In addition to its fun name, kniphofia is also known as ‘red hot poker’ or torch lilies. With grass-like evergreen foliage, this plant’s flower stems grow anywhere from 24 inches to over 6 feet tall. The flower spikes come in colors ranging from cream, orange, red and yellow.

Red-hot pokers have got themselves a bad name. This may be the fault of Professor Kniphof, the German botanist in whose honor they became known as kniphofia – so unnerving to pronounce. These plants of the lily family, natives of South Africa, used to be called tritoma, which is far less of a mouthful.

These South African natives provide much needed spiky form, and many come with vivid blooms that resemble colorful candles. Best of all, many of the new hybrids begin blooming by early summer, and repeat bloom all season as long as you keep them well-fed and deadhead the spent flowers regularly.

This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds. Bees and hummingbirds frequent the drooping flowers for nectar and pollen Each individual flower, and there are many clustered on thick, long stems, is full of nectar.

Bees, birds and butterflies often prefer the crazy-looking flowers; flowers that are spiky, thistle-like or just plain odd are favorites.

Red Hot Pokers are hardy in USDA zones 5 – 10. Kniphofia prefers full sun and will take any soil type. These easy-to-grow plants are drought tolerant and very low maintenance. They bloom from late spring through midsummer. A thick stand of them easily attracts orioles if they are nesting in the area.

The key to success with torch lilies is proper placement in the garden. Torch lilies tend to rot if they sit in saturated soil during winter, so well-drained soil is a must. At the same time, they require regular watering during summer or they won’t bloom well.

And, these showy plants don’t like to be squeezed in, preferring an open, sunny location. It’s fine to plant a low growing perennial in front of it, but leave a gap of 6 to 12 inches to allow kniphofia some breathing room.

Tritomas should be planted from the bulbs in the spring or fall. Plant the bulbs 3-inches deep. Fill the hole with soil and tamp down gently to remove air bubbles. Water to settle the soil. Depending upon the size of the mature plant, space the bulbs anywhere from 6 to 12 inches apart.

This plant has no known problems with pests or diseases and is easy to care for once established. Prune off spent stems immediately and clean up any dead leaves. Protect the crowns during the winter with a layer of straw.

Propagate only from well-established kniphofia by dividing the clumps in the spring. Dig up the clumps and cut off half of the foliage in order for the roots to establish successfully. Spacing is determined according to the size of the mature plant, but it can be anywhere from 6 to 12 inches. Water  to settle the soil.

Late-summer flowers such as crocosmias look good with pokers. I like them with different sorts of marigolds too. The calendulas “Touch of Red” and “Art Shades” are ideal for a showy look. Salvia uliginosa combined with yellow or coral-colored pokers gives a more subtle effect.

Red-hot pokers are such excellent garden plants that it is hard  to imagine they have ever been out of fashion.

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener

That’s because these beetles eat slugs! Most ground beetles only eat slug eggs and baby slugs, but one particularly voracious variety is called the “slug-snail destroyer,” and it takes on some big ones.

I love ground beetles. They are kind of like little living tanks that deploy during the night and lay waste to slug eggs, snails, potato beetles, and cutworms.There are nearly 2500 different species of ground beetles in North America. Most ground beetles do good work, as evidenced by the common names of some beetle species; my favorites being caterpillar hunter (Calosoma scrutator) and eastern snail eater (Scaphinotus elevatus).

Turn over a rock or log, and you’ll see dark, shiny beetles running for cover – ground beetles. The best way to get to know the ground beetles is to observe some up close. Since most are nocturnal, you can usually find them hiding under boards or stepping stones during the day.

Ground beetles live in almost every terrestrial habitat on earth. Worldwide, about 40,000 species in the family Carabidae have been described and named. In North America, the ground beetles number well over 2,000.

The greatest nightmare of most insects that inhabit garden soils is the ground beetle. Ground beetles are very common insects which develop as predators, dispatching cutworms, beetle larvae, and other common pests with their strong, hooked jaws.Their mane reflects the fact that although they are highly active insects, most ground beetles are poor climbers and are restricted to areas around the soil surface.

Ground beetles are typically dark brown or black and somewhat shiny, although a few take on brilliant blue and green coloration.  They are elongate in body form and the jaws are prominent.Because the are active only at night, ground beetles beneficial activities often are under appreciated.  Gardeners sometimes may encounter a few when flipping over rocks, boards or other debris causing the fast moving beetles to scatter for cover.

Why they’re good as garden pest control

Garden pests killer in two stages of its lifecycle, this beetle enjoys snails, slugs, cutworms, gypsy moth larvae, root maggots, tent caterpillars, fly maggots and other garden and household pests, crushing them with powerful chewing mouthparts. Larvae feed for several weeks, then pupate in the soil. Adults are able to live two to three years.

They’re often found in moist to wet locations. Some types exhibit defensive behavior (like emitting strong odors) when disturbed. They’re fast runners. These beetles are sometimes attracted to lights and find their way inside the house. If you find one indoors, carry it outside and release it. It’s a good guy.

Ground beetles bear an unfortunate likeness to cockroaches, but the latter have longer antennae along with a different overall shape. Most of the helpful ground beetles are big, dark, and quick moving. They usually have nasty-looking mandibles and eyes on or close to the fronts of their heads.

To encourage these beetles to stay in your garden:

* Put out some stones and large rocks and plant some lasting plants in your garden for them to hide under.  Provide stone pathways or patches of white clover, or leave a log to decay. They thrive under cover.

* Hedgerows are also an important habitat for ground beetles.

* Mulch. Ground beetles like to hideout underneath rocks, leaf litter, and woody debris—so adding a nice layer of wood chips or shredded leaves to ornamental garden beds and pathways provides plenty of habitat.

Don’t use insecticides. Ever. Insecticides, even organic ones like pyrethrum and rotenone, can kill ground beetles and other beneficial insects, which upsets the predator/prey balance in your garden. Attracting a diverse range of beneficial insects is a much better pest control strategy!

Want  to know more about garden pest control? Then put your question here.

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Yours truly, Polly – Organic Gardener