Clematis taxa are magnificent flowering vines and herbaceous perennials with unbelievable flower shapes, colors and fragrances…every garden can house a clematis. ~ Michael A. Dirr
A garden designed for year-round display is a rarity. Many gardeners focus on flowers that bloom in spring and summer or grow fruits and vegetables. Planning for a garden that peaks in autumn, though, shouldn’t be difficult as nature does much of the work.
Foliage of trees and shrubs are changing into a myriad of colors and, as usual, evergreens are providing the proper backdrop. A garden can contribute annuals that are still in good shape and fall-blooming perennials should be peaking.
Highlights of my garden include two bright zinnia cultivars, ‘Magellan Orange’ and ‘Magellan Cherry,’ several ‘Madness’ petunia cultivars in rich shades of rose, carmine, hot pink and purple and, of course, ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum. A dazzling chartreuse and lemon number is a conifer, ‘King’s Gold’ false cypress; equally vivid is ‘Tiger Eyes’ sumac.
Amidst all this effervescence, however, is a shrubby clematis cultivar, ‘Mrs. Robert Brydon,’ and she is stealing the show.
‘Mrs. Robert Brydon’ (MRB) billows forth from her spot in the bed at the base of the trellis and sprawls east, north and south. The medium green foliage is large and coarse. The plant now, in early autumn, is covered in tiny, lavender-blue flowers with a sweet smell reminiscent of a fresh, fragrant daffodil.
The dainty blossoms are barely one inch across and are borne in small groups (called cymes). At first, the flowers are bell shaped but as they mature, the four sepals (there are no true petals) curl back to reveal dozens of creamy white stamens. Even after the sepals fall, those fuzzy stamens remain into late fall.
The Clematis genus is large and breeders have fiddled with the plants so that heritages are murky. Most gardeners are familiar with large-flowering members of the Jackman, Lanuginosa (‘Nelly Moser’), Patens (‘Miss Bateman’) and Viticella (‘Betty Corning’) groups. In addition several species are popular: C. montana, C. terniflora (sweet autumn clematis) and C. virginiana, or virgin’s bower, a plant native to Minnesota. MRB is a cultivar of the either C. heracleifolia or C x. jouiniana, depending on the source.
How to grow MRB. MRB is a sturdy plant, easy to establish and has few requirements. • can grow in most soils except those that are extremely wet. • needs full sun to partial shade. • keep base of plant well mulched. • mature size is 18 – 24” high with a spread of about 8’, i.e., give her space! • cut back hard in early spring.
Finally… Proper pronunciation of clematis is klem`a-tis with emphasis on the first syllable.
Many thanks to my gardening friend, Jill, who generously shared a chunk of her MRB last spring.
This also appears in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
Whether considering evergreen or deciduous trees, white pines are my favorite and have been a key component of the landscape of every home I’ve owned. My first place—a tiny white cottage—was dwarfed by a gorgeous specimen pine that was totally out of scale. But I loved that huge tree with its long, graceful boughs and, whenever the wind blew, I was reminded of a childhood book. Even though Heidi’s trees were firs, her awe was unforgettable.
The thing which attracted her most, however, was the waving and roaring of the three old fir trees on these windy days. She would run away repeatedly from whatever she might be doing, to listen to them, for nothing seemed so strange and wonderful to her as the deep mysterious sound in the tops of the trees. She would stand underneath them and look up, unable to tear herself away, looking and listening while they bowed and swayed and roared as the mighty wind rushed through them. ~ Heidi, by Johanna Spyri
What is a white pine? The white pines native to our part of the country are Eastern white pines (Pinus strobus). The tree has a vast range from the Lake States through southeastern Canada, into the northeastern U.S. and down to the southern Appalachians. The Western white pine (P. monticola) has a small, disjointed range in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia.
White pines have a fascinating lineage. They belong to an ancient group of plants, named gymnosperms, which dominated the landscape between 250 and 100 million years ago. Since that time, gymnosperms have declined and angiosperms, the more evolved and complex plant division, have advanced.
Now only five orders of gymnosperms remain. • Cycadales: tropical and subtropical plants that resemble palms and tree ferns. • Ginkgoales: ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is the only remaining species. • Gnetales: an intermediate order between gymnosperms and angiosperms. • Taxales: yews and torreya. • Pinales: conifers including the Pine and Cypress families.
