Issue 97 View Issue

Transcription

Issue 97 View Issue

TOUGH LOVE — Get Your
Plants to Bloom Better page 28
DON’T SQUASH ANOTHER BUG
Before & After: FROM S0-S0
Before You Read Our Guide page 30
TO SHADY HAVEN page 8
®
February 2011 • Issue 97
www.GardenGateMagazine.com
Splash Color
Across Your Garden!
The Secret
to Growing
Azaleas
Anywhere!
page 12
7Easy Ways
to Jump Start
Your Garden
This Spring
page 6
Our FAVORITE SHADE COMBO
GERANIUMS LOADED
with BLOOMS (All Season Long)
Simple Color Scheme
= STUNNING GARDEN
page 50
page 16
page 34
PLUS! Our Top 10 Magenta Flowers
page 22
GG97_COVER_final.indd 1
11/8/2010 1:41:41 PM
®
The Illustrated Guide to Home Gardening and Design®
PUBLISHER Donald B. Peschke
EDITOR
Steven M. Nordmeyer
MANAGING EDITOR Kristin Beane Sullivan
ART DIRECTOR Eric Flynn
SENIOR EDITORS Luke Miller
Stephanie Polsley Bruner
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jim Childs
Deborah Gruca
Sherri Ribbey
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Carrie Topp
Kate Corman
Kevin Venhaus
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Jack Coyier
from the editor
ILLUSTRATOR Carlie Hamilton
CORPORATE GARDENER Marcia Leeper
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Minniette Johnson
VIDEOGRAPHER Mark A. Hayes, Jr.
“In the end, color combinations come down
to our personal preferences, which we must
discover through observation and experiment.”
INTERN Gretchen Jensen
Garden Gate ® (ISSN 1083-8295) is published bimonthly (Feb., April, June,
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Moines, IA 50312. Garden Gate ® is a registered trademark of August Home
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C
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GG9702_3.indd 2
olor is a powerful force in our gardens. Hot reds,
oranges and yellows are energetic, making us feel
warm and happy. They jump from the garden,
shouting, “Hey, look at me!” On the other hand, cool
blues, purples and pinks have the opposite effect, creating
a relaxed feel, receding into the background as if they are
shy and reserved.
Color is very subjective, from the clothes we wear to
the paint we splash on our walls and, of course, the gardens we create. Some of us like to stand out in a crowd
while others want to blend into the surroundings. Are
you outgoing and enjoy bright colors? You’ll love the
flashy magenta and orange color themes on pages 35
and 37. But if you’re more laid-back and enjoy peaceful,
quiet solitude, you might want to grow our elegant white
garden on page 36. Maybe you’ll even want one of each.
Here at Garden Gate, it’s our job to help you explore
what you like and then give you the tools, designs,
photos and inspiration to be successful. In this issue
alone, we’ll share ideas on choosing colors, getting more
color in shade, growing gorgeous geraniums all season
long and more.
Have a great new year!
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:02:47 AM
contents
in every issue
features
AT HOME GARDENER
ON THE COVER:
how to get your garden
going earlier ................................6
BEFORE & AFTER
secrets for a
stunning shade garden ............8
GARDEN GATE’S
TOP PICKS
10 magenta knockouts .........22
DESIGN CHALLENGE
front yard from
scratch
................................ 38
FROM THE DRAWING BOARD
entryway getaway .................. 40
CONTAINER RECIPE
1 simple container,
3 great looks! ............................ 43
NOTES FROM THE
TEST GARDEN
time-tested, gardenerapproved plants ...................... 48
EDITOR’S CHOICE
favorite combo:
made in the shade .................. 50
february 2011
issue no. 97
Amazing Azaleas ............. 12
Azaleas are all about incredible
variety — of sizes, colors and
habits. Which hybrids are best for
your garden?
See our favorite magenta flowers and
find out how to create innovative color
combinations on page 22.
Grow Gorgeous
................. 16
Geraniums!
Have your best geraniums ever
with our tips from expert growers!
Tough Love ........................ 28
To find more tips, plans and step-bystep instructions, look for these online
exclusives on our Web site.
We’ll show you five extremesounding techniques that are
actually good for your plants.
• Video: Overwinter your geraniums
the easy way
• Colorful foundation planting plan
9 Beneficial
Garden Insects.................. 30
Not all garden bugs are bad guys
— meet nine bugs you’ll want to
invite to stay.
Choose Your Color ........... 34
Single color scheme beds aren’t
always as simple as they sound. Be
sure to read our no-fail design tips
and check out our three exclusive
garden plans before you go shopping this year.
16
Volume
NOW
LE
AVAILAB
departments
reader tips ................................ 4
pest watch .............................. 5
what’s new ..............................44
did you know? ..................... 45
ask Garden Gate ..................... 46
weed watch ..........................47
finishing touches ...................52
THE YEAR IN GARDENING
Volumes 13-16
ON THE COVER: Nothing shouts
“Spring!” like a border of azaleas.
Photo: Jerry Naunheim
ON THE BACK COVER: Welcome
witchhazel blooms in late winter.
Ready for fresh inspiration? It’s just a click
away! Our 320-page hardcover books are
bursting with a year’s worth of fantastic ideas
and illustrated plans straight from the pages of
Garden Gate magazine!
Find this and other products at
www.GardenGateStore.com
Photo: David C. McClure
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9702_3.indd 3
!
3
11/8/2010 8:04:06 AM
reader tips
GARDEN E-NOTES: Sign up for FREE weekly plant
profiles, reader-tested tips, videos and more! Visit us
at www.GardenGateNotes.com.
Geranium tent
June Judd, Illinois
quick tip
Spot-water seedlings
with your soy sauce bottle! Clean it
out, add some water, and with just
a few shakes the soil is moistened
without damaging or knocking
over the tender new growth.
Rachel Comte, Kentucky
Moving large containers
Stephanie Brown, Maryland
Stumped on how to move a large
container without throwing out your
back? Stephanie has the solution. Every
fall and then again in spring she has to
move a few large containers in and out
of the garage. They’re heavy whether
or not they have soil in them! Dragging
them is not an option because the
Walk the container
across the first section
of cardboard.
GG9704_5.indd 4
If you need to be away
just when you’re trying
to get overwintered
plants going again, try
this tip to keep them
from drying out.
June starts by
planting her overwintered geraniums in a
plastic windowbox
inside. Then she makes
tent stakes of redtwig
dogwood stems left
over from holiday
decorations. The length
of the stems depends
on the size of the geraniums. It’s a good idea
to have a few inches
of space above the
plants for air to circulate. 12 to 18 inches is
Make sure the plastic is
a few inches above the
geraniums so there’s plenty
of air circulation.
usually long enough.
With the twigs in
place, June cuts open a
dry-cleaning bag and
drapes it loosely over
the dogwood stems.
Then she places the
geranium-filled box in
a sunny south-facing
window and gives it
a good watering. The
plastic holds in enough
moisture to see the
plants through until
June gets back to keep
an eye on them.
concrete drive would chip the ceramic
along the bottom edge. To remedy the
situation, she gets two large flattened
cardboard boxes and lays them on the
ground with the end of the first section
overlapping the end of the second. You
can see how she does this in the photos
below. Stephanie walks the container
onto the first section of cardboard
and pulls it near the end of the second.
Lift this flap up
and place the other
section underneath.
Fill ’er up
Joann Hemingway,
Missouri
Filling a finch sock
feeder can be a pain.
Joann found a simple
solution: a watering
can with no rose on the
spout. Let the watering
can dry thoroughly
before filling it so the
seed doesn’t stick to the
inside of the can. Then
hold the sock over the
spout and pour the seed
into the sock. No fuss,
Then she picks up the first section,
brings it around and places it under the
flap of the second and pulls the container across the cardboard again. By
keeping the flap of the weighted piece
on top she doesn’t snag the next one as
she drags. Repeating the process gets
Stephanie’s containers in and out of the
garage without any damage.
Once on the cardboard, the container is easier
to move from one section to the next.
11/8/2010 8:05:37 AM
pest watch
Clover mites
no muss. Now all Joann
has to do is tie the sock
closed, hang it up and
enjoy the finches that
come to feed.
Bryobia praetiosa Koch
These tiny arachnids are smaller
than a pinhead and harmless to
people. But after overwintering in
your home, clover mites move outside
in spring and, if populations are large, can
damage ornamental plants and lawns.
Anne Mantey, New York
When you have 35 to
40 roses, there’s a lot
of pruning to do in late
winter. Anne was tired
of the thorns scratching
up her hands and arms.
So she found a way to
avoid most of those
pokes and jabs by
turning a child-sized
plastic swimming pool
into a cane carry-all.
The pool is made of
heavy-duty plastic that
won’t be damaged by
prickly plant debris.
It’s lightweight, too, so
it’s easy to drag over to
the compost pile, even
when it’s full of stuff.
To drag it anywhere,
Anne first needed a
handle. So she cut a
piece of clothesline rope
about 20 feet long and
secured it under the lip
of the pool with duct
tape. She tied the two
ends into a knot tight
against the side of the
pool and placed tape on
either side to make sure
it stayed in place. Then
with two 4½-foot pieces
left over it was easy to
form a big loop handle.
All she had to do was
tie the ends together
in a knot. Now Anne
can haul her pruning
leftovers to the compost
pile with ease.
With its deep fixture, this solar
light can hold enough soil for
a few ground cover sedums.
Light planters
Lois Smith, Virginia
Instead of tossing her
worn-out solar lights in
the trash, Lois decided
to recycle them into
mini containers. And
because they’re on
stakes, she can push
them into the ground,
where they do double
duty as hose guides
at the corners of her
flower beds.
She popped off the
lids easily, then filled
the former light with
soil and added a small
plant or two. She didn’t
need to drill holes in
the bottom of the lights
because they already
had drainage. Lois
has found that ground
cover sedums work
well. Placed at the corners of her flower bed,
it’s easy to keep these
tiny containers watered,
and the stakes help
prevent the hose from
damaging plants in her
garden beds.
Actual size:
.033 in. long
WHAT DO THEY DO? Feeding damage is
most evident in spring and appears as small
meandering paths on leaves. This creates
brown spots in the lawn and can kill foliage on
trees, shrubs and ornamentals. A lush, well-fed
lawn is one of clover mites’ favorite meals.
You’re more likely to actually see the mites
in fall when large numbers congregate on
sunny walls. They’re looking for cracks and
crevices in which to lay eggs.
LIFE CYCLE Clover mites live about a month
and there are usually two generations each
year — one in spring and one in fall, when
temperatures are between 50 and 75
degrees. They lay eggs near the end of
their lives. These eggs lay dormant through
summer and winter. After hatching, the larvae,
which look like miniature adults, go in search
of the same food the adults eat.
SAY GOODBYE The best way to escort
clover mites out of your house is in a vacuum
bag. That way you don’t have to worry about
the red stains they leave behind when they’re
crushed. Just be sure to dispose of the bag
when you’re done because they can escape.
Since clover mites prefer warm, dry areas,
you can keep populations down in the garden
with extra watering. For persistent problems,
use an organic miticide, such as Safer® Brand
Insect Killing Soap. ®
We pay $25 for garden t ips*!
Submit a tip — Upload images
Or, mail to Garden Gate Tips, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. Please include
your name, address and daytime phone number in case we have any questions.
*Tip must be published
G A R D E N G AT E
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PHOTO: Courtesy of Rayanne Lehman, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org (clover mite)
No more rose rash
5
11/8/2010 8:06:02 AM
at home gardener: Veronica Lorson Fowler
how to get your
garden going earlier
C
PHOTOS: Ben Allen, courtesy of Veronica Lorson Fowler (portrait);
Doug Appleby (2, 3)
an’t wait to get out in the garden? Me
either! But if you live where the winters are cold, is there any way to get an
early start on the season? Sure.
Sometimes Midwestern winters seem
like they’ll never end, so I talked to
Veronica Lorson Fowler of www.theiowa
gardener.com to find out how she jumpstarts her garden year in zone 5. Here are
some of her tips almost anyone can use.
WARM UP THE SOIL Whether you
garden in the ground or in raised beds,
well-drained, humus-rich soil naturally
warms up sooner than heavy, wet soil.
So in the fall, work loads of compost and
other organic matter into your soil.
And in early spring before you plant
veggies, give your soil an even bigger
boost by covering your planting area
with plastic mulch. Black or colored
sheets, like the red one in photo 1, heat
up in the sun, warm the soil several
When the soil
thermometer
reaches 50
degrees, you
can plant!
(1) Red mulch warms the soil
early in the year, but it also
controls weeds, conserves soil
moisture and helps tomatoes
produce more fruit all summer.
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(2) Check the soil temperature at 3 in.
deep for seeds, 5 to 6 in. for seedlings.
Average the temps taken at the same
time in midmorning for three days in a
row to determine when it’s safe to plant.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
degrees and help hold in that warmth
so plants can get an earlier start. Then
begin checking the soil temperature every
few days. When it’s where your plants
need it to be, cut holes in the mulch and
pop them into the soil.
USE A SOIL THERMOMETER Since
most seeds and plants will just sit, and
eventually rot, in soil that’s too cold, a
soil thermometer is handy in spring.
Use one to check the temperature at 3
inches below the soil surface for seeds,
5 to 6 inches for seedlings. Check the
chart that comes with the thermometer
for the minimum and optimum temperatures for your seeds and plants.
Most minimums are between 40 and 60
degrees. There are several styles available
online or at garden centers for less than
$10, but even an inexpensive outdoor
thermometer will be accurate enough.
The dial-type soil thermometer in photo
2 is handy because you can read it
without taking it out of the soil.
PROTECT THE LITTLE ONES So far
we’ve talked about warming the soil, but
air temperature is an issue, too. Impatient
gardeners (like me!) line up to shop for
plants as soon as the greenhouse doors
open in early spring — even if it’s well
before the last frost date. If you nurse
these plants along on your kitchen windowsill, you know how sad and gangly
they grow. Veronica leans an old window
against a south-facing wall and fits it
with plywood ends. This easy cold frame
gives seedlings a sunny spot to grow until
nighttime temps are warm enough for
them to be safely spread around your
garden. For ventilation during the day,
remove the plywood ends. The storm
window in photo 3 lets you open the
window so heat escapes on warm days.
A blanket placed over the window and
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 9:45:38 AM
LIGHTWEIGHT COLD FRAME
Attach two plastic windowwell covers to hinged 2×4
bases for an inexpensive cold
frame. Find the supplies at
home improvement centers.
NO TOOLS REQUIRED Set
four to six bales of straw (good
insulators against cold) on the
ground around tender plants.
A window placed on top lets
in sunshine and can be easily
moved so plants don’t overheat
on sunny days.
(3) A storm window makes a quick cold frame. The screened area even
protects the more tender plants with a little shade and keeps insects away.
secured to the frame with clothespins will
keep everything toasty on nights that dip
below freezing. Check out two other easy
cold frames you can make at top right.
If you have just a few plants to protect, you may not need a whole cold
frame. Individual protectors may warm
plants just as well. Buy the ready-made
Wall-O-Water in photo 4 at garden centers. It’s set up around the plant, then
filled with a garden hose. The water-filled
baffles hold warmth around the plants
even when the temperatures dip.
Or make the inexpensive version in
the inset by taping water-filled 2-liter
bottles into a ring. Cap the bottles to
keep the water from evaporating or getting murky. As soon as nighttime temps
stay consistently above 55 degrees,
remove the bottles so you can enjoy your
beautiful plants and let them grow bigger.
Spring is a busy time of year, but with
a few of these ideas, you’ll get an earlier
start. And your garden will be well on its
way while other gardeners are still busy
trading their mittens for garden gloves! ®
— Deborah Gruca
Later on, use the straw as
mulch in the garden.
(4) Set up a water-filled plant protector
by first placing a 5-gal. bucket upside down
over your plant. Slip the protector around the
bucket. (It holds the protector upright.) Then fill
the tubes with water and remove the bucket.
G A R D E N G AT E
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To allow more sun in,
remove the labels from
2-liter bottles before using
them. Hold bottles in place
around young plants with a
strip of duct tape.
