HAPPY, MISCHIEVOUS, SPOOKY, FUN HALLOWEEN

 

 

This year, more than ever, we all need a little fun in our lives. That’s where Halloween comes in. It’s the fun holiday that lets us be creative and be something other than ourselves. Thanksgiving and Christmas tug on our emotions and are family-centered. Halloween is the all for fun, no strings attached, go out and have fun holiday.

Even this year with the virus reining in many activities, Halloween doesn’t have to be a casualty too. Sure, it may not look the same, but we can still have fun by tweaking some events. Traditional trick-or-treating may not be a good idea, but pumpkin carving, scarecrow contests, bonfires and many other spooky events are just fine.

Besides the witches, ghosts, goblins, black cats and other goulish things that go bump-in-the-Halloween night, there are many other weird facts about this fun holiday that I never knew. Did you know that:

*Halloween has been around some 6000 years, originating with the old Celtic festival of Samhain. The Irish Celts believed that the ghosts of the dead would roam the earth on this day. So, people would dress up, disguising themselves as demons and spirits to escape the notice of the real spirits wandering the streets during Samhain. As they roamed, they would leave treats for the spirits. They would also light bonfires to ward off ghosts.

*Speaking of bonfires, these fires were lit to ensure that the sun would return after the long winter. Druid priests would throw the bones of cattle into the flames, so eventually the “bone fires” became what we know as bonfires.

*Trick or treating has existed since Medieval times. Back then it was known as “guising” or “souling” where both children and adults roamed the streets in costumes begging for food and prayers in exchange for songs.

 

*The word “witch” comes from the Old English word “wicce” which means “wise woman.” It is a popular belief that witches held important meetings on Halloween night. There are still witches among us today, most belong to Wicca, a predominately western movement whose followers practice witchcraft and nature worship. According to tradition, if a person wears his clothes inside out and walks backwards on Halloween, he/she will see a witch at midnight.

 

*Jack O’ Lanterns were once made from turnips, potatoes, beets and other root vegetables. Legend has it that a man named Stingy Jack tricked the devil a couple of times. So, when he died, the devil gave him a single burning coal which he put in a carved-out turnip and his restless soul has been roaming the earth with it ever since. In America, pumpkins were easier to come by and made for better carving.

 

Black cats, spiders and bats were all tied to Wiccans and witches in the Middle Ages and are thought to bring bad luck. Black cats especially got a bad reputation at Halloween even though some thought that they protected their masters from dark powers. For this reason, many humane societies and pet adoption agencies will not let black cats be adopted for the month of October, for fear that they may be used and harmed in Halloween rituals.

*Some decorations have become too true to life. In a few instances, some dead bodies in Halloween displays were real corpses. Imagine being the one to find that!

*Orange and black are the official colors of Halloween, with orange representing harvest and black signifying death and darkness.

 

*Pumpkins are the signature fruit of Halloween…and yes, they are a fruit. Illinois produces up to five times more pumpkins than any other state, having 15,000 acres of gourd growing land which translates to around 500 million pounds of pumpkins each year. The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 836 pounds back in 1993.

 

*The fastest pumpkin carving lasted 16.47 seconds and was accomplished by Steve Clarke. His Jack O’ Lantern had to have a complete face with eyes, nose, mouth and ears.

*Some fast carvers are needed to put on the Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze in New York’s Hudson Valley every year. More than 7000 carved pumpkins are turned into pumpkin planetariums, a 25-foot tall replica of the Stature of Liberty and other exhibits. However, it is Kiene, NH, that holds the record for the most Jack O’ Lanterns on display. In October, 2013, they broke the record with 30,581 lit carved pumpkins around town.

*Anoka, MN lays claim to the oldest Halloween celebration in the United States. In 1920 they started holding a Halloween parade and bonfire. The reason…they wanted to curb pranks that loosed cows on Main Street and upended outhouses. For this same reason, silly string is banned in Hollywood on Halloween. Violators face a $1000 fine there.

*The night before Halloween is known as Mischief Night or Goosey Night, especially on the East coast and the Midwest.

