My defunct and failing vegetable garden ravaged by groundhogs and rabbits was transformed into a cutting garden last summer. This year is my first season for cutting and enjoying armfuls of shasta daisies, coneflowers, hydrangeas, poker plants, scabiosa and roses. Stokes aster and dahlias are now opening and I look forward to the New England asters in the fall. I have copious amounts of flowers and enjoy filling mason jars for my home and friends. I am planning to catch some summer sales to add more plants like liatris and lavender. This blog shares my experience and advice for starting your own cutting garden. You don’t need a dedicated spot. Simply start by adding flowers to your existing beds, pots or your vegetable garden. Getting StartedWhen you’re designing a regular flower garden, you need to think about plants that look good together, will bloom in pleasing color combinations, and will thrive where you plant them. But the purpose of a cutting garden is different. It’s all about production, mix of colors and bloom times. For a cutting garden, there are five things you want to think about: 1. maximizing production 2. minimizing maintenance 3. growing flowers that will look great together in a vase 4. stem length 5. sequence of bloom Plant SelectionOne of the most important factors in a cutting garden is the availability of sun. Most cutting gardens require full to partial sun. In another blog we will address a shade cutting garden. The second most important factor in a cutting garden is stem length. Long-stemmed annuals, perennials and bulbs make the best cut flowers, so that’s where to start. Keep in mind that most plants have a specific bloom time, meaning they will not flower continuously. Spring bulbs, for example, bloom early and then fade away until next year. Early summer perennials such as peonies, iris, sweet William and lupines may bloom for up to a month, but then that’s it until the following year. Some perennials, such as scabiosa, shasta daisies, delphinium and coreopsis, will re-bloom if they are cut back after flowering. Annuals (and dahlias) have the longest flowering season. If you remove spent blossoms, they will usually give you a good 3 months of flowers. As you begin your planning, formulate a list of flowers you’d like to include based on: Color Fragrance Filler plants Attractive foliage Grow what you love To ensure a long season of color, create a chart like below. Use a computer, or good old colored pencils/markers to determine the color and bloom times of your plants and to plan for future purchases. Use a garden journal to track blooms and adjust plant additions. In the example, if you want more pinks or oranges, a different type of coreopsis could be used or rudebekia added. You can use this same planning strategy to achieve a variety of textures. By replacing the seasons with plant shape…round, spiky, trailer, foliage, you can evaluate the need for adding plants with a variety of shapes. Plan ahead for attractive combinations. If you have a relatively small space to work with, choose a color palette and then select flowers that will harmonize with those colors. Take a tip from floral designers and include a range of different flower sizes and shapes. Consider round flowers (ball dahlias), angular ones (foxgloves); soft ones (peonies) and stiffer forms (glads and salvia). Selecting a few stems of each flower shape results in a balanced arrangement. You’ll also want to include flowers that work as fillers and foliage (baby’s breath, ligularia, boxwood and hosta leaves). Foliage fills in the gaps of your bouquets, and will give your arrangements a professional touch. Cutting Garden FavoritesHere's a list of plants to get you started. It includes the most popular annuals, perennials, bulbs and foliage plants.
Maximize Production and PlanningGive your cutting garden a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Prepare the planting area, making sure it is loose and weed-less. If possible, take time to work in compost and all-purpose organic fertilizer. The most efficient way to set up a cutting garden is to grow your flowers in rows, as you would vegetables. In fact, growing a row or two of flowers in your vegetable garden is an easy way to get started. Creating a planting plan is the best way to maximize your growing space. Use a grid to make your plan. This makes it easy to determine how many plants can be squeezed into each row. Your finished planting grid can then be transferred to the garden. When working out your planting plan, you need to know each plant’s mature height and width. Use the recommendations on plant descriptions and seed packets as a guide but reduce the spacing by about 30%. With experience, you’ll get a sense of which plants need a little more or a little less than the recommended amount of space. To make plant care (and picking) as easy as possible, it's best to plant blocks of the same type of plant, grouping like plants together. Plant perennials together, since they will stay in the same place from one year to the next. Plant annuals together so it's easy to remove them in the fall and replant in spring. You can also separate plants that need staking from those that need a fence or benefit from grow-through netting. Make room for paths so that you can access plants…18” to 2’ between rows is just enough to walk through rows. Never use landscaping fabric as it impedes soil health, reduces water absorption and doesn’t allow plants to spread. Minimize maintenance by adding stepping stones, mulch or grass clippings between plants and in paths. Mulching also helps to reduce evaporation and retain soil moisture. In a cutting garden, deadheading will be your primary maintenance task. Removing spent flowers encourages annuals and some perennials to continue producing buds. If you don't remove the dead flowers, plants assume they have fulfilled their mission and can shut down for the season. Another good reason to keep up with deadheading is plant health. As spent flowers begin to decay, they become a magnet for pests and diseases. A tidy cutting garden stays healthier, is easier to tend and looks better, too! Tips for Gathering Your Flowers From The Cutting GardenMixed bouquets are beautiful, but bouquets with all the same flower are beautiful too.
