The Blazing Beauty of 'Midwinter Fi

I have always admired bloodtwig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) for its colorful contribution to the winter garden. During a recent visit to Tower Hill, I fell in love with a new cultivar of this wonderful plant – ‘Midwinter Fire’. This outstanding ornamental shrub features stems that are yellow at the base, igniting to shades of coral and culminating to fiery orange-red at the tips. Planted as a formal hedge with small boxwood at its feet in the new winter garden courtyard at Tower Hill, it was absolutely stunning.

This shrub is a plant for all seasons, with oval medium-green leaves, clusters of tiny white flowers in late spring, dark purple berries in summer, and golden autumn foliage. It grows to 5’ tall and 6’ wide, and looks great backed by dark green shrubs. For more information about growing and caring for bloodtwig dogwoods, please see our previous blog article.

‘Midwinter Fire’ makes a spectacular container plant surrounded by snowdrops and black mondo grass.

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Dazzling Hellebores for 2013

Hellebores have fascinated me ever since I saw huge swaths of them blooming in a Washington, DC botanic garden 12 years ago. I started with a few plants in one garden bed, and as they faithfully returned year after year, I added more varieties, began dividing my own plants, and growing on seedlings in nursery beds. At this time of year, though, I realize that I just don't have enough of these amazing winter bloomers.

As I scouted the websites for new plants, I thought that I would share with you some of the dazzling varieties available to gardeners in 2013.

From Bluestone Perennials: Harlequin Gem and Amber Gem

From Pine Knot Farms: Pine Knot Pink, Double White with Pink Edging, Yellow Picottee

From Burpee: Onyx Odyssey, Phoebe and Stained Glass

From Arrowhead Alpines:  Potter's Wheel  From Plant Delights:  Golden Lotus, Red Sapphire

From White Flower Farm: Winter Thriller 'Ice Follies', Nite Coaster, Pink Frost

Planning an Enchanting Winter Garden

For those of us living in Massachusetts, the winter garden begins in November, when most trees drop their leaves, and persists until almost the end of April, when the majority of trees leaf out again. We view our winter landscape for five months out of each year.

Winter is the perfect season to study your garden and plan its future, because the garden is at its simplest and starkest.

Jot down what you like and what is missing, and note changes to make in the spring. Start with the plantings near the house. Look at the views from your windows. Use a camera to record your views and thoughts.

What makes winter unique from other seasons?

When you are planning for winter, think of yourself as a set designer. Unlike spring and summer, when the garden goes through many scene changes, the winter stage is not going to change rapidly. The overall composition is a static one, but it does not have to be boring, as you can see from this winter scene.

Winter sun

The changing light is one of the most wonderful aspects of winter. Bright and glittering when skies are clear, it can soon become dark and brooding with the threat of rain or snow. The angle of the sun in winter is low, and the result is that it picks up and reflects light on glossy leaves and shining bark.

In open, sunny aspects, the light will bounce off large-leaved evergreens like hollies and laurels. In contrast, some areas of the garden will be in deeper shade in winter, as the sun fails to get over a fence or hedge.

On a clear, sunny day, it’s delightful to take a walk through the winter garden. All the evergreens that add quiet beauty to the garden throughout the year become the main focus in winter, when the perennials have vanished underground and the deciduous shrubs and trees have lost their leaves.

ome winter days are unrelentingly gray, and for these, small splashes of color are what is needed: colorful conifers, a mass of snowdrops, or the buds of the ‘Valley Valentine’ pieris pictured here.

Snow and Ice are prominent features of the winter garden.

Snow outlines the filigree of a garden gate, the arching branches of a climbing rose, or the geometric pattern of a porch lattice, adding intricate patterns to the winter landscape. The delicate textures of shrubs and perennials are highlighted with a sprinkling of snow.

Frost has a magical effect on the garden, altering the appearance of foliage, stems and fruits. Dried seedheads take on an ethereal quality. The sharp edges of frost highlight the leaves of an azalea, bring these wild strawberry leaves into crisp definition, and make berries shimmer in the sunlight.

Where should you situate the plants for winter interest?

Front gardens are particularly well suited to winter plantings. Plants can be observed at close quarters and scents appreciated by everyone coming and going from the house.The house wall often provides extra protection for tender shrubs, and eagerly awaited little bulbs can be enjoyed just as soon as they emerge.

You will want to plant late winter bloomers in entry areas where you will pass them frequently or see them from your window as their charming blossoms signal the beginning of spring.

Through the window

The view from the windows of the house keeps you in touch with your garden at all times of the year, but especially in the winter months, often providing the only picture of the garden during bad weather. Careful placing of plants and objects results in a changing scene as winter advances. Views from upstairs windows will show aspects of the garden not seen at ground level. Are there rooms in the house that you use more in the winter than in the summer? Create a lovely winter view by choosing plants with four-season interest.

Homemade Deer Repellents

Many of our gardening friends and clients ask for advice on keeping deer away from their gardens. In addition to commercial products such as Deer Off and Milorganite fertilizer, we have received these two tips for home made repellents from fellow garden club members:

Hot & Stinky Deer Repellent

Puree in blender until as thin and smooth as possible:

3 T. or more minced garlic

3 T. hot sauce

3 eggs

Pour into a gallon bottle

Add:

12 oz Wilt-Pruf concentrate (available at Walmart, garden supply or hardware stores)

Add water to fill the gallon jug.

Let sit one day.