The Pine Family “is the largest and most important timber-producing family of the gymnosperms,” according to Harlow & Harrar’s Textbook of Dendrology by James W. Hardin, Donald J. Leopold and Fred M. White. Other members of the family include: • larch (Larix) • spruce (Picea) • Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) • hemlock (Tsuga) • fir (Abies)
White pine facts. • grows to about 80 – 100’ in height with a spread of 20 – 40’. • maturity isn’t reached until 200 years of age; trees have been found with 460 growth rings. • Hartwick Pines State Park in Michigan has 49 acres of old-growth pines with one 300-year-old monarch soaring 155’ tall. • produce soft, bluish green needles in fascicles, or bundles, of 5. • needles remain for 2 years then turn brown, die and fall off . • monoecious with male and female flowers on same plant. • fruit is a long (up to 8”), slender cone that remains closed the first year and matures/opens the second year. • produces abundant pollen but isn’t a cause of allergies. • propagated mainly from seeds which need a 60-day stratification. • easily grown on a wide variety of soils; prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade. • pests include white pine blister rust, white pine weevil and deer. • to estimate age in years, count whorls of side branches and add 2 or 3.
What does Dirr think? Michael Dirr is my go-to guy for information about plants. He has a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology and is a horticulture professor at the University of Georgia in Atlanta. His Manual of Woody Landscape Plants is the bible for gardeners, landscape architects and other plant geeks. Dirr has incredible breadth of knowledge about plant identification, culture and propagation—all of which leads to excellent pronouncements about landscape design value. His comments are erudite, pithy and, on occasion, hilarious.
“In youth a symmetrical pyramid of soft, pleasant appearance; in middle-age and on old trees the crown is composed of several horizontal and ascending branches; gracefully plume-like in outline and very distinctive when compared to other conifers.”
“…one of our most beautiful native pines; a well-grown, mature White Pine is without equal among the firs, spruces and other pines.”
Finally… Last week my husband, Jerry, and I cleared a space just to the north and west of our home and planted three small but exquisite white pines. They are only seven years old now but with a bit of luck, what a legacy.
This also appears in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
Let me try to get this saying right..but I usually get confused when recalling my all-time favorite Bush-ism from a speech he gave in 2006.
Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again. ~ President George W. Bush
Not only did our former president misquote the idiom but he introduced and botched Pete Townsend's lyrics from the song, Won't Get Fooled Again.
Here goes. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
While prowling around a nursery shopping for plants to fill huge, 22-inch hanging baskets for our covered front porch, I stumbled on to some uniquely variegated and beautifully colored impatiens called Fanfare Orange Spreading Impatiens (FOSI). I was smitten and immediately picked out four of the nicest plants.
Several days later after the plants had been properly acclimated to outdoor conditions (i.e., when I finally had time), I gather plants, soil, tools and baskets and begin the consummately pleasurable project of planting the big baskets. I'm carefully arranging the plants where I want them: Swedish ivy and fuchsia hybrids trailing over the edges, 'Rustic Orange' coleus, big 'Riviera White' New Guinea impatiens and FOSI taking up the middle.
Yikes! I carefully read the plant tag and FOSI is a full sun impatiens. What? Who knew? At the nursery, it was benched with other shade-loving impatiens. Rats. So I swapped in some darling 'Xtreme Utopia Mix' regular impatiens and potted up the FOSI in a big terra cotta container and plopped it on my south-facing, full sun deck.
The fool me twice part? Where are the hot orange flowers like on the plant tag? Among all four plants, there is one measly orange blossom and the rest, while attractive, are various colors ranging from soft pink to salmon and coral.
Now I'm completely flummoxed. A little research (better late than never) is in order.
FOSI was developed by Ball Horticultural Company and, according to their website, the plant is actually a cultivar of Impatiens walleriana named Fanfare Orange Trailing (yes, trailing) Impatiens (FOTI). Other Fanfare cultivar/colors include Blush, Bright Coral, Fuchsia, Orchid and Pink Sparkle. The plant will reach 16-20" in height with a spread of 18-24". In addition, Ball brags it up. FOTI is "extremely free-flowering with excellent vigor...rebounds from water stress without shedding buds or blooms...and is naturally well-branched, so no pinching required."
Lesson learned: Read plant tags but don't believe everything on them.
Absolutely no disrespect is meant or felt toward President Bush. He had several other booboos and malaproprisms during his presidency. The best thing to do is to laugh. Everyone makes mistakes and says the wrong thing occasionally. His audience, unfortunately, was the entire world.
The bulbs are mostly faded now. I do mean faded in all senses as flowers have either withered or have lost color. Even the long-lasting 'Katie Heath' daffodils have paled from pink to cream.