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11/8/2010 9:48:05 AM
before&after
secrets for a stunning
shade garden
Botanical
Names
PHOTO: Courtesy of Melonie Ice (before)
Asiatic lily
Lilium hybrids
Banana
Musa hybrids
Bottlebrush
buckeye
Aesculus
parviflora
Epimedium
Epimedium
hybrids
Licorice plant
Helichrysum
petiolare
Hosta
Hosta hybrids
Purple fountain
grass
Pennisetum
setaceum
I
f you think a colorful shade garden is impossible,
one look at this tree-filled Michigan back yard
should change your mind. Once it was a lot full of
weed trees and brush, but Melonie Ice cleaned it
up and added the path you see in the before photo
below. She might just have thrown in a few hostas
and called it good. But instead, she created the tapestry of color in the large photo at right. Let’s find
out how it all went together.
PATH PLANNING A path is a wonderful thing. It
gives you an even walking surface and divides up the
garden, making it simpler to plan and easier to get
into for upkeep.
Most natural woodland paths meander. They take
you around tree roots and slow you down to enjoy
the cool and quiet of the garden. But when you have
to plan a path through your back yard woodland,
it’s hard to know where it should go. Instead of
drawing a straight line from point A to point B, let
your path wander. Curves and loops, such as the
figure-eight design of this garden path, are good.
ADD SOME HEIGHT Start with low
growers and creepers along the path and
build from there. Make sure to add some
tall plants to the garden. Their height
bridges the visual gap between the lower
plants and tree canopy making the trees
seem less looming. In addition to the bottlebrush buckeye in the back of the garden,
there are a few burgundy banana plants in
containers. The banana’s upright shape and
broad leaves echo the tree trunks scattered
throughout. The containers they’re planted in
give them added height and make it easier to
move them indoors to overwinter.
Now let’s see what else you can do to make
a shade garden great.
(1) Take note of where and how long dappled
sunlight filters through the tree canopy. You
can grow plants that need more sun there.
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F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:14:47 AM
Spotlight on plants Even
shade gardens get some daylight.
So watch your garden at different
times of day and take note of places
where the sun comes through the
canopy. That way you can grow a
few plants that prefer more light.
This area near the deck gets a few
hours of sun each morning, enough
that even the big bananas and
yellow Asiatic lilies can thrive. Look
a little further back and you’ll notice
another spot of sunlight. It’s a great
place for a more sun-tolerant hosta,
such as ‘August Moon’, here. Full sun
would scorch the leaves, but a few
hours of daylight keep them a nice
golden yellow.
Path pointers The original
plan for this path called for crushed
gravel to keep with the casual woodland feel of the garden. But Melonie
has two large Labrador retrievers. She
thought the gravel would be more
trouble than it was worth with them
galloping around and tracking it
into the garden as well as the house.
Instead, she decided to go with
tumbled bluestone on a base of sand
and gravel. Its subtle hue has a nice
weathered feel and fades quietly into
the background.
Mix it up Would you believe
that in this smaller area to the right
of the path there are seven different
leaf shapes? Look for heart, oblong,
linear, broad, palmate, round and
frilly. Without a variety of leaf shapes,
shade gardens lose their luster.
Imagine this garden filled with the
same hosta and I think you’ll agree
that it would be pretty boring.
More moss
A nice patch of moss
between the stones helps integrate path and
garden and makes the hardscaping look aged.
Here’s a recipe to encourage moss to grow:
1 gallon of buttermilk
2 cans of beer
Pinch of moss
Shake it all thoroughly and pour it
where you want moss to grow.
Turn the page
for more shade
gardening tips.
G A R D E N G AT E
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>
9
11/8/2010 8:18:09 AM
before&after
continued
make your shade garden
look and grow better
Botanical
T
Names
Hosta
Hosta hybrids
Maple Acer spp.
Sedum
Sedum hybrids
Sycamore Platanus
occidentalis
here are a lot of pluses to having a shade
garden, not the least of which is cooler temperatures on hot days. But like any garden, you
want to enjoy the view all season. Take a look at
the hard-working tips below to find out how to
make the most of the colorful plants that grow
happily in shade. Then find out how to keep it
that way even if you have a friendly Fido that’s a
little too “helpful.” ®
— Sherri Ribbey
Color combos What’s the best way to get standout color in a shade garden? Chartreuse or gold foliage.
It’s an essential color that provides a sense of energy and
light to what could otherwise be a dark, gloomy area. But
intense colors can sometimes be a challenge to work with.
To really shine, the ‘August Moon’ hosta in this garden
needs a little help from its neighbors. In the illustration
below left, it’s surrounded by plants with similar colors that
don’t really set it off. But in the illustration (and the photo)
at right, it’s surrounded by darker foliage. They really make it
pop, don’t they?
Foliage in similar shades of chartreuse
or gold blends together.
Contrasting colors make this
chartreuse stand out.
Use mulch
Rake leaves
into a pile
and then run
the mower
over them.
Mulch is always a good idea, and with
all these trees there’s plenty of raw material. But a big
garden needs a lot of leaves, so if you don’t have enough,
ask your neighbors for theirs.
Don’t just toss the leaves on the garden, though.
Whole leaves, especially large ones from sycamores or
maples, mat together in the rain and
snow. This can smother plants trying
to grow in spring. Instead, rake big
leaves of any kind into a row and run
the mower over them before you
spread them around.
10
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F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Pet friendly Pets are
wonderful companions in the
house and in the garden. But
it can be hard to restrain their
enthusiasm. Melonie found that
it was wise to pick her battles.
When one of her older Labs
decided that a patch of ground
cover sedum made a good bed,
she decided the dog deserved
a rest. But that doesn’t mean all garden beds can be
lounged in. You can keep dogs in bounds with invisible
fencing and encourage other play areas, such as the
front lawn. When it’s time to work in the garden, first
take the dogs out to play ball. After a good romp, they’ll
be too tired to get into trouble.
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:18:37 AM
Shade beauties
Want big, gorgeous plants like these in
your shade garden? It’s all in the soil. Before she planted, Melonie
amended the existing soil with a few inches of a perennial mix
made of topsoil and compost from her local garden center.
Be careful about adding soil to gardens under existing trees.
Generally, if you’re going to do this, keep the layer under 2 in. in
depth or you’ll risk smothering the roots of the tree. An annual
application of compost, less than an inch deep, will help improve
the texture of the soil and add the micronutrients plants need to
grow as big and beautiful as the ones here.
A Bottlebrush buckeye Aesculus parviflora Shrub; white flower spikes in
summer; full to part shade; 8 to 12 ft. tall, 8 to 15 ft. wide; cold-hardy in
USDA zones 4 to 8, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 8 to 1
B Solomon’s seal Polygonatum biflorum Perennial; white spring flowers
and arching, ladderlike foliage; full to part shade; 12 to 36 in. tall, 12 to 18 in.
wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1
C Astilbe Astilbe chinensis ‘Visions’ Perennial; pink flower spikes in summer;
full to part shade; 12 to 15 in. tall and wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8,
heat-tolerant in AHS zones 8 to 1
D Hosta Hosta ‘August Moon’ Perennial; purple flowers in summer, gold
foliage; full to part shade; 18 to 24 in. tall, 36 to 42 in. wide; cold-hardy in
E Hosta Hosta sieboldiana elegans Perennial; white flowers in summer,
F Japanese painted fern Athyrium ‘Branford Beauty’ Perennial; graygreen foliage with red stems; full to part shade; 18 to 24 in. tall, 18 to 24 in.
wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1
G Lungwort Pulmonaria longifolia ‘Bertram Anderson’ Perennial; blueviolet flowers in spring, speckled foliage; full to part shade; 6 to 12 in. tall,
12 to 24 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8, heat-tolerant in AHS
zones 8 to 1
H Lady fern Athyrium filix-femina Perennial; lacy green foliage; full to part
shade; 24 to 36 in. tall, 24 to 30 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8,
PHOTO: Courtesy of Melonie Ice (Pet friendly)
large, blue seersucker leaves; full to part shade; 2 to 3 ft. tall, 3 to 4 ft. wide;
cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1
Keep trees happy
A big project like a path installation often
takes heavy equipment. Though it’s best to keep equipment like this
away from trees, it’s not always possible. To help trees recover, give them
a deep-root feeding in spring. You can have this done by a professional
or do it yourself, but know that it’s a lot of work for a large tree.
Deep-root feeding delivers fertilizer into holes in the soil around the
tree. Here’s how: Use a bulb auger to drill the holes because it won’t
compact the soil within the hole. So you don’t damage the root collar,
start 3 ft. away from the trunk and drill 2-in.-diameter holes 12 in. deep
and space them 2 ft. apart in concentric rings. The rings should go out
as far as the drip line (or a little further if there’s room).
Using a funnel, pour about one cup of a slow-release 4-1-1 granular
fertilizer into each hole. Then top off the hole with some compost
and water well.
Extend the holes at
least to the drip line.
2-in. holes 2 ft. apart
G A R D E N G AT E
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11
11/8/2010 8:19:01 AM
‘Elsie Lee’
Evergreen
‘Gibraltar’
Autumn Starlite
A ZALEAS
‘Hino-crimson’
Rhododendron hybrids
Shrub
Flowers in pink, white,
purple, yellow, orange
or red in early spring
to summer, some
rebloom
Part shade to full sun
Moist, acid,
well-drained soil
2 to 7 ft. tall, 3 to 6 ft.
wide in 10 years
Cold-hardy in
USDA zones 3 to 11
Heat-tolerant in
AHS zones 11 to 1
Mail-order
sources
Greer Gardens
www.greergardens.com
800-548-0111. Catalog free
Whitney Gardens
and Nursery
www.whitneygardens.com
800-952-2404. Catalog free
Encore Azalea
www.plantsbymail.com
888-922-7374
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GG9712_15.indd 12
Amazing
Azaleas
Our regional
picks + the best
tips for success!
ne of the many wonderful traits of azaleas is the incredible variety of plants
available. But with so many colors, sizes
and habits, how do you choose?
I think the best place to start is to find out
what the gardeners who’ve been growing them
for years recommend. That’s why I checked
with the American Rhododendron Society
(ARS). They recommended the six evergreen
and deciduous azalea hybrids above. While
they’re all beautiful, this group of plants also
rates highly among ARS members as healthy,
good-performing plants. (To see even more
regional favorites, go to www.rhododendron.
org/performers_intro.htm.) A couple of notes
on azaleas: These plants grow slowly, so all
heights and spreads are the size they’ll be in 10
years. And look at the zones carefully: Some do
better in cold climates; others take heat better.
Finally, evergreen azaleas hold onto some of
their leaves through winter, replacing them in
spring. Deciduous ones drop them all in fall and
O
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
have bare stems in winter. On the following
pages, I’ll share ideas on designing with these
stunning plants and the best care to keep them
looking amazing!
Evergreen azaleas
‘ELSIE LEE’ Though stiffly upright, ‘Elsie Lee’
stays just 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. Semi-double
blue-lavender flowers cover the plant in spring.
Handsome, small dark green summer leaves
tolerate full sun and turn brilliant yellow to redorange once autumn arrives. It’s cold-hardy in
USDA zones 6 to 9, heat-tolerant in AHS zones
9 to 1.
AUTUMN STARLITE™ This azalea blooms
heavily in spring, and again more lightly in
midsummer or fall. Encourage more flowers
by giving the plant a second feeding of balanced azalea fertilizer in summer (after the
first one in early spring). In light shade to full
sun, Autumn Starlite produces large white
flowers accented with flecks of pink and
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:20:11 AM
PHOTOS: © William C. Miller III (‘Elsie Lee’); courtesy of Encore Azalea (Autumn Starlite); courtesy of Monrovia (‘Hino-crimson’);
courtesy of Anthony P. Greco (‘Homebush’); courtesy of Briggs Nursery, LLC (‘Gibraltar’); Doug Appleby (‘Northern Hi-Lights’)
‘Homebush’
Deciduous
‘Gibraltar’
‘Northern Hi-Lights’
occasional stripes. One of the Encore® azaleas, it’s designed to thrive in warmer zones
than most azaleas — to AHS heat zone 11. The
narrow mildew-resistant leaves turn a pretty
purple in winter. Autumn Starlite grows 3
to 4 feet tall and wide and is cold-hardy in
USDA zones 7 to 11 and heat-tolerant in AHS
zones 11 to 1.
‘HINO-CRIMSON’ Single intense crimsonred flowers last for weeks in early to midspring
— but they’re just part of this plant’s attraction. Its leaves turn bright red in fall and hold
their color through winter. These small leaves
help this azalea tolerate more sun than other
azaleas, even full sun in cooler northern zones.
‘Hino-crimson’ stays just 2 to 4 feet tall and 3
to 5 feet wide and is cold-hardy in USDA zones
5 to 8 and heat-tolerant in AHS zones 8 to 1.
Deciduous azaleas
‘HOMEBUSH’ Semi-double deep pink blooms
show up in mid- to late spring on this very
widely grown upright azalea. Its mildew-resistant foliage turns a great orange-red in fall.
‘Homebush’ grows 4 to 6 feet tall and 4 to
5 feet wide and is the parent of many double
azaleas. It’s cold-hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8
and heat-tolerant in AHS zones 8 to 1.
‘GIBRALTAR’ In midspring, the lightly fragrant orange flower clusters of this azalea
cover the plant even before its leaves emerge.
‘Gibraltar’ gets 4 to 5 feet tall and wide and
is cold-hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9 and heattolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1.
‘NORTHERN HI-LIGHTS’ This easy-to-grow
deciduous azalea is part of the Northern Lights
series, a group of very cold-hardy azaleas developed in Minnesota. ‘Northern Hi-Lights’ has
showy, lightly scented cream-white flowers
with a bright yellow upper petal in spring to
early summer. The leaves start bronze in spring
and turn red in fall. It grows 4 to 6 feet tall, 6 to
8 feet wide and is cold-hardy in USDA zones 4
to 9 and heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1.
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what’s the
difference?
Azaleas are part of the
Rhododendron genus, and
one way to tell them apart
is the number of flower
stamens: Usually, azaleas
have 5; rhododendrons
have 10 or more. Somewhere
in between? It’s a hybrid of
the two.
10 or more stamens?
It’s a rhododendron!
13
11/8/2010 8:20:44 AM
(1) Bright masses of spring blooms show well
in the landscape, even from a great distance.
Choose hybrids with different bloom periods
to extend the season of color.
DESIGNING WITH AZALEAS
PHOTOS: Jerry Naunheim (1); courtesy of J. R. Baker, NCCES, Bugwood.org
(azalea lace bug); © Penn State Cooperative Extension (stippled leaves); courtesy
of Rosie Lerner, Purdue University Plant & Pest Diagnostic Lab (chlorotic azalea
leaves); courtesy of C. Moorehead, Bugwood.org (azalea bud blight)
Botanical
Names
Heather Calluna vulgaris
Hosta Hosta spp. and
hybrids
Mountain laurel
Kalmia latifolia
14
GG9712_15.indd 14
ecause these beautiful flowering shrubs
vary widely in size and habit, you can use
them in a variety of ways. They’re perfect in
foundation plantings and woodland gardens
but fill lots of other roles, too.
WATCH THE HEIGHT Pay attention to the
mature height of your azalea. Shorter plants
(less than 3 feet) work well in borders mixed
with taller plants or as beautiful flowering
ground covers cascading down a slope. And
growing them in pots is a great way to enjoy
ones that aren’t cold-hardy in your zone.
Azaleas take pruning well, so the taller
ones work nicely as beautiful espaliered specimens trained on a wall or fence, as a standard
planted in the ground or a container. Medium
to tall cultivars can also be planted and pruned
as hedges, reaching their full height in 10 years.
To keep the most flowers, trim the foliage after
flowering is done in late spring so you don’t
remove next year’s flowers.
COLOR CLUES And speaking of color, some
azaleas’ intense hues make them great specimen plants. For even more color, if you have
B
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
the space, group several of the same or similarcolored plants. You can see the impact of that
huge mass of color in photo 1. Generally, the
orange ones tend to clash with the pinks and
reds. So don’t plant them too closely together if
they bloom at the same time. And the pictures
on the plant tags can fade with time, so buy
azaleas while they’re in bloom — then you’ll
be sure of the exact shade you’re getting.