*These pranksters are not just kids. It is estimated that by 2005, over half of all adults celebrated Halloween and now over 70 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds are the biggest spenders. The most popular children’s costumes are princesses and superheroes while adults still prefer to be witches. And, let’s not forget about our furry friends. More and more people are buying costumes for their pets, in 2019 pets were more likely to be pumpkins than anything else. The most googled costume is It, the creepy clown by Stephen King.

*Americans spend six billion dollars a year on Halloween candy. This accounts for one quarter of all the candy sold in the United States for the year. It also translates to 600 million pounds of candy, with 90 million of that being chocolate…sorry, Easter Bunny, the ghouls have outdone you!

*Skittles tops the Halloween candy, over M & M’s, Snickers and Reese’s Cups, according to CandyStore.com. Folks’ least favorite is candy corn. Also called butter cream candies and chicken feed, candy corn was invented by George Renninger, a candy maker at Wunderle Candy Co. in Philadelphia, PA, in the 1880’s. It made sense that it was called chicken feed because that’s what corn was used for back then and people didn’t eat corn then like they do now. Because of it being tri-colored (which was revolutionary for the times), it was harder to produce so it was only available from March through November. Soon, and largely because of the colors, the sweet treat became associated with fall and Halloween.

*Candy is so much a part of Halloween that it is rumored that candy makers lobbied to extend Daylight Savings Time into November so it would stay light longer, thus letting kids trick-or-treat longer and forcing folks to buy even more candy…anything for a buck!

*Ironically, Harry Houdini, the magician and illusionist, died on Halloween day, 1926 from complications of appendicitis.

*As much as it is a fun holiday, some people actually have a fear of Halloween which is called samhainophobia. Phasmophobia is the fear of ghosts and wiccaphobia is the fear of witches.

Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in America, following Christmas, which never should have become a commercial holiday…but that’s another story.

This Halloween promises to be a little extra special since October’s second full moon falls on this day, making it a blue moon. Even though most Halloween pictures depict a full moon, full moons only occur on Halloween every 18 or 19 years.

This has been a tough year. Maybe this Halloween offers us all a chance to just have a little old- fashioned fun for at least a night. Embrace your goblins, big or small, carve a punkin or two, load up on your favorite candy and have a little ghoulish fun!

 

 

FALL'S OTHER FLOWER

 

 

About this time of year, summer’s array of flower color begins to fade. Not to worry though, when the brisk air and bright sunshine of fall arrives, chrysanthemums step up to provide brilliant color in the face of summer’s fading glory.

Who can resist the bright mounds of yellows, burgundies, whites, pinks and rust colors that mums provide? But, even though mums get all the glory, there is another fall flower that is often overlooked. Asters are just as much a part of fall as chrysanthemums are even though they usually take a back seat to its first cousin.

Actually, all mums are asters but not all asters are mums. Chrysanthemums include over 200 species of the aster family. By contrast, there are more than 175 varieties of asters in the Unites States and they are not as heavily hybridized as mums.

Mums have always been my favorite flower, hands down. However, they are a little persnickety when it comes to them surviving more than one season. Being perennials, they are supposed to return year after year, especially those that are advertised as hardy mums.

Technically, they are perennials and are hardy mums, but really, they are not. Are you confused yet? Those billed as hardy mums don’t usually come back the following year because they are forced into bloom and expend so much energy with all those flowers that they can’t establish roots.

Thus, mums are considered both annuals and perennials…sort of. The key to getting them to return year after year is when you plant them. Many folks use potted mums as fall decorations and then plant them in October when they are done with fall flowers. This is usually too late for them to establish their root systems before winter sets in.

Mums have a better chance of returning the next season if they are planted in early spring or summer. However, the trick here is being able to find them in the spring. The next best thing is to get them in the ground as soon as they arrive on stands in September.

Asters are the other fall flower and are hardier than mums and are not as finicky. Most folks go for the mums because they have the color tones of autumn and compliment harvest displays. Asters are daisy-like perennials with starry shaped flowers that come in hues of blue, purple, pink and white. The good news is that you don’t have to choose between them, when planted together, mums and asters  complement each other for a full color display.