Sure, several cultivars of clematis were planted under my new trellises and white pines were purchased but what I'm really growing now are lettuces, pansies and violas.
Lettuces. I thinned my lettuce patch for the second time yesterday. Fortunately, there were more than enough baby leaves of Black Seeded Simpson, Buttercrunch, Lolla Rossa, Red Sails (still best name) and Speckles for a tasty and colorful salad.
Oh, it's painful for me to yank those little plants. Threadlike white roots seemed strong and reluctant to leave to their plush soil. I love to grow plants but I also love to eat and, that day, my stomach out-ruled my heart.
Violas and pansies. Sometime during April of each year, I stock up on violas and pansies which, for our part of the country, is prime time for planting these adorable sisters of the Viola genus. I'll never forget the first time I visited my brother, David, who lives just outside Raleigh, North Carolina. It was January (January!) and pansies (pansies!) were blooming all over the city. We still joke about that. Pansies!
Besides their perky flowers, violas and pansies are sturdy. This is a good thing for a Minnesota garden because we received two inches of wet, heavy snow on May 7.
In twin terra cotta containers on the front porch are mixed cultivars of violas: 'Sorbet Yellow Frost,' 'Sorbet Coconut Swirl,' 'Penny Lane Mix.' At the entrance to our back door is a smaller container of 'Imperial Antique Shades' pansies. Compared to their cheerful and relaxed relatives on the front porch, these flowers look like frilly, fussy, overdressed Victorian ladies.
Lettuce is so easy to grow…and is so gratifying to cut fresh for salads. (In our home a good meal doesn't seem complete without a salad.) Lettuce can be grown in containers or in the ground. The plants are very hardy and will survive a severe frost. Speedy germination rates of 7 – 10 days ensure quick results. Full sun and a soil rich with compost and/or well-rotted manure is best.
Sow seeds as soon as soil can be worked which, this season, is now. Place seeds about ¬?'' apart and cover lightly with soil. Thin to about 2'' apart and make your first salad of micro greens. If you intend to grow some into full heads, thin again to 12'' apart. Sow every two weeks for continuous growth. Plant a mixture of varieties with each sowing so your salads are colorful and delicious.
Lettuces are roughly grouped into Looseleaf & Oakleaf, Cutting, Bibb & Butterhead, Romaine & Cos. The selections below range in maturity from 42 to 68 days.
• Black Seeded Simpson: Looseleaf type, tender, slightly ruffled. (English heirloom from 1850.) • Buttercrunch: Butterhead, refreshing, dark green outer leaves. • Flashy Green Butter Oak: Oak leaf, crunchy, lime green with dark freckles. • Lollo Rossa: Cutting-type, very frilly and pretty, green at base changing to red. • Parris Island Cos: Romaine, crisp, thick, juicy. • Pirat (Sprenkel or Brauner Trotzkopf): Butterhead, green with light brown pebbling, smooth, creamy. • Red Sails: Looseleaf, crunchy, green at base but mostly red leaves. (Cool name!) • Salad Bowl: Oakleaf, bright green, very lobed leaves. • Speckled Amish: Bibb, beautifully marked green leaves with maroon flecks. (Mennonite heirloom from 1799.) • Winter Density (Craquerelle du Midi): Bibb or Romaine, dark green, tender. (French heirloom from 19th century.)
This also appeared in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden. ~ Ruth Stout
Most gardeners have their favorites–their personal arbiters, if you will–of the official beginning of spring and eagerly await that first sighting. Some gardeners might anticipate a bright, white snowdrop (Galanthus); others might count on glory of the snow (Chionodoxa) or perhaps even the ubiquitous crocus (Crocus). In my garden, the first flowers to appear are the exquisite blossoms of hellebores.
What are hellebores? Hellebores are a genus of herbaceous plants native to Europe and Asia and are members of the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Two well-known species are Christmas rose (H. niger) and Lenten rose (H. orientalis) and are so named due to their bloom time.
Proper pronunciation is hel-LEB-or-us.
The genus is a real mix–some evergreen, some not, some acaulescent (without stems), some caulescent (with stems)–and breeders have fiddled around so much that nomenclature can be confusing. Most plants offered for sale today by nurseries are crosses of H. x hybridus, although the hardiest cultivars are out of H. niger.
A good resource with an excellent selection is Tony Avent's Plant Delights Nursery out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Of the 17 cultivars in his 2010 Spring Catalog, nine are rated to Zone 4 and three are rated to Zone 3. Hellebores are pricier than other perennials due to propagation difficulties and length of time from seed to market.