LOCATION IS EVERYTHING To make all
those colors really pop, plant a background
of dark evergreens. Even small plants, like the
hostas in photo 1, are perfect companions.
Their green (and even variegated!) foliage gives
your eyes a place to rest from all those hot
hues. And, planted around the base of azaleas,
they help to hide the bare lower branches. Just
don’t place them so they crowd the branches,
or you’ll cut into the azalea’s shallow roots.
For perfect partners, plant other acid-lovers,
such as heather and mountain laurel, nearby.
And if you have a water feature, take advantage of its reflective quality. Plant azaleas near
it for twice the color!
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:21:34 AM
COMMON PROBLEMS AND
HOW TO FIX THEM
CARING FOR
AZALEAS
Good soil prep and planting means you’ll probably see few azalea problems,
but should you see these common symptoms, here’s what to do:
It’s true that azaleas can be troubled by pest
and disease problems. Check out the box at
right for three common symptoms you might
see. But if you provide some basic needs, you’ll
keep your plants looking good.
SOIL Azaleas grow best in moist, welldrained and acid (pH 4.5 to 5.5) soil, but these
hybrids tolerate a wider range. Test your soil,
and if yours has a pH of 6 or higher, before
you plant, work a 6-inch layer of sphagnum
peat moss, pine bark mulch or compost into
the top 12 inches of soil. Or apply agricultural
sulfur at a rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet
to acidify the soil. (Do this in fall before spring
planting.) Test the pH annually in spring and
if it gets higher than 6, fertilize by spraying
the foliage with an acid-lover formula, such as
Miracid®
. Then fertilize with a balanced, slowrelease granular fertilizer once each spring.
PLANTING The quickest way to kill off an
azalea is to plant it too deeply or in wet, poorly
drain-ing soil. Position it so the top of the root
ball is 1 to 1½ inches above the soil line. In
poorly drained soils or ones with lots of clay,
plant 4 to 5 inches above.
MOISTURE AND LIGHT In summer, regular
moisture and part or dappled shade with some
early morning sun are ideal. In winter, however, that early morning sun tends to warm the
evergreen leaves and buds too quickly after
freezing night temperatures. This causes them
to lose moisture that the frozen roots cannot
replace, drying out the leaves and killing the
flower buds. The best planting sites are on the
north or east side of buildings (as long as the
plant gets morning shade in winter). In zones
where your azalea is marginally hardy, if it’s
not growing near a building, plant it where
it’s protected from strong winter winds by
evergreens or fences. To prevent damage from
drying winds, be sure to water your evergreen
plants deeply in fall before the soil freezes. And
spray the leaves with an antidesiccant, such as
Wilt-Pruf®, in fall and again in midwinter.
Azaleas are truly amazing. By following
these guidelines and choosing the right cultivars for your area, you’re sure to enjoy their
terrific, trouble-free beauty! ®
— Deborah Gruca
STIPPLED LEAVES
It could be azalea lace bug The upper
surface of the leaves appears stippled, but
you’ll find the nymphs and the 1⁄8- to ¼-in.
adults underneath, along with the old “skins”
from previous nymph stages.
What to do Spray the undersides of the
leaves with a jet of water from the hose or
with insecticidal soap, horticultural oil or
neem oil. Affected leaves will eventually
Azalea lace bug and
die and be replaced by fresh green foliage. leaf damage
YELLOW LEAVES
It could be inconsistent moisture Small
leaves and stunted growth are other clues
the roots are either water-logged or too dry.
What to do Plant your azalea so it has
good drainage and make sure it gets
regular moisture.
It could be chlorosis This condition
Chlorotic azalea leaves
is usually caused by an iron or nitrogen
deficiency. (Often the veins will stay green.) A soil pH that’s too high
prevents the roots from getting iron from the soil.
What to do Test the soil. For a pH higher than 6.0, scratch ferrous
sulfate (available at garden centers) into the soil at a rate of 2 Tbsp. for
10 sq. ft. and water it in. (For a quick, temporary green-up, dissolve 2
Tbsp. in 2 gallons of water and sprinkle the solution over the foliage.)
A longer-lasting solution is to sprinkle agricultural sulfur onto the soil
each year. (Follow package directions for rate and frequency.) Do not
use aluminum sulfate to acidify the soil — it’s toxic to azaleas.
FLOWER BUDS DON’T OPEN
It could be cold damage If buds are brown
and dry, they’ve been hit by frost or cold
temps as they started to swell in early spring.
What to do Choose cultivars that are more
cold-hardy or bloom later in the season.
It could be bud blight This fungal disease
is spread by leafhoppers and makes the buds
black and bristly.
What to do Remove the affected buds
Azalea bud blight
and destroy them. You may need to do
this for several seasons to take care of it. Spray all leaf surfaces with
insecticidal soap to kill leafhoppers.
It could be leaf gall In wet, cool spring weather, leaves and buds
swell into fleshy pink-green growths or galls.
What to do Pick off the galls and destroy them as soon as you see
them. Fungicides aren’t usually needed to control leaf gall.
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11/10/2010 7:24:40 AM
10 tips that’ll work this year!
Grow Gorgeous
Geraniums
Americana®
Red
ne of my favorite garden centers has
table after table of perfect annual geraniums every spring. And as I’m filling
flats, I have a hard time narrowing down my
choices. There are just too many of those
huge flowers in cheerful colors. The problem
I always come up against — and maybe you do,
too — is how to keep those geraniums looking as nice as this vibrant group in photo 1.
To find the recipe for success, I talked with gardeners whose geraniums always look fabulous,
as well as some people in the geranium business. They started by explaining the difference
between cutting- and seed-grown types (find
out more below), then shared some great tips
for success when growing geraniums at home.
Let me show you what I learned.
LIGHT ‘EM UP Geraniums like the sun. They
will flower in as little as four hours a day
but not nearly as well as they do with six or
more. That said, a little afternoon shade
doesn’t hurt where summers get extra hot.
I like buying my geraniums early to get
just the right colors. The problem is I can’t
always put them outside right away — nights
O
ANNUAL
GERANIUM
Pelargonium hybrids
Tender perennial
Flowers in shades of pink,
red, orange or white
Full sun
Well-drained soil
No serious pests
5 to 24 in. tall,
9 to 18 in. wide
Cold-hardy in
USDA zones 9 to 11
Heat-tolerant in
AHS zones 12 to 1
1
choices, choices... You might notice a big difference in
price between these two types. Although breeders are improving
seed-grown varieties, in general, here’s what you’ll find:
Cutting-grown
l Larger flowers
l Wider range
of colors
l More
expensive
16
GG9716_21.indd 16
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Seed-grown
l Smaller single
flowers
l
Petals fall
off easily
l
Less expensive
so economical
choice for mass
plantings
are too cold. Even a few days in a dark garage
can set back flower formation up to three
weeks. In fact, a cloudy spell can do this,
too. So if you’re determined to have geraniums early, make sure to keep them in the
sun when possible and even use a grow light
if you can.
SAY “NO” TO YELLOW LEAVES You may
have noticed that sometimes geranium
leaves turn yellow in summer. They eventually
drop off, leaving a bare, leggy base. There are
several possible causes: too much water, too
little water or not enough fertilizer.
To avoid too much water when you’re growing geraniums in containers, skip the saucer,
which might hold too much water. Go with
pot feet to protect your deck or patio from any
moisture that might run through the drainage hole.
On the other hand, geraniums don’t wilt
as quickly or dramatically as other annuals
do when they’re drought-stressed. When they
do wilt, they’re really dry. To prevent this,
check the soil every week during summer or
daily with containers. If the soil is dry when
you push your finger in about an inch, then
it’s time to water. And when you do water,
thoroughly soak the soil — don’t just wet the
top few inches.
Regular feedings keep geranium foliage
fresh. I’ll tell you more about that next.
FEED THEM! Geraniums just from the
garden center are usually blooming and
may even have a few more buds hiding among
the leaves. To keep your plants producing,
fertilize, fertilize, fertilize.
Mixing a dose of slow-release fertilizer into
the soil or potting mix is a good start. But
flowers will bloom larger and longer if you
2
3
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:25:54 AM
Americana® Pink
Americana® Light
Pink Splash
Tango™ Rose Splash
1
also feed them every week with a balanced
liquid all-purpose formula, such as 10-10-10
at full strength.
When temperatures reach 90 degrees, geraniums slow their flower production. To keep
plants on track, switch to a “bloom buster”
product. That’s a formula with more phosphorus (the middle number), which encourages root and flower growth. I like to use
Fertilome® Blooming and Rooting liquid plant
food (9-59-8) from my local garden center.
DEADHEAD FOR COLOR There’s one last
thing that keeps geraniums looking their
best — deadheading. As individual flowers
fade, pull the brown petals out to keep the
flower head looking good longer. Then, when
4
all the flowers on a stem are
dead, take it off so the new
blooms come along more
quickly. In the photo at right,
see how I’m following the
stem down to the bulge? You
snap it off at the joint that
connects the two. Trying to pull from a higher
point can damage the brittle main stem. You
can also snip the stems back below the foliage and they’ll eventually dry up and fall off
on their own.
In addition to these tips, find out how to
save your geranium plants from year to year
in our Web extra. And turn the page for great
design ideas using these plants.
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9716_21.indd 17
PHOTO: Doug Appleby
Follow the spent
flower’s stem back
to the main stem
and snap it off.
Video: Save money
with our simple
overwintering
technique.
17
11/8/2010 8:26:44 AM
DESIGN TIPS FOR GERANIUMS
ow that you have gorgeous geraniums, let’s take
a look at how to show them off. In the past, most
geranium flowers were red, and mostly orange-red at
that. But these days there’s a dizzying array of colors
and shades and everything from trailing to upright
habits. Let’s walk through some tips on how to use
these great flowers in your garden.
SHOUT “HEY!” WITH HOT COLORS Do you have
trouble working red-orange flowers into a
planting? You’re not the only one. Take Americana®
Red and Tango™ Deep Red in the photo below, for
example. In a mixed planting this color can either
grab all the attention or make other colors look
sickly. But in this planting the bright, in-your-face
red-orange is a great way to say, “Here’s my front
door!” With about 30 cutting-grown plants growing here it makes a bold statement. But when you’re
bedding out a lot of geraniums, the less-expensive
seed-grown varieties are also good candidates. For
N
5
containers, I like to use cutting-grown varieties.
They’re more expensive, but they tend to have bigger
blooms and leaves.
Having the same red at different levels directs
visitors’ attention to the front door and at the same
time unifies the foundation planting. For the biggest
impact in a bedding scheme, plant your geraniums right next to each other so the flowers weave
together quickly. Some folks don’t recommend close
planting because it helps create the perfect conditions for fungal disease to take hold. I prevent this
from happening by using a soaker hose rather than
watering from above with a sprinkler.
Blue-red is a popular color for geranium flowers.
It wouldn’t work as well here because cooler reds
don’t stand out from a distance the way that hotter
red-orange flowers do. However, blue-red geraniums
do tend to mix more easily with other flower colors.
Try them with shades of pink, white or lavender.
5
Group small containers
together for bigger impact.
Tango™ Deep Red
Americana® Red
GG9716_21.indd 18
11/8/2010 8:27:13 AM
HANGING BASKET
CLASSIC URN
A Calibrachoa
A Licorice vine Helilchrysum
petiolare ‘Limelight’
Calibrachoa Callie™
White With Rose Vein
B Cuphea Cuphaea
Flamenco Samba
B Ornamental pepper
6
6
Capsicum annum
‘Purple Flash’
C Ponytail grass
7
C Geranium Pelargonium
Caliente® Coral
D Fanflower Scaevola
Whirlwind® Blue
GROW A BETTER BASKET If you see a geranium
spilling over the edge of a container, especially
a hanging basket, chances are it’s an ivy geranium.
Flowers are single and just as colorful as the uprights.
The trouble is, some plants can be leggy and awkward to work into a container gracefully. But I have
some good news for you: Colorcade™, Blizzard®
and Caliente® are just a few of the newer series that
branch more so they’re less gawky looking. I’ve used
Caliente Coral in the basket above. This series is a
cross between uprights and ivies. It doesn’t trail quite
as much as the others but you can see it has a full,
well-branched habit that dips over the edge of this
basket. And all those flowers are nice, too.
If you can’t find these better branching cultivars
and want to encourage more bushy growth on an
ivy geranium you’ve already purchased at the garden center, there are a couple of things you can do:
First, pinch the plants back once when you get them
home. To do this, follow the tip of each stem back
to a junction where a leaf or flower joins the main
stem, then snap it off. The plant will branch from
there to form a bushier habit. Second, grow your
basket in plenty of sun (6 hours or more) to make
sure plants are producing lots of stems.
D Geranium Pelargonium
Americana® Salmon
E Petunia Petunia Supertunia™
Vista Fuchsia
7
TRY A NEW TWIST I bet a quick survey of your
neighborhood will turn up at least one terracotta pot or urn with a red geranium, spike and
vinca. You can even find this common combo
already put together in some stores. And there’s
nothing wrong with that, but why not give this
classic look a new twist?
Let’s start with the pot itself. The urn above may
look like it weighs a ton, but it’s actually made of a
composite material that is lightweight and easy to
move. This just makes life easier (and is less expensive than an iron one). Then, replace the old spike
with a softer, fuller ponytail grass. And instead of
vinca, look for a trailing flower. Here I went for
cuphea and petunia. Finally, try a new color combo.
This salmon geranium is just one option in an entire
series of flower colors.
What I like best about this combo is that all these
plants will bloom from spring to frost. But even if
one hits a lull, there will be other flowers to fill in.
With the old formula, if the geranium isn’t blooming, the look gets pretty bland.
All these combinations have been more on the
traditional side. Check out the next page for some
out-of-the-ordinary ideas for growing geraniums.
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Stipa tenuissima
19
11/15/2010 12:04:49 PM
THINK
OUTSIDE
THE BOX
SUCCULENT SAVVY
A Echeveria Echeveria nodulosa
B Kiwi aeonium Aeonium hybrid
C Gasteria Gasterhaworthia
UP WITH OBELISKS
‘Royal Highness’
A Geranium Pelargonium
D Stonecrop Sedum
8
hakonense ‘Chocolate Ball’
E Moss rose Portulaca
Margarita Mix
F Geranium Pelargonium
Fantasia™ Strawberry Sizzle
just showed you one twist on a container classic
But there are plenty of other exciting ways to use
geraniums. Let’s take a look at a few containers we
put together at our test garden last summer.
TRY THE LATEST TREND IN CONTAINERS Succulents like quick-draining soil that’s a little on
the dry side, and so do geraniums — why not pair
the two? You might think succulents would do well
in blazing hot sun, but surprisingly, they don’t. A
little afternoon shade helps keep them happy. These
plants are even less tolerant of overwatering than
geraniums, so make sure they don’t stay too wet and
rot. If you’re concerned about soil moisture, keep the
succulents in their original pots with faster draining
mix and sink them in the container.
Here, the pink-edged Kiwi aeonium picks up
the pink of the geranium’s flowers while the deeper
shades of the echeveria and gasteria provide a strong
contrast of both shape and color. And the geranium’s
bushy foliage hide the echeveria’s leggy stems.
A succulent container doesn’t have to be all about
foliage: Replace traditional trailing plants with a
showy moss rose. It’s just as drought-tolerant as the
other plants here and happily wanders over the lip
of the container, blooming all summer long.
I
8
20
GG9716_21.indd 20
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
9
9
Cascade White
B Flowering tobacco
Nicotiana Hummingbird III
Appleblossom
C Geranium Pelargonium
Caliente™ Fire
GROW UP AN OBELISK You’ve probably seen
an obelisk in a container before, but sometimes
the plants growing on them look a little spindly in
comparison. On the other hand, if they’re too vigorous, you can’t even see the structure so you lose
that formal feel you were trying to achieve. Ivy geraniums provide the solution. They’re just the right
size. For example, Cascade White above has plenty
of pretty flowers and foliage to blend the obelisk in
with the planting. Americana® Trailing Dark Red,
Temprano™ Pink and Freestyle® Burgundy are some
more of my favorites for growing on an obelisk.
