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Let us open our leaves |
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Who would have thought it possible that a
tiny little flower |
Kewaunee County Garden Club Plant Profiles
Quick Tips:
·
Planting Period; October until the end of April
·
Flowering Period: Late December until the end of
June
·
Flowering time is 6—8 weeks
·
Larger bulbs produce more flowers
·
Always store un-planted bulbs in cool
place between 40-50 deg. F
Amaryllis-One of a Kind
Of all flowering bulbs, amaryllis are the easiest
to bring to bloom. This can be accomplished indoors or out, and over an
extended period of time. The amaryllis
originated in South America’s tropical regions and has the botanical name
Hippeastrum. The large flowers and ease with which they can be brought to bloom
make amaryllis popular and in demand worldwide. The amaryllis comes in may
beautiful varieties including various shades of red, white, pink, salmon, and
orange. There are also many striped and multi-colored varieties, usually
combining shades of pink or red with white.
Preparation for Planting
The base and roots of the bulb should be placed in
lukewarm water for a few hours. Remember, if you cannot plant the bulbs
immediately after receiving them, store them in a cool temperature between
40-50 degrees F.
Planting
Plant bulbs in a nutritious potting compost, many
are available pre-mixed. Plant the bulb up to its neck in the potting compost,
being careful not to damage the roots.
Press the soil down firmly to set the bulb securely in place after
planting.
Placement and Watering
Plant the bulb, or place the potted bulb in a warm
place with direct sunlight since heat is necessary for the development of the
stems. The ideal temperature is 68 to
70 degrees F. Water sparingly until the stem appears, then, as the bud and
leaves appear, gradually water more. At this point, the stem will grow rapidly
and flowers will develop after it has reached full growth.
Flowering Period
Bulbs will flower in 6—8 weeks as a general rule.
In winter the flowering time will be longer than in spring. Set up your
planting schedule between October and April with this in mind. To achieve
continuous bloom, plant at intervals of 2 weeks for stunning color in your home
or garden.
After-Bloom Care
After-Flowering - After the amaryllis has stopped
flowering, it can be made to flower again. Cut the old flowers from the stem
after flowering, and when the stem starts to sag, cut it back to the top of the
bulb.
Leaf Growth and Development
- Continue to water and fertilize as normal all summer, or for at least 5—6
months, allowing the leaves to fully develop and grow. When the leaves begin to
yellow, which normally occurs in the early fall, cut the leaves back to about 2
inches from the top of the bulb and remove the bulb from the soil.
Bulb Storage - Clean the bulb and
place it in a cool (40-50 deg. F), dark place such as the crisper of your
refrigerator that contains apples, this will sterilize the bulbs. Store the bulbs for a minimum of 6 weeks.
Plant Again - After 6 weeks you may remove the bulbs whenever you would like to plant them. Plant bulbs 8 weeks before you would like them to bloom.
The
Common name for Astrantia is masterwort. This genus has 10 species and
is a member of the carrot family. However, there is little resemblance to
carrots as we know them. Astrantia are herbaceous perennials that are
native to the mountains and woodlands of Europe and west Asia.
The
foliage form clumps, is deeply toothed and a soft green color. The
flowerheads are on wiry stems and are surrounded by a collar of pointed bracts.
The
natural habitat of Astrantia is moist fertile woodland conditions or
near the edges of streams or ponds. They like partial shade but will tolerate
full sun if the soil is sufficiently moist. Therefore, Astrantia should be of
interest to gardeners that have a moist shady location that is not ideal for
most perennials. It blooms from summer into fall and can be used as a cut
flower. In addition, the blooms hold their unique form and color well when
dried.
Astrantia
major is a species that is most grown for the garden. It is 24 inches
tall and hardy to temperature zone 5. It has pinkish bracts and small greenish
flowers. The most common are 'Alba', with white bracts, 'Rosea', with pink
bracts, and 'Ribra' with red bracts. There is also a variegated variety,
'Sunningdale Variegated'. The variegated variety will tolerate more sun than
the other varieties.
Astrantia
has
been popular in Europe for some time, where most of the cultivars have been
developed. Only in the last few years has this genus begun to gain recognition
in North America. The Flower Factory now lists 10 varieties in a recent
catalog, while Roots and Rhizones, a subsidiary of Jung's Seeds, lists 7
varieties. The colors range from while, pink, purple and red.
Astrantia can be
propagated by division in early spring or by seed. Propagation by seed is
somewhat difficult in that fresh seed is needed to get a good germination.
Therefore, seeds obtained from a mail order source or bought from off the rack
may not germinate well, if at all. The best way to grow from seed is to pick
seed late summer or fall and plant outdoors so that they can get at least 3
months of cool treatment before bringing them into a warmer location for
germinating.
A.
major and the cultivar 'rubra' are available from seed vendors, so
these must come from true seed. However, it is not clear if some of the newer
cultivars will come true from seed. They may need to be propagated
vegetatively. Little information is available in literature for propagating Astrantia
from softwood stem cuttings or basal cuttings. Under ideal conditions, the
plants will spread forming a large clump by runners. Deadheading can prolong
blooming into the fall.
In
summary, Astrantia can provide some very nice color in locations that
are moist and shady, where many other perennials will not thrive.