Did you know that arranging fresh cut flowers from the garden that has been practiced since 2500 B.C. by the Egyptians? Designing your own cutting garden is a sweet indulgence. We tend to concentrate on the flowers that we find whimsical, cheerful, beautiful, peaceful, and joyful. Cutting gardens encourage us to experiment with long-stemmed species we’ve never tried before. We stretch our creativity when we arrange our blooms in interesting containers. It is also a chance to appreciate the subtle nuances of texture, scent, and shape of every bloom and leaf. If you derive pleasure from bringing blooms into your home, follow our tips for a cutting garden. In one year, you’ll have plenty of flowers to place in your favorite container and an abundance of bouquets for yourself, friends and family. We have enjoyed learning as we write our blogs. This year we've been inspired by our research and want to offer a view into our private spaces and share our garden inspirations. Gwen was influenced by her son, Dan, a graduate of Penn State Ag School, to incorporate succulents for the first time. Using succulents created worry-free and deer resistant containers. His wife's (Paige) blog gave both of us guidance on pruning our shrubs. Holly experimented with beautiful colors and vegetables in her containers. Gwen's own garden success in reducing mulch and watering inspired her to write the flowering ground covers blog. PS: For the first time, Gwen tried succulents in pots for water-wise care. She has always enjoyed the traditional riot of colors from geraniums, petunias, impatiens and begonias. Inspired by pottery from a trip to Spain, Gwen purchased large blue pots from Costco and Lowe's. The calming palette of gray, green and orange planted in blue containers creates a back yard oasis and compliments the outdoor cushions. PS: With less time for maintenance and desire to minimize long-term costs, Gwen took her own landscape design advice by replacing plantings of annuals with perennials, and mulch with flowering ground covers. Another time and cost-saving measure was to replace mulch with massed plantings of flowering thyme, sedum, hens & chicks, creeping baby's breathe, geranium, carex and campanula. PS: We followed the advice of our guest blogger, Paige and were rewarded with full and happy hydrangeas. To keep the deer, chipmunks, and groundhogs away, we planted vegetable container gardens. Gwen used rosemary and basil to deter chipmunks from taking bites out of her tomatoes. Holly planted beets, green beans, lettuce and tomatoes on her deck, keeping hungry critters from chowing her veggies and herbs. Holly's yard yields armfuls of daisies. Gwen started a cutting garden last year taking advantage of a huge Bluestone Perennial sale. She enjoys sharing the bounty of flowers with her family and friends. Next month we will share advice for planting your own cutting garden. Our gardens have had many blunders, but each and every lesson is part of the journey. The changing seasons give us joy, favorite times to anticipate, and time to reflect and plan. We enjoy the ups and downs, blooms and bugs, fungus and fragrance and sharing these experiences with you. We hope our garden pics inspire you to read our blogs and to try your own flowering ground covers and water-wise planters. Please comment with your favorite ground covers and planters.
Plants that bask as the temperatures skyrocket are prized for their reliability. These are plants that thrive in the heat and are often low maintenance because they don’t require much water. The good news is that you can still plant these in July as long as you provide ample water for them to take root. Hydrangea paniculata Name: Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ) USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8 Size: 12 to 20 feet tall and wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil The lush panicle hydrangea is a surprisingly drought-hardy stunner. It peaks at the height of summer with magnificent 6- to 15-inch-long white blooms that cover arching limbs. They change from greenish white to pinkish red. In fall, the leaves drop, leaving bare branches weighted with large dried blooms into winter. Varieties worth considering include ‘Limelight’ and ‘Little Lamb’. Quince Name: Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa ) Zones: 5 to 9 Size: Up to 8 feet tall and 15 feet wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained, slightly acidic soil The beautiful blossoms of flowering quince are sure to get your heart pumping. Bare branches are covered with cottony blooms on ‘Jet Trail’ or kissed with a vibrant lipstick red on ‘Texas Scarlet’. As the flowers fade in spring, the foliage begins to appear (inset). Typically, the bare branches are a stunning gold or red in fall, when they occasionally rebloom again. The likeliness of a second bloom is increased by a dry spell in late summer followed by plenty of fall rain. Name: Winterberry (Ilex verticillata ) Zones: 5 to 8 Size: Up to 15 feet tall and wide Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained, acidic soil We’re not sure who the bigger fan of winterberry is: us or the fat mockingbird that spends the winter trying to eat every vibrant berry from the leafless stems. The fruit begins to ripen in late summer when the leaves are still lush. Winterberry holds onto the branches through the fall—even after the foliage changes color and drops. The straight species of this plant is spectacular, but if you’re short on space, ‘Red Sprite’ is a snazzy smaller option at 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. Spirea Name: ‘Anthony Waterer’ spirea (Spiraea × bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’, syn. Spiraea japonica* ‘Anthony Waterer’) Zones: 4 to 9 Size: Up to 5 feet tall and wide Conditions: Full sun; fertile, well-drained soil ‘Anthony Waterer’ is attractive en masse and shines when peppered in a border. No wonder it’s popular. New growth is bronze to red but matures to green. Pink blooms cover the shrub late spring to early summer. Remove spent blooms before they turn brown to increase the chance of a second show of flowers. American Beautyberry Name: Callicarpa americana Zones: 5 to 9 Size: Up to 6 feet tall and wide Conditions: Prefers partial shade; fertile, well-drained soil This gem-studded shrub is native to North America. The small berries are attached in dramatic clusters up and down the stems. The fruit turns an exotic lavender-purple (or bright white in the case of ‘Lactea’) and persists through fall—or until the birds eat them. Arching branches are bare in winter but come alive in spring with bright green leaves. In late spring to summer, delicate pink blooms appear, followed by the showy fruit. Japanese Tree Lilac Name: Syringa reticulata subsp. reticulata Zone: 3-7 Size: 20-30’ tall, 15-25’ wide Conditions: Full Sun. Prefers moist, well-drained soil, but tolerates dry sites. Intolerant of poor drainage. Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and pollinators. Red Cedar Name: Juniperus virginiana Zone: 2-9 Size: All sizes as a shrub or tree Conditions: Likes full sun and a more neutral soil amended with commercially ground limestone. Aromatic tree with reddish wood. Trees are good for windbreaks and city landscapes for hedges, screens or as a specimen tree. Oak Bur, Northern Red, Chinkapin Name: Quercus Zone: 60-80’ tall 30-45’ wide Size: 3-8 Conditions: Full Sun. Some oaks tolerate the heat and serve as a lovely shade tree specimen. Give these beauties plenty of room to grow. In the fall enjoy their brilliant fall colors and feel good about the value they offer wildlife. Name: Kentucky Coffeetree Name: Gymnocladus dioicus Zone: 3-8 Size: 60–75' tall, 40–50' wide Conditions: Full Sun. Drought-resistant. Tolerant of pollution. Adaptable to a variety of soils. With its reputation as a tough species, the Kentucky coffeetree is an excellent choice for parks, golf courses and other large areas. It is also widely used as an ornamental or street tree. The tree’s picturesque profile stands out in all seasons and can be attributed to a unique growth habit of coarse, ascending branches that often form a narrow crown. Tree expert Michael Dirr points out that there are “certainly no two exactly alike.” Northern Catalpa Name: Catalpa speciosa Zone: 4-8 Size: 40-60’ tall, 20-40’ wide Conditions: Full Sun to Partial Shade. This is a tree that demands your attention. White, showy flowers. Giant heart-shaped leaves. Dangling bean-like seed pods. Twisting trunk and branches. How could you not stop to take it in? And with all of these unique features, the northern catalpa is popular with children, who sometimes refer to them as “String Bean Trees.” While not ideal for every location, this unique and hardy tree is a fast grower that finds a home in parks and yards throughout the country. Perennials Snowcap Shasta Daisy Zone: 4-9 Size: 14” Tall, 12” Wide Conditions: Give them a sunny spot . Remove flowers as they fade to promote further bloom and give them space. Attracts butterflies and makes an ideal cut flower. Russian Sage Blue Jean baby or Denim ‘n Lace Zone: 4-9 Size: 30” tall, 36”wide Conditions: Airy, aromatic and a bee magnet, this plant comes in several heights and stays gorgeous all summer long. It is deer resistant, too. Full Sun and good drainage. Sedum (Stonecrop) Zone: 3-9 Size: tall or short, ground cover Conditions: Sedums are a well-known perennial for their distinctive fleshy foliage and come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Star-shaped flowers are usually in clusters or sprays that often change color throughout their bloom time. Enjoys full sun, but will tolerate some shade. You may already have some of these heat-loving plants in your yard. If you have plants that aren’t holding up on hot days, try moving them to some shade. And replace them with reliable plants from this list of summer sizzlers.
Are you trying to:
Your solution may be planting a flowering ground cover. So what exactly is a ground cover? It is a plant that forms interconnected mats by creeping or clumping. Ground cover crowds out weeds and forms a continuous expanse of foliage. Too often the only ground cover seen in landscapes are ivy, vinca and pachysandra. Ivy and vinca are considered invasive species because they are spreading into forests and wildlife areas and choking out native plants that support local insects and wildlife. They are hard to control and, if possible, should be removed and replaced with ground covers that support pollinators and stay within bounds. Pachysandra is a wonderful ground cover for deep shade and in hard-to-grow areas like around the base of trees. As an alternative to pachysandra, we’ve put together a list of hardy and alternative ground covers for your landscape. The plants are divided into four categories: stepables, sun, sun and shade, shade. Stepables tolerate moderate foot traffic and are effective solutions for lawns, and spaces between stepping stones or along paths. Most yards have a variety of growing conditions and you won’t be disappointed by the options listed here. Be sure to read the growing requirements before selecting from the abundance of available ground covers. By planting the right plant in the right spot, your new ground cover will establish healthy roots and grow happily. For example, some ground covers for stepping prefer dry feet. If these ground covers are planted in a soggy area, they will experience root rot, disease and fail to thrive. Before planting any creeping or clumping plant, particularly those that claim to be fast growing, refer to the USDA list of Introduced, Invasive, and Noxious Plants. What is desirable in one state may be considered a nuisance in another. Pictures and plant descriptions courtesy of Blue Stone Perennials. Foot Tolerant Groundcovers Thymus Silver Posie Most of the perennial thyme plants offer beautiful matted groundcovers. This one is particularly suited as a focal point. For lawns, choose a solid green leaved variety like Thymus Elfin. Silver Posie is suitable for both ornamental and culinary use. This Thyme is a bit more upright than Creeping Thyme with fragrant gray-green foliage edged in creamy white. Foliage will develop a warm burgundy cast in cooler weather. Harvesting will generate more culinary leaves. Blooms lavender pink, making this a nice dual purpose ground cover. Laurentia Fluviatilis - Blue Star Creeper Blue Star Creeper is an adorable little plant that makes a dense, spreading low mat of round, green foliage and equally tiny light blue flowers in spring. Perfect between and around stepping stones. Will need to be contained if spreading is not desired. Sagina subulata Corsican Pearl Wort, Irish Moss Lush deep green moss-like carpet of foliage 1" tall. Tiny translucent star-shaped white flowers add to its beauty in spring. Irish Moss is just the ground cover you need for rock gardens and planting between stepping stones or pavers.