Start by filling the container half full then placing
your obelisk. That way it’s anchored securely and you
won’t have to push the obelisk into the mix. Center
the obelisk if the container is going to be viewed from
multiple sides or place it towards the back if it will
be viewed from one perspective. Add the rest of the
potting mix and you’re ready to plant.
Geraniums don’t have a mechanism for climbing
so you may need to help them get started up your
obelisk. I made a lower ring of twine to hold these
plants up until they started to stretch. In just a few
weeks the plant had grown enough to envelop the
lower portion of the obelisk.
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:27:57 AM
HAVE YOU
SEEN THESE?
A Purpleheart tradescantia
Tradescantia pallida
‘Purpurea’
10
10
B Geranium Pelargonium
‘Frank Headley’
C Purslane Portulaca
oleracea Rio Orange
D Geranium Pelargonium
‘Happy Thought’
FORGET FLOWERS — GO FOR FOLIAGE Geraniums are grown for their big, bright flowers,
right? Not always. Some cultivars have foliage that’s
showier than the flowers. These two long-time favorites in the photo above are just as easy to grow as
their floriferous counterparts but have interesting
foliage instead. Upright ‘Happy Thought’ near the
back has a creamy centered leaf and some showy
blooms. Not all fancy leaf types have flowers worth
bragging about, so go ahead and snip them off if
they’re too scrawny. In the lower half of the container you’ll see ‘Frank Headley’ trimmed in white.
It’s smaller in size with a more mounded habit and
salmon-pink flowers. If you don’t like these two,
there are many other cultivars available with different foliage markings. For unusual flowers to go
with your out-of-the-ordinary geranium foliage,
check out “Have you seen these?” at right. If you
can’t find them locally, you can get them (and other
specialty geraniums) from the mail-order nurseries
in the list at right.
Now that you know the secrets for growing geraniums, you can come up with your own traditional
combos or create something on the wild side. ®
— Sherri Ribbey
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9716_21.indd 21
PHOTOS: Courtesy of Donn C. Reiners (Have you seen these? 1, 2, 3)
FLASHY FOLIAGE
Expand your geranium palette with these out-ofthe-ordinary cultivars that are as easy-care as the
garden center types. Help regals and angels along
with sharper drainage: Mix 1 part sand with 5 parts
container potting mix before you plant.
REGALS Also called “Martha Washingtons,”
regals are known for their beautiful flowers. ‘Lord
Bute’ in photo 1 is one of the best known but there
are many others. Try ‘Ballet’ and ‘Empress of Russia’.
ANGELS With smaller flowers and foliage than
regals, angels have more of a trailing habit. Try
‘Michael’ in photo 2 or ‘Imperial Butterfly’.
ROSEBUDS These vigorous upright plants
have fully double flowers. ‘Appleblossom’ in photo
3 is one of the most common, but you might also
like ‘Red Rosebud’.
STELLAR With slender or wedge-shaped
petals, stellar geraniums, such as Graffiti™ Double
Salmon in photo 4, are a little easier to find in
garden centers. You might have to order ‘Arctic
Star’ or ‘Fandango’ — they’re more rare.
1 2
3 4
Mail-order sources
Geraniaceae
www.geraniaceae.com, 415-461-4168. Online catalog only
Angels, ‘Lord Bute’, regal
Hobbs Farm and Greenery
www.hobbsfarm.com, 207-763-4606. Online catalog only
Fancy leaf, regals, stellars
Logees
www.logees.com, 888-774-9932. Catalog free
Fancy leafs, regals, rosebuds
21
11/8/2010 8:28:20 AM
garden gate’s
top10
magenta
knockouts
picks
Botanical
Names
Calibrachoa
Calibrachoa
hybrids
Hosta
Hosta hybrids
Japanese maple
Acer palmatum
Lamb’s ear
Stachys
byzantina
Petunia
Petunia hybrids
Snapdragon
Antirrhinum
majus
Verbena
Verbena hybrids
Zinnia
Zinnia hybrids
M
agenta. Odds are you either love it or hate
it. This vivid shade of pink has spurred
controversy among gardeners and designers for
years. Well over a century ago, it was referred to
as “malignant magenta.” And some folks still feel
that way about it. But there are so many wonderful flowers that bloom magenta, it seems a
shame to push them out of the garden. So why not
make friends with this vibrant color?
If you like a garden that gives you energy and
gets you moving, magenta is the color for you.
Next to red, it’s probably the strongest color your
eye is drawn to. Sometimes it almost shimmers
or vibrates in sunlight. How your eye reacts to
magenta is determined by a couple of design factors. For example, how much of it does your eye
see at one time? Large blocks of magenta will
vibrate the most. Separating it with other colors,
or even lots of foliage, will help it look calmer.
And its intensity can be enhanced or reduced
by what colors are planted nearby. Other hot
or vibrating colors like chartreuse make it more
intense. Pair it with cool blue or gray, and some of
its strength is taken away.
Below, in “Magenta marriages,” I’ve pulled
together a few of my favorite color schemes featuring this bold hue. But don’t let them limit you.
Just remember that magenta will almost always
draw attention, so use it where you want folks to
look. If you’re still unsure about this color, start
small. Just a few touches here and there can really
add an exciting punch — just what you may be
looking for in your flower border.
Now let’s look at 10 of my favorite plants
with knockout magenta flowers or foliage. I’ve
included some annuals, perennials and even a
shrub. I’ll share tips to make each one a colorful success in your beds and borders. On top
of that, I’ll clue you in on some companions in
“looks great with” at the end of each profile.
Check out our all-magenta color theme garden
on page 35, too. It’s sure to inspire you to try
some of this vivid shade of pink! ®
— Jim Childs
Magenta marriages
Cabaret™ Purple
calibrachoa
Superbena® Dark Blue
verbena
Tidal Wave
Purple Hedge
petunia
‘Dreamland Mix’
zinnia
Tidal Wave®
Purple Hedge
petunia
Lamb’s ear
UNDERSTATED COLOR For a
subdued yet rich color combo, go with
mostly magenta flowers, toss in several
purples and add a bit of gray foliage.
22
GG9722_27.indd 22
Emperor I
Japanese maple
Snapshot™ Mix
snapdragon
MiniFamous™
Double Yellow
calibrachoa
EASY ON THE EYES Start with a pale
clear yellow as the main focus. Add
magenta flowers and deep burgundy
foliage as “accessories” nearby.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Tidal Wave
Purple Hedge
petunia
‘August Moon’
hosta
BE BOLD! Like lots of strong, vibrant
color? Use equal amounts of magenta,
orange and chartreuse.
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:29:07 AM
Dazzler Violet impatiens
Impatiens hybrid
Sometimes colors that
are intense in bright sun
are just right in the shade.
Dazzler™ Violet impatiens has an iridescent
quality to it, catching and
reflecting bits of light.
Plant impatiens in
late spring and you can
mostly sit back and
enjoy the show. They do
need water, but there are
almost no pests, and they
don’t need to be staked or
deadheaded — always a
plus in my book.
Wait to plant impatiens until about the time
you’d set out tomato
plants. If the weather
stays cold and wet too
long, impatiens will rot.
But once the weather
is warm, they take off
quickly, blooming the
entire summer.
Intensia® Neon Pink
annual phlox
Type
Tender perennial
(grown as an annual)
Blooms All summer
Light Part shade to shade
Soil
Moist, well-drained
Size
9 to 12 in. tall,
12 to 15 in. wide
Hardiness
Cold: USDA zones 10 to 11
Heat: AHS zones 12 to 1
looks great with
Looking for something on the
subtle side? Pair Dazzler Violet with
blue or silver foliage.
Hosta Hosta ‘Blue Angel’
Japanese painted fern Athyrium
niponicum pictum
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9722_27.indd 23
Phlox hybrid
Get this annual in the
ground or in pots early,
as it can take light frost
in stride. The flowers
are a medium magenta
with a darker eye zone.
That means it’s not quite
as strong a color as one
that’s all one shade. If
you’re unsure about
magenta, this could be a
good flower to start with.
This phlox is selfcleaning — you don’t
have to deadhead it to
keep it going. If it gets
floppy or lanky, go ahead
and cut it back by half
and it’ll fill in again.
There is one drawback. Rabbits and deer
find this annual quite
tasty. You’ll want to give
it some protection from
these four-legged pests.
Type
Blooms
Light
Soil
Size
Annual
Spring through fall
Full sun
Moist, well-drained
10 to 18 in. tall,
10 to 12 in. wide
Hardiness
looks great with
For a sophisticated container, add
these plants:
Alternanthera Alternanthera ‘Grenadine’
Petunia Petunia Easy Wave™ Blue
Bidens Bidens ferulifolia Solaire® Yellow
23
11/8/2010 8:29:35 AM
top magenta knockouts continued
PHOTO: Doug Appleby (petunia)
Tidal Wave® Purple
Hedge petunia
Petunia hybrid
Even though the name
says purple, this petunia
is a deep velvety magenta.
It’s 24 to 36 inches wide,
so you won’t need many
in a mass planting. Or, if
you grow it in a container,
it’ll give you a wonderful
cascade over the edge.
The eventual height of
Tidal Wave Purple Hedge
petunia is variable and
will be determined by the
spacing. Set plants 2 to
2½ feet apart and they’ll
lie flat on the ground,
only growing 8 to 10
inches tall. Space them
closer together and they’ll
ramble over themselves,
growing taller. Plant several near a fence, such as
chainlink, and they’ll try
to climb it, reaching 2 feet
or taller.
24
GG9722_27.indd 24
Pazazz Ultra Pink
moss rose
Type
Blooms
Light
Soil
Size
Annual
All summer
Full sun
Moist, well-drained
8 to 10 in. tall (taller if
it has something to
climb), 24 to 36
in. wide
Hardiness
Cold: Annual
looks great with
A mass of petunias is always striking.
For a crisp, tailored look, separate
the vivid color from green lawn with
an edging of these silver plants:
Lamb’s ear Stachys byzantina
Licorice plant Helichrysum petiolare
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Portulaca oleracea
Moss rose takes extreme
heat and dryness in
stride. In fact, it often
rots in cool, wet weather.
Grow a few next to your
sidewalk or driveway
and they’ll creep out
onto the hot surface and
keep right on blooming.
In containers make sure
the companions like the
same dry conditions. Try
it with succulents, such as
sedums, for some interesting texture and color
combinations.
You should also know
that the flowers only
open when the sun is
shining. So if you’re not
home during the day, you
might miss this colorful
annual. And it usually
stays tightly closed on
cloudy days, too.
Type
Blooms
Light
Soil
Size
Annual
All summer
Full sun
Poor, well-drained
3 to 5 in. tall,
15 to 18 in. wide
Hardiness
Cold: Annual
looks great with
For a strong color contrast, try this
golden ground cover.
Sedum Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’
Want something more subtle? Pair
Pazazz Ultra Pink with deep red.
Sedum Sedum spurium ‘Voodoo’
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:29:59 AM
‘Zing Rose’ pink
‘Trailing Plum’ coleus
Solenostemon hybrid
As the name suggests, this
is a coleus for the edge
of a container where it
can spill over the side.
Or use it in a hanging
basket where it can drape
far enough to cover the
basket. Since it has lots
of deep tones, pair
‘Trailing Plum’ with
creamy white, pale pink
or even pastel yellow
flowers to keep it from
looking dark and dreary.
If ‘Trailing Plum’ — or
any other coleus cultivar
— grows too leggy, never
be afraid to trim it back.
You can take a snip here
and a snip there without
really changing the look
of a bed or container. Or
be bold and cut off large
chunks. Don’t worry; it’ll
be back better than ever
in just a few weeks.
Type
Tender perennial (grown
as an annual)
Blooms Summer, but not showy
Light Sun to part shade
Soil
Moist, well-drained
Size
8 to 20 in. tall,
cascading
Hardiness
looks great with
Add a plant with large leaves to give
bold texture contrast.
Begonia Begonia Dragon Wing™
Pink (‘Bepapink’)
Caladium Caladium hybrids
Flowering kale Brassica oleracea
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9722_27.indd 25
Dianthus deltoides
Need a ground cover
for a small area? Or a
colorful accent plant for
a rock garden? ‘Zing
Rose’ blooms heaviest
in early to midsummer.
Snip off the spent flowers
and ‘Zing Rose’ is one of
the most reliable repeatblooming dianthus, too.
It’ll often keep going
until frost — and who
wouldn’t want more of
these beautiful clovescented flowers?
Even without flowers,
the mat of narrow bluegray foliage looks tidy
and fresh. It’s evergreen
and takes on red tints in
the cool weather of fall,
turning darker in winter.
Keep ‘Zing Rose’
growing best in welldrained to dry soil. It will
rot in wet conditions.
Type
Blooms
Light
Soil
Size
Perennial
Early to midsummer
Full sun to part shade
Well-drained to dry
6 to 8 in. tall,
9 to 12 in. wide
Hardiness
looks great with
Because dianthus flowers are
edible, they make a great edging for
an herb garden. Pluck a few petals
for your salad. These herbs like the
same well-drained to dry soil.
Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
Thyme Thymus spp.
25
11/8/2010 8:30:23 AM
top magenta knockouts continued
PHOTOS: Doug Appleby (silene, geranium)
‘Firefly’ silene
Silene dioica
Each individual flower
is about an inch in diameter, and very double.
Like baby’s breath, this
perennial is great as a
filler to weave in among
other plants. However,
don’t crowd it too much
— even plant it near the
front of the border. That’s
an ideal spot because
silene needs excellent air
circulation or the foliage
develops fungus.
Once the flowers
finish, snip the tall stems
off down to the mound
of leaves. You may not
get flowers again, but you
will get a fresh mound of
fuzzy gray-green leaves.
They make a wonderful
texture and color contrast
near the edge of a border.
26
GG9722_27.indd 26
‘Tiny Monster’
perennial geranium
Type
Blooms
Light
Soil
Size
Perennial
Early to midsummer
Well-drained to dry
24 to 30 in. tall,
18 to 24 in. wide
Hardiness
looks great with
Since the blooms are small, plant
silene among larger, bolder flowers.
Daylily Hemerocallis hybrids
Shasta daisy Leucanthemum
xsuperbum
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Geranium hybrid
There’s no need to stand
in the garden deadheading this perennial.
The flowers are sterile
so they drop off on their
own without producing
seeds. That’s good
because it starts blooming
in late spring and continues through summer.
The foliage looks good
all summer. However, if
it gets beaten down in a
storm, cut it back by at
least half and in a few
weeks it’ll be blooming
again. You’ll want lots of
healthy foliage; it turns
a pleasing purple-bronze
color in fall.
‘Tiny Monster’ will
cover a large area in a
short time. That’s perfect
if you’re looking for a
ground cover.
Type
Perennial
Blooms Late spring through
Light
Soil
Size
summer
Well-drained
16 to 18 in. tall,
24 to 36 in. wide
Hardiness
looks great with
Pair ‘Tiny Monster’ with plants that
can take the competition.
Yarrow Achillea hybrids
Purple coneflower Echinacea
purpurea
Bee balm Monarda didyma
G A R D E N G AT E
11/12/2010 8:18:49 AM
Dahlia hybrid
Maybe you don’t like
digging dahlia tubers in
the fall and storing them.
Nobody says you have
to — simply treat these
lush flowers as annuals.
Or, consider cultivars,
such as ‘Art Nouveau’.
It’s been bred for growing
in containers. In fall, let
it go dormant, cut the
stems down to the soil
line and move it to a cool,
dark spot in the basement
— pot and all. It’ll be fine
until spring with no light
and no water. When the
lilacs start to bloom it’s
time to move it outdoors.
To keep ‘Art Nouveau’
blooming its best, pluck
off the spent flowers. And
in a container, be sure
to feed the plant every
week with a full-strength
water-soluble fertilizer.
‘Anthony Waterer’
Japanese spirea
Type
Tender tuber
Blooms Mid- to late summer
Light Full sun
Soil
Well-drained
Size
12 to 14 in. tall and wide
Hardiness
looks great with
Try these container companions:
Fountain grass Pennisetum
‘Fireworks’
Sweet potato vine Ipomoea
batatas Illusion® Midnight Lace
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9722_27.indd 27
Spiraea japonica
This shrub, sometimes
sold as ‘A.W.’ spirea,
blooms on new wood.