Balloon
flower (Platycodon granddiflorus) has been used in gardens for more then
50 years. However, it has never obtained the popularity that it deserves. These
reliable perennials are easy to grow, are long lived and have their peak
flowering in mid or late summer when other flowers have complete their
blooming.
The
plant’s common name
comes from the buds that form hollow balloons, which gradually inflate and
color up. The buds eventually burst open into star shaped flowers 2 to 3 inches
across. One variety, ‘Kamachi’, never does open and remains a balloon. This weird
behavior seems to be a basic failure to communicate between the flower and the
bees.
While
the most common color of the balloon flower is blue, they do come in both white
and pink shades. There are also a selection of sizes to choose from. The
smallest variety is ‘Sentimental
Blue’, which is
about 6 inches tall and can be used in front of the flower bed. For a medium
high plants, ‘Mariesii’ or the ‘Apoyama’ series are
good choices. The 24 inch tall ‘Double Blue’ is a variety that is available from a number of
sources. The tallest variety, the ‘Fuji’ series, comes
in at 30 inches and is also the most widely sold. The ‘Fuji’ series comes in blue, pink and white varieties.
Balloon
flowers are easy to propagate from seed. They seem to come true to form from seed
so that you can collect seed from your own plants or get some from a friend.
Balloon
flowers seem to be one of the last perennial flowers to come up in the spring.
So do not panic if they do not show themselves when other flowers are already
up and growing. They are a temperature zone 3 plant and are winter hardy.
The brassicas
genus includes some of the more popular garden vegetables. These include
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. In addition to the big
four, there are other members of this family that are also grown to an lesser
extent. These would include kale, kohlrabi, and Chinese cabbage. In this
article we will limit our discussion to the big four, although the cultural
techniques would also apply to the other crops as well. These vegetables are
sometimes referred to as the “colecrops’, where cole is the German name for cabbage.
Unlike
some of the other garden crops such as tomatoes or beans, the cole crops are
frost hardy and grow best in the cool weather. This is fortuitous for the
gardener, because in cool summers, when the gardener is sweating about ripe
tomatoes or melons, the cole crops will be doing great.
Broccoli:
In the
last half of this century broccoli has gone from a minor commercial crop and
garden curiosity to a major crop in both the garden and the market place. In
addition to its versatility in the kitchen, broccoli has been reported to have
anti-cancer properties. To take advantage of the cool weather properties of
broccoli, the gardener should plan on spring and fall crops. For the spring
crop, the plants of a early maturing variety should be started indoors in mid
March and transplanted into the garden around the first of May. Green Comet, is
a popular early variety. In addition to the initial head, broccoli will produce
smaller side shoots for most of the summer. For the fall crop a later maturing
variety such as Premium Crop can be direct seeded in the garden or transplants
can be planted in mid summer.
Cabbage:
Unlike
the other brassicas, cabbage will grow well though out the season and be
unaffected by the warm summer weather. However, the early - late approach will
work as well as with broccoli. Stonehead is a popular early variety, while
Savoy Ace and Danish Ballhead can be used for a fall storage crop.
Cauliflower:
Cauliflower
is on the other side of the spectrum from cabbage as far as sensitivity to
temperature is concerned. The same early - late planting can be used, although
the early crop may fail if the late spring is too warm. Early Snowball and Snow
Crown are two early varieties that produce well. A technique that many
commercial growers use for the fall crop is to direct seed around the first of
June rather thickly in a row. When the plants are about 10 inches tall, around
mid July, the plants are dug and transplanted into rows using the normal
spacing. Try to time the transplanting after a rain or water the transplants if
it is dry. This technique works equally well for a fall crop of broccoli,
cabbage, kale or a variety of greens.
Brussels
Sprouts:
Unlike
the other cole crops discussed, Brussels sprouts are grown as a fall crop. The
days to maturity for Brussels sprouts is about 90 to 100 days so it takes a
full growing season to get a harvest. Generally it is best to put in
transplants in the spring, although it is not necessary to get them in as early
as with an early crop of broccoli or cauliflower. Brussels sprouts will grow at
a rather slow pace during the summer marking time until the cool weather
arrives in September. Then they will take off, setting 2 to 3 feet of sprouts
by mid October. Brussels sprouts are quite frost hardy and can be left in the
garden well into November. Jade Cross and Prince Marvel are two varieties that
do well.
Culture:
All of
the brassicas like well drained fertile soil and respond to fertilization.
Broccoli and cauliflower are sensitive to both heat and dry weather. Therefore,
watering will prove beneficial to those crops.
In the
home garden the main problems to growing brassicas are insect pests. When the
plants are small, flea beetles can be a problem. If the infestation is severe,
rotenone or Seven insecticide can be used to control them. Root maggots can be
a problem in some years. This will show up when the seemingly healthy plant
will start to wilt. A look at the root just below the surface will show grooves
where the root maggot has eaten away the root surface. These can be controlled
by putting a 4 inch square of cloth around the plant after setting out the
transplant. Soaking the soil around the transplant with an insecticide will
also control root maggot.
