 really important tips to keep your orchids happy and growing.  They are not rocket science, rather, they are the conditions that will make them prosper and thrive.

1.  Indirect Bright Light
This is possibly the most important aspect of caring for orchids.  They don't want to be in direct sun.  They don't grow that way in their native settings and they don't like it when you bring them to your home.  If you have a nice sunny south facing window, your orchids will love it there, but only if there is a light curtain or shade between them and the window.

2. Watering
Most people love to go around watering their plants and maybe even letting them sit in a small saucer of water.  For orchids this is a death sentence.  Orchids are symbiotic in nature, they cling to areas in other trees where branches "v" out.  Their roots hang down from the branches and are watered during the rains.  When the rains stop, the roots are no longer wet, but dry out rather quickly.  At home they are looking for the same treatment.  Water them only when they are dried out.  Every 7 to 10 days and then do not let them sit in a pool of water.  If water seeps out after they have been watered, remove all the water in the saucer.

3. Fertilizing Orchids
Use only fertilizers made for orchids.  There is a saying in the orchid community, when you feed your orchids, feed them weekly, weakly.  Orchids also do well with a marked change in temperatures during their growing season.  If you have nice hot summers, you can find a nice shady spot for your orchid and then leave it outdoors until the temperatures start to drop.  10 to 15 degrees in temperature drops helps orchids to push their new stems and blooms.

4.  Repotting
Most home gardeners don't like the look of the arial roots on orchids.  They just seem to want to stay out of the pot instead of in it.  Most of the time orchids look like they are trying to crawl out of their pots.  But and this is a big but, you should not repot them until you see a marked decline in the orchid bark and in between the plant flowering.  Never ever repot during a blooming period!

5.  Check your Orchids often
As part of growing orchids at home, you should check your orchids often.  They do happen to come down with some bugs that will impair their looks and could end up killing them.  The worst of these pests is scale.  Again it is easy to take care of if you are aware there is a problem.  A "Q-tip" dipped in rubbing alcohol will dislodge and kill scale insects.  You can watch this You Tube video to see how to do this!

If there was just one more tip that I could add in here, it would be to make sure your orchid is in a pot that has drainage.  There are specialty orchid pots available.  Some of these pots are very beautiful and have designs that make them a really nice focal point.  How the pot looks though, is not as important as the fact that it drains water away.

So there you have it!  5 Very Important Tips to keep your orchids happy and blooming for many years to come.



If you have never grown an orchid before, now is a great time to try it. The flowers are incredible and last for months. There is no other houseplant that will do that for you! Drop me a line if you'd like to know more.

*orchid pictures courtesy of Pixabay.com



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Most Recent Reviews on Review This Reviews






Search for Reviews by Subject, Author or Title

The Review This Reviews Contributors



SylvestermouseSylvestermouseDawn Rae BDawn Rae BMbgPhotoMbgPhotoBrite-IdeasBrite-IdeasWednesday ElfWednesday ElfOlivia MorrisOlivia MorrisTreasures by BrendaTreasures by BrendaThe Savvy AgeThe Savvy AgeMargaret SchindelMargaret SchindelRaintree AnnieRaintree AnnieLou16Lou16Sam MonacoSam MonacoTracey BoyerTracey BoyerCheryl Paton Cheryl PatonRenaissance WomanRenaissance WomanBarbRadBarbRadBev OwensBev OwensBuckHawkBuckHawkDecorating for EventsDecorating for EventsHeather426Heather426Coletta TeskeColetta TeskeMissMerFaeryMissMerFaeryMickie_GMickie_G

 


Review This Reviews is Dedicated to the Memory of Our Beloved Friend and Fellow Contributor

Susan DeppnerSusan Deppner

We may be apart, but
You Are Not Forgotten





“As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and or Etsy (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from purchases.” Disclosure Statement

X