So, to get the biggest
and brightest flowers,
cut it back every spring.
You can take it down to
6 inches or just trim 6
inches off the top. Either
way, the shrub will be
denser if you prune it
before it leafs out.
After the clusters of
fuzzy flowers are finished,
get out your hedge shears
and clip off the brown
heads. You don’t need
to be delicate about this
pruning — shear them
off just below the heads.
In a few weeks, fresh
new growth will sprout.
You may even get a few,
often smaller but just as
colorful, blooms.
Type
Shrub
Blooms Late spring and summer
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil
Tolerates poor soil
Size
2 to 4 ft. tall and wide
Hardiness
looks great with
Pair the vivid flowers with other
foundation shrubs that have
colorful foliage, such as:
Privet Ligustrum ‘Vicaryi’
Variegated euonymus Euonymus
fortunei ‘Moonshadow’
PHOTOS: Doug Appleby (dahlia); Eric Flynn (spirea)
‘Art Nouveau’ dahlia
27
11/8/2010 8:31:21 AM
en
Gardrter
Sma
These 5 extreme techniques
actually improve your garden!
Tough Love
ontrary to what you may have heard, you sometimes have to show your plants who’s boss to get
them to grow and look their very best. The trick
is knowing which plants to get tough with, what to do
and when to do it.
On these pages, I’ll step you through five techniques
that’ll help you perk up failing plants, whether they’re
struggling because you’ve divided them or for some
other reason. It may sound like these practices are pretty
C
extreme, but believe me, when you do them your garden
will thrive. That said, you don’t want to try them on
the wrong plants. So for each technique, I’ll give a list
of ones that respond the best.
If you have any of these situations in your garden,
give these tips a try. Because it’s time to take off the kid
gloves and replace them with a pair of good, tough
gardening ones! ®
— Deborah Gruca
Whack iris foliage
back by half to
make dividing
easier on your
plants — and you!
Strip off the
lower leaves of
the rosemary
stems.
Whack ‘em off
Late summer
to early fall is the best time to divide
many perennials like this bearded
iris. But dividing any perennial in
summer heat can take a toll on the
Trim leaves to 6 in.
plant because of the moisture that’s
before replanting
lost through the leaves.
iris divisions.
So before you dig around and lift
the plant with a garden fork, whack
back the foliage by about half with
hedge shears. Then trim each division to 6 in. with scissors
as I’m doing at right. Sounds extreme, but it makes
handling the plants much easier and helps divisions get
established in their new homes.
Bury ‘em alive Rather than propagating your woody
perennial herbs by taking cuttings and rooting them
indoors, try this easier way. In spring, remove the lower
leaves from some of the stems while they’re still attached
to the plant. Then pile soil on the plant, either on the whole
crown or just some of the stems, leaving the top 3 to 6 in.
of the leaves sticking out. (This works best on older, larger
plants that have gotten woody at the base.)
Keep the soil moist and replace any that gets washed away
by rain. By late summer or early fall you’ll see new roots like the
ones below. Cut these new plants from
the mother plant with a sharp scissors
or pruners and pot them for growing
indoors over the winter.
Works on
Works on
Bearded iris Iris spp.
Daylilies Hemerocallis hybrids
Hosta Hosta spp. and hybrids
28
GG9728_29.indd 28
Leave just the tops
of the stems sticking out of the soil.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Snip off the stem
below the new roots.
Lavender Lavandula spp.
Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis
Sage Salvia officinalis
Thyme Thymus spp.
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:32:21 AM
Cut just
through the
bark all the
way around
the trunk.
Cutting the bark breaks the flow of
nutrients between the tree’s leaves and its
roots. This reduces new growth but spurs
fruit set and the forming of next season’s
buds. Don’t cover or tape the cut — it’ll heal
on its own. Do this in spring and the next
year your tree should produce fruit. One
note: Use this measure only as a last-ditch
effort on a vigorous tree. Trying it on a plant
that’s struggling may just hasten its demise.
Works on
Apple Malus spp. and hybrids
Pear Pyrus spp. and hybrids
PHOTO: Courtesy of Wesley R. Autio, University of Massachusetts
As a last resort — slash it!
Have an apple or pear tree that’s refused to
bear fruit for several years? Even a healthy
tree in good soil and sunlight sometimes
produces lots of vegetative growth, but little
or no fruit. Here’s a method that will help.
In spring, use a linoleum knife like the
one at right to make just a single cut around
the trunk between the lowest branches and
the ground. Do this about 10 days after the
petals fall or when the new growth is 4 to 6
in. long. The cut should be deep enough to
go just through the bark, all the way around
the trunk, with the ends meeting.
PHOTOS: Doug Appleby (Drill it out)
Grasp and pull up
ground cover sedum,
including the roots.
Grasp the drill and
hole saw (a special
bit used for cutting
large holes in wood)
firmly with both
hands — the roots
will make the drill
twist in your hands.
Tear ‘em to shreds If you
really like the ground cover you planted
a couple of years ago and want to grow
it in other beds, too, don’t buy more
plants. It’s extremely easy to divide
what you have. Just grab a handful of
your existing ones, as I’m doing above,
tear the stems apart a bit and toss them
Toss pieces on the soil.
where you’d like the new ones to grow.
It does help new plants take off more
quickly if you clear the area of other
plants and loosen the soil. Once
you’ve placed and watered your
“cuttings,” sprinkle a little mulch
over them so they’re less likely to dry
out before they take root.
Works on
Sedum pieces take root
and grow in a few weeks.
After a few years,
maiden grass starts to die out in the
center, which usually means it’s time to
dig up the plant and divide it. But you
don’t have to go to that much work.
Instead, wearing safety glasses,
gloves and long sleeves to protect
yourself, remove debris from the
middle of the plant. Using an electric
drill and a 4-in. hole saw, carefully drill Refill the hole with a mix
of half soil, half compost.
down 6 to 8 in. through the crown,
stopping occasionally to clear out the soil and dead roots.
Then refill the hole with a fresh soil/compost mix. It’s not
easy, but it does save a lot of heavy digging and lifting. The
rest of the season new roots will grow into this soil and next
spring the plant will send up new growth, filling in the gap.
Works on
Periwinkle Vinca minor
Sedum Sedum spp.
Fountain grass Pennisetum spp.
Maiden grass Miscanthus spp. and hybrids
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9728_29.indd 29
Drill it out
29
11/8/2010 8:32:45 AM
These good guys help keep your garden pest-free!
9 Beneficial
Garden Insects
Botanical
Names
Dill Anethum
graveolens
Goldenrod
Solidago spp.
Hollyhock
Alcea spp.
Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
Parsley
Petroselinum
crispum
Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia spp.
Shasta daisy
Leucanthemum
xsuperbum
Tansy Tanacetum
vulgare
here’s no such thing as a garden without insects,
or insect damage, for that matter. But not all
of those tiny critters are bad bugs — in fact,
most are neutral, or even good for the garden. Aside
from pollinating the plants, some are also great at
controlling the populations of the bugs that can do
real damage.
So what do you do when you notice insects eating
your favorite plants? Well, first determine how much
damage you can put up with. If bugs are nibbling a
few leaves here and there, maybe it’s not a big deal.
Do a little handpicking or blast them with water
from the hose. But if your favorite rudbeckias are
getting chewed into green toothpicks, take a close
look at the culprits.
WHAT IS THE PEST? For bugs that aren’t visible,
consider putting out sticky traps. If you don’t recognize the pest, do a little homework; once you’ve
T
Adults sport
wings and
sharp shoulder
spines.
identified the pest and learned its life cycle, you might
consider it just a temporary problem. For example,
painted lady larvae feed on my hollyhocks, but I like
the beautiful butterflies, so I’m willing to let it go.
And before you go squishing any old bug on your
plants, make sure it’s not one of the good guys. There
are plenty of beneficial bugs out there.
LET BENEFICIALS WORK FOR YOU On these pages,
I’ll show you nine beneficial insects that eat a lot of
the most destructive bugs. You may have already
seen many of them in your garden. I’ll let you know
how you can encourage them to stick around. And
check out “Buying beneficials — no-fail tips” on page
33 to read about purchasing beneficials like green
lacewings, plus a couple of mail-order sources.
Now let’s take a look at the good guys you want
working in your garden. ®
— Deborah Gruca
Spined soldier bug
Podisus maculiventris
aped, the ½-in.-lon
IDENTIFICATION Brown and shield-sh
g
s on as many as 90
spined soldier bug isn’t pick y — it prey
y-looking spine on each
different insect species! With a nast
wingless nymphs) feed
shoulder, the adults (as well as the
pointed beak, injec ting
long
their
by piercing their prey with
out its body fluids.
ing
suck
a paralyzing venom, and then
under its body. Two
ed
When it isn’t feeding, the beak is fold
ng
duri the year.
or three generations are produced
vegetable
YOU MIGHT SEE IT Gardens, especially
WHERE
gardens, and agricultural fields
Long pointed beak
folds under body
when not feeding.
WHAT PESTS DOES IT EAT?
Grow yellow
Many, including larvae of corn borer,flowers to
flea
er,
attract soldier
fall armyworm, cabbage loop
beetles to your
beetle and Colorado potato beetle.
HOW DO YOU ATTRACT IT?
garden.
mon in most areas.
You really don’t need to; they’re com
PHOTOS: © Cody Hough (adult); Court
30
GG9730_33.indd 30
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
esy of Russ Ottens, UG, Bugwood.o
rg (nymph)
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:33:30 AM
oma spp.
Long-legged fly Chrys¼-osin.-long metallic green fly
small
IDENTIFICATION This
The wings
large protruding eyes.
has long, thin legs and
ges. When the
darker area near the ed
have lac y veins with a
eral stages, or
develops through sev
egg hatches, the lar va
ing as an
ide a cocoon until emerg
instars, then pupates ins
ect pests.
ins
all
sm
and the lar vae eat
adult. Both the adults
ist
mo
as,
E IT Wetland are
WHERE YOU MIGHT SE
s
nd
ges of streams and po
woodlands or at the ed
aphids,
EAT? Mosquito lar vae,
WHAT PESTS DOES IT
mites, midges and gnats
T IT?
HOW DO YOU AT TRAC
You can’t, but this fly is
ist areas
commonly found in mo
.
ge
throughout its ran
er
le Shepard, Gerald R. Cran
s Associated
PHOTO: Courtesy of Mer
and their Natural Enemie
and P.A.C. Ooi, Insects bean in Southeast Asia, Bugwood.org
with Vegetables and Soy
Tachinid fly Peleteria spp.
efly, the tachinid
IDENTIFICATION A little larger than a hous
has dark bristles on its
look s similar but is gray or brown and
in its hosts. After about
or
abdomen. The female lays eggs on
gots tunnel into
a day, the eggs hatch and the young mag
or two. After the host is
their host, where they feed for a week
pupate in the soil.
killed, the larvae drop to the ground and
in
MIGHT SEE IT Tachinid flies are common
WHERE YOU
After tachinid fly eggs
hatch, the larvae feed on
the host, slowly killing it.
gardens in most areas
earwigs, moths,
WHAT PESTS DOES IT EAT? Caterpillars,
ers, squash bug
tobacco budworms, beetles, grasshopp
Japanese beetles
and
nymphs, tent caterpillars, cutworms
Grow lemon balm, dill, Shasta
daisy, parsley and tansy, their
favorite nectar and pollen plants.
LeConte
Soldier beetle Chauliognathus basalis
1⁄ to 2⁄ in. long
le is
IDENTIFICATION The adult soldier beet
PHOTOS: Courtesy of D. Cappaert, MSU, rd, Gerald R. Craner
Bugwood.org (adult); courtesy of M. Shepa
l Enemies Associated with
and P.A.C. Ooi, Insects and their NaturaAsia, Bugwood.org (larvae)
Vegetables and Soybean in Southeast
2
3
k triangular and one
and is orange or yellow with one blac
. Often seen feeding on
black rectangular marking on its back
female crawls down and
yellow flowers in late summer, the
nd. Hatching larvae feed
lays eggs under debris on the grou
on insect pests on the soil’s surface.
of
MIGHT SEE IT Feeding on the pollen
WHERE YOU
yellow late-season blooms
rs, aphids, mealybugs
WHAT PESTS DOES IT EAT? Caterpilla
and other soft-bodied insects
Both adults and larvae are
abundant in many areas; grow
goldenrod as a source of nectar
and pollen.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Whitney Cransh
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9730_33.indd 31
ood.org
aw, Colorado State University, Bugw
31
11/8/2010 8:34:04 AM
MORE GOOD BUGS
Botanical
Names
Red-blue checkered beetle
Daisy pollen is a
favorite of red-blue
checkered beetles.
Angelica
Angelica gigas
Coriander
Coriandrum sativum
Cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Daisy
Leucanthemum spp.
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Dill Anethum graveolens
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Fernleaf yarrow
Achillea filipendulina
Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Trichodes nuttalli
1
blue or purple
IDENTIFICATION At ⁄3-in.-long, this dark
ages to be both shiny
beetle with bright red markings man
adult eats many insect
and quite hairy at the same time. The
e the larvae hatch, they
Onc
pests and lays its eggs on flowers.
wasps and are carried
attach themselves to visiting bees and
the larvae of their hosts.
back to the nest where they feed on
ens and
YOU MIGHT SEE IT On flowers in gard
WHERE
open areas
ed beetles eat thrips,
WHAT PESTS DOES IT EAT? Checker
les and wasp larvae
aphids, weevils, borer beetles, bark beet
Grow fernleaf yarrow and daisies
(and leave some dandelions!) to
provide pollen for the adults.
ood.org
PHOTO: Courtesy of Susan Ellis, Bugw
junius
Common green darner Anaxonfl
ies, the male
est drag
IDENTIFICATION One of the larg
with a 4-in. wingspan. The
green darner can reach 3 in. long
abdomen and pale wings that
adult has a green thorax, a blue
er, the immature wingless
darken with age. Living in the wat
er jaw forward to grab prey.
naiad quickly shoots its hinged low
adults migrate south in late
Found throughout North America,
h the following year.
summer and offspring return nort
around ponds, slowand
WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE IT In
moving streams and marshes
naiad eats mosquito larvae
WHAT PESTS DOES IT EAT? The
quitoes,
small fish; adults eat mos
and other insects, tadpoles and
midges, wasps and flies.
HOW DO YOU ATTRACT IT? No
need — you’ll find them in almost
.
any healthy, non-polluted wet area
man
PHOTO: Courtesy of Gordon Dietz
Don’t destroy a hornworm
with tiny cocoons like
this. It’s feeding young
beneficials and, in its
weakened state, isn’t able
to do much damage in the
garden anyway.
Here, a female
Aleiodes indiscretus
lays her eggs in
a gypsy moth
caterpillar.
g caterpillar with white
It’s a tomato hornworm
bumps all over it isn’t a mutant.
cocoons. An adult already
carr ying around braconid wasp
and the larvae ate their way
laid eggs inside the hornworm
s. There are lots of species of
out before spinning the cocoon
e a similar life cycle. That’s
braconid wasps, but they all hav
g eggs in a gypsy moth
an Aleiodes indiscretus adult layin
caterpillar in the other photo.
SEE IT You’ll rarely see the young
IDENTIFICATION That weird-lookin
WHERE YOU MIGHT
e their hosts).
(because they usually grow insid
ato and tobacco
WHAT PESTS DOES IT EAT? Tom
hornworms, cutworms, flies,
sawflies, weevils, wood-boring
ars
beetles and gyspy moth caterpill
Plant cosmos, fennel, lemon balm
or parsley.