The
cabbage worm is an ever present pest. They are best controlled with ‘BT’ a microbial
insecticide. This non-toxic insecticide will give almost 100% control if used
regularly. Thuricide and Dipel are two brand names for this product. Club root
can be controlled by rotation of brassica in the garden.
Campanulas are native to the northern
hemisphere. This large genus includes
about 250 species of showy herbaceous plants.
The leaves vary in shape and size, occasionally arising mainly from
upright stems or sometimes only basal clusters. The common name for campanula is bellflower, which is descriptive
of is blooms. However, some species are
more tubular, urn-shaped or star-shaped.
The flowers are mainly in shades of blue and purple with some pinks and
whites.
Campanulas are useful for rockeries, borders or wild
gardens. All do best in a moderately
rich, moist, well-drained soil. They
like full sun or part shade. Most of
the species are winter hardy to temperature zone 5 with some species extending
to zone 3. Plants can be propagated by
division, soft wood cuttings, or seeds.
Although campanulas are easy to grow from seed, they do not seem to self
sow to any great extent in the garden.
One of the more popular species for the flower
garden is Campaula carpatica, or Carpathian harebell. Two C. carpatica varieties that are
widely available are ‘Blue Clips’ and ‘White Clips’. These are compact 8” plants that are covered with 2” blue or
white blooms in early summer. They will
continue to bloom to a lesser extent until fall with deadheading. A somewhat taller variety in this species is
‘Wedgewood Blue’. A recent introduction
of C. capateca is ‘Divine’ that is taller and bushier then the Clips
series. These come in blooms of blue,
lavender, or white.
Another species that has found a home in our flower
gardens is C. glomerata, or clustered bellflower. In this species the blooms are grouped in
almost globular clusters. The most
widely available variety is the purple flowered ‘Superba’. There is also a white flowered version.
Another well known species is C. persicifolia, or
peach-leafed bellflower. It gets its
common name from the elongated shape of
the leaves. The flowers of this species are borne along upright stems. ‘LaBelle’ is a blue variety while ‘Alba’ has
white flowers.
A species that has seen some recent introductions
is C. punctata. These are
upright growing plants that bear fat pendulous, tubular flowers of either
single or double type. The color of the
blooms are pink or pink and white. Some
of the newer introductions are ‘Bowl of Cherries’, ‘Cherry Bells’, and ‘Wedding
Bells’. While these have been on the
market only a couple of years, look forward to them becoming widely available
and a popular addition to the perennial garden.
Another pink campanula is C. lactflora ‘Dwarf
Pink’. The new introduction is between 1 and 2 feet tall and will bloom
the first year from seed.
If you are looking for a low growing plant for the
rock garden, campanulas will come though for you again. Two species C. portenschlagiana, Dalmatian
Bellflower, and C. poscharskyana, Serbian Bellflower are prostrate
growing and are excellent for rock gardens or rock walls.
Most genus of herbaceous plants have only a couple
of species that find their way into the flower garden. Campanula is the exception in that in
addition to the species discussed above there are several other species that
are useful in the garden. These include
C. trachelium,, C. cochlearlifolia, and the biennial C. medium, Canterbury
Bell. With such an array of species to
choose from, it is likely that the gardener will find more then a couple to add
to their flower beds.
The landscape uses of campanula are varied. The low
growing and creeping species can be used for rock gardens and informal rock
walls. The Clips series can be used in
front of the border. The median-sized
clustered bellflower and peach-leaf bellflower can be used in the border and
combined with yellow blooming gaillardia and coreopsis.
Compost
tea or manure tea has been used for a long time to fertilize garden plants.
Typically, compost or manure would be put in a container or barrel with water
and allowed to steep for a couple of weeks. The liquid would be drawn off and
applied to plants in the garden.
Recently
a new twist has been added to this old technique. Dr. Elaine Ingham, Professor,
Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, developed a
technique that has speeded up the process. This involves the addition of an air
pump that aerates the compost-water mixture, adding oxygen to accelerate the
aerobic action of the microbe-organisms. The air is brought into the mixture
through a manifold in the bottom of the container so the air is distributed
uniformly. In some setups, a agitator is also added to insure thorough mixing.
The typical container is a 5 gallon plastic bucket that is similar to that used
in building trades.
Several
vendors have come onto the market with compost tea 'brewers'. These range in
price from around $100 to $300 depending on how elaborate the equipment.
However, plans for a 'do it yourself' setup are available on the Internet that
allows you to make one much less expensively. The Pennsylvania Dept. of
Environmental Protection has plans to use aquarium supplies. This setup would
cost in the range of $20 to $25.
In
addition to hardware, vendors also sell compost and something called 'starter
nutrient' or 'bio-activator'. The Pennsylvania setup recommends using sulfured
molasses as a nutrient. This would be a lot cheaper then using the commercial
products. The time that is recommended to brew the mixture is from 12 hours to
3 days, depending on the brand of tea brewer being used. The type of compost
that is used can be from a home compost bin, worm castings, seaweed or a blend
of the above. To produce tea with a high level of beneficial microbes, start
with a compost with about 45% green materials, 30% woody, and 35% high-nitrogen
materials. The gardener will have to experiment to see which works best for
them. If you are using a setup that does not have a mixer built-in, you may
want to hand-stir the mixture from time to time during the brewing process to
separate the microbes from the solids. Some sources recommend that you not
strain the mixture through too fine a mesh because you may remove some of the
beneficial microbes.