Shake before using. Apply directly to plants with watering can or a spraybottle. You may have to enlarge the holes. The Wilt-Pruf makes it rain- and deer-resistant for months.

Egg Deer Repellent

Another friend swears by this simpler version:

Beat 2 eggs and place in a gallon jug with another water to fill the jug. Let sit one day.

Pour or spray on to plants.

The repellent lasts for several weeks.

Fabulous Mass Plantings for Fall

Ornamental grasses surround a stone sculpture.

On tour through the Garden Conservancy, a stunning private Fairfield County, Conn. garden provided an inspiring lesson in mass planting. Created by AHBL Landscape Architects of Seattle, Wash., the 8-acre garden featured modern sculptures set in oceans of fall blooming perennials and ornamental grasses.

A huge circle of rudbeckia bisected by a decorative pool

Mass plantings of grasses and native perennials have been popularized by Dutch landscape designers such a Piet Oudolf, and have often been displayed in design trend magazines such as Garden Design and Architectural Digest. This was my first time actually walking through such a garden, and I was amazed by its sheer size and impact. Plants were used not in groups of 3 or 5, but in groups of hundreds.

Geometric beds of weigela "Midnight Rose" and black mondo grass

​The garden was a juxtaposition of strong structure and soft plantings, of modern, geometric beds set against rolling fields and woods. Although I do not usually garden on such a grand scale, this garden was terrific inspiration for creating a “wow factor” with magnificent swaths of plants.

Sculptural metal containers with black mondo grass

Poolside hedge of Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'

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Hollister House Garden, Washington, CT

recent Garden Conservancy Tour brought me to Hollister House Garden, overlooking the rolling hills of Litchfield County in northwestern Connecticut. The garden surrounds a rambling 18th century house set on 25 acres of beautiful wooded countryside with a winding brook and large pond. The garden itself is modeled after such classic English gardens as Sissinghurst , Great Dixter and Hidcote—formal in its structure, but informal and a little wild in its style of planting. Its pathways lead you through a series terraced garden rooms surrounded by tall walls and hedges which offer inviting glimpses of the landscape beyond.

Hollister House Garden is a 30-year labor of love by antiques dealer George Schoellkopf. George ran a gallery of 18th and 19th century antiques and folk art in New York City, so the garden was a weekend hobby for many years. He collected old stone, brick, wood and other man-made materials to complement his historic house, barns and outbuildings. 100-year old granite curbing, salvaged from Hartford road renovation projects, forms terraces, wide stairs and pathways that lead the visitor from one garden room to the next.

 The garden at Hollister House is abundant with both common and exotic plants, arranged in captivating combinations. Highlights of the garden in May include extensive plantings of tulips, iris and forget-me-nots, followed by old-fashioned roses and hybrid peonies in June, a magnificent 60-foot-tall Stewartia pseudocamellia covered in white blossoms in July, and unusual daylilies and true lilies in August. During my visit in late August, I was treated to towering dahlias, hydrangeas, Joe Pye Weed and stands of phlox.

Hollister House Garden is located in Washington, CT, and open to the public on Saturdays from late April to late September. It can be combined with a trip to White Flower Farm in neighboring Litchfield and Cricket Hill Nursery (specializing in peonies) in nearby Thomaston. For more information about visiting Hollister House, see hollisterhousegarden.org. The garden was featured on the Martha Stewart Show in 2010, and a video tour of the garden is available at www.marthastewart.com/251662/hollister-house-english-garden. Treat yourself to a visit to this garden destination!

Sweet Autumn Clematis Perfumes the Early Fall Garden

Although some Clematis have a reputation for being difficult to grow, Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora, formerly C. paniculata) is a vigorous vine that adds beauty and fragrance to the fall garden.

After two unsuccessful attempts at growing clematis, I became disillusioned and gave up on these lovely vines. A new friend whose garden featured close to twenty types of clematis scrambling over arbors and winding their way through perennial beds convinced me to give them another chance. She recommended the two easiest varieties to try: Clematis montana, which blooms in the spring, and Clematis terniflora, which blooms in the fall. I planted one on each side of a small wooden arbor with a bench, backed by a stand of tall lilacs, and have enjoyed their spring and fall displays ever since.

Native to Japan, Sweet Autumn Clematis is a twining deciduous vine, with shiny, deep green, leathery leaves. From late August to October, is is covered with a profusion of dainty, white, star-shaped blossoms with a sweet vanilla scent. The flowers mature into a silvery mass of fluffy, plume-like seedheads, which are almost as showy as the blooms themselves.

Sweet Autumn Clematis is a rapid grower, and can reach a height of 30 feet with a 10-foot spread. It can cover a small trellis or arbor in one season. This makes it an ideal plant for covering an unsightly feature or providing seasonal privacy around a deck or patio. It is also an attractive way to break up an expanse of solid wood fence. To keep the growth in check, you can cut the stems back to 12 inches in the spring. This clematis blooms on the current year’s growth, so no flowers are lost with early season pruning.

Clematis terniflora thrives in Zones 4-9, and unlike many clematis, will bloom well in both full sun and part shade. It prefers a rich soil with good drainage. The crown should be planted 3-4 inches below the soil surface to protect dormant buds from frost damage and injury from cultivation. Clematis prefer a cool root run which can be achieved with a flat stone at the base, with mulch, or with annuals or shallow-rooted perennials planted around them. I feed my Sweet Autumn Clematis in early spring with the same balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer that I use on all my perennials, shrubs and trees.