Most asters are derived from North American native perennials. They bloom from late summer into fall. Depending on your preference and where you want them in the garden, you can choose varieties that grow between one and four feet high. The taller species often require staking.

Asters are happiest in moist, well-drained soil and established plants need little to no fertilization. They like cool, moist summers, especially when it is cool at night. In warmer climates, they like to avoid the hot, mid-day sun. Late-season nectar feeders who haven’t migrated or are just passing through love asters for their nectar.

One of the biggest contrasts between mums and asters is their growth habits. One of the show-stopping qualities of mums is their large, flower-filled mounds. The flowers are so compacted that they make a great focal point in any landscape. Asters, on the other hand, do not have this manicured look, but rather they are the wild child. Asters’ blooms are haphazard and tend to fall every which way.

 

 

 

Mums and asters also differ in how you pinch them back. “Pinching back” simply means to prune the plant lightly. Everywhere you prune, new growth will emerge, making the plant fuller. Start in early spring when the plants are only roughly six inches tall. Cut it back by half. Repeat this process two to three times, making the last cut around July 15.

Asters do not need to be pinched back but, by doing so, it will extend the blooming season by several weeks. Like mums, pinching will give you a fuller plant and keep them from growing so spindly. Mums require continual pinching for their manicured look whereas asters can suffice with only a couple pinchings.

Although there are quite a few aster varieties, there are two main species, the New York aster and the New England aster. New York asters come in colors from bright pink to bluish purple and the blooms can be double, semi-double or single. The New England variety are larger and their colors tend to be deeper, from magenta to deep purple.

Other popular kinds include the Blue Wood aster which has small blue to white flowers while Heather asters are like a low-growing ground cover with small white flowers, similar to creeping phlox. Smooth asters grow tall and upright and produce small lavender flowers. The Frikartii Monch aster is one of the earliest blooming ones, blooming from June through September. There are also wild varieties as well which are not as flashy as the cultivated ones but are still ecologically good choices.

Asters can be grown from seed, but the germination will be uneven. They can be started indoors in winter, sown in pots and kept in the fridge for four to six weeks to stimulate winter dormancy. They need this period of colder weather to kickstart germination. One of the main things to keep asters vigorous is to divide them every two to three years.

Although asters are hardier than mums, they are often overlooked, simply because they don’t have as broad of range of color. This downfall can easily be rectified by planting both together for a full color display. You get the best of both worlds!

For a unique color display, think planting in combination. They look great planted alongside coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, daisies and daylilies.

Asters love full sun, attract butterflies and bees, are deer-resistant (hallelujah!!!) and require little care. Nope, can’t think of a good reason not to include the “other” fall flower in my garden. Move over mums and make room for another fall friend!

 

 

SPRING COLOR STARTS IN THE FALL

 

When spring finally breaks and all the spring flowers pop up, it is such a welcome sign after a long winter. However, all of that color takes a little planning the fall before.

September through mid-October is the optimum time to plant spring-flowering bulbs, other perennials that bloom in the spring and to consider storage for summer planted bulbs.

It’s probably best to get the old out of the way first. By digging bulbs that bloom in the summer before you plant spring blooming bulbs, you ensure that you don’t forget to dig them since out of sight is out of mind. It also makes room to plant other bulbs that need to go in during fall.

Summer bulbs such as gladiolas, tuberous begonias, cannas and dahlias are too tender to bear frost so they need to be dug and stored during winter. Once frost has killed the foliage, dig the bulbs, shake off loose dirt and let them dry a couple days, preferably in the sun. Then store in peat moss or just loose in boxes, not bags since bags attract moisture. Place in a dark storage area that is around 45*F.

If your plants were in pots, cut the foliage off and place the pots in a cool but non-freezing location. Leave until spring and do not water them.

Now, to consider planting the spring bulbs. Before you dive in, consider what look you are going after. Each variety has different bloom times, thus with careful planting, you can have continuous color throughout spring. These bulbs also look great planted “en masse” for large splashes of color in borders, groves and other large areas.