32
GG9730_33.indd 32
Braconid wasp Aleiodes spp.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
ood.org (adult);
Agricultural Research Service, Bugw
lds Tobacco Company,
PHOTOS: Courtesy of S. Bauer, USDA
co Company slide set, R.J. Reyno
Tobac
lds
Reyno
R.J.
of
esy
court
G A R D E N G AT E
Bugwood.org (cocoons)
11/8/2010 8:34:29 AM
Six-spotted tiger beetle
Cicindela sexguttata Fabricius
larvae of this very
IDENTIFICATION Both adults and the
Some adult beetles may
have fewer than six white
spots — or none at all.
many types of insects. A
active, long-legged beetle prey on
n adult usually spor ts six
1
fast flyer, the ⁄2-in.-long, metallic gree
s vertical tunnels in the
white spots on its back. The larva build
ing at the top of these
soil where it lives and develops. Wait
ush” passing victims.
soil tubes, it darts out quickly to “amb
s, sidewalk s or
path
g
WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE IT Alon
streets near wooded areas
ants, flies, caterpillars,
WHAT PESTS DOES IT EAT? Spiders,
aphids, beetles and grasshoppers
s
Green lacewing Chrysoperla rufilabrilacew
ing feeds
t green
IDENTIFICATION The ¾-in.-long adul
r the female creates the
on nectar, pollen and honeydew. Afte
far right photo, she lays
the
in
1⁄ -in.-tall hair-thin stalk s you see
2
1
e they hatch, tiny ⁄3-in.
Onc
.
pale-green to gray eggs at the ends
e, known as “aphid lions”
yellow to pink-brown alligatorlike larva
paralyzing toxin into their
for their voracious appetites, inject a
victims, then suck out bodily fluids.
ings are found
WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE IT Green lacew
range.
wherever there are pest insects in their
e eat the eggs and
larva
The
?
WHAT PESTS DOES IT EAT
mites, leafhoppers,
er
spid
s,
immature stages of aphids, thrip
mealybugs, moths and whiteflies.
Chances are, this beetle is already
in your garden. It’s attracted to
outdoor lights: Turn them off so
the beetle will keep hunting.
PHOTO: Courtesy of David Cappaert,
MSU, Bugwood.org
Plant angelica, coriander, dill, fennel
or fernleaf yarrow to feed the adults.
You’ll know green
lacewing eggs by the
thin filaments that
attach them to the
bottom of a leaf.
ood.org (adult);
PHOTOS: Courtesy of J. Berger, Bugwood.org (eggs)
courtesy of W. Cranshaw, CSU, Bugw
BUYING BENEFICIALS
— NO-FAIL TIPS
AVOID BROAD SPECTRUM CHEMICALS Most will kill
beneficial insects along with many of their prey.
You can’t buy most of the insects on these pages, but
that’s OK because they’re common in many parts of the
country. But if you’d like to purchase green lacewings,
or several other beneficials, check out: Gardens
Alive! (www.gardensalive.com or 513-354-1482) or
GardeningZone.com (www.gardeningzone.com or
805-445-9981).
Before you buy, be sure to know which pests you
want to control so you can buy the beneficials with a
real taste for them. Here are some more ways to make
them work best.
before the pest numbers are at their peak, or it may take more
releases to reduce their numbers to a level you can tolerate.
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9730_33.indd 33
WATCH PEST POPULATIONS CAREFULLY Release beneficials
DO RELEASES PERIODICALLY Many beneficials need to be
released several times per year. For instance, green lacewing eggs
hatch and the larvae feed for about two weeks, so for the best
results, you should do three releases, two weeks apart.
BE PATIENT Even after several applications, it takes time for the
beneficials to increase to large enough numbers to have an effect
on pest populations.
33
11/8/2010 8:34:48 AM
Choose Your
Great tips for designing
a garden focused on
just one color!
onochromatic color schemes are some of
the easiest to work with. When you’re shopping, all you need to do is limit your choices
to that color. But flower beds focused on just one
color can sometimes be a bit boring. Follow these
design techniques to elevate your monochromatic
color scheme from ordinary to extraordinary.
THINK ABOUT FOLIAGE, TOO Even in a single
color scheme, it’s unlikely every flower will be exactly
the same shade. Including lots of green foliage is a
good way to blend slightly different hues. Not all
of the magentas in the garden below match exactly,
but the leaves around them pull the look together.
And don’t be afraid to add some colored or variegated foliage, too. Burgundy, a deep shade of red,
fits right in with the vivid magenta flowers in the
garden below. Plus the large striped foliage of the
canna in the orange garden on page 37 makes a
big impact.
M
Botanical
Names
Verbena
Verbena hybrids
Color
AVOID UNIFORMITY With any garden it’s important to choose plants that give you a variety of sizes
and shapes. In a monochromatic garden, because
you’re working with just one color, the form of the
plant becomes even more noticeable. If all the plants
are the same size and shape, and the flowers were
just one color, it would be boring to look at. Keep it
interesting by contrasting the sizes of the blooms, as
well as the shapes of the plants themselves.
CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE On these pages I’ve
put together three monochromatic gardens. Cool
magenta draws your attention to this shed, but you
could plant this garden at your front door, too. A calm
and relaxing white bed is designed for a shady spot
around the base of a tree. And finally, a border filled
with orange will warm up a back yard. But before
you pick your favorite color scheme, look at all three
to learn more design tips. ®
— Jim Childs
Continue the magenta
theme in containers, too.
This hanging basket is
filled with a cascading
annual verbena.
34
GG9734_37.indd 34
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Painting the shed
pale blue plays up
the cool aspect of
magenta.
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:36:02 AM
Shed
Fence
Trellis
Trellis
Stimulating magenta
You
may not want to use magenta where you
plan to relax because it tends to be very
stimulating. But it’s ideal around a garden
shed where you spend your time working.
This garden is designed for full sun. And
most of the plants are very hardy, many
going as far north as USDA zone 5, some
even into 3 and 4. The least hardy is the
ice plant. If it just won’t work in your area,
you’ll find information about lots more
stunning magenta plants in Top Picks on
page 22. One of them, an annual moss
rose call Pazazz Ultra Pink, would make an
easy-to-grow substitute.
Dahlias aren’t hardy in most parts of
North America, so you’ll want to dig and
store the tubers after a frost. Or treat them
as annuals and replace them each spring.
Path
N
Scale: 1 square = 1 square ft.
PLANT LIST (number to plant)
A Tall sedum Sedum spectabile ‘Neon’ (6)
C
D
E
F
G
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9734_37.indd 35
PHOTOS: Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc. (A, G); courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries (C);
courtesy of Bailey Nurseries, Inc. (D); courtesy of Johnson’s Nursery, Inc.™ (E)
B
Perennial; large flat heads of bright magenta from late summer
to fall; full sun; 18 to 24 in. tall and wide; cold-hardy in USDA
zones 3 to 9, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1
Ice plant Delosperma cooperi (16)
Perennial; small cup-shaped magenta flowers in early to late
summer; full sun; 2 to 5 in. tall, 9 to 12 in. wide; cold-hardy in
Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea ‘Green Eyes’ (6)
Perennial; magenta daisies from mid- to late summer; full sun
to part shade; 20 to 30 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide; cold-hardy in
Rhododendron Rhododendron ‘Aglo’ (3)
Evergreen shrub; vivid pink flowers in spring; full sun; 3 to 4 ft.
tall, 3 to 4 ft. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 8 to 1
Clematis Clematis ‘Ernest Markham’ (2)
Vine; large magenta flowers in summer; full sun to part shade;
10 to 15 ft. tall, spreading; cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9,
Dahlia Dahlia ‘Fascination’ (2)
Tender tuber; 2- to-3 in. magenta blooms in mid- to late
summer; full sun; 18 to 30 in. tall and wide; cold-hardy in
Evening primrose Oenothera oenothera kunthiana ‘Glowing Magenta’ (10) Perennial; magenta flowers from early to
late summer; full sun; 6 to 12 in. tall and wide; cold-hardy in USDA
35
11/8/2010 8:36:40 AM
PHOTO: © Steven Nordmeyer (E)
MONOCHROMATIC GARDEN COLOR!
Classic moonlight Plant an all-white garden
where you can enjoy it as the sun goes down, perhaps
around a patio or outside a kitchen or dining room
window. And it’s “all white” even if the garden is not all
about flowers. As flowers come and go, the foliage of
these caladiums and the silvery gray Japanese painted
fern will keep the focus on white. But the magnolia,
daffodils, begonias and hydrangea ensure that this
white garden will have plenty of flowers. Even this hosta
cultivar is known for its fragrant pure white blooms.
A slight berm adds
height to this garden.
Set the brick edging
high to help keep soil
or mulch from washing
onto the patio.
N
Scale: 1 square =
1 square ft.
Let your budget
determine how many
clumps of daffodils
you add. Group them
between the hostas
to hide the ripening
bulb foliage.
A Wax begonia Begonia semperflorens ‘Prelude White’ (40)
Tender perennial; mass of small white flowers all summer; full
sun to part shade; 6 to 8 in. tall, 8 to 10 in. wide; cold-hardy in
B Japanese painted fern Athyrium niponicum pictum (10)
Perennial; grown for its silvery fronds; part shade to shade;
12 to 24 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 5
to 8, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 8 to 1
C Hosta Hosta plantaginea (6)
Perennial; fragrant white flowers in late summer; full sun to
part shade; 12 to 18 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA
36
GG9734_37.indd 36
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
D Smooth hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ (1)
Shrub; large heads of white flowers in early summer fade to tan
in fall; full sun to part shade; 3 to 5 ft. tall, 4 to 6 ft. wide; coldhardy in USDA zones 3 to 9, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1
E Star magnolia Magnolia stellata (1)
Tree; fragrant white flowers in spring; full sun to part shade;
12 to 20 ft. tall, 10 to 20 ft. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones
4 to 9, heat-tolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1
F Caladium Caladium ‘White Christmas’ (6)
Tender bulb; grown for its variegated green and white foliage;
part shade to shade; 18 to 24 in. tall and wide; cold-hardy in
G Daffodil Narcissus ‘Mount Hood’ (plant 5 per sq. ft.)
Hardy bulb; white flowers in early spring; full sun to part shade;
16 to 18 in. tall, 6 to 8 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8,
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:37:06 AM
A background hedge helps
set off the orange flowers.
Exuberant orange
Orange shows
well, even from a distance. So this sunny
border would be great at the end of a deep
back yard. However, in strong summer
sun, bright orange can seem washed out.
A dark background of foliage, such as a
hedge, helps make the color more visible in the sun.
The flowers in this border peak in midsummer.
If cannas are not hardy in your zone, you may want
to plant a clump of three rhizomes to get the full
look you see in our illustration. Plant the crocosmia
in spring and treat it as an annual if it’s not hardy for
you. Or dig the corms in fall, at the same time you
would dig the cannas, and store them together in
a cool dark area. And to get this orange bed off to
an early spring start, scatter a few clumps of ‘Prinses
Irene’ tulips through the center of the bed.
These mums are still
young but will continue
the colorful show when
they bloom in fall.
A Shrub rose Rosa Flower Carpet® Amber (‘NOA97400A’) (3)
C
D
E
Scatter tulips, in clumps of at least 10 bulbs
each, through the middle of the bed.
F Crocosmia Crocosmia xcrocosmiiflora ‘Emily McKenzie’ (6)
Hardy bulb; rusty orange flowers from mid- to late summer; full
sun; 30 to 36 in. tall, 12 to 15 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones
G Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa (4)
Perennial; broad heads of rich orange in summer; full sun; 1 to
3 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9, heattolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1
Fence
Need a longer
border? Just
repeat part of
this garden, like
we did above, or
all of it, to fit.
N
Scale: 1 square =
1 square ft.
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9734_37.indd 37
PHOTOS: Doug Appleby (A);
© R. Todd Davis (D); Courtesy of
Netherlands Flower Bulb Information
Center (F)
B
Shrub; single flowers of pale orange to amber all summer; full
sun; 24 to 36 in. tall, 30 to 36 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones
Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus ‘Alaska Mixed’ (20)
Annual; variegated foliage with flowers of mixed shades of
orange from midsummer to fall; full sun; 12 to 14 in. tall, 15 to
18 in. wide; heat-tolerant in AHS zones 12 to 1
Tulip Tulipa ‘Prinses Irene’ (plant 5 per sq. ft.)
Hardy bulb; orange and purple flowers in spring; full sun to
part shade; 12 to 15 in. tall, 3 to 6 in. wide; cold-hardy in USDA
Canna Canna Bengal Tiger (‘Striata’) (1)
Tender tuber; bold variegated foliage and bright orange
flowers from summer through fall; full sun; 4 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to
4 ft. wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 7 to 11, heat-tolerant in
AHS zones 12 to 1
Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum ‘Hannah’ (3)
Perennial; rusty orange-bronze flowers in fall; full sun; 18 to
24 in. tall and wide; cold-hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9, heattolerant in AHS zones 9 to 1
37
11/8/2010 8:37:36 AM
design challenge
Sidewalk smarts The path features
a warm shade of flagstone to complement
the brick of the house, but its winding shape
brings welcome contrast to the home’s sharp
angles. Starting at the driveway, the 3-ft.wide path is flanked by three ‘Bruns’ Serbian
spruce trees, which embrace the opening and
create a portal into the garden. Portions of the
pathway are flanked with low-growing plants
(or no plants at all) to offer small glimpses of
the walkway from a distance. This provides a
visual break from the intensive planting and
lets people know the path is there. A small
seating area serves as a destination.
Plant smarts There are some awfully attractive plants
that practically beg to be taken home from the nursery. But if
you fall in love with, say, a burgundy Japanese maple and plop it
in this west-facing front yard, eventually you’re going to end up
with some expensive firewood. There are more suitable options
for those conditions, like the smokebushes here. In addition to
attractive burgundy foliage and a modest size, these stalwarts
have airy flowers in midsummer resembling puffs of smoke. The
plants also take well to pruning. Note that the one to the left is
used as a traditional foundation shrub while the one to the right is
pruned into a small multistem tree for greater prominence.
front yard from scratch
S
PHOTO: Courtesy of Mary Jo Fachting
tarting with a blank slate?
Some gardeners relish the
opportunity, others flee in virtual panic. And a fair amount of
us — well, we’re somewhere in
between. We’d just like to know
where to begin.
38
GG9738_39.indd 38
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
That’s pretty much the situation these folks found themselves in after building their new
house. Facing west, it soaked
up hot afternoon sun. That’s
challenging enough, but the
homeowners didn’t want to
become slaves to the water hose.
For them, it was all about low
maintenance. I know the feeling;
there’s a lot to be said for an
“independent” landscape that
can stand on its own when the
mercury rises. This is a plan for
that kind of landscape.
BEGIN WITH THE SOIL The
bane of many new homeowners
is the “soil” they discover when
first pushing a spade into the
ground: often a light dusting
of topsoil atop heavy clay. On
the other side of the spectrum
is dry, lifeless sand. Whatever
kind of soil you have, try to add
as much compost as possible
before planting (it’s easiest to
have a dump truck deliver the
stuff right to your driveway). In
a seeming contradiction, compost helps sand hold moisture
and clay drain better. Compost
also provides nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Dig in
compost and any other amendments to a depth of about a foot
throughout planting beds.
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 8:38:29 AM
Tree smarts
Color smarts
These plants share more
than low-maintenance appeal and ability to
withstand hot afternoon sun; they also blend
into an easy-on-the-eyes color palette. Bluegreen conifers form a subdued backdrop,
contrasted repeatedly by dark-foliaged plants
and ground covers. Flowers of blue, yellow
and white set a cheerful tone that’s not overly
busy or jarring. Finally, red roses supply bursts
of excitement without hogging the spotlight.
The result is a charming yet refined look
befitting that of the house itself.
FROM MAJOR TO MINOR In
a larger landscape like this,
it’s best to choose your major
plantings first, then work
down in scale. I envisioned a
base of evergreens to give the
landscape year-round appeal.
Then I added a range of shrubs
and grasses with contrasting
foliage that would last nearly
as long. After that, it’s just a
matter of choosing flowers that
can beat the heat while offering
color from spring through fall.
For a planting plan for the
seating area and path in front
of the house, turn to From the
Drawing Board on page 40.
One or two trees just
wouldn’t cut it for such a large house, which
is why there are numerous specimens in this
planting plan. A midsize cherry plum brings
afternoon shade to the southwest corner of
the house. By itself, the plum would seem
insignificant in such a large yard, but not
when it is joined by two Douglas firs. Closer
to the house, I chose smaller evergreens
that won’t outgrow their space. You’ll
notice that pyramidal shapes echoing roof
peaks predominate in this plan. Yet they are
balanced by rounded- and irregular-shaped
companions.