Hellebores grow to 12 - 15" in height and spread to about 2'. In late winter/early spring, flower stalks emerge. Most hellebores naturally have nodding, bell-shaped flowers which I think a most charming characteristic. But again, hybridizers have been doodling and, according to Tony Avent, some are "opting for cupped flowers, while others work toward breeding large, flat open flowers. Some breeders prefer up-facing flowers, while others prefer the natural bell-like form…" Colors include pink, white, lavender, purple, and even one yellow. Some blossoms are marked with darling freckles and speckles.
Hellebores have been used in gardens for many centuries but not, as they are today, for their flowers and sturdy foliage. All plant parts are poisonous due to the presence of alkaloid toxins. According to Vita Sackville-West, an English gardener with a straightforward writing style and dry wit, wrote of an herbalist in 1597 who said "a purgation of hellebore was 'good for mad and furious men.' Sackville-West added: "Such a decoction might still come in useful today."
How to grow hellebores. Despite rumors to the contrary, hellebores are easy to grow. Their native soil is rich, moist, alkaline and fairly heavy but the plants are tolerant of drought and can adapt to acidic soil. Avoid poorly drained soil. In our country, they prefer a woodland setting with light shade and some protection from wind. Top dress annually with compost and/or well-aged manure.
Hellebores are resistant to deer but not rabbits. My own planting of hellebores wasn't in the ground more than one week before a fat bunny discovered it.
How to design with hellebores. Plant hellebores either singly or in groups of three or more. Different species and cultivars can be easily mixed as the generally soft colors of the blossoms blend beautifully with each other.
The ideal setting for hellebores is in a bed with spring flowering bulbs. (Amazing how nature knows best.) Not only is the sturdy, glossy foliage a nice contrast to the usually strappy foliage of bulbs, but the watercolor-y colors of bulb flowers are excellent complements. Choose flowers in apricot, lavender, rose, white, cream and green. Stay away from intense yellows and golds of some daffodils and tulips.
Finally… Here's one last piece of advice from Vita Sackville-West: "Once planted, leave them alone. They will grow in strength from year to year. I have a plant in my garden which to my certain knowledge has been there for fifty years."
Photo above is H. 'Blue Lady'.
This also appeared in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
Let's stay in this winter holiday mode for now and refrain from discussing anything too serious. There's plenty of time for more meaningful discourse in January.
Every garden magazine I've read lately has featured lists of plants–everything from Lee's Favorite Lettuce Varieties to Seven Popular Holiday Plants to 10 Flowering Evergreen Shrubs–and they inspired me to create my own. It's a hodge-podge list–some are herbaceous, some woody, some aren't even hardy in our region (blasphemous!). But this is my list, after all.
~ Baptisia (Baptisia australis) was chosen by The Perennial Plant Association as the 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year–an award long overdue. This is a long-lived, easy-to-grow member of the pea family and a winner in all seasons. Foliage is a lovely, soft, grayish, blue-green. Deep indigo blue flower spikes bloom in June and later mature into showy pods.
~ Blue Muffin Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum 'Christom') is a 2010 Plant of Merit awarded by the Missouri Botanic Garden. Viburnums are a large genus of wonderful shrubs–many of which are native. The fine-textured foliage is eye-catching and showy white flowers mature into showy blue fruit which birds love.
~ 'Bonfire Scarlet' Begonia (Begonia boliviensis 'Bonfire Scarlet') will be a 2010 introduction from Selecta First Class. No one could have missed the orange-flowered cultivar, 'Bonfire', which was in every greenhouse last year. This plant is similar in its exuberant growth habit and profusion of blossoms but the flowers are, instead, vivid red.
~ Compact Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia 'Compacta') was recognized by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society as a 2010 Gold Medal Plant. I agree! Summersweet is a fabulous shrub that should be planted more. The tidy foliage is deep, glossy green and the showy upright flowers are 8 - 12" in length and, as the name indicates, smell sweet.
~ Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum). I got to know this big tree when I lived in Michigan and have always admired its gorgeous heart-shaped foliage that emerges reddish-purple in spring, matures to bluish-green and, finally, turns apricot and gold in fall. Michael Dirr is equally smitten: "…one of my favorite trees…if I could use only one tree this would be my first tree…" In more than 30 years in Minnesota, I have rarely seen one even though rated to hardiness Zone 4.
~ 'Pink Chaos' Coleus (Solenostemon 'Pink Chaos) has bright magenta and burgundy foliage highlighted by a thin margin of lime green on the ruffled leaf edges. Wow. But why wait? Start growing now as an indoor garden plant and later move outside.
