Robert Balek Horticulturist

01/30/2026

Salt Life

01/25/2026

UPDATE:
Today (Sunday) soil temps In the same places:
Full sun area surface 12 degrees, 2” deep 48 degrees
Chronically shaded area surface 5 degrees, 2” deep 42 degrees,

This should be interesting.
Thursday soil temps:
Full sun area surface 60 degrees, 2” deep 59 degrees
Chronically shaded area surface 34 degrees, 2” deep 38 degrees
I’ll check tomorrow under the snow.

12/19/2025

Glow in the dark plants!!?? The influential Pennsylvania Horticultural Society spills the details on its Top 10 Gardening Trends for 2026. Will your garden be left behind?
1. Gardening Innovation - Yes, glow in the dark plants.
2. Rewilding - Using Natives, of course.
3. Gravel Gardening - Like Xeriscaping but really, really serious.
4. Growing Cut Flowers - Self Explanatory.
5. Garden to the Max - Probably my favorite.
6. The Houseplant phenomenon continues - because of course it does.
7. Fruit Growing - Fresh
8. AI and Gardening - Let's be careful out there.
9. Hydrangeas, Hydranges, Hydranges- because Hydrangeas.
10. Gardens that support ecology - more than just pollinators.

Forecasted by horticultural experts at PHS, these trends reflect the ideas, practices and emerging aesthetics expected to influence gardeners across the country in the year ahead.

12/08/2025

Pantone, which monitors cultural impacts across the world, has chosen Cloud Dancer as the color of the year to represent the leading edge of cultural design for 2026. Ball Seed gives examples of this cultural marker being useful in keeping the “culture” in horticulture.

12/01/2025

Feeling nerdy? See how the bark chip mulch around the tree holds in the ground heat better than the lawn? Also, the leaf pile on the right holds in heat, too, leaving a thicker layer of snow on top. This is why bare soil and lawns kills insects that overwinter there. Too much exposure to temperature extremes can be lethal to larvae, eggs, and overwintering enstars.

10/31/2025

Does AI scare you?
“Hey AI, which plants are connected to Halloween?”
This is the resonse:

Traditional and decorative plants:

Pumpkins and Gourds: A staple for Halloween, used for carving jack-o'-lanterns, which originated from carving faces into turnips in the Celtic festival of Samhain.

Chinese Lanterns: Also known as Physalis alkekengi, these have a striking resemblance to small, hanging pumpkins and are popular around Halloween.

Spooky and dramatic-looking plants:

Black Mondo Grass: Features inky, strappy black leaves, creating a dramatic, gothic look.

Batflower: Blooms have a dark purple, bat-like appearance with long, whisker-like structures.

Carnivorous Plants: Plants like the Venus flytrap and cobra lily are fitting for Halloween due to their predatory nature.

Black Calla Lily: Its dark, elegant color makes it a perfect choice for conveying mystery.

Coral Bells "Black Pearl": Offers deep purple-black leaves with a velvety sheen.

Historically significant and symbolic plants:

Turnips: The original vegetable used to create jack-o'-lanterns to scare away spirits before pumpkins became common in America.

Elder: Carrying elder twigs was believed to offer protection from witches.

Foxglove: Known as "witches thimbles," it was associated with witchcraft in folklore.

Rosemary: Thought to be a potent counter-charm against witchcraft.

Deadly Nightshade: Considered a plant of the devil and used by witches in ointments and brews.

Other plants with spooky associations
Spider Plant: Its long, spindly leaves and "babies" that grow at the end can resemble spider legs.

Ghost Plant: Its powdery, pale leaves give it a ghostly appearance.

10/28/2025

The violets are releasing their seeds today.

10/27/2025

Tropicals are all indoors settling in for the winter under grow lights
The timers kicked on while it was still dark outside this morning. That will change next Monday. Turn the clocks back this weekend,

10/18/2025

You can also follow on Instagram to see more.

09/30/2025

Skippers all over the zinnias today.

09/30/2025

Thigmotropism is a plant's growth response to touch or physical contact. This directional growth allows plants, such as vines, to coil around supports to gain stability and reach for sunlight. Positive thigmotropism is the growth toward a stimulus, like a tendril wrapping around a fence, while negative thigmotropism is growth away from it, such as roots avoiding obstacles.

09/26/2025

Whooo. Lafayette!!
Seems like the entire trip was on bridges and elevated roads through gator country near New Orleans and through Baton Rouge on the way to Lafayette to catch a glimpse of the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. Beautifully magnificent swamp larger than the Everglades. I am told the best time to visit Atchafalaya is April, May, or June when wildflowers are at their peak And you can take a tour to feed gators “chicken on a stick” Maybe next year.