Ground Covers for Sunny Spots Cerastium tomentosum 'Silver Carpet' Snow In Summer, Starry Grasswort Silvery-gray foliage is covered with cheerful white flowers in late spring to early summer. The combination of flowers and foliage bring a refreshing feeling to the garden. Cerastium Silver Carpet cascades over hillsides and walls nicely. Gypsophila repens Filou Rose Creeping Baby's Breath Long-blooming pink Baby's Breath well-branched with dense blue-green foliage spreading to 2 feet across. Larger five-petaled, fragrant blooms resemble Cerastium but in a bright rose pink. Loads of flowers. Great spilling over the edges of hillsides, walls or rocks. Sun and Shade Cranesbill Most of the perennial geraniums (or better known as cranesbill) make excellent long- blooming ground covers. Their blooms are delicate and rise above the mounded foliage. Some have leaves that smell lemony when crushed by an accidental stepping or weed whacker nip. The low-growing varieties (under 12”) recover nicely from a stray ball or wandering pet. They are not considered a ‘stepable’. Geranium Macrorrhizum Cranesbill, Perennial Geranium Fragrant, apple-scented foliage and flowers. Thick clusters of five-petaled, pink flowers in late spring. Showy stamens dance with the slightest breeze. Dense ground cover. Geranium Macrorrhizum's foliage displays red and bronze tints in fall. Clusters of crimson-red, berrylike seedheads remain after the flower petals fall away. Tolerates sun and dry conditions. Lamium If you have a bed that includes sun and shade, and you want to include a plant that will offer continuity and grow in both conditions, consider lamium. This is a versatile ground cover resistant to deer and rabbit browsing too! There are many varieties and colors. Below is one that will brighten any garden space. Lamium maculatum Golden Anniversary Spotted Dead Nettle Golden yellow edges on dark green leaves with a white central stripe. Scalloped and bright colored foliage of Golden Anniversary combine to provide interesting texture and light. Lavender flowers appear in Spring and continue on and off until Fall. Stunning planted among Hosta and Ferns. Campanula Poscharskyana Serbian Bellflower Campanula is another long-blooming ground cover that blooms in partly shady or sunny locations to offer continuity in a foundation planting that has both conditions. Half-trailing, prostrate growth, able to cling to dry walls. Large rock gardens or sandy banks permit the 2' stems to trail. Starry blue flowers of Campanula Poscharskyana highlight your garden in summer. Shade Asperula Odorata Sweet Woodruff, Galium odorata Dainty white flower clusters are held above foliage shaped like miniature parasols. Good ground cover for shade, even where only moss will grow. Especially tolerant of acidic soil under evergreens. Fresh foliage has little scent, but when dried you will enjoy a refreshing scent of new mown hay. Dry foliage in bundles or make into a garland. Phlox divaricata Plum Perfect Wild Sweet William, Woodland Phlox Plum-purple flowers with a darker violet eye. A real charmer for shade. Perfect for naturalizing with Tiarella and Lamium. Trouble-free and more humidity tolerant than most Woodland Phlox. Longer stems make for fragrant cut flowers. This Phlox is 'Plum Perfect' as a stunning late spring groundcover. Does best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Brunnera macrophylla Jack Frost Siberian Bugloss, False Forget-Me-Not 2012 Perennial Plant Association's Plant of the Year. Prized for its large, highly frosted and veined heart-shaped leaves. Brunnera Jack Frost produces a truly spectacular display in the shade, even more so when in bloom with its bright blue Forget-me-not flowers in spring. Will multiply politely. Brunnera are ideal for a woodland setting, a semi-shaded border or along a pond edge. Has the biggest leaves of the ground covers on this list. New cultivars add wonderful choices of this versatile garden performer. Lovely naturalizing carefree habit. Tolerates moist, well-drained soil in partial shade. Hopefully, this blog has inspired you to think beyond the most common ground covers. As you can see from the photos, a ground cover doesn't have to be boring. Our examples are real head-turners and will get noticed on their own merit. With their many unique textures, foliage and flowers, a new ground cover can be a low-maintenance multitasker in your flower bed or rock garden.
Don’t let summer travel plans prevent you from decorating your porch, patio and balcony with colorful annual containers and hanging baskets. With some planning and creative watering solutions, you can maintain your potted flowers throughout the summer. Unlike plants in the ground, containers have limited soil volume and less capacity to hold water, so they dry out quickly and need daily watering. By choosing plants that are drought tolerant and using creative planting and watering techniques your pots can survive a weekend away, a business trip or a short summer vacation. Before you head to the garden center this spring, consider which pots will most likely suffer from a few days without water. It is usually those that are in the sun or exposed to wind. Planters in the shade and protected areas don’t always require daily watering because of less water evaporation than pots exposed to radiant heat and sun. Make a list of plants that are drought tolerant and shop with purpose. There are edible, succulent, annual, shrub and perennial plants that are drought tolerant. When choosing vacation proof plants, choose ones with less fuss, deadheading and those that thrive on less water. When planning pots, place them together in your basket to visualize what they will look like together in a container. Make sure to consider existing color, texture, and height. Vacation proof plants include:
Vacation Proof Strategies Despite using drought tolerant plants, long, hot, dry spells and dry winds will desiccate and stress the hardiest plants. If you will be away for more than four days or weather forecasts seem unfavorable, there are strategies to reduce the stress on your plants. Prior to leaving:
To summarize, no matter where you live, you’ve most likely returned from at least one trip to shriveled up impatiens and Gerber daisies in your outdoor containers. And that’s a drag! There are steps we can all take to preserve the beauty of our container plants while we are away for brief periods. Select the right potting soil and amend with polymers if your pots get all day sun. Avoid clay pots. Purchase drought-resistant plants and place in large pots. And use the pointers provided for preventing containers from drying out while you travel. Container gardening offers the chance to paint a different palette every year. Since it’s a view you’ll have all summer, use these pointers to extend their beauty. Enjoy the view!