~ 'Pretty Much Picasso' Supertunia (Petunia 'Pretty Much Picasso') is a new Proven Winners annual. The hot pink petals have purple throats and, like the coleus above, lime green margins. Think of the possibilities in a hanging basket, window box or container garden!
~ 'Strawberries & Cream Hydrangea' (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Strawberries & Cream) is a small, non-hardy (Zone 7) plant to be introduced by Anthony Tesselaar Plants in 2010. This lacecap cultivar has deep rose outer petals with pink centers. Imagine how charming now as an indoor garden plant and, later in the year, as an anchor in an outside container garden.
~ Red-leaf Rose (Rosa glauca or R. rubrifolia) is a shrub rose that was honored by Plant Select for 2010. This is a cool plant! The foliage is a unique bluish-red and the fragrant, pink, single blossoms mature into showy, large, orange hips.
~ 'Twinny Peach' Snapdragon (Antirrhinum F1 'Twinny Peach') is a 2010 All-American Selection. The plant is a compact 12" in height and individual blossoms are somewhat tighter looking with ruffled margins. The flowers are, well, peachy in color.
Petunia 'Pretty Much Picasso' photo courtesy of Proven Winners.
This also appeared in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
Flower shops and greenhouses should be chock full of flowering plants for the holidays and among my favorites is Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata). The plant has softly jagged leaf margins and the flowers, which naturally bloom in late November, have a distinct upward bend.
Closely related is the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) but with noticeable differences. Flowers and foliage of the Christmas cactus are more pendent, the leaf margins have no points and the blossoms have no upward bend. In addition, it normally flowers in late December.
Both cacti are members of the true cactus, or Cactaceae, family and are native to the tropical rain forests of Brazil. They are tree-dwelling epiphytes, relying solely on rainfall for moisture and nutrition, and their vivid blossoms are pollinated by hummingbirds.
Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti make wonderful indoor garden plants as long as the following care is given.
The pastures and fields and roadsides in our area are ablaze with wildflowers. Unlike the lower-growing spring ephemerals, these wildflowers of summer are tall and graceful and appear, in addition to white, in all colors of the spectrum–from pink, orange and yellow to blue and purple.
In the past few days, I've identified 30 species, both native and introduced.
I am thinking of the lilac-trees, That shook their purple plumes, And when the sash was open, Shed fragrance through the room.
~ Anna S. Stephens, The Old Apple-Tree
No matter what is blooming in gardens or in parks and woods in late May, all pales in comparison to lilacs.
How can one not fall completely under the spell of those billowing flowers and their heady scent? Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd got it right in their book, Our Life in Gardens.
" For there are fragrances–of roses certainly, of violets, gardenias, and carnations–that seem to carry the most powerful resonances. None, perhaps, is more powerful than the smell of lilacs."
None indeed.
What is a lilac? Lilacs belong to the Oleaceae family, or Olive family. Other members include ash and olive trees and shrubs such as forsythia, jasmine and privet.
Lilac leaves are somewhat heart-shaped with smooth margins and are arranged opposite one another along the stem. Some foliage is prone to powdery mildew and there is little fall coloration. The flower is a panicle, about 4 – 8" long, and matures into a rather unattractive, persistent brown capsule.
The most common lilac is named, aptly, Common Lilac (scientific name Syringa vulgaris) and is native to the southeastern part of Europe. Settlers brought the plant with them to our country. Other lilac species are native to India, China, Korean and Japan.
I am completely impartial when it comes to lilacs and only like large, overgrown shrubs with big, blousy flowers. In fact, I heartily disapprove of some. Dwarf Korean Lilac (S. meyeri 'Palibin'), Miss Kim (S. patula 'Miss Kim') and 'Prairie Petite' come to mind. "Dwarf" and "petite" for a lilac?
Plant breeders have been fiddling around with S. vulgaris for hundreds of years and now there are approximately 2,000 cultivars. In addition to the naturally occurring, Common White Lilac, outstanding cultivars that are readily available include Beauty of Moscow, Monge, Sensation, Wedgewood Blue and Yankee Doodle.
How to grow a lilac? Lilacs are easy to grow. They aren't too fussy about soil but they do need full sun. Michael A. Dirr wrote in his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, "I am continually astonished at the resiliency of the species and its cultivars…the lilac resides, seemingly oblivious to the transgressions of mankind." Lilacs are hardy to Zone 3.