Although generally trouble-free, all clematis varieties are susceptible to fungi that can cause the vine to suddenly wilt and turn brown or black. These stems should be pruned out and destroyed, and the pruning shears disinfected with a bleach solution. Generally, this disease is not fatal, as dormant buds will send up new growth from the crown. All parts of clematis plants are toxic, so they are not suitable for gardens with young children or pets.

I have found Sweet Autumn Clematis to be an undemanding, attractive addition to my garden, and my clematis collection is growing every year. If you have a large structure to cover, give Sweet Autumn Clematis a try – it is a gorgeous vine for the fall garden.

Orienpet Lilies Dazzle the Mid-Summer Garden

As a gardener, I have always been attracted to perennials that have a bold presence in the garden – mammoth hostas, towering Joe Pye Weed, tree-sized heleniums, 30-foot tall rambler roses. My garden is large, with flowerbeds surrounded by expanses of lawn and framed by huge maples and Norway Spruces. Tiny plants just disappear in the surrounding greenery.

So when I first heard Kerry Mendez of Perennially Yours rave about her giant Orienpet Lilies, I was intrigued. I ordered a collection of 12 mixed bulbs from White Flower Farm, and have found them to be just as spectacular and easy to grow as Kerry promised.

My gorgeous Orienpets have topped 7 feet in height, with each flower stalk sporting a dozen or more giant blooms. The flowers are gracefully curved, with colors ranging from clear white to soft pastels to bold golds, magentas and oranges. Each flower is sprinkled with spots and freckles (called “spreckles” in lily breeder circles.)

Best of all is their fragrance, at once spicy, sweet and musky. Orienpet lilies perfume the garden from sunrise through the long summer evenings. In my foyer, three lily stalks create a sumptuous bouquet that fills the whole house with its heady scent.

Although they originated more than 50 years ago, the stunning Orienpets did not become available in the garden flower trade until the early 1990s. Orientpet lilies are the result of complex crosses of Oriental lilies from Japan and Trumpet lilies from China - hence their name.

Like most hybrids, Orienpets inherit the best qualities of their parents. They combine the stature and ease of the trumpets with the wide flowers and spicy fragrance of the Orientals. These hybrids exhibit more vigor than either parent – more strength and disease resistance, as well as a higher tolerance of extreme hot and cold temperatures. They flourish in Zones 3 to 6, and bloom from mid-July to mid-August, a time when many other lilies have already faded.

Orienpet lilies are easy to grow, provided they have excellent drainage, average moisture, and at least 6 hours per day of dappled sunlight. They will not thrive in deep shade and blasting sun will fade their blooms quickly. As with all perennials, lilies grow best in soil amended with compost prior to planting. Bulbs should be planted in late fall, at a depth of three times the bulb diameter and at least 4 inches apart. They look best planted in groups of five or more bulbs. When the blooms have faded, they should be removed to direct energy to the bulb. The remaining stems should be cut back to the ground in fall after severe frost.

Although popular with rabbits, deer and woodchucks, the greatest threat to lilies in my garden is the lily beetle – a bright red insect that devours lily leaves, stems and flowers. I have tried various products and techniques to halt these destructive insects, but the simplest and most effective has been a sprinkling of Bayer Advanced 2-in-1 Rose and Flower Care around the base of each lily in early summer, just as the stems emerge.

The brilliant blooms and towering height of Orienpet lilies will astound visitors to your garden and delight you for many years to come. Plant some bulbs this fall for unsurpassed color, stature and scent next summer!

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Hydrangea Annabelle Continues to Please

Several years ago, I decided to create a flowerbed alongside my screened porch. I wanted a low-maintenance planting that would provide a beautiful view from the two areas where we entertain the most: the screened porch and the fenced garden. A hedge of Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, underplanted with two varieties of green and white hostas was a perfect solution for this east-facing side of the house.

As soon as the bright green hydrangeas and variegated hostas leaf out in May, I enjoy a beautiful border that lasts until the final days of autumn. The flower display begins when the hydrangea’s lime green buds appear in early June, then open to huge white snowball flowers, up to 12” across. The flowers last all summer long, then fade back to a soft green in early fall, and dry to a tawny brown in winter. The overall effect is lush yet serene, and the billowy hydrangea blooms are a perfect complement to my 100-year old house.

With so many new varieties of hydrangeas in the nurseries, why choose the old-fashioned Annabelle? Having grown Annabelle in another corner of the garden for several years, my decision was an easy one. Annabelle genuinely lives up to its reputation of low maintenance, long bloom and no serious pest or disease problems. Annabelle is easily grown in average, well-drained soil in part shade. It can also grow in full sun as long as it is not exposed to drought, and in fairly deep shade, although there it does not flower as profusely. During the first summer after planting, I watered my new hydrangeas regularly to get them established. Since then, they receive no supplemental water and look great all summer long.

Annabelle hydrangea is a very attractive cultivar of our native Hydrangea arborescens, with much larger flowers than the species. Annabelle is a naturally occurring cultivar that was discovered in the wild in Anna, Illinois. It is a deciduous shrub with large, serrated leaves and a rounded habit, typically growing 3-5’ tall. It is extremely cold-tolerant, recommended for zones 3-9. Best of all, unlike many other hydrangeas, Annabelle blooms on new wood. This is a huge bonus for northern gardeners. I have often been asked why a hydrangea does not bloom reliably. Many hydrangeas form their flower buds on last year’s growth, and these buds freeze over the winter, resulting in no flowers for the next year.