The general rule is to plant bulbs at a depth three times the width of the bulb itself. This is roughly four to six inches deep for small bulbs and eight inches deep for the larger ones. In sandy soil, go a little deeper and a little shallower for clay soil. Fertilize low in nitrogen with a blend of 9-6-6.

Some spring favorites are:

*Daffodils add cheery splashes of yellow and white in early spring. They are deer and vole resistant.

*Jonquils have tiny blooms and are great for naturalization. They are among the first to bloom.

*Crocus are favorites because they are usually the first flowers we see. Known to even push up through the snow, they come in a variety of colors.

*Snowdrops are aptly named since they appear early in the spring as little white bells.

*Hyacinths (including grape hyacinths) are small blue clusters of tiny bell-shaped blooms that are great for naturalizing.

 

*Tulips are later blooming but come in a large range of colors. These can be planted as late as you can dig in the ground. Squirrels love to eat these bulbs so you may have to put cages of chicken wire up to keep the varmints out.

 

Irises are hardy, reliable and easy to grow. Actually, it’s hard to stop them from spreading. They attract hummingbirds and butterflies and make lovely cut flowers.

Most folks order large quantities of these bulbs to create the effect that they want. So, what happens if winter sneaks in and all the bulbs don’t get planted in the fall? No worries, these bulbs can be forced, which is the process of causing plants to bloom under unnatural conditions or at unusual times.

To accomplish this, bulbs need to be put in pots and forced indoors. Choose pots that have good drainage, with at least one hole in the bottom. They also need to be deep enough for the roots to grow, at least eight inches.

Be sure and select a good quality potting mix. Soilless is a good choice since it lets the bulbs drain freely and not get water-logged while still providing moisture and stability. Fill the container with a couple inches of potting mix, then place the bulbs in and cover with more potting mix, leaving room for watering. Bulbs in pots can be placed closer together than those planted outside.

After potting them, they need to be chilled. Daffodils, tulips and hyacinths especially need extended periods of cold between 35*F and 50*F to initiate shoots and flowers. Any dark space like a basement or root cellar will do as long as it doesn’t get below freezing. Freezing won’t damage the bulbs but may break the pots.

After they have cooled for 14 to 15 weeks, move them to a warm and bright location like a sunny windowsill. This will cause them to grow leaves and push up flower buds. Once the buds start to show color, move them out of direst sunlight to prolong flowering. After they bloom, they can be planted directly in the garden, however they may take a few years to fully recover.

Don’t forget that bulbs aren’t the only flowers that can be planted in fall. Many spring blossoms will bloom earlier, for longer periods and on taller stems if planted in the fall. Some seeds won’t germinate without going through a cold period. Some flowers that do better if planted in the fall are:

*Geum have dainty, one-inch orange flowers that are happiest in partial shade with well-drained soil. In most climates, they remain evergreen.

*Brown-eyed Susans will provide a sea of wildflowers which are in sharp contrast to their tame cousins, black-eyed Susans. Planted in full sun, they self-support themselves even though they grow to three feet tall.

*Anemones are much-loved flowers of early spring and are grown from small tubers. They have black eyes surrounded by paper thin white petals.

*Foxglove is an old favorite. Most are biennial which means that they flower then set seed the following year. The first-year blooming “Dalmation” series is the exception here. They have bell-shaped flowers on four-foot spikes. Although they tolerate sun, they thrive in partial shade in hotter climates.

*Coreopsis are great for fall planting.

*Ranuculus have layers of soft petals that resemble roses. Mid-spring blooming, they are grown form “corms” or small tubers and have longer stems if planted in fall.

*Annual phlox have pillowy flowers on 18-inch stems. Most varieties are perennials.

*Columbine is a another old-time favorite but is a short-lived perennial. They sport intricate patterns on the flower heads on two to four-foot stems. They have vibrant color and will give a second show if they are cut back.

*Dianthus perform better if planted in the fall and are sweet and spice-scented long-time staples of bouquets.

Planting bulbs and flowers in the fall for spring blooms is a win-win situation. You can take advantage of sun-kissed autumn days by planting for a spring burst of color. What could be better than that!