When planting, space the plants so at their mature width, they will grow into each other to look full and natural. For instance, since the spread on a Common Purple Lilac is 8 – 12', space the plants 10' apart, or 10' on center. Put another way; dig the holes so the centers of the holes are 10' apart.
Maintenance is also easy. Cut off faded flowers and if, after many years, the plant becomes overgrown and top heavy, follow these pruning instructions to re-invigorate it: Year 1. Cut out 1/3 of the largest stems a couple of inches above the soil surface; Year 2. Cut out another 1/3 of the largest stems; Year 3. Cut out the remaining 1/3 of the stems.
How to design with a lilac? A lilac probably won't be featured in designs of Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden or Michael Van Valkenburgh. Nor was it included in noteworthy Dan Kiley landscapes. But they are very often featured in my designs.
Lilacs belong in a grouping of plants. Don't plop one lone plant in the middle of the yard. They can be planted as a single species border, perhaps using different cultivars, or as part of a mixed border with plants that offer interest in other seasons.
Here is my ideal design using lilacs in a shrub border. Plant evergreens on the north side of the border. Use other, taller shrubs such as cranberrybush viburnum, winterberry and forsythia. Toward the front of the border and mixed in elsewhere, consider azaleas, hydrangeas, mockoranges, ninebarks and shrub roses.
Always group similar plants together and, occasionally, repeat the plant elsewhere in the border to provide repetition and rhythm. Avoid at all costs the too-common and totally unattractive every-other-one syndrome.
Finally… Lilacs can't be grown in southern parts of the country. Now, when our plants are in full bloom and vases full of them waft through every room in our houses, taunt friends and relatives who live in North Carolina or Florida or Arizona. Pay them back for mercilessly bragging about their dogwoods and redbuds when our landscapes are still white from snow.
Taking center stage in the November landscape is the appearance of berries* on many deciduous shrubs. Fruit, previously been hidden by foliage, is now exposed for all to enjoy and, in particular, for wildlife to eat. Surely, every garden has room for a shrub or two!
How to design with shrubs. • Plant the right plant in the right spot. This is always critical but even more so when the objective is to cultivate a nice crop of fruit. Wouldn't it be silly to prune off flowers and fruit because the plant was overgrowing its intended space? • Plant in combination with other plants. Shrubs can provide two design principles in a perennial garden: focal points (planted singly) or repetition (planted repeatedly to provide cohesiveness). • Plant in a massive shrub border. A favorite design concept! My garden in Forest Lake featured a shrub border which was not only magnificent to view from the house and deck but provided a wonderful screen from the neighbor's long driveway and garage. • Plant a shrub border against the backdrop of evergreens. When deciduous shrubs are accentuated by the dark green background, the effect is stunning.
What to plant. Even though nurseries offer many genera, species and cultivars of shrubs, this is an excellent opportunity to consider the use of native plants. Remember the entry in my last column about Douglas Tallamy's book, Bringing Nature Home, How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens? To ensure the future health of our ecosystem, it is crucial that we cultivate native plants in our gardens.
Following is a list of native, deciduous shrubs with outstanding fruit. In some cases, good cultivars of the natives are available and can be considered.
• Black Chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa. Fabulous plant with purplish-black fruit. No garden should be without several! • Blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium. Plant multiple cultivars for good cross-pollination. • Cranberrybush Viburnum, Viburnum trilobum. Definitely a food source for native birds! My husband always checks the crop of ruffed grouse when cleaning. After a recent late afternoon hunt, the crop was stuffed full of hazel catkins, clover and the fruits of this viburnum. • Eastern Wahoo, Euonymous atropurpura. A very cool member of the Bittersweet family with showy fruit. Should be planted more–unlike its relative, the Winged Euonymous or Burningbush, which is over-planted to the point of triteness. (Can a plant be trite?) • Gray Dogwood, Cornus racemosa. A lovely native shrub which is striking in all seasons but in fall, flashy white fruit are borne atop bright red pedicels, or stems. • Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus. Sturdy shrubs with striking, creamy white fruit. • Winterberry, Ilex verticillata. This plant is dioecious (male and female flowers are borne on separate plants). Only females produce fruit so be sure to purchase at least one male for a group of females. • Consider, also, Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) and Wild Rose (Rosa blanda).
* For simplicity, I called all fruit from these shrubs berries but actually, in addition to true berries, drupes, capsules and hips are also represented.
High summer in Minnesota is glorious. The days are warm, nights are cool and windows are wide open to let in bird songs and breezes. Plus, there are so many fun things to do! Go on vacation to a favorite spot. Check out a county fair. Indulge in a huge ice cream cone. Take a day and treat yourself to one of the many garden tours around the state.