MAINTAIN YOUR APPROACH
If rainfall is lacking, water beds
deeply once a week the first year.
In later years, you can reduce the
frequency to once every couple
of weeks. Containers, however, may need daily watering.
Mulch beds with 2 to 3 inches of
shredded leaves or wood chips
to keep the sun from baking the
soil and rain from compacting
it. You’ll also need to deadhead
flowers periodically and cut
down grasses annually. That’s
not much to ask for a landscape
that brings value to your home
and a smile to your face. ®
— Luke Miller
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9738_39.indd 39
Botanical
Names
Cherry plum
Prunus cerasifera
Douglas fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Japanese maple
Acer palmatum
Rose Rosa spp.
Serbian spruce
Picea omorika
Smokebush
Cotinus coggygria
See a complete
planting plan
for this front yard.
39
11/8/2010 8:39:00 AM
from the
drawing board
entryway getaway
A
If you buy 4-in.
pots, set ajuga
plants 9 to 12 in.
on center. Working
with plugs? Plant
them 6 in. apart.
Bench
Containers
Patio
Steps
Container
House
front entryway isn’t usually the first place you
think of when someone mentions “garden
getaway,” especially at a new house devoid of
landscaping like the one on page 38. But frankly
this walkway needed a secondary purpose —
another reason for being — because otherwise the
front door probably wouldn’t get a lot of use. So
the idea for a garden getaway was born.
MAKING A GETAWAY A true garden getaway
must be comfortable, inviting and private. Placing
a bench in morning shade takes care of the comfort, while a winding path and wide, circular patio
dotted with containers pretty much wraps up the
inviting aspect. Meanwhile, modest-size shrubs
envelop the setting, providing a sense of privacy
without being smothering. Seated guests can see
and be seen, but they don’t feel like they’re totally
exposed to the neighborhood.
In addition to privacy, plants also help anchor
the dwelling to the surroundings. The hardworking cast of annuals, perennials, shrubs
and trees thrives in the hot afternoon sun
without much pampering. A range of sizes,
shapes and textures makes sure there’s no dropoff in eye appeal.
LASTING LOOKS The blue-green of the conifers
mixes throughout the season with dark-leafed
smokebush, Japanese barberry, and bugleweed.
Blooming annuals and Flower Carpet® roses last
nearly as long as the foliage plants. And the color
quotient really rises in summer, when Shasta daisy,
gloriosa daisy and lavender enter the fray.
Feather reed grasses offer a handsome habit
most of the year for the paltry cost of a late-winter
shearing. They make great companions for shorter
annuals and midsize perennials, ensuring there’s
nearly always something to look at. Containers,
too, bring multiseason appeal. They’re planted
with long-lasting annuals now, but industrious
gardeners might decorate the pots with evergreen
boughs and brightly painted cones in winter. ®
— Luke Miller
Containers
Path
N
Scale: 1 square = 4 square ft.
40
GG9740_41.indd 40
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 9:24:26 AM
Although sheared plants
will have fewer flowers,
smokebush’s foliage is
colorful enough to carry
the show by itself. For a
tree form, cut out all but a
few of the most vigorous
stems, then remove side
branches to expose the
bottom 2 to 3 ft. of trunk.
Top the plant every spring.
THE GARDEN’S PALETTE
Code Plant Name
No. to
Plant
Height/
Width
Cold/Heat
Zones
NA
3-4 ft./
3-4 ft.
4-8/8-1
Burgundy foliage adds color for months and needs
little water
Perennial
Red;
summer
24-32 in./
36-40 in.
5-10/10-1
Free flowering; reported to survive in USDA zones 4
and possibly 3 with winter protection
Type
Blooms
Shrub
Comments
A
Japanese barberry Berberis
6
thunbergii Cherry Bomb® (‘Monomb’)
B
Rose Rosa
Flower Carpet® Red (‘Noare’)
C
Feather reed grass Calamagrostis 10
xacutiflora ‘Overdam’
Grass
Buff;
summer
30-36 in./
18-24 in
4-9/9-1
Handsome ornamental grass with variegated leaves;
stalks turn golden in fall; rapid grower
D
Juniper Juniperus
scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue’
3
Shrub
NA
10-12 ft./
3-4 ft.
3-7/7-1
A tough upright grower with broadly pyramidal form;
silver-blue foliage keeps color year round
E
Bugleweed Ajuga reptans
Black Scallop (‘Binblasca’)
About 24
Perennial
Violet;
spring
3-6 in./
10-14 in.
4-9/9-1
Attractive chocolate-foliage ground cover with bonus
flowers in early spring; drought-tolerant
F
Lavender Lavandula
angustifolia ‘Munstead’
7
Perennial
Lavender;
summer
15-18 in./
15-18 in.
5-9/9-1
Requires lots of sun and quick-draining soil; fragrant;
excellent for dried floral arrangements
G
Zinnia Zinnia angustifolia
‘Crystal White’
16
Annual
White;
summer
12-18 in./
9-12 in.
Annual/12-1
Long-lasting white flowers echo those on the Shasta
daisies; powdery mildew-resistant
H
Juniper Juniperus scopulorum
Blue Creeper® (‘Monam’)
4
Shrub
NA
20-24 in./
6-8 ft.
3-7/7-1
Mounded, spreading habit gracefully drapes over
sidewalk; blue-green foliage intensifies in winter
I
Shasta daisy Leucanthemum
xsuperbum ‘Becky’
4
Perennial
White;
summer
3-4 ft./
2-3 ft.
5-9/9-1
Bright white flowers peak in early summer but keep
coming if deadheaded regularly
J
Smokebush Cotinus coggygria
‘Royal Purple’
1
Shrub/tree
Purple;
midsummer
12-15 ft./
10-12 ft.
5-8/9-1
Fast growing; modest size with annual pruning;
foliage provides excellent contrast
K
Gloriosa daisy
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’
2
Perennial
Yellow;
summer
24-30 in./
18-24 in.
5-9/9-1
Huge flowers up to 5 in. across; yellow petals and
bright green centers; treat as reseeding annual
L
Melampodium Melampodium
divaricatum
4
Annual
4
Golden yellow; 18-24 in./
summer
12-18 in.
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9740_41.indd 41
Annual/12-1
Heat-loving annual that takes drought once established;
flushed with golden yellow blooms all season long
41
11/8/2010 9:48:49 AM
container
recipe
one simple
container,
3 great
looks!
T
hey say you don’t always appreciate
something until it’s gone. Maybe
that’s why we get more excited about
the ephemeral blooms of a perennial
than the seemingly endless stream of
color thrown our way by annuals. As
much as I like annuals, I sometimes
get weary looking at the same flowers
for months at a time. One option is
to switch out the plants occasionally.
That’s what I did here.
STAGING PLACE I started with a
warm, earth-tone container. It’s handsome enough to stand on its own (but
of course we gardeners wouldn’t have
any of that!). And, at 16 inches across,
it’s big enough to provide room for
larger specimens.
WHAT’S IN THE MIX A container is
only as good as its soil, so fill it up with
two-thirds soilless potting mix and onethird bagged mushroom compost. The
compost helps hold moisture, and it’s a
good source of nutrients and beneficial
microbes. Make sure there’s at least a
¼-inch drainage hole; otherwise, plant
roots may rot in waterlogged soil.
So take a gander at three different
recipes — for spring, summer and fall.
The container is the same; only the
plants were changed to protect the
innocent (from having to look at the
same thing all year long!). ®
Tips for care
• Add slow-release fertilizer to
mix before planting.
• Place container in full sun;
•
provide afternoon shade as
temperatures rise.
Save ivy for later use as a
house plant.
PHOTO: Doug Appleby (spring)
Spring container
Spring is a great time to
plant containers because their portability allows you to
whisk plants to safety if frost threatens. Gardeners can
start this container as early as February in the South and
mid-March in the North. The design features Persian buttercups joined by the purple and yellow petals of violas.
A variegated English ivy softens the pot with its trailing
habit. Persian buttercups are cold-hardy in USDA zones 7
to 11. Treat them as annuals in colder areas or dig up the
rhizomes in summer and store them in peat moss in a
cool, dry spot until replanting the following year.
42
GG9742_43.indd 42
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Code Plant Name
A
B
C
No. to
Plant
Persian buttercup Ranunculus asiaticus 2
Tecolote Yellow
Viola Viola Penny™ Yellow Jump Up
4
Variegated English ivy Hedera helix ‘Eva’ 2
Container is
16 in. in diameter.
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 9:55:51 AM
Summer abundance
As temperatures rise
and spring bloomers are on the wane, it’s time for a new
look. This one features a lush tropical theme that will keep
going all summer long. While it’s hard to ignore the bright
orange blooms of the New Guinea impatiens, this design is
really about foliage. There’s the upright architectural habit
of the variegated mother-in-law’s tongue (bonus: you can
overwinter it as a house plant). Coleus energizes the design
with its fresh green-and-white foliage. And New Guinea
impatiens impress not only with bold blooms but also with
contrasting dark, serrated leaves.
Tips for care
• Give plants a boost with a
•
•
water-soluble fertilizer at
time of planting and midway
through the season.
Provide afternoon shade.
Pinch coleus periodically to
keep it bushy.
Code Plant Name
A
B
C
Mother-in-law’s tongue Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii
Coleus Solenostemon Wizard™ Jade
New Guinea impatiens Impatiens ‘Celebration Orange’
No. to
Plant
1
2
3
Autumn masterpiece With a tall container, you
might as well take advantage of the extra space. That’s what
the purple fountain grass does as it lazily reaches to the sky.
The blades and seed heads look particularly good with the
tan fronds of ‘Toffee Twist’ sedge and pink-tinged leaves of
Dragon’s Blood sedum, not to mention the bright lavender
blooms of ‘Peter III’ aster. While the asters will fade after
blooming, the grasses and sedum are prominent enough to
carry the show throughout the fall and even into winter.
Tips for care
• Place container in full sun
for the most vibrant color.
• Prolong the display by
replacing spent asters with
later-blooming mums.
No. to
Plant
Code Plant Name
A
B
C
D
Purple fountain grass Pennisetum setaceum
‘Rubrum’
Sedge Carex flagellifera ‘Toffee Twist’
Aster Aster ‘Peter III’
Sedum Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’
(‘Schorbuser Blüt’)
GG9742_43.indd 43
1
2
2
1
43
11/8/2010 9:56:13 AM
what’snew
Many of these products (and more!) at our online store.
Aquasav basket liners
You may have had problems keeping hanging
baskets watered in the past, but the new
Aquasav™ basket liner will help. As the inset at
right shows, it’s layered like a sandwich with
a piece of 100 percent post-consumer recycled
plastic between two layers of coconut coir. The
plastic stops some of the water from running
through the liner, which helps the potting mix
inside stay moist longer. We compared Aquasav
to a regular basket liner last summer and noticed
a definite difference. The potting mix in the
regular liner dried out well before the mix in this
new one did.
Bottom line Less time watering? Fantastic!
Source Gardener’s Supply Company at
www.gardeners.com or 888-833-1412
Price $19.95 for a set of three 14-inch liners;
$24.95 for a set of three 18-inch liners
Plastic sandwiched
between layers of
coconut coir.
M Brace
This is about the easiest way to build a raised bed that you
can find. You don’t need any tools, just lumber cut to size.
Each corner brace is made of recycled steel and is 13 inches
tall and 11 inches wide. The braces can hold four 2x4
pieces of lumber up to 12 feet long. To build the bed, just
slip each board between the inner brace and the outer decorative one. Then fill it with soil and you’re ready to plant!
There are eight designs, including the squiggle
at left and the swirl at right, so your new
raised bed can be stylish, as well
as functional.
Art of the Garden also
sells plant labels made
of the cut-out steel
pieces. A set of six is
$12. Use a permanent
marker for writing, then
spray with a sealant,
such as Permalac, so
they won’t rust.
44
GG9744_45.indd 44
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Bottom line A set of these
braces makes putting together
a raised bed a snap.
Source Art of the Garden at
www.artofthegarden.net or 530-662-2224
Price $165 for a set of four, plus $25 shipping
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 9:58:36 AM
did you know?
Combustible containers
The Nonstop
Garden
Garden design can be intimidating, but this book
is a great place to start. The Nonstop Garden
by Stephanie Cohen and Jennifer Benner offers
plenty of friendly advice, tips and dozens of plant
profiles to help you figure out which plants to
choose for your border. Or skip putting pencil to
paper yourself and use one of the 10 illustrated
designs in the book.
Bottom line Don’t agonize over what to put in
your border — read this book!
Source Local and online bookstores or
Price $19.95; softcover; 248 pages
Most potting mixes have a lot of peat moss in
them to provide the quick drainage plants need
in containers. And while you may know that it’s
possible to burn peat, did you know that the peat
sitting in those containers on your deck is combustible? It’s true. While it’s not common, in the
right circumstances a container full of plants can
turn into a fire hazard.
Several home fires within the last few years
have been attributed to peat moss that got too dry.
To prevent this from happening at your house,
keep containers, especially those sitting in full sun
all day, well maintained. Water and remove any
dried or dead plant material as soon as you notice
it — even at the end of the season. Also, don’t let
anyone put their cigarettes out in your containers.
When you’re storing bags of potting mix in the
garage or tool shed, don’t place them next to
another combustible, such as a gas can.
Shutterbugs and plant nerds can come together
for Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery’s annual
photo contest.
If you’ve purchased a plant from Song Sparrow
Farm and Nursery and it’s looking good, here’s
your chance for some free plants! Pull out your
camera and take a few shots of that favorite
peony, perennial, tree or shrub. Send it, along with
your contact information, to Song Sparrow at
www.songsparrow.com between May 1 and May
31, 2011. One winner will receive a gift certificate for $75, and the winning photograph will be
posted on Song Sparrow’s Web site.
A good reason to wear gloves!
‘Red Racer’ hellebore
Hellebore is one of the earliest flowers of the year,
but the flower colors are usually subtle, to say the
least. Make way for ‘Red Racer’, one of the new
Winter Thrillers™ series. A mature plant can have
up to 75, 3½-inch red flowers. ‘Red Racer’ grows
18 to 22 inches tall and 24 inches wide and does
best in shade. Like most hellebores, it’s quite coldhardy and survives winter in USDA zones 4 to 9.
Heat-tolerance hasn’t been tested.
Bottom line Gorgeous deep red flowers on tough,
cold-hardy plants — what could be better?
Source Great Garden Plants at
www.greatgardenplants.com or 877-447-4769
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9744_45.indd 45
Don’t forget to wear gloves when you’re working
in the garden, and not just because they keep your
nails clean. You need to protect yourself from rose
gardener’s disease. It’s caused by the soil-borne
fungus Sporothrix schenckii. The fungus can enter
your bloodstream through small nicks and cuts.
Most of the time it causes skin infections, but in
extreme cases affects the lungs. This disease can
be hard to diagnose, as symptoms can take three
weeks or longer to appear. Initially, small, painless
pink or purple bumps show up on the skin where
the initial cut or abrasion was. They’re followed
by larger bumps that resemble boils and are very
slow to heal. Rose gardener’s disease is not contagious, but if you get it, you’ll need a prescription
medication to get rid of it.
PHOTOS: Courtesy of Marcail McWilliams (M Brace context); courtesy of Marc Longwood
(M Brace silhouette); courtesy of Walters Garden, Inc. (‘Red Racer’ hellebore)
Get out your cameras
45
11/8/2010 9:59:15 AM
ask garden gate
garden jargon
Josh Grabner, Maryland
Lay a block of wood on
the ground to tap on so
you don’t scuff up the
new handle. Turn the
fork over, holding onto
the tines, and tap the
D-handle on the wood.
That will force the tang
into the predrilled hole
as far as possible.
Let the handle sit
outdoors in the sun to
dry. After a day or so
of heat it’ll be ready to
use again.
Q
Tree repair
Ever seen a horticultural term and wondered
what it meant? We can help!
WINTER ANNUAL An annual that germinates in fall, spends the winter as a seedling,
then flowers, sets seeds and dies by summer.
Many weeds, such as henbit and chickweed,
are winter annuals. Most garden plants called
“winter annuals” are actually just plants whose
seeds or flowers tolerate cold temperatures.