While reading, enjoy some Moonlight inspired music: Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven) Moondance (Van Morrison) Shame on the Moon (Bob Seager) Blue Moon (Frank Sinatra) Fly me to the Moon (Frank Sinatra) On Moonlight Bay (Doris Day) Moonlight (Grace VanderWaal) “Well it’s a marvelous night for a moon dance….” Listen to Van Morrison’s famous hit, ‘Moondance’, and let it inspire you as we explore ways to create our very own moonlit garden. Photos of moonlit gardens contain billowy beds filled with white, silver and multiple textures. While the pictures are pretty, how many gardeners have transformed that inspiration into action? After a long day of work, relaxing in a comfortable, aesthetic space soothes the soul and calms the mind. Keep reading for inspiration to create a moonlit garden. To extend the life of your garden into the dusk and evening hours, there are several design elements to consider: color, texture, garden features, and scent. ColorAs shadows fall at dusk, light is reflected off of white, silver and pale yellow plants. Conversely, garden plants with deep, saturated colors like deep purple, reds, and dark green fade into the shadows by early evening. If you have a bright, sunny yard, saturated colors don’t wash out. Keep these bold exclamation points. To reflect evening light, use white pots and trellises, silver accents, and water. Tuck white flowers and silver leaved plants into your garden, pots, and beds to add a pop of evening interest. Repeat groupings of white and silver plants throughout. While white shrub and perennial flowers offer an elegant touch, the blooms can often be unsightly when they die. Think of a magnolia, white azalea or rhododendron when the flowers die…their brown flowers hang on for days. It is not a bad choice to select these types of shrubs; you just need to balance them with other longer blooming plants for staggered bloom times. Attractive examples of long blooming white shrubs and perennials are hydrangea paniculata, hydrangea annabelle, Astilbes, Coneflowers, Cerastium, Daisies and the leaves of ornamental grasses. FlowersShrubsTextureYou don’t need flowers to add a reflective quality to your landscape. Bulbs, leaves and water also offer evening interest. Plants with white or gray foliage reflect light and pop in the shadows. Some plants to consider include Caladium, Lamium, Brunerria, Ferns, and gray evergreens like spruce and junipers. All of these offer wonderful texture. Garden FeaturesWater is a multi-dimensional feature in a garden. Water that moves stimulates our senses with the soothing, ambient sounds of nature. Water also reflects the light and color of the nearby plants. Strategically placed lights and even mirrors add accents to plant material and highlight special elements such as white or silver pots and trellises. A ‘moon light’ is when a light is placed in a tree and shines down on the garden to create the effect of the moon in your landscape….something to consider if the moonlight doesn’t make it to your oasis. ScentMake sure not to overlook plants that come to life at night by either blooming at dusk or offering a lovely scent like Gardenia Augusta (annual), Evening Primrose (perennial), Angel’s Trumpet (annual), Polianthes tuberosa (tender bulb), Nicotiana (annual), Four O’Clocks (annual), Casa Blanca Lily (hardy bulb), Jasmine floridium (tender), and moonflower. Shrubs that bloom white and smell lovely are lilacs, Korean Spice Viburnum, and Daphne. Tuck these plants close to your seating area or entrance so you don’t miss the scent. Incorporating a moonlit garden into your outdoor space is easy. Make your dreams of an inviting evening spot a reality by recognizing color, texture, garden features, and scent. Then strategically place these elements where they will reflect the moonlight, extending the time you can enjoy your lovely garden. Whether you enjoy stretching your bare toes in the grass, gazing at the constellations in the night sky, or enjoying an intimate dance with your partner, a moonlit garden is full of sweet possibilities. Cardinal enjoying a bath in my waterfall. Mandatory self isolation may not bother introverts, but for the rest of us, we are wrestling with feeling claustrophobic, scared, anxious, worried and exhausted. That is OK. We are all feeling stressed. While toilet paper, homeschooling and video conferencing jokes abound, the humor only offers temporary relief. We have no control of the virus (outside of our small orbit) or the outcome, but we can control how we spend our time and manage our response to these unpredictable times. In a spirit of positivity, I thought….If someone offered me the opportunity to self isolate in my garden for a few weeks, I’d say, “sure!” I have enjoyed daily walks and taking a more relaxed approach to my mornings, and in time, these pleasures will come to an end. So what better place to vary a routine than by spending time in a garden? The therapeutic relief of the outdoors soothes our minds, bodies and souls. While the stress of quarantine, isolation, joblessness, loss of business, and worry about the health of our loved ones can be paralyzing, now is the time to benefit from the gift of our gardens...even if you only have a balcony or plot in a community garden. The mark of a gardener is a person who does not see a finished landscape, but sees a series of tasks to tackle. While attending to the chores of the garden, you are also cultivating your mental health. Rain or shine, pull on your boots, and take advantage of this time to:
Keeping focused on what May and June will look like in my garden. You may have noticed that arts organizations, museums, and zoos are now offering virtual tours as an option while they’ve had to temporarily close. Likewise, you can still take advantage of public gardens by taking a virtual tour. These tours can also serve as inspiration for your own gardens. Take special note of plant or color combinations you might like to introduce into your home landscape. Take A Virtual Garden Tour Monet's Garden in Giverny, France Chicago’s Botanical Garden Waddesdon Manor in Waddesdon, England Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden Kew Gardens in Richmond, England Hidcote Manor Gardens Birmingham Botanic Gardens United States Botanic Garden Fortunately, air and soil temperatures are on the rise, and we can get a start on our list of springtime garden chores. Awakening the senses with the fresh air and warm sun on our skin...activating our muscles to rake and dig...greeting and checking in with our neighbors...and feeling accomplished with the results of our labor. One day at a time. Be safe and well, gardening friends.