Many hydrangea species are susceptible to bud blight, leaf spot, bacterial wilt and mildew, but Annabelle exhibits excellent resistance to these diseases. Although Annabelle’s stems are fairly strong, the weight of the flowers, especially after a rain storm, can cause the flowers to droop. This can be corrected with staking, low fencing, massing several plants together, and pruning the plants in late fall or early spring. I like to leave the dried flower heads on the plants for winter interest, and then cut back the stems in spring to about 18”. I also remove any dead stems at this time, and any rooted stems that can be used elsewhere in the garden. This produces plants with strong stems and keeps my shrubs to an acceptable size.

Annabelle hydrangea can be used in many ways in the garden: as a hedge, a specimen, as erosion control, or in a rain garden. It’s also my number one source for cut and dried flowers. Since it is so attractive and has so many uses, I have been propagating my shrubs to increase my supply. The easiest method is to remove rooted side stems in ealy spring with pruners or a sharp spade, preferably before they leaf out. I usually grow these on in a nursery bed for a year, where they enjoy the best garden soil and extra water and attention. Softwood cuttings, about 6-8 inches long, taken in May or June and dipped in rooting powder will also root readily. Annabelle hydrangea is widely available in garden centers and in friend’s gardens, so give it a try and discover why it is perhaps the most popular flowering shrub in American gardens.

Centaurea Montana: A Cottage Garden Favorite

Centaurea montana captured my interest many years ago, when I saw it in the garden of the Holliston Historical Society. The flowers of this Mountain Bluet were similar to the annual cornflower that I had grown from seed, but they were much larger, on a plant sporting silvery, fuzzy leaves and a bushy habit. Best of all, Centaurea montana was a perennial, so it would not need to be planted every year. I was sold, and shortly acquired three plants of my own.

Centaurea montana, also called “Perennial Bachelor’s Button”, has been flowering in gardens for centuries. Equally at home in cottage gardens or more naturalized settings, Centaurea is an old-fashioned flower with a relaxed habit, and long-lasting, boisterous blooms that are equally charming in a vase as they are in a garden bed. Its bright blue flowers open from attractive buds in late spring, then leave behind a mass of vigorous, silvery-green woolly foliage. In my early summer garden, the cornflower hue complements the blues of baptisia, geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’, salvias and alliums, and contrasts with the bright yellow blooms of ‘Stella d’Oro’ daylilies, sundrops, and the foliage of dicentra ‘Gold Heart’ and lamium ‘Cannon’s Gold’.

Centaurea’s history extends all the way back to ancient Greek mythology. When Chiron the Centaur was wounded by one of Hercules’ poisoned arrows, he was cured by this herb’s amazing healing powers. In times past, Centaurea was appreciated for its astringent herb qualities, and its flowers were used to treat minor wounds, mouth ulcers and eye ailments such as conjunctivitis. Today, extracts of the plant are used in shampoos and conditioners.

As a garden plant, I have found Centaurea montana to be a versatile perennial that grows best in full sun to light shade in ordinary garden soil. It tolerates drought once established, but will not thrive in waterlogged conditions. Its short stature makes it ideal for the front or middle of a perennial border. Centaurea blooms in late May to late June, at which point I cut it back to secondary stems for continued blooms. Once the plant starts to look ragged in mid-summer, I trim back the stalks to the basal leaves, and wait for a second flush of blooms in late summer. After flowering, Centaurea montana self-seeds freely, creating welcome drifts in cottage gardens. I always have enough plants to share with friends but not so many that I find it invasive.

New hybrids of Centaurea montana have recently been introduced. ‘Amethyst in Snow’ has silky white blooms with royal purple centers. My friend Kathy grows this Centaurea in a garden filled with dark purple bearded iris, purple heuchera, and Rhododendron ‘Calsap’, with its striking white blossoms adorned by a dark purple splotch. Echoes of purple and white accented by chartreuse and yellow create a garden that is energetic and fresh.

Another new cultivar of Centaurea Montana is ‘Gold Bullion’, a dramatic combination of electric yellow foliage, black-etched buds, and lacy, bright blue flowers.

‘Black Sprite’ is a dramatic hybrid with purplish black flowers that bloom from July to August and would look terrific underplanted with Black Mondo Grass. Whether you prefer the cottage look of the original cornflower blue Centaurea, or the modern appeal of ‘Black Sprite’, Centaurea montana will add an interesting twist to your summer garden.

The Mayapple: A Native Woodland Colonizer

During my first visit to Monticello last month, I came across a wonderful book that piqued my interest in native plants. Andrea Wulf’s highly engaging The Brother Gardeners brings to life the science and adventure of eighteenth-century plant collecting, beginning with colonial farmer John Bartram who started shipping seeds of our native plants to English collectors in 1733. English plant lovers were entranced by the hundreds of unusual American trees and shrubs, from magnolias and firs, to rhododendrons and mountain laurels, to the wildflowers of the woodlands and prairies. Since Bartram lived in Pennsylvania, one of the perennials that he must have sent to England was our native Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum, which is currently blooming in my garden.

Mayapple is yet another spring ephemeral – a perennial woodland wildflower that blooms early in the spring (May in Massachusetts), sets seed and then disappears by midsummer. Native in eastern North America south to Texas, Mayapple is hardy from zones 3 to 8, and makes a lovely addition to the woodland garden. The plants poke out of the ground looking like shiny little folded umbrellas, and then quickly unfold. From a single stem, each plant grows 12-18” tall, and produces one or two umbrella-like leaves that may be up to 12” in diameter. The leaves are deeply-divided, and a mass of Mayapples looks like a grove of miniature palm trees.