Easy fork fix
I broke the handle
on my favorite
spading fork. Can I
repair it or should I
replace it?
Split wood repairs
rarely hold very
well. So head to your
hardware or farm
supply store and buy a
new handle. To help the
salesperson, be sure to
take the old fork along
with you.
When you’re ready
to replace the handle,
soak the ferule end of
the new handle (see the
photo at left) in hot tap
water. Let it soak for at
least half an hour. This
will soften the wood,
letting the tang slip in
further when you put
the cast metal fork on
the handle. Then, as the
wood dries, it will grip
and hold the metal fork
much better.
While that’s soaking,
grasp the old handle
and use a hammer to
knock the fork off.
Now you’re ready to
put the fork on the
new handle. Push the
tang into the predrilled
hole as far as you can.
A
Broken
handle
New
complete
handle
Tang
Ferule
Original cast
metal fork
46
GG9746_47.indd 46
Buzz Hoit, Kansas
Q
The trunk of my
star magnolia
(Magnolia stellata) is
showing a crack. Can I
keep it from splitting?
The first step is to
reduce the weight
that’s pulling the crack
open. The illustration
below shows which
branches you could
remove from this
cracking tree to help
take away some of the
weight. You may want
to take a few branches
off the other side to balance the look.
A
Pick up a piece of
threaded rod (½-inch or
larger in size), two nuts
and two washers, available at most hardware
stores. The rod has to
be long enough to go
through the trunk, plus
about 3 extra inches.
You’ll need a drill with
a bit that’s 1⁄16 inch
smaller than the rod
and long enough to go
through the trunk.
Drill the hole just
below the crotch. Trim
away the bark to countersink washers on both
sides of the tree. Next
slip a washer and a nut
on one end of the rod
and screw it down so
about 2 inches of rod
show. Insert the end of
the rod without the nut
into the hole and use a
pair of gripping pliers
to turn it through to the
other side. Pliers will
damage the threads, but
since the nut is already
on that end of the rod,
it won’t matter.
Once the rod is
through the trunk, put
on the other washer and
nut. Tighten it down
snug, but don’t force
Remove a few
branches on this
side to balance
the look.
Reduce the
weight pulling
the limb outward
by removing some
of the branches.
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Crack
it. The washer and nut
should only sink into
the wood slightly.
Cut off any excess
rod so the tree bark will
grow over the washers
and nuts — exactly
what you want to
happen. Your tree can
now withstand snow
and wind much better.
Faded velvet
Deb Hock, Arizona
Q
Since I moved my
purple velvet plant
(Gynura aurantiaca)
indoors for the winter
the new growth is
green. Why?
This fast-growing
tropical needs
bright light to keep
its deep purple color.
Indoors, grow it in a
south- or west-facing
window. If the new
green foliage is objectionable to you, go
ahead and snip it off.
Not only will that get
rid of the green portions, but as the plant
grows, it’ll make the
plant much more dense
and bushy, too.
A
Put the final washer and nut on the end of
the 1⁄2 in. rod that was not damaged by the
pliers after you turn it through the trunk.
Drill the hole near
the bottom of the
cracked crotch.
Bark will grow over the wound
if you countersink the washers
on both sides of the trunk.
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 9:59:49 AM
weed watch
Loose wrapping
on a large
post is OK.
Purple-throated
yellow flower
Clammy groundcherry
Physalis heterophylla
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE The edible fruit of this
perennial is the best ID. In the illustration at right
you can see the papery husk that holds one
rounded fruit, which turns golden yellow when
ripe. Clammy groundcherry blooms from spring
until late summer, so you could find ripe fruit
at almost any time during that period. Yellow
flowers hang like bells, but unless you pick one
you may not spot the purple center shown in
the illustration.
Growing 8 to 30 in. tall, this North American
native spreads by seeds and by underground
rhizomes. Each plant usually has
lots of side branches, and the leaves
can be up to 4 in. long. The leaves,
stems and even the husk on the fruit
are covered with fine white hairs.
Touch any part of the plant and
you’ll notice that the hairs have a
sticky feel.
But don’t wrap a
wisteria vine around
spindles — they’ll
eventually break.
Winding wisteria
Kent Gragg, Illinois
Q
How do I get
American wisteria
(Wisteria frutescens) to
cover my pergola
without damaging the
wooden rails?
Wisteria stems can
grow to the size of
small tree trunks.
To minimize damage,
tie a young stem to the
outside of the post with
strips of fabric. Once
it gets to the top and
spreads out it can support itself. Don’t weave
the stems through
railings or lattice as in
the photo above. As
the stems grow they’ll
break the wood.
A
Time to sow seeds
Maggie Axser, Ohio
Q
The snow plow
damaged my lawn.
When can I put down
bluegrass seed?
You can sow the
seed on frozen
soil. When the ground
thaws, the melting ice
will keep the soil moist,
helping the seeds to germinate and grow.
If the plow scraped
deep, you may need to
add topsoil or compost
A
to level the area first.
(Otherwise, you’ll have
ruts or ridges in the
lawn when it comes
time to mow.)
Then sow the seed
and sprinkle about a ½
inch of soil or compost
over it. The rest is up to
Mother Nature. But if
the weather turns dry,
keep the soil moist until
the seed sprouts.
cherry prefers full sun, you might find it growing
in part shade, too. And it tolerates moist to dry,
rich or poor soil. Since this weed is perennial, it
resents areas that are frequently cultivated, so it
grows mostly in perennial beds and shrub borders. Clammy groundcherry is found mainly in
the eastern three-quarters of North America,
but also extends into the Pacific Northwest.
Toni Ellison, Wyoming
Q
A
A mature plant
with a spreading
root structure.
HOW TO GET RID OF IT Tilling the soil when
you see seedlings will keep it under control. But
once the roots are established deep in the soil,
you’ll need to dig up the plant, making sure to
get all of the roots. Any pieces left behind can
sprout. Herbicides are effective, although in
some areas this perennial is becoming resistant to glyphosate and may require strong or
repeated applications. ®
Have questions?
We have answers!
Ask a question — Upload images
Or, mail to Garden Gate Q & A, 2200 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312. Please include
your name, address and daytime phone number in case we have any questions.
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9746_47.indd 47
Husk opens to
show golden
yellow ripe fruit.
WHERE TO FIND IT Though clammy ground-
Clean flats =
healthy seedlings
Do I really need to
scrub and clean all
of my seed-starting flats?
Yes; fungus spores
of a disease known
as damping-off can
quickly kill seedlings.
Soak the flats in a tub of
soapy water and scrub
them to remove loose
dirt. Dump and refill
the tub with water and
a tablespoon or two of
chlorine bleach. You can
soak lots of flats at once,
but add them to the tub
one at a time. Shake
each one as you put it in
to make sure the bleach
reaches every nook and
cranny. Let the flats soak
for 10 minutes, rinse
with clear water and let
them dry in the sun.
Paper seed pod
starts green and
turns brown.
47
11/8/2010 10:00:06 AM
notes
from the test garden
time-tested,
E
gardenerapproved plants
ach year brings a crop of new plants, and that’s always
an exciting time here at Garden Gate. But what’s even
more interesting is walking through the garden to see
which plants get better with age, or consistently look
good no matter what the weather throws at them. And if
a plant keeps performing well, then it ends up on my list
of favorites that I recommend to friends. Here are some of
my picks from the last several years. ®
— Marcia Leeper
Callie Painted Coral
calibrachoa
Type
Tender perennial
(grown as an annual)
Blooms Coral pink and cream,
spring to fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil
Moist, well-drained,
slightly acid
Size
6 to 12 in. tall,
12 to 15 in. wide
Hardiness
Source Local garden centers
Calibrachoa hybrid
Callie® Painted Coral is one of my
favorite calibrachoas. Its showy flowers
of coral and soft cream blend well in
mixed plantings. And it even looks good
on its own in a hanging basket.
This cultivar is covered in blooms for
most of the summer. To make sure I have
plenty of flowers I start with a potting
mix that has a slow-release fertilizer.
Then, beginning the end of June, I use a
balanced, full-strength fertilizer weekly.
There are many other colors in the
Callie series, too. Painted Coral was
introduced by Fischer in 2007.
Goldwell speedwell
Veronica prostrata ‘Verbrig’
Here’s a sweet little ground cover with
pretty variegation. Sunny yellow and green
leaves form a colorful mat in the photo
at right. Spring brings pretty blue flowers
like the one in the small photo. But there’s
no need for deadheading; Goldwell is selfcleaning. This is a vigorous plant but not
aggressive and will form a puddle of color
in the front of your garden.
A heavy layer of snow may mat the
plant down and make it slow to recover
in spring. So after the snow has melted, be
sure to gently lift and fluff the leaves with a
rake or your fingers.
Goldwell was introduced by Blooms
of Bressingham in 2006.
48
GG9748_49.indd 48
Type
Blooms
Light
Soil
Size
Perennial
Blue in spring
Full sun
Well-drained
3 to 4 in. tall,
15 to 18 in. wide
Hardiness
Source Forestfarm
www.forestfarm.com
541-846-7269
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 10:01:37 AM
Grand Parade bee balm
Type Perennial
Blooms Pink in early to
Light
Soil
Size
midsummer
Moist, well-drained
15 to 20 in. tall,
18 to 24 in. wide
Hardiness
Source Garden Crossings
www.gardencrossings.com
616-875-6355
Monarda ‘ACrade’
Grand Parade™ has many things that
make it memorable. But the best thing
about it is the complete lack of powdery
mildew, often a problem with bee balm.
Its rich pink flowers last for a week
or two. When that first batch of blooms
goes down, cut the stems back to the
first node (the place where the leaves
meet the stem) below the flowers. In a
few weeks, the show starts again.
This petite bee balm was introduced in
2008 by the Morden Research Station
in Manitoba.
‘Golden Meadows’ hosta
Hosta hybrid
‘Golden Meadows’ is a “Wow!” hosta in
early spring and summer. Leaves emerge
from the ground like rolled cigars with a
center stripe of creamy white, blue-green
and light green. This tricolor variegation
stays until summer’s warmer temperatures
cause the creamy white center to change
to light green. The more sun ‘Golden
Meadows’ gets, the lighter the center stays.
I’ve even noticed this difference on a single
leaf when part of the plant gets more light.
This cultivar from Darwin Plants was
introduced in 2004.
Type
Blooms
Light
Soil
Size
Perennial
White in summer
Part shade
Well-drained
20 to 24 in. tall,
30 to 36 in. wide
Hardiness
Source Naylor Creek
www.naylorcreek.com
360-732-4983
Type Shrub
Blooms White with pink blush,
Light
Soil
spring to fall
Part shade
Moist, humus-rich,
well-drained
3 to 6 ft. tall and wide
Size
Hardiness
Source Sooner Plant Farm
www.soonerplant
farm.com
918-453-0771
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9748_49.indd 49
Hydrangea macrophylla
This may be one of the small hydrangeas,
but it has big blooms — up to 9 inches
across! Mophead flowers start out bright
white early on and blush pink with age.
I think it’s one of the best of the Endless
Summer® line of hydrangeas because it’s
so reliable. Pruning is simple. Just remove
any dead branches in spring. And while
it blooms on both old and new wood,
‘Blushing Bride’ blooms earliest on old
wood. The flowers that form on new wood
take time to get going and won’t show up
until later in the summer.
Blushing Bride has been in garden
centers since 2007 and was introduced by
Bailey Nurseries.
PHOTOS: Eric Flynn (Goldwell speedwell inset); Doug Appleby (hosta)
‘Blushing Bride’ hydrangea
49
11/8/2010 10:01:57 AM
editor’s choice
favorite combo: made in the shade
G
ardens with a little shade
don’t have to be dull — just
look at the vibrant color in this
early summer garden! The hot
chartreuse foliage of ‘All Gold’
hakonechloa and ‘Goldflame’
spirea infuses light into this
shady spot. Pair that strong
color with the vibrant orangered flowers of the wax begonias
and you’ll spot this planting
from across the street! But just
like a loud neighbor, gaudy color
combinations can be grating on
your nerves. So the deep colors
of the coral bells, along with
begonias’ bronze-hued foliage
tone this sizzling combo down
just a bit.
CONTRAST LASTS Though
the flowers of the spirea will be
gone by midsummer, the rich
begonias will keep coming until
frost without deadheading.
But even without those bright
blooms, this planting shines. The
bold, silver-kissed foliage of the
coral bells contrasts sharply with
the fine leaves of the spirea and
begonias, and the long, wispy
blades of the hakonechloa.
Distinctly different leaf textures
keep this scene interesting all
season long.
COOL AND SHADY Not only
do these plants look fabulous
together, they all thrive in similar
conditions. Moist, well-drained
soil keeps them all happy. And
though all can handle full sun
(the spirea will bloom better with
more light), they’ll also do well
with some protection from hot
afternoon sun. Let’s take a look
at how to get the best from each
of these easy-care neighbors.
SPIREA Give this shrub consistent moisture the first year
after it’s planted; after that, it’s
more drought-tolerant. For a
fresh look, you can shear the
plant back after the blooming
finishes, though even that’s not
required. It’ll look tidier and you
may get a smaller rebloom later
on. After several years, if the
plant gets large and gangly, cut
it back to 6 inches tall in early
spring. Don’t worry, it’ll quickly
come back, flower better and be
more compact.
HAKONECHLOA With its
upright habit, ‘All Gold’ is
a valuable member of the
hakonechloa family. Make
sure it gets regular moisture,
especially the first year, and this
glow-in-the-dark beauty shines
happily. It can take more light,
where it’ll be gold rather than
chartreuse, but can scorch in
very hot-summer areas. Give it
a good haircut in early spring to
make room for new growth.
CORAL BELLS There’s not
much to do for this pretty perennial. You may wish to deadhead
the airy flowers when they fade
for a tidier look, but it’s not
necessary. If you live in USDA
zones 4 or 5, a 2-inch layer of
24 in.
36 in.
12 in.
16 in.
18 in.
0
A Spirea Spiraea japonica
‘Goldflame’
6 in.
8 in.
0
0
B Hakonechloa
Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’
C Coral bells
Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’
Type
Shrub
Type
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Blooms
Rose-pink flowers in early
to midsummer
Blooms
NA
Blooms
Light
Tiny white blooms in early
to midsummer
Light
Size
12 to 18 in. tall and wide
Light
Size
3 to 4 ft. tall, 3 to 5 ft. wide
Hardiness Cold: USDA zones 5 to 9
Source
White Flower Farm
www.whiteflowerfarm.com
800-503-9624
Size
12 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Source
McKay Nursery Co.
www.mckaynursery.com
800-236-4242
50
GG9750_51.indd 50
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 / I S S U E 9 7
Source
Bluestone Perennials, Inc.
www.bluestoneperennials.com
800-852-5243
G A R D E N G AT E
11/8/2010 10:02:44 AM
organic mulch will help keep
the roots from being heaved out
of the ground in winter. (Push
the crown back into the soil
with your toe if this happens.)
A quick trim of dead leaves
in early spring will produce a
clump of fresh new foliage. And
if flowering starts to decline
after three or four years, divide
the plant in spring.
WAX BEGONIA This tender
perennial is treated as an annual
by most gardeners and, as
with many annuals, will bloom
like mad all summer. Its waxy
leaves make it pretty droughttolerant, but it’ll flower more
with regular moisture. About the
only problem comes when wax
begonias are planted too closely.
Follow the spacing listed on the
tag to prevent fungal disease
caused by poor air circulation
and they’ll be bursting with
blooms until frost. ®
— Deborah Gruca
8 in.
4 in.
0
D Wax begonia Begonia
semperflorens ‘Vodka’
Type
Tender perennial
Blooms
Red-orange flowers from
early summer to frost
Light
Size
6 to 8 in. tall, 8 to 12 in. wide
Source
Local garden centers
G A R D E N G AT E
GG9750_51.indd 51
51
11/8/2010 10:03:08 AM
“I want my garden to go
on.
I cannot bear to think of it as a place
that may be tenanted only in the easy months.
I will not have it draped with Nature’s dust sheets.
That is why I waged this battle for winter flowers…”
— Beverley Nichols
®
GG97_52.indd 52
11/8/2010 10:06:38 AM

Issue 97 View Issue

Transcription

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