It’s March and the drab winter has worn out its welcome. If you’ve taken advantage of the occasional warmer days to inspect your garden, it is tempting to start pruning what looks like dead stalks on your hydrangeas. A successful gardener must always have a specific goal in mind with each project or task in the garden. Before hacking the old hydrangea growing in the corner, first determine your goals for the hydrangea. Are you pruning to give the hydrangea a more desirable shape, or to get that wild beast under control? Or maybe you are pruning to achieve more lovely, large flowers. Perhaps you are pruning for all of these reasons. Let’s explore the ins and outs of successful pruning, or “pruning with a purpose.” Before dusting off those pruners, get to know your shrub....Before getting started, know what type of hydrangea you are growing. The type of hydrangea will determine how you begin to prune. The leaves, flowers, and growth habits are the key to identifying the type of hydrangea residing in your landscape. Common hydrangeas belong to four different species but there are five common types, each with slightly different pruning requirements. Identify Your HydrangeaHydrangea Anatomy MattersYour hydrangea’s stems matter. In order to achieve a full, thriving plant after pruning we need to know what to cut and where to cut. A good rule of thumb when pruning is to remove no more than ⅓ of the total plant. Cutting excessively can severely wound the plant, even to the point of death. Always remove thin, weak, and dead branches. Suckers should be removed as well. Where to prune is based on old wood and new wood. Old wood is stem growth that is older than a year. New wood is stem growth from this growing season. Old wood is hard, brown, and rigid. New wood will be more succulent and green, and may be bendable and less stiff. How you handle this wood determines what type of hydrangea you own, and your pruning goals. Nodes are the point at which buds form. Nodes give rise to leaves, stems, and flowers. These are the growing points on your shrub. When pruning, you want to cut at a 45 degree angle, just above a node. This creates a healthy place for the plant to recover from the cut. Hydrangea Anatomy Matters
To Keep or Cut?Panicle and Smooth Hydrangea Cut these in winter or in early spring, because you will get flowers on this new growth in the summer. You can prune up to 50% of the total plant, but the more you cut, the larger the flowers will be. This can lead to flowers that flop to the ground. So be wary of cutting these to the ground. It is useful to use the thinning technique with these, because the new growth is what matters! Oakleaf, Bigleaf, and Climbing Hydrangea Cut these in the summer, after the flowering has stopped. Use the heading method when trying to get better flowering. These hydrangeas are most likely to keep their natural shape, and need less reshaping as an aggressive pruning. Pruning to Decrease SizeReducing the size of a hydrangea can reduce flower production for the year. The cost of flowers for the year results in a healthier and attractively shaped bush. The first step is to remove dead and decaying plant tissue that is on the ground. The next step is to cut all suckers from around the plant that may be popping up through the soil. The ‘thinning’ technique should be used. This means the location of the pruning is important: the cut should be made where the stem originates, rather than cutting the tips of the stem. This will keep the plant’s natural shape, and less new growth will arise from them as well. At points where the hydrangea is getting too large, cut all the way to the base of the stem. Remember! Don’t cut away more than a third of the plant. You should focus on trimming the top and inner parts of the plant. This allows light and airflow to reach the inner parts of the plant. Thinning the center and top develops healthy buds and prevents disease. Warning: Cutting wood (whether old or new) can affect the amount of flowers for this season. Pruning to Enhance ShapeThe key to enhancing a shrub’s shape is to stick with the plant’s natural growing habit. This makes a happy, healthy, thriving shrub. Maybe you tried pruning in the past, and the result was a mounded, irregular, lopsided hydrangea with no defining feature. The ideal hydrangea shape (except the climbing type) is a round shape with semi arching branches. Start by thinning the shrub. Place cuts at the base of the stems. Prune just above a node on the shrub. Look at which direction the node is facing. This is the direction the branch will grow. Do you want a branch to grow in this direction? It’s something to think about. Try and prune large, thick stems while keeping smaller, thinner stems. If you have oakleaf or bigleaf hydrangeas, this may result in loss of flowers for the season. The remaining stems act like a skeleton to reshape the shrub. Prune for your desired shape while trying to maintain the natural habit. If the shrub is too tall, focus on removing the larger, central stems. And always remember the 1/3 rule. Prune the top and thin the center. This will keep a shrub healthy and happy. Hydrangeas are treasured flowering shrubs, admired for their pretty foliage, delicate flowers, and variety of bloom color. They are not particularly difficult to grow. But knowing when and how to prune them has stumped even the seasoned gardener. If you don’t already know the type in your yard, start there; then place a plant tag near your hydrangea. Or note the type in your garden journal. Hoping your hydrangeas provide you with armfuls of glorious bouquets! Our guest writer for this blog is Paige Alcorn. Look for her contribution next month on deer resistant annuals. My name is Paige Alcorn and this spring I will graduate from Penn State with a turf grass science major accompanied by a horticulture minor. I love learning about different ideas and tricks on maintaining beautiful turf grass and plant material. At Penn State you can find me growing flowers, vegetables, and herbs in the greenhouses with Gwen’s son, Dan. I am an avid horseback rider, and have won the Quarter Horse Congress show in 2009 and 2018. I have also rescued an off the track thoroughbred, and produced him to the Preliminary level of United States Eventing.