Mayapples are unique in that they have a solitary flower, which forms in the axil of the leaves. The nodding, white flower sports 6 to 9 waxy petals, and resembles an apple-blossom. (A rare new pink-flowered form, ‘Missoury May’, has recently been introduced and is available through specialty nurseries.)

The 2” blossom is usually hidden by the large leaves, so you have to get down low to appreciate its delicate beauty. After the flower is pollinated by bumblebees, each plant produces a fleshy, greenish lemon-shaped fruit (the apple) which turns golden when ripe. The fruit can be used for preserves and jellies, and apparently tastes like an overripe melon. However, since the rest of the plant—the leaves, roots, and unripe fruit—is highly toxic, I have not sampled it myself.

Mayapples are best grown in partial to full shade, in rich, well-drained, humusy soil. They will tolerate dry soil and drought once established. The plants colonize by underground stolons, forming dense mats. They do not like heavy competition from other plants. Although it is recommended that they be grown under deciduous trees, mine are growing well under the canopy of 75-foot tall Norway spruces. They are toughing it out in the company of mammoth hostas, bloodroot and Christmas ferns.

Mayapples may be propagated by root division while dormant in the fall. Each new division should have at least one bud. The plants will also self-sow in optimal growing conditions, but seedlings take several years to mature. Like trilliums, Mayapples should be enjoyed them in the garden, not in a vase. Picking the flowers is impossible without cutting the leaves as well, and the plants need the leaves to supply fuel for next year’s growth.

For gorgeous displays of Mayapples and other native woodland wildflowers, visit Garden in the Woods this month, the Framingham, Mass. home of the New England Wildflower Society. In addition to special programs, Garden in the Woods offers many unusual plant cultivars for sale, and is a great place to start your own native American plant collection.

Dwarf Crested Iris Brightens the Spring Garden

After a week of much-needed spring rain, the garden looks lush and expectant. Everywhere, there seems to be a new wonder to appreciate and admire. Hosta leaves unfurl, the blossoms of the crabapple trees are buzzing with bees, and the arching stems of old-fashioned bleeding heart are lined with dangling blooms. And, hugging the ground, a drift of dwarf crested iris offers delicate charm.

Dwarf crested iris (Iris cristata) is a small iris, less than 6 inches tall in bloom, with 2- to 3-inch wide flowers that hover just above its blade-shaped foliage. It spreads by creeping rhizomes, eventually forming a dense groundcover. It is one of the most common of the irises that are native to the northeastern United States. It can be found growing on stream banks and on wooded slopes or rocky bluffs in its native habitats. Despite its delicate appearance, it is a tough little plant that is extremely hardy (Zones 3-9).

Most people are familiar with the tall bearded iris. The flowers of the dwarf crested iris are beardless. They are very showy, with three narrow petals and three broad, down-curved sepals. The sepals are centrally marked with a yellow or white band, with a crested ridge and a white splotch. Flower color is typically shades of blue-lavender, deep violet or white.

Iris cristata ‘Alba’ is the white form of the dwarf crested iris. The flowers are a particularly bright white color that is outstanding in moon gardens. Its softly spiky form and clear color enhance other garden plants. I have planted it in front of a yellow-leaf bleeding heart (Dicentra ‘Gold Heart’), a green-edged yellow Hosta (‘Golden Meadows’) and a dark pink azalea (‘Renee Michelle’); just dazzling.

Other garden-worthy Iris cristata cultivars include the dark purple ‘Navy Blue Gem’ and ‘Eco Purple Pomp’, the light blue ‘Powder Blue Giant’ and the ruffled blue ‘Shenandoah Sky’.

Dwarf crested iris prefers well-drained soil with moderate fertility and moisture. It will tolerate drought once established. It performs well in sun or shade, but does best in part-shade. When planted in sun, it requires extra moisture.

Its ability to perform well in shade increases its usefulness. When planted in both sunny and shady areas of the perennial border, it helps create unity through repetition. At the shaded end of my mixed border, I have planted it amongst ferns, Epimediums and hostas (H. ‘Yin’ and H. ‘Allegan Fog’). In a sunnier location, it keeps company with assorted campanulas, Heuchera ‘Venus’ and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’.

Dwarf crested iris is an excellent plant for the home garden. It is lovely planted along the edge of a path or perennial border. It will naturalize in woodland gardens, where it will produce great swaths of springtime color. Like all irises, it is deer resistant. It will grow and bloom in dry shade.

By Joan Butler

Woodland Phlox: A Natural Mingler

To many gardeners, the name phlox conjures up images of a fragrant perennial in the sunny mid-summer border. There is another phlox, however, Phlox divericata, that creates a cloud of shimmering blue and violet in woodland shade.

Woodland phlox is a delightful spring-blooming native that forms a creeping mound about one foot tall. As the common name suggests, it is a woodland wildflower, growing in forests, fields, and alongside streams. It prefers light to full shade, moist soil and a summer mulch of shredded leaves or bark. The foliage forms a mat of loosely entwined stems with semi-evergreen oblong leaves. The stems are both hairy and sticky.