For now, in mid July, gardens are full and one of my favorite flowers, the delphinium, rules.
Alas, where delphiniums are concerned, good taste flies out the window. I want the biggest and showiest, those rulers of the race whose densely packed spires can reach to six feet, the glory of the English herbaceous border. I can do without the pinks and purples. The myriad blues are what I want, all the sapphires and azures of a Chartres window, and an occasional white.
~Eleanor Perenyi, Green Thoughts
While driving home recently, I glanced (as I always do) to see what was blooming in Stephanie Hansen's garden. Oh my!
Statuesque delphiniums in gorgeous shades of blue were in full bloom. I had never seen such amazing plantings of delphiniums as they gracefully swayed in the breeze. The plants seemed almost voluptuous.
I had to get a closer look at those plants. So, I called Stephanie and invited myself over.
A visit to Stephanie's garden entails tours of her wonderful flower garden, her greenhouse with benches of unique cacti and various outbuildings filled with eclectic collections of, among other items, lanterns and broom corn. In addition, after a short walk to the north, the narrow, well-traveled trail opens up to a beautifully tended, scrupulously planted vegetable garden. Stephanie shares this garden space with her husband, Dennis and her daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Charlie.
But, that day, I had invited myself to admire the delphiniums. Stephanie has two plantings. Her largest–both in size and in numbers of plants–is the cultivar, 'Pacific Giant Group'. This planting is more than 7' tall and has flowers in every conceivable shade of blue: cobalt, azure, violet blue and light blue. The other planting is a single cultivar of 'Magic Fountain Strain' and the flower is a breath-taking combination of blues–indigo and turquoise–with a black center, or "bee".
Stephanie's delphiniums are cultivars of Delphinium elatum, a plant native to Siberia. Delphiniums, also known as larkspur, are relatively short-lived perennials (3 – 5 years) but are easily grown from seed. Most often they will require staking due to their tall, hollow stems.
I've visited many nurseries and greenhouses lately and I'm pleased to report that there are still lots of plants to buy. It's not too late! Perhaps due to the cold and rainy season, gardeners have delayed their purchasing.
Even though I love the good, old, tried-and-true annuals, I am always up to try a new plant. Sometimes while nosing around a greenhouse, perhaps at the far end of a bench, I'll discover a plant not seen before and I'll have to check it out.
This year, experiment a little! Indulge an impulse and grab that 4-pak you haven't grown before. Even if everything goes awry, well, they're only annuals. You're not out much money and the plants won't be back next year to haunt you.
Here's a list of very cool annuals that I have, successfully and happily, grown.
Honeywort:Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens' This is a neat plant with a quiet, understated charm. The fleshy, blue-green leaves are arranged in a whorl around the 18" – 24" stems. Interesting, purple, bell-shaped flowers form at each stem tip. Honeywort doesn't need rich soil, preferring instead well-drained, lean soil. Try honeywort in a container or at the front of the border and with virtually any color scheme; it combines beautifully with either the hot colors of yellow, orange and red or the softer shades of white, silver, pink, blue and lavender.
Gaura:Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies' At the tips of these sturdy but delicate stems, white flowers are borne in abundance–graceful flowers that seem to sway and "whirl" in the breeze. Gaura is easy to grow and blooms all season, even in the dog days of summer. This white cultivar can be difficult to locate (pink cultivars are more common) but it's definitely worth the search.
'Pink Crystals' Ruby Grass:Melinis nerviglumis 'Pink Crystals' This is a tender ornamental grass introduced by Colorado State University. 'Pink Crystals' reaches about 12" – 24" in height, has fine-textured, blue-green foliage and displays loads of truly eye-catching, fuzzy pink flowers.
Jewels of Opar:Talinum paniculatum 'Kingswood Gold' Jewels of Opar is an annual that not only should be featured in fall container gardens but, due to other swell attributes, should be enjoyed all season long. The rounded, basal foliage is the same shade of bright, chartreuse green as the sweet potato vine, 'Margeurite', and provides a similar vivid accent. Masses of delicate pink flowers are borne at the ends of tall stems followed by striking fruit–darling little balls that sway drunkenly on the slightest breeze.