Some
of the benefits of using compost tea are claimed to be:
Increases plant growth
Provides
nutrients to plants and soil
Provides
beneficial organisms
Helps
to suppress diseases
Replaces
toxic chemicals
If you
used chlorinated water you should bubble air through the water for at least an hour
before adding the compost. This allows any chlorine to evaporate. Chlorine can
kill beneficial organisms in the tea. Also, some sources recommend that you use
the tea immediately since the beneficial microbes will begin to die shortly
after the air source is removed.
About
80 species of annual and perennial Coreopsis, which are native to the
cooler or drier regions of the Americans, make up this genus of the daisy
family. The flowers are borne on slender stems and are mostly shades of gold and
yellow. However, breeders have extended the color range to include red, pink
and bi-colored. The leaves vary from simple and narrow to thread-like. The
perennials prefer full sun and a fertile, well-drained soil but will also grow
in coastal regions in poor stony soil.
Coreopsis
grandiflora, has the common name 'tickseed'. This species is
available to gardeners by two cultivars, Baby Sun and Early Sunrise. Baby Sun
has golden yellow blooms with a red fleck at the base of each petal. The plants
grow 12 to 16 inches tall in flower.
Early
Sunrise reaches a height of 20 inches with semi-double, golden yellow blooms.
Flowers are 2 inches across. Early Sunrise is a 1989 All American Gold Metal
winner. While both of the above cultivars are temperature zone 4 plants, there
are some plants that will not make it through the winter. However, both of
these are early to grow from seed and Early Sunrise will bloom the first year
from seed. The bloom period is extended by deadheading.
Coreopsis
verticillata, threadleaf coreopsis is another species that is often found in
the perennial garden. The most widely known of this species is the variety
Moonbeam. Moonbeam is a 1992 Perennial Plant of the Year award winner and for
good reason. This excellent cultivr has light yellow, single blooms on plants
that are 18 to 20 inches high and can spread up to 3 feet across. The plant
will bloom most of the summer and because it is a sterile hybrid does not need
to be deadheaded. While its heritage is not fully known, a number of species,
including C. verticillata, have been crossed to yield this superior
performer.
A more
recent introduction similar to Moonbeam is the coreopsis Limerock Ruby. This
cultivar is also an unknown cross between coreopsis varieties. It has 1 1/2
inch flowers of ruby red with yellow centers. It also blooms over a long period
during the summer and fall. It seems to be a more vigorous grower then
Moonbeam, growing in size in one year that would take Moonbeam two or three
years to obtain. Although it is classified as a temperature zone 5 plant it did
not perform well in our snowless zone 5 winter last year. Therefore, it may
need some protection here in zone 5.
The
most recent introduction in this line is the coreopsis Sweet Dreams. This
cultivar has white blooms with a raspberry-red central ring. It seems to be
somewhat taller then the other C. verticillata varieties. However, it
has not been out long enough to determine if it will need additional
protection.
With
this wide selection of varieties available, every perennial bed should find a
spot for more varieties of coreopsis.
The
Genus Gentiana occurs woldwide and has about 400 species of annuals, biennials
and perennials. INtense deep blue and sky blue are the usual flower colors.
However, white, yellows and even red blooms are found in some species.
In
this part of the world, two species grow as wild flowers. The most common is a
bottle gentian, gentiana andrewsii, which is also called the closed
gentian. It grows about 1 to 2 feet high with pale green sessile leaves on
slender stems. The club shaped violet-blue flowers do not open and are about 1
inch long clustered in the axils of the upper leaves. This beautiful wild
flower prefers moist soil and blooms in September and October.
The
preferred soil and bloom times are similar to that of the Giant Blue Lobelia,
Lobelia siphilitica, and White Turtlehead, Chelone glabra, and therefore can
sometimes be seen blooming together with these species. In Kewaunee County
bottle gentian can be seen blooming along the Ahnapee trail north of Algoma and
between Cty D and Cty P east of Rio Creek.
The
Bottle Gentian can be propagated from seed. However, the seed must be sown
fresh. Therefore, the seed should be sown in the fall and stratified over
winter outdoors for sprouting in the spring.
Another
gentian wild flower is the Fringed Gentian G. crinita, which is a
biennial. This species is not as common as the bottle gentian. The Fringed
Gentian also blooms in fall and has deep blue vase-shaped flowers.
A
species that is grown as a front of the boarder or rock garden perennial is the
Crested Gentian, G. septemfida. From its botanical name, one might guess
that it also blooms in the fall. This species is native to the mountains of
western and central Asia. It grows to about 6 inches tall and has clusters of
rich blue flowers. This species is sun loving and will grow in drier conditions
than the native wild flowers. Plants are not easy to find but seed is sometimes
available from seed suppliers.
The
Great Yellow Gentian, G. lutea, is native to Europe and has tubular yellow
flowers. This erect, clump-forming perennial grows in the mountains and is the
main source of gentian root, which is used medicinally as a tonic to aid
digestion and purify the blood. Gentian root is also used to flavor vermouth.