I have experience as a crew member at a minor league baseball stadium, interning at high end golf courses, as well as working with my professor on a preliminary herbicide study. I volunteered on the turf management teams at the PGA Women’s Championship Tournament and the 3M Open PGA Tournament during the summer of 2019. Through my 2019 internship with Land O’ Lakes Inc. Ready, set, grow…..At the end of a long winter, who isn’t chomping at the bit to add beautiful and fun perennials to their garden. Once you have structure in your garden (garden design blog) splurging on fun and interesting plants will add seasonal color and texture to your landscape. Prevent a hodge-podge look by first creating a solid plan for your landscape. When perusing this list consider the following before making your purchase:
Below are some of our favorites with links to their websites for more pics and growing information. Kniphofia Poco™ Sunset Poco™ SeriesBluestone Perennials Catalog Description: Shorter bicolor spikes bear many flowers even in its first season. Mango-colored wands capped with luscious deep red-orange rise above narrow, grass-like foliage. Hummingbirds can’t stay away from the vibrant blossoms. Kniphofia Poco™ Sunset with its long bloom time can be enjoyed from July into fall. Red Hot Poker is a gorgeous sight in the late summer perennial border. Kniphofia is a good companion plant for daylilies. Enjoy a tropical sunset of vibrant color when planted in drifts. Iris Ice and Indigo |
Proven Winners Pride and Joy, Rock ‘n Grow collection offers yellow and pink/purple varieties. The fall bloomer for the front of your border attracts butterflies and has dried seed heads that you’ll enjoy late into the growing season. An extra bonus is that it grows in poor soil and rarely gets thirsty. |
Proven Winners Catalog Description:
If you love 'Pure Joy' for its fantastic can't-be-beat habit and short stature, you'll love 'Bundle of Joy'. This is a white flowering sport of 'Pure Joy', the same exemplary performance, as well as an explosion of blooms that cover the dome-like habit. Plant with other late season interest plants like PRAIRIE WIND® Grasses, SUMMERIFIC® Hibiscus, hardy garden mums, asters, and Black-Eyed Susans. Try a few in containers and at the front of the border.
If you love 'Pure Joy' for its fantastic can't-be-beat habit and short stature, you'll love 'Bundle of Joy'. This is a white flowering sport of 'Pure Joy', the same exemplary performance, as well as an explosion of blooms that cover the dome-like habit. Plant with other late season interest plants like PRAIRIE WIND® Grasses, SUMMERIFIC® Hibiscus, hardy garden mums, asters, and Black-Eyed Susans. Try a few in containers and at the front of the border.
Salvia nemorosa 'White Profusion'
Proven Winners Catalog Description:
Last year, we introduced three new Salvia nemorosa whose claim to fame was fantastic rebloom throughout the summer. New for 19-20 comes a brand new color to the series, 'White Profusion'! Just like its counterparts, this Salvia will reflush with flowers if sheared back and will do so many times. A full, round habit that's unbothered by deer and rabbits make it a perfect choice for the early summer garden.
Salvia is a staple item for every sunny garden. It asks little more than sunshine and a little drink every once in a while in return for producing a bountiful mass of colorful flower spires from late spring into early summer. It forms a uniform, rounded clump of aromatic, rugose green foliage that looks nice all season long and is ignored by rabbits and deer.
Last year, we introduced three new Salvia nemorosa whose claim to fame was fantastic rebloom throughout the summer. New for 19-20 comes a brand new color to the series, 'White Profusion'! Just like its counterparts, this Salvia will reflush with flowers if sheared back and will do so many times. A full, round habit that's unbothered by deer and rabbits make it a perfect choice for the early summer garden.
Salvia is a staple item for every sunny garden. It asks little more than sunshine and a little drink every once in a while in return for producing a bountiful mass of colorful flower spires from late spring into early summer. It forms a uniform, rounded clump of aromatic, rugose green foliage that looks nice all season long and is ignored by rabbits and deer.
Echinacea 'Orange You Awesome'
The name alone requires some consideration for this deer resistant coneflower. As a pollinator, it feeds the birds if left to seed in the late summer. The low water needs and part shade tolerance makes this coneflower a perfect choice for your border. If orange is not your favorite color, the Color Coded collection includes red, white and yellow varieties. |
Proven Winners Catalog Description:
Join the craze with this new collection of single Coneflowers for Proven Winners. These varieties are produced clonally from tissue culture, so all plants will be uniform in color and habit. These varieties were selected for their excellent basal branching, flower performance, large flower size, and horizontally held petals. Enjoy these as late summer interest for your garden. These are perfect varieties as pollinator magnets and during late fall to winter, the seed heads will serve as food for birds. Two varieties are available the first year. Stayed tuned for more colors in the future!
Tangerine orange flowers are produced with dark cones. Near the cones, there is a faint reddish halo. Earlier to bloom.
Join the craze with this new collection of single Coneflowers for Proven Winners. These varieties are produced clonally from tissue culture, so all plants will be uniform in color and habit. These varieties were selected for their excellent basal branching, flower performance, large flower size, and horizontally held petals. Enjoy these as late summer interest for your garden. These are perfect varieties as pollinator magnets and during late fall to winter, the seed heads will serve as food for birds. Two varieties are available the first year. Stayed tuned for more colors in the future!
Tangerine orange flowers are produced with dark cones. Near the cones, there is a faint reddish halo. Earlier to bloom.