Although its foliage does not have a strong presence, Woodland phlox makes up for this with ethereal drifts of flowers, in hues ranging from sky blue to violet, to rose and soft white. The sweetly scented blooms are formed in loose clusters of tubular flowers, each up to 1.5" wide, with five flat, notched, petal-like lobes that appear at the stem tips.

Woodland phlox is a natural mingler, chatting its way across the woodland floor. It weaves in and out of neighboring flowers, complementing spring flowering bulbs and providing a carpet for taller perennials.

As the leafy shoots spread along the ground, they root at the nodes, creating nice colonies. It is a great plant for naturalizing since it also self-sows to create soft drifts that blend well with other woodlanders.

Woodland phlox is what landscape design guru Piet Oudolf would call a “filler plant”. Plants are either “structure” or “filler” plants depending on their form, shape and texture. Structure plants have outspoken personalities that dominate their neighbors, while filler plants, which lack a strong presence of their own, weave around the others and fill in gaps. Filler plants like Woodland phlox, with its creeping form and soft hue, are vital to the garden, creating a seamless flow in the overall design.

Desirable cultivars of Phlox divericata include ‘Clouds of Perfume’ with its pronounced fragrance and  powder-blue flowers; ‘May Breeze’, a soft-white phlox introduced by Piet Oudolf, and ‘Blue Moon’, the favorite dark blue selection of Bill Cullina, curator of the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden.

Variegated Kousa Dogwood: The “Eyes” Have It

Plants with variegated foliage add interest and vitality to the home landscape. They brighten shady corners and create a feeling of depth and movement in the shrub border. In addition, they make a noticeable contribution throughout the entire growing season: colored leaves are longer lasting than the longest blooming flower.

Variegated plants help bring attention to plain green plants in their midst, by virtue of contrast. Large variegated plants should be selected judiciously. One or two contribute just the right amount of drama and clarification to the shrub border, too many overwhelm.

Variegation can take many forms. On some plants, green leaves are splashed or streaked with color, such as yellow, white and pink. On other plants, leaves may be edged with contrasting color. This can mean a green leaf outlined in white, or a white-centered leaf outlined in green. There are many variations on this theme, with purple, yellow and pink combining dramatically with shades of green to produce plants of stunning beauty.

One such plant is a variegated form of the popular kousa dogwood, Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’. This tough, shrubby tree reaches a height of 10-15 feet at maturity and is nearly as wide as it is tall. It is an excellent small specimen tree and is a valuable addition to the shrub border. It flowers in late spring, after our native dogwood. Each bloom is made up of four white, pointy bracts that can last up to 6 weeks. These are followed by red, raspberry-like fruits that are produced in late summer.

Like other kousa dogwoods, ‘Wolf Eyes’ prefers fertile, acidic soil that is neither very wet nor very dry. It is considered disease-free and has few pests. Mature trees have mottled, attractive bark that adds to its beauty and provides winter interest.

It is the show-stopping foliage of the ‘Wolf Eyes’ kousa that sets it apart. Each 3-inch-long, grey-green leaf is margined with white. This contrasting leaf edging emphasizes the leaf shape: elliptical with wavy, rippled edges. New summer growth is flushed with pink, as are the new branches. Fall brings these pink tones to every leaf, for a distinctive autumn show.

I have planted a ‘Wolf Eyes’ kousa in my shrub border, where it simultaneously  is accented by and calls attention to adjacent all-green shrubs such as longstalk hollies and rhododendrons. It is a harmonious companion to hostas that echo its white-edged leaf variegation, such as H.’Cherub’ and H.‘Tambourine’. It is complemented by other green-and-white variegated perennials that have distinctly different forms: a dwarf striped grass and a stand of Solomon’s Seal.

Grouping different variegated plants can sometimes produce garden chaos, but this collection has a sense of serenity and harmony. This is achieved by casting the ‘Wolf Eyes’ kousa in the leading role and pairing it with plants that either have related variegation or no variegation.

Even within a named cultivar, such as ‘Wolf Eyes’, variegation can vary from plant to plant. When I was selecting my tree, I had six specimens to choose from at the nursery. The variegation was slightly different on each one, so leaf pattern was an important consideration for me, as was tree health and branch structure. Ultimately, I chose one that had extremely wavy leaves and green flecks in the white margin. This tree never fails to elicit comments and questions from guests, who find it just as fascinating and gorgeous as I do.

‘Wolf Eyes’ kousa dogwood is as eye-catching as its name suggests. Its stunning variegated foliage, white flowers and mottled bark add drama, beauty and distinction to the home garden and landscape.

By Joan Butler

Erythronium: What’s in a Nam

Every spring, there are a few new plants on my “plant lust” list – plants that I have read about or seen and just have to add to my garden. This year, the spring flowering Erythronium is high on the list. Depending on what part of the country you’re from, you may know Erythronium by a different name – perhaps Adder's Tongue, Dogtooth Violet, Trout Lily, Glacier Lily, Serpent's Tongue, Deer Tongue, or Yellow Snowdrop.

Whatever you call them, the 25 species of Erythronium are among the earliest of our native lilies to bloom in the spring. Most of the species are native to Western North America but there are also a few native to the Northeast and to Eurasia. These long-lived plants can be found in deciduous woodlands, sometimes in sizable colonies that can be up to 300 years old. They grow with other spring ephemerals such as Trillium, Hepatica and Uvullaria.