Gardeners vs. The Weather - Is
Life Fair?
The
fair-weather gardener, who will do nothing except when the wind and weather and
everything else are favorable, is never a master of his
craft. Henry Ellaconbe
One of
the more frustrating aspects of gardening is the effects of adverse weather
conditions. While most gardeners feel that they can overcome most gardening
problems through hard work or cleverness, there is not much one can do to
change the weather.
The
growing season started out with gardeners surveying the results of a cold
snowless winter. Reports from the area indicate that dianthus suffered higher
then normal mortality, ground covers such as ajuga took a hard hit and English
daisies may become an endangered
species.
In addition, many blackberries froze back to the ground, redbud trees died
back, and herbs such as lavender and lemon balm were lucky to survive. Although
the minimum temperature was not below what is expected in zone 5, the benefits
of good snow cover was demonstrated.
A cold
late spring resulted in many vegetable gardens getting in late. This was
followed by a cool June and July that had many gardeners wondering if their
warm weather crops such as tomatoes, peppers and melons would ever get ripe. Warmer
weather during August and early September has helped the gardens from a
degree-day standpoint. However, many gardens are now suffering from lack of
rainfall. While some areas in Northeast Wisconsin have had adequate rain, other
areas are quite dry. That is having an effect on late maturing crops.
One
positive aspect of the weather has been that the deep frost in the ground over
winter resulted in a decrease in the insect problems and the dry weather during
summer has helped with fungus diseases problems. So as usual it’s a win some, lose some deal.
The
weather could have been worse. Temperatures in the plains seemed to be in the
high 90’s and 100’s for weeks on end and the Northeast has had a very
wet and cool summer. However, we all know that next year will be better and we
hope we all learned something from our trials of this year.
New
Vegetable
What
do you get when you cross a tomato with a bell pepper? You get a Toma Bella.
Toma Bellas have a sweet, tomato flavor with the crispy, crunchiness of
bell pepper...even after it’s cooked. This
hybrid fruit has an intense red color with a squatty-bell shape. Toma Bellas
are excellent stuffed with cold salads, filled and baked, or to hold dips and
sauces. Roast and peel, grill with meats and fish, sauté with other vegetables
or add to stir frys.
Bell
Peppers
Peppers
were cultivated in prehistoric Central and South America and carried to Europe
shortly after Columbus “discovered” the New World. They spread rapidly and now are
staple fare in Mediterranean dishes as well as dishes in Hungary and other
areas of Eastern Europe. This versatile vegetable also appears in our diets as
paprika, which is powdered peppers, and pimento, which is peeled and pickled
pepper.
Helleborus
are a genus of herbaceous perennials that are native to Europe and western
Asia. Two of the species that have found homes in perennial gardens are the
Christmas Rose, Hellebore niger, and the Lenten Rose, Helleborus
orientalis. From their common names it is indicated that these plants
flower in this area in late winter or early spring. This early flowering and
their evergreen foliage makes them an attractive addition to the perennial
flower bed. While Helleborus have been used in the garden for a long time, the
recent introduction of some new hybrids, especially in the species H.
orientalis, has resulted in renewed interest in this genus.
Hellebores
are long-lived easy-care perennials that have both flower and foliage interest.
They like moist but well-drained, sandy, humus-rich soil in light to partial
shade. Locations that have spring sun and summer shade also work well. The
plants do best in slightly alkaline soil and therefore should do well in this
area. H. niger is classified as zone 3 and H. orientalis as zone
4.
Helleborus
may be propagated by division or by seeds. Divide clumps in early spring.
Self-sown seedlings may appear around plants. Since helleborus hybridizes
freely, these seedlings may not be true to the cultivar. However, they usually
are attractive offspring. Helleborus seed do not store well and therefore
should be sown fresh. The seeds need cold treatment and therefore should be
stratified outside over winter or refrigerated for three months at 40 degrees. It
can take from two to three years for the plants to get large enough to bloom.
The color of the blooms tend to be pastel and range from white, pink, light
green, purple and red. The flowers consist of 5 showy petal-like sepals
surrounded by leafy bracts. While the flowers of the species are single, some
of the hybrid cultivars have flowers that are double. The mature plants have a
height and width of about 18 inches.
Some
of the named cultivars of H. orientalis are 'Cosmos', 'Queen of the Night',
'Red Power', and 'Zodiac'. Hybrids of mixed colors are also available such as
'Royal Heritage' and 'Winter Queen'.
In the
landscape, helleborus go well with spring blooming flowers such as daffodils,
tulips and reticulated iris. Since they can tolerate shade in the summer they
can be planted in a naturalized setting among deciduous trees. Another
advantage of hellebrorus is that they are not bothered by deer. This is
probably because all parts of all species are poisonous. However, the plants,
especially the young leaves can be attacked by slugs. You may want to give
these versatile and attractive flowers a try in your garden.
Lavender
is a herbaceous perennial that wears many hats. It can be considered a
perennial flower for use in a perennial boarder. It can also find a place in
the herb garden as an aromatic herb, a medicinal herb or even an culinary herb.
Lavender can also be used in dried flower arrangements.