Verbena bonariensis The beautiful, pinkish-purple umbrella-shaped flowers of V. bonariensis (no regularly used common name for this plant…sorry!) are borne at the tips of thin, wiry stems that grow to about 4' – 5' in height. The blossoms seem to float airily above the garden and attract bees, butterflies and birds. Because the basal foliage is rather sparse, the plant has a "see-through" quality that is perfect when placed in mid border. A note of caution if you're particular about plant placement: V. bonariensis readily re-seeds.
Here in early November, the leaves have mostly fallen from woody plants, exposing other plant attributes like bark, branching patterns and fruit. Visible now in woods and gardens are the vivid fruits of winterberry, cranberrybush viburnum, shrub roses, pagoda dogwood, grapes, bittersweet, porcelainberry vine and Virginia creeper. Subtle fruits of hazel, alder and ironwood (hophornbeam) are also noticeable.
Gray dogwood drupes, which were once in abundance in the woods around our place, have been picked clean by our local grouse family. All that remains is the red pedicile, or stem, of the fruit. The dark purple fruit of the native amelanchier (a.k.a. juneberry or serviceberry) is also a favorite of wildlife and has been long gone.
From a very vigorous plant in a super secret spot, I recently cut enough bittersweet stems for a big bouquet and for other, as-yet-to-be-determined decorating schemes. I'm always careful not to denude the plant but instead to leave plenty branches to feed the birds and to ensure adequate seed dissemination.
Bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, is a native plant hardy from Zones 3 to 8. Since the foliage and flowers are relatively non-descript, its key feature is the spectacular orange and yellow fruits that hang in clusters. Bittersweet is primarily dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are borne on separate plants. When purchasing container-grown stock from the nursery, buy at least two plants and be sure one of the plants is male or no fruit will be produced.
Bittersweet is a vigorous, rampant vine that needs to be given space. It looks best when allowed to roam freely in a natural planting along sturdy fences or over rock walls. For best fruit production, plant in full sun. Bittersweet is tolerant of a wide range of soil types, moist or dry, and in various levels of pH.
If I could choose again my wedding day would be in June and I'd carry a big bouquet of fresh peonies. Everything about peonies is evocative of brides. The flowers are frilly yet sophisticated and come in soft shades of white, pink and mauve with an occasional vivid red. And the fragrance……hhhmmmm.
Most importantly, perhaps, peonies are tough and long-lived–good traits for a successful marriage!
Recently I was in the Twin Cities and since it was a nice day I took advantage of the opportunity and cruised around. I'm forever on the lookout for neat plants, combinations and design ideas. But that day I got depressed. In neighborhood after neighborhood I observed an unending display of disreputable-looking shrubs in boring, lifeless foundation plantings. Ug!
I saw scraggly spireas, homely potentillas, bare barberry and just too many amur maples and overgrown junipers. Some plants are overused to the point of triteness. (Can plants be trite?)
One of my landscape design values is the consideration of plants in all seasons of the year. Put another way, take into account the plant in its entirety and pay attention to year-round attributes (except lilacs and mockorange). In addition to the obvious feature of flower color and fragrance, consider foliage color and texture, fall leaf color, fruiting, branching pattern, bark and overall texture.
There are many plant choices out there. Please consider the year-round aesthetics of the plant and search out the following shrubs–some of which are native or cultivars of natives–the next time you're in the market.
• glossy black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa elata or 'Autumn Magic') • serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia 'Regent') • viburnum (two favorites are arrowwood, Viburnum dentatum, and American cranberrybush, V. trilobum, and their cultivars) • dwarf bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) • gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) • hazelnut (Corylus americana) • hydrangea (many wonderful cultivars of Hydrangea) • winterberry (Ilex verticillata cultivars) • diabolo ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Monlo') • shrub roses (Rosa rugosa and cultivars)
Whether considering evergreen or deciduous trees, white pines are my favorite and have been a key component of the landscape of every home I’ve owned. My first place—a tiny white cottage—was dwarfed by a gorgeous specimen pine that was totally out of scale. But I loved that huge tree with its long, graceful boughs and, whenever the wind blew, I was reminded of a childhood book. Even though Heidi’s trees were firs, her awe was unforgettable. 
Taking center stage in the November landscape is the appearance of berries* on many deciduous shrubs. Fruit, previously been hidden by foliage, is now exposed for all to enjoy and, in particular, for wildlife to eat. Surely, every garden has room for a shrub or two!
High summer in Minnesota is glorious. The days are warm, nights are cool and windows are wide open to let in bird songs and breezes. Plus, there are so many fun things to do! Go on vacation to a favorite spot. Check out a county fair. Indulge in a huge ice cream cone. Take a day and treat yourself to one of the many garden tours around the state.