Campanula carpatica Delft Teacups
Teacup Series
Bluestone Perennials:
One clump or two? The color of Delftware pottery, bicolor lilac-blue and white 1 ½” teacup-shaped blossoms sweetly brighten a pathway or a rock garden. Abundant larger flowers belie its smaller stature. Carpathian Bellflowers form low cushion-shaped mounds of attractive dark green, toothed foliage.
One clump or two? The color of Delftware pottery, bicolor lilac-blue and white 1 ½” teacup-shaped blossoms sweetly brighten a pathway or a rock garden. Abundant larger flowers belie its smaller stature. Carpathian Bellflowers form low cushion-shaped mounds of attractive dark green, toothed foliage.
Clematis Nubia
Boulevard® Series
Consider adding a vertical element to your landscape with a vine. This pollinator attracts butterflies and blooms from June until September. Be attentive to this plant’s rich, saturated color and plant against a light background. A dark trellis or red brick house won’t showcase the deep red--- so mix in some white clematis or plant against a lighter background. Most clematis like their feet in the shade and face in the sun. They especially like morning sun. |
Bluestone Perennial Catalog Description:
Add a red flower to your garden and eyes are drawn right to it. Regal velvet red flowers smother the foliage from the ground up from June into August and again in September! Compact habit and great rebloom. Clematis Nubia™ is ideal for a small garden balcony, deck garden or patio. Clematis supply vertical interest. Every perennial garden should have at least one of these incredible vines. From the Boulevard® Series renowned for its easy care, bushy long-blooming compact habit.
Add a red flower to your garden and eyes are drawn right to it. Regal velvet red flowers smother the foliage from the ground up from June into August and again in September! Compact habit and great rebloom. Clematis Nubia™ is ideal for a small garden balcony, deck garden or patio. Clematis supply vertical interest. Every perennial garden should have at least one of these incredible vines. From the Boulevard® Series renowned for its easy care, bushy long-blooming compact habit.
Of course, your favorite nurseries and catalogs will also feature new, outstanding cultivars to consider. Do yourself and the new plants a favor by carefully researching ideal location, light and water requirements, and neighboring plants. Strong-performing perennials are a gift that keeps on giving!
Why Bother?
We borrowed the catchy phrase,” don’t guess...soil test,” from the Penn State extension. Are you a 5-Step lawn applicator? Do you hire a lawn service to spray chemicals on your lawn? You may be wasting your money and harming water systems. Plants are similar to people. Humans seek tests for cholesterol, blood pressure, and a variety of other health metrics which give guidelines on how to best feed and care for our bodies. Similarly with plants, we need to test and ensure that we are giving them the proper food to thrive and withstand stresses like drought, pests and diseases. The healthier a plant, the quicker it can respond to stresses without chemical intervention.
Proper soil fertility is the foundation for plant health. Whether you have grass, flowers, trees or a few shrubs, you will save money and our environment by conducting a soil test. It provides you with exactly the nutrients required for your lawn and plants. A $9.00 investment in a Penn state soil test will inform you about organic matter, pH in the soil and ensure that you are applying the proper amounts and type of plant food. Soil tests often reveal that adequate quantities of soil nutrients are present, thus preventing unnecessary or harmful fertilizer applications.
Proper soil fertility is the foundation for plant health. Whether you have grass, flowers, trees or a few shrubs, you will save money and our environment by conducting a soil test. It provides you with exactly the nutrients required for your lawn and plants. A $9.00 investment in a Penn state soil test will inform you about organic matter, pH in the soil and ensure that you are applying the proper amounts and type of plant food. Soil tests often reveal that adequate quantities of soil nutrients are present, thus preventing unnecessary or harmful fertilizer applications.
Feed the soil, not the plant
Fertilizers contain plant nutrients. When we add fertilizers to our soil, the nutrients stick to organic matter particles--- almost like a sponge. Organic matter holds onto the nutrients that plants use for growth. The correct ratio of organic matter will increase the soil’s ability to store the nutrients until your plants are ready to use them. Soils that don’t have much organic matter can’t hold onto soil nutrients very well. When you apply fertilizers to these low-organic-matter soils, much of the fertilizer washes away when you water the soil.
Bottom Line
Without proper organic matter, the lawn fertilizer companies and 5-step lawn products, or other fertilizers for flowers, trees and shrubs wash into our waterways and pollute our environment.
The best way to know how much organic matter or the appropriate amount of plant food you need is to conduct a soil test.
The best way to know how much organic matter or the appropriate amount of plant food you need is to conduct a soil test.
4 Easy Steps
Here's the procedure for using the Penn State soil testing service (Scott Guiser, Bucks County extension educator).
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Soil testing should always be a fundamental step of landscape design. I’ve had clients seek my help when two pricey trees were planted in the same spot, and despite proper care, each died. In another case, a soil test of a lawn revealed that a back yard had an overabundance of fertilizer because of poor drainage; and a front yard on the same property showed very different results because of its slope. Therefore, the treatment to improve each portion of the lawn was altered. In this instance, use of a traditional 5-step program would have resulted in washing chemicals and money down the drain, and into streams and rivers.
In preparation for the spring planting season, order a soil testing kit from your state’s extension office. Take the guessing out of gardening.
For more information on healthy soils visit the USDA website or PASA (Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture).
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Authors
Gwen Wisniewski: Landscape and Garden Designer. Contact me. Let me help you integrate these garden inspirations. Choose the links below to find out more about my landscape design service or to make an appointment.
Holly Schultz: Blog & magazine writer and editor. Contact me for writing. I look forward to working with you.