Erythronium’s distinctive silver or brown-mottled leaves basal leaves resemble the coloring of brook trout, hence the common name “Trout Lily”. Plants typically grow 6-12” tall. Their single, nodding bell-shaped flowers somewhat resemble violets. The flowers may be white, yellow or pink, depending on the species. Petals and sepals are bent backwards exposing six brown stamens. Erythronium’s flowers may last ten days to three weeks, depending on the temperature. The leaves last into June as the bulb goes dormant. They should not be removed until completely dried up, as they provide nourishment for the underground corm.

 Some of the more common species include Erythronium americanum (Trout lily,) with yellow flowers tinged with red, Erythronium albidum (White Dogtooth Violet), and the widely-available native hybrid 'Pagoda' which sports 3-5 flowers per stem in a rich yellow with a contrasting central reddish eye ring. In the garden, Erythroniums will readily hybridize if you plant two or more species together, yielding new combinations of flower color and foliage pattern.

Although Erythronium may be grown from seed, they will not flower for 4-5 years. Quicker and better results are obtained from planting corms, which are sold by many bulb suppliers and nurseries. The tiny white corms have a tooth-like shape, which lead to the common name “Dogtooth Violet”.

Like other spring-flowering bulbs, Erythronium corms should be planted in fall, 2-3” deep and 4-5” apart, and mulched well. The corms will produce stolons, and new plants will slowly spread to form large colonies if left undisturbed in optimum growing conditions. Offsets from mature plants may also be harvested and planted to increase your supply of these lovely plants.

Erythronium grow best under deciduous trees in a deep, fertile loamy soil. They should not be planted where the soil remains wet, as the corms may rot. They can also be naturalized in thin lawns or grown in shrub beds around rhododendrons and other part-shade lovers.

Erythronium are beautiful additions to the early spring garden, and combine well with species tulips, epimedium and other early bulbs. Since their foliage disappears for the summer, they can be planted where later growing perennials will take their place. I am looking forward to adding these woodland lilies to my shady border and enjoying their elegant blooms next spring.

Miniature Hostas: It's a Small World

Miniature and dwarf hosta are gaining in popularity. They are widely used in troughs and rock gardens. When planted in the landscape, they look best grouped together, accented with other tiny perennials and conifers.

An elevated position is particularly useful when planting miniature hostas, to bring them closer to eye level. This incredible planter is actually a water trough in a garden in PA. The mix of texture and form and fascinating plant choices give this distinction.

This astounding display is from a garden in Bridgewater: three rusted oil tanks cut in half, filled with miniature and small hosta. Use your imagination! Anything can be adapted for use as a container.

This trio is an example of a variegation connection, pairing plants that have different amounts of the same two colors. In the front we have 'Bitsy Gold', and the ginger is Asarum naniflorum 'Eco Décor'. Labeling miniatures discretely can be difficult. This gardener used flat river rocks with black labels, a creative solution.

'Blue Mouse Ear is a miniature/small hosta. Here it is paired with the variegated dwarf grass, 'Beatlemania', pulmonaria, and the miniature Epimedium 'Liliputian'. Many sports of 'Blue Mouse Ears' have been introduced, including 'Cat and Mouse', 'Country Mouse', Mighty Mouse' and 'Snow Mouse'.

With so many possible uses and occupying such a small amount of real estate, is it any wonder that miniature hostas are gaining in popularity?

Beautiful Bold Bergenias

Plants with “multiple seasons of interest” are all the rage in gardening circles, and for me, Bergenias fit the bill. Most Bergenias are evergreen perennials that remain attractive all year. Their rounded, bold leaves set off the feathery foliage of ferns and conifers, the slender leaves of iris, or the small oval leaves of boxwood.

As cooler weather sets in, the leaves develop rich winter coloring, ranging from purple to maroon, crimson, bronze and even beet red. Popular in Europe, these valuable plants have been largely neglected by American gardeners. If you want to add a lush, elegant, easy-care plant to your garden this spring, look for a Bergenia.

Bergenias are native to central Asia, from Afghanistan to China and the Himalayas, and belong to the Saxifrage family – closely related to Heucheras, Astilbes, Tiarellas, Rodgersias and Mukdenias. Most members of the Saxifrage family have a flower cluster held well above their basal whorl of leaves, and many grow in rocky places, hence the scientific name which means “stone breaker”. Bergenias were named in honor of the 18th century botanist Karl August von Bergen. Like other garden plants, Bergenias have inherited colorful common names that illustrate their traits: “elephant ears” for the shape of their leaves, and “pigsqueaks” for the sound that you get when you rub their leaves with your fingers.

There are ten different species of Bergenia with variations in plant height and flower colors. I grow the most popular species – Bergenia cordifolia, with its heart-shaped leaves. The plants are about 18” tall, with evergreen foliage that turns a rich burgundy color in fall and winter. In late April, red stalks produce beautiful clusters of bell-shaped pink flowers and the leaves turn to a rich glossy green. In my garden, Bergenia’s large, leathery leaves complement the finely cut maroon foliage of a ‘Crimson Queen’ Japanese maple, a small-leaved boxwood, purple coral bells and pink peonies.

I originally planted three Bergenias, which have slowly multiplied to a drift of about twenty-five. The plants grow from long, tube-like underground roots called rhizomes, and can be divided every 2-3 years to avoid crowding and ensure the best blooms. Mine enjoy a partly shaded, sloped bed, which provides excellent drainage. Other than trimming any tattered leaves in the early spring, and deadheading spent flower stalks, the plants are totally carefree. In general, Bergenias are very cold-hardy, thriving in zones 3-7 in the Eastern U.S. They prefer a somewhat protected location, however, since winter winds will scorch and tear their large evergreen leaves. I have two clumps growing on either side of a low evergreen shrub, and the windward clump always looks more haggard in the spring than the leeward clump.