The
most common lavenders grown are Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), French
lavender (L. dentata), and English lavender (L. angustifloia). In
our northern climate, only the English lavender is winter hardy. However, this
is not all bad, since English lavender has the highest oil content, making it
the most aromatic of the three.
Lavender
grows best in full sun and the proverbial well drained soil. It can be
propagated from seed or cuttings. Lavender is easily grown from seed and the
most widely grown cultivars, Hidcot, Munstead and Lady seem to come true from
seed. However, some of the other named cultivars are best grown from cuttings.
To root cuttings, remove the leaves from the bottom of the cutting, dip the end
into rooting hormone, and place into damp soilless mix.
Lavender
is relatively disease free, but can suffer from root rot in wet locations or
mildew in areas of poor air circulation. Insects are not usually a problem when
growing lavender.
‘Hidcot’ is one of the darkest-flowering cultivars and as
such is a favorite for using in dried flower arrangements. The dark-purple flowers
retain their color best when dried.
‘Munstead’ is one of the earliest blooming cultivars and has
deep-violet flowers. It is also the shortest at 12” tall.
The
cultivar ‘Lady’ is an All-American Winner and the 1999 Herb Plant
of the Year. It has beautiful flowers and outstanding fragrance. If started
early, ‘Lady’ will bloom the first year from seed.
When
preparing lavender for use in potpourri or sachet, harvest during dry weather.
Hang flower stalks in a dry location with good air circulation and low light.
It usually takes lavender two weeks to dry in these conditions during the
summer.
English
lavender is the best choice for cooking because of it has a sweet, lemony
flavor. It can be used for flavoring vinegar, jellies, and ice cream. It is
also used in deserts such as cakes and cookies.
Medicinally,
lavender is a mild sedative and is used to treat headache, nervous disorders
and insomnia.
Perennials that bloom for a long time are a welcome
addition to the garden. The idea that
perennials bloom for about three weeks does not hold true for many widely
available species and cultivars. Some
of the better perennials will bloom for 10 weeks, while the best will bloom for
over 3 months. These plants could
provide a long season of color when combined with plants that might bloom for
shorter times.
One of the most popular long blooming perennials
are the daylilies. For years daylilies
were considered a hardy, dependable plant that bloomed for three weeks. However, breeders have developed a
reblooming trait that produces cultivars that will bloom almost continuously
for over three months. The first and
best-known of the reblooming daylilies is Hemerocallis ‘Stella de
Oro’. This dependable gold colored
dayliliy has become one of the most widely planted perennials in the northern
states. Breeders have now incorporated
this reblooming trait into the cultivars that have a variety of colors and
sizes.
Another species that should be considered for it’s
long blooming time is the Scabiosa.
Two popular cultivars are S. colunbaria x Butterfly Blue and S.
c. x Pink Mist. Butterfly Blue has
1 1/2 inch blue-lavender flowers that starts to bloom in early June and
continues through October. The above are patented cultivars. However, a recently introduced seed grown
variety S. c. nana ‘Blue Bonnet’ is somewhat smaller then Blue Butterfly
but will also continue to bloom well into the fall with deadheading.
A perennial that looks similar to the Scabiosa that
is also long blooming is Knautia
macedonica. Both the species, which
is red, and ‘Milton Pastels’, which have shades of pink and lavender are long
blooming, lasting well into the late fall with deadheading.
Several cultivars of Coreopsis verticillata rank
near the top for long bloomers. The
very popular ‘Moonbeam’ starts blooming in mid-June and continues into
October. Two more recent introductions C.
verticillata cultivars, ‘Limerock Red’ and ‘Sweet Dreams’ can also
be added to the list of long bloomers. C.
grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise’, which can be grown from seed, is also long
blooming if it is deadheaded.
Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia, is
another good selection for long blooms in full sun. Both the species and the cultivar ‘Little Spire’ are long lived,
care free, and very winter hardy. The
blue flowers of Russian sage combines well with the yellows of the Coreopsis
‘Moonbeam’ and ‘Early Sunrise’.
Varieties of Gaillardia such as ‘Burgundy,
‘Golden Goblin’, and ‘Goblin’ can provide continuous blooms from early summer until
the hard frosts of the fall. However,
they require a fair amount of attention to deadheading to keep the blooms
coming.
For the shade garden, some species of bleeding
hearts provide for a long blooming period.
These include the fringed bleeding heart, Dicentra eximia and the
everblooming bleeding heart, D.
formosa. In addition, D. ‘Luxuriant’,
which is thought to be a hybrid between D. formosa and D. eximia, is
also known as a long blooming variety.
These species can generally be found in both white and pink varieties.
Monarda
has long been a favorite in the perennial garden. Monarda is a member of the
mint family and like most mints its leaves are aromatic. It is a native to
North America and along the way has picked up several common names. When used
as an herb it is referred to as bergamot. Bee balm, another common name, comes
from the fact that it attract bees as well as butterflies with its nectar-laden
flowers.
The
native species, manarda didyma, was used by the Native Americans as a
medicinal herb. It was brewed as a tea for gas, colds, insomnia, stomach aches
or nose bleeds. Later, colonial physicians used it to expel worms. The
colonials also used monarda as a tea substitute and it acquired another common
name, Oswego tea.