Although Bergenias are outstanding foliage plants, you can find variations in bloom color from white to ruby red and purple. Interesting varieties include ‘Bressingham White’ (white blooms), ‘Baby Doll’ (baby-pink), ‘Apple Blossom (pale pink with red calyx) and ‘Eroica’ (reddish pink).

For something completely different, you can grow one of the recently introduced variegated cultivars. ‘Tubby Andrews’ is green streaked with gold and cream, while ‘Solar Flare’, is similar to a hosta, with a green center and irregular cream and yellow margins. Both sport dark pink blooms. When the cold weather hits, the foliage of these plants takes on various tints of pinks and reds, creating a real showstopper in the garden.

No matter which Bergenia you choose, you will be rewarded with many seasons of beauty in your garden.

Welcome Spring with Species Tulips

We are all familiar with the grand Dutch hybrid tulips that grace our gardens in late May, and were the cause of  the “Tulipmania” frenzy in Holland 400 years ago. But the parent cultivars of those tulips, less well-known but equally beautiful, are the “species” or “botanical” tulips. Smaller and simpler than hybrid tulips, species tulips delight the gardener with vivid colors, diverse forms, interesting foliage and arresting fragrance from early April to early May.

I had always thought that tulips came from Holland, and it wasn’t until a trip to Istanbul ten years ago that I learned that they are actually indigenous to Central Asia. Tulips have been cultivated in Turkey for almost one thousand years, and were brought to Europe by an Austrian ambassador to the Turkish Empire. European gardeners saw a resemblance between the flower's shape and Turkish headwear, and dubbed the flower "tulipan", from "tuilbend", the Turkish word for "turban". Tulips were favored by Ottoman sultans, who staged poetry and musical evenings in their expansive tulip gardens, illuminated by candle lanterns on tortoise backs. The reign of Sultan Ahmed III (1718-1730) is in fact called the “Tulip Era,” an era of peace and tranquility, when tulips enjoyed particular popularity in the arts and folklore. Tulips are still widely used to embellish tiles, ceramics and textiles today, and I happily brought home a souvenir tile set decorated with a tulip motif.

Species tulips still grow wild in the mountain ranges, gorges and remote meadows of Central Asia, but they also thrive in the US zones 4-7, preferring areas where winters are neither too warm or too wet. They prefer full sun and excellent drainage. Unlike hybrid tulips, they are hardy and long-lived. Because they thrive in poor soil and rocky areas, species tulips are a classic choice for rock gardens. They look wonderful planted in casual drifts in the woodland garden or combined with other spring bloomers such as grape hyacinths, windflowers and small early daffodils at the front of the perennial border. Species tulips should be planted in groupings of at least 6 bulbs for best effect, and each bulb should be surrounded by sharp sand during planting. This provides the drainage that they demand and protects the bulbs from tunneling rodents.

With more than 150 cultivars offering a wide range of colors, sizes and interesting foliage, it is easy to develop your own “Tulipmania” for species tulips.  Some of the most popular include Tulipa kaufmanniana, the Waterlily Tulip, whose flowers open wide to form six-pointed stars, and T. fosteriana, a bright red species that is widely available. Other notable varieties include T. tarda, with white star-shaped blooms and bright yellow centers, T. clusiana, the Peppermint Tulip, with creamy white and red striped petals and T. pulchella, a small early bloomer. For exotic looks, you can’t beat T. acuminata, the Fireflame Tulip, with its wispy, spidery, yellow and red petals. For fragrance, you can try T. sylvestris, T. marjolettii and the early blooming T. batalini, with its pointed buds that resemble a wizard’s cap.

The greatest selection of species tulips can be found in the fall from mail-order bulb nurseries, including johnscheepers.com, vanengelen.com and brentandbeckysbulbs.com.

Spring Ephemerals: Adapted for Success

There are hundreds of species of flowers that are native to the woodlands of northeastern North America, and nearly 90% of them bloom in the spring. Spring ephemerals are among the first of the woodland plants to emerge, allowing them to take full advantage of the available sunlight, moisture and nutrients of the forest floor. This gives them a head start in the race to fulfill the biological imperative of all flowering plants: the production of seeds for the continuation of the species.

However, blooming so early is not without risk. It requires unique evolutionary strategies and adaptations. Many spring ephemerals have developed complex relationships with other organisms in their eco-niche that encourage successful pollination and seed production. In addition, many have specific physical and structural characteristics that give them advantages in the potentially harsh conditions of early spring.

Small Size

Spring ephemerals are small plants. The forest floor thaws from top to bottom, so water and nutrients are available in the top level of the soil first, allowing smaller plants with their shallow root systems to become active before larger plants. This gives spring ephemerals a competitive edge in successful flower and seed production.

Growth Habit

Many spring ephemerals have physical characteristics that offer protection during the cold nights of early spring.  Bloodroot traps warm air with its thick leaves that envelop the flower bud and the flower stem, shielding them from frost. Other plants, such as Hepatica, have stems that are covered with dense hairs that resemble a fur coat. The hairs prevent ice condensation and act as insulators, thus protecting very early bloomers from damaging frosts.

Pollination

Some woodland plants bloom before most pollinators are active. For example, skunk cabbage blooms so