The
garden manarda, Monarda fistulosa, likes moist, well-drained soil with a
high organic content. It blooms in mid summer and is hardy to temperature zone
4. They tend to spread and may require dividing to keep them in bounds.
So far
monarda sounds like the ideal plant for the perennial garden. It is easy to
care for, it attracts bees and butterflies, and in a pinch may save you a trip
to the drug store. However, monarda has one problem, mildew, mildew, and more
mildew. The problem is most acute along the coast and in the southeast, where
the humidity is high for most of the summer. Powdery mildew is one reason that
monarda has not become more popular.
Mildew
can be controlled on monarda by increasing air circulation around the plants
and using a fungicide. However, most gardeners would just as soon choose
another perennial then get locked into a spray schedule for the summer.
Fortunately there is another alternative. That is, by planting a mildew
resistant cultivar. Although all cultivars offered by growers are advertised as
mildew resistant, many do not show this resistance in actual practice.
Several
organizations around the country have been engaged in trials to determine the
mildew resistance of the various monarda cultivars. The Chicago Botanical
Garden recommends the pink Canadian cultivator ‘Marshall’s Delight’, ‘Colrain Red’, and ‘Raspberry Wine’. Whereas, ‘Cambridge Scarlet’ and ‘Croftway Pink’ show little mildew resistance.
The
University of Vermont trials rate ‘Marshall’s Delight’, ‘Violet Queen’ and ‘Blue Stocking’ are the most
resistant, while ‘Mahogany’, ‘Cambridge
Scarlet’, and ‘Croftway Pink’ were poor performers.
North
Carolina State University mildew studies have found the ‘Jacob Cline’, Marshall’s Delight’, and ‘Claire Grace’ are are 1,2
and 3 in mildew resistance. ‘Colrain Red’ and ‘Croftway Pink’ were the most
mildew-prone.
In
Atlanta Georgia, Garden Designs only recommends ‘Jacob Cline’. Powdery
mildew is a big problem in that area.
While
the results of these trials vary somewhat from location to location, the two
consistent performers are ‘Marshall’s Delight’ and ‘Jacob Cline’. On the other hand two cultivars to avoid are ‘Croftway Pink’ and ‘Cambridge
Scarlet’, even though they
are often advertised as mildew resistant.
The
use of ornamental grasses in the garden and landscape was popularized by the
German horticulturist Karl Foerster in the first part of this century. This
German heritage is seen today in the names of many of the popular cultivars
such as Silberfider, Windspil and Bronseschleier.
Ornamental
grasses were first introduced into this country in the 1950’s with the opening of nurseries and landscaping
business by Europeans influenced by Karl Foerster. These include Wolfgang
Oehme, James van Sweden and Kurt Bluemel. From this beginning the use of
ornamental grasses has spread across the country until today no garden is
considered complete without the accent offered by ornamental grasses.
The
popular ornamental grasses are clumping grasses. That is, they grow in tufts,
slowly increasing in girth. They do not spread by rhizomes, which can be
invasive. They come in many forms such as tufted, mounded, upright and arching.
While some annual grasses are used, most ornamental grasses for the garden are
perennial.
The
foliage of ornamental grasses come in many shades, including green, yellow,
blue, and purple. There are also those with variegated foliage. The flowers and
seed heads also come in a number of shapes. Ornamental grasses can also be
classified as cool season or warm season grasses. The cool season grasses do
most of their growing in the spring and fall, while the warm season grasses
like the heat of summer. In addition, many varieties can add interest to the
garden in winter and are not cut until new growth starts in the spring. The
height of grasses range from a few inches for something like blue fescue to 10
to 15 feet for giant reed grass. With this variety of size, shape, color, and
texture, it is not surprising that ornamental grasses have become a favorite of
landscape designers.
Many
of the more popular varieties are hardy in zone 5. Starting from the shorter to
the tall, the following are varieties that are available in garden centers or mail
order nurseries.
Festuca
ovina ‘Gauca’ is a 6 to 10 inch blue green dense mounding grass.
Some cultivars that may be available are ‘Elijah Blue’, ‘Blaufink’ , and ‘ Harz’. A taller blue mound grass would be Helictotrichon
sempervirens or blue oatgrass, which can grow to 2 feet in height.
In the
mid range selections of Pennisetum alopecuroedes (Fountain Grass) are
appropriate. These would include ‘Hameln’ and ‘Weserbergland’.
For
taller grasses, a number of Miscanthus varieties are good choices. These
include a number of Miscanthus sineneis cultivars such as ‘Gracillimus (Maiden Grass), ‘Zebrinus’ (Zebra Grass), ‘Silverfeder’, and M.s. Strictus (Porcupine Grass). In this
height range Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ is also very
popular. Molinia caerulea subsp. (Moor Grass) is also a good
choice.
For
very tall background grasses, Miscanthus floridulus (Giant Miscanthus) a
8 to 10 foot variety or the very tall Arundo donax (Giant reed
Grass) would be natural choices.
This
list of grasses are just a few of the over one hundred varieties that are
available from nurseries that specialize in ornamental grasses. Try a few of
these grasses and see if it doesn't add year around interest to your
landscaping.
References:
‘Ornamental
Grasses for Cold Climates’, M. H. Meyer,
Minnesota Extension Service.
‘Ornamental
Grasses’, Peter Loewer,
Better Homes and Gardens Books.
Sources:
Limerock
Ornamental Grasses Inc.,Port Matilda, PA
Kurt
Bluemel, Inc. , Baldwin, MD
Pasque Flower
The Pulsatilla
genus is comprised of 30 species of spring - flowering perennials from
Eurasia and North America and are closely related to the anemones and were once
included in that genus. Therefore, in older references the pasque flower may be
referred to as Anemone pulsatilla.
Of the
30 species, P. vernalis and P. vulgaris are the two that are most
widely cultivated with P. vulgaris by far being the most common.
They
form low growing mounding clumps of finely divided, almost ferny foliage. The
leaves and flower stems are covered with downy silver-gray hairs. The flower
color range from white, pink, purple, and red, with purple being the most
common for unnamed cultivars. The flowers develop and bloom in the early spring
before the foliage is fully emerged. Blooms open in the morning and close at
night. As the flowers fade, the seed pods develop into upright, off-white “mops” with numerous filaments projecting out from the seedhead.
The
low growing pasque flower is most often grown in rock gardens or as a front of
the border plant. They prefer moist well drained soil in sun or partial shade.
They are hardy to temperature zone 5 and prefer cold winters and cool summers.
From the gray-green color of their foliage, one would expect that they would
prefer alkaline soils and this is the case. Therefore, they should grow well in
Northeast Wisconsin and Kewaunee County. Pasque flowers are one of the first
perennials to bloom in the spring. While the plants seldom rebloom after
flowering, their interesting foliage provide a fine addition to any perennial
border or rock garden.
Some
of the named cultivars are ‘Alba’, which has pure white flowers, ‘Rubra’ with purplish red flowers, and ‘Rode Kolkke’ with dark red
flowers. While the species and most of the cultivars have single flowers, some
recent cultivars have been developed with double flowers.
Pasque
flowers are usually propagated by seeds. They are slow growing so propagation
by division is a slow process. The seeds germinate best if they are fresh.
Therefore, seed bought from mail-order or off the rack may have poor
germination rates. Seed sown in February will not produce large transplants by
the spring planting season. Seed sown in late summer or fall will grow to one
quart container size plants by spring. Germination temperatures of 68F to 70F
will produce seedlings in 10 to 25 days.
The herbaceous peonies that we grow in our garden
are hybrid cultivars of the species Peonia lactiflora. The species P. lacteflora is
native to Siberia from south of Lake Baikal eastwards to Valadivostock and in
NW China and Mongolia. Peonies have
been grown in China and Japan for centuries.
Individual plants may live 100 years or longer.
The herbaceous peonies die to the ground every winter. They produce large flowers grouped according to the shape of the petals. These flower forms include single, semi-double, double, and anemone.
Peonies were introduced to the West in the later
part of the 18 th century. Therefore,
many heirloom varieties are available to the home gardener. These old-timers are some of the most
fragrant types. Some of these classics
are ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ with fragrant double blooms in a soft apple-blossom
pink. ‘Festiva Maxima’ has large
double-white flower with crimson flakes.
This variety has been available in this country for a 100 years. “Claire Dubouis’ a late bloomer with double
cherry-blossom pink blooms in a more compact plant topping out at 28 to 32
inches.
Herbaceous peonies need well-drained soils, a sunny
spot and are drought-tolerant once established. Peonies are winter hardy and should not be planted with the crown
more than 2 inches deep since the plants need a good winter chill to bloom.
Another
type of peony is the tree peonies or paeonia suffruticosa. Tree peonies are not true trees but are
shrubby perennials with woody, branched stems that can be shaped into tree
form. They have an upright growth from
4 to 6 feet. Nurseries use a rather
unique technique to propagate tree peonies.
Tree peonies are grafted unto herbaceous peonies, which are used as
nurse roots, for the first three years of their life. The tree peony is then dug up and the herbaceous nurse roots are
cut off and the tree is then grown on it’s own root system. This rather involved propagation method
probably explains the high cost of tree peonies at the garden centers.
Some of the more popular tree peonies are the
American hybrids that are crosses between P. suffurticosa, P. lutea, and
P. delavayi. Some of the more
popular varieties are ‘Black Panther’ a deep dark red, ‘Boreas’ that has
closest to true red blooms, and ‘Alice Harding’ a yellow semi-double to double
with red flares. ‘Alice Harding’ is a
true dwarf that grows to 30 inches.
Tree peonies should be planted deeper than the herbaceous peonies. The graft should be planted 7 to 8 inches
below the surface.
A third type a peony is the so called
intersectional. These are a cross
between the tree and herbaceous peonies.
These are sometimes called Itoh hybrids after the Japanese gardener,
Toidhi Itoh, who was responsible for the first successful cross. The intersectionals have the foliage of tree
peonies and the growth habit of herbaceous perennials. These newer peonies are prized for their
disease resistance, fast growth, large number of blooms and stem strength. In addition, the true yellow blooms have
been developed in these crosses. These
are still expensive with ‘Border Charm’ going for $50, ‘Goldmine’ for $100 and
‘Bartzella’, the prized yellow with large blooms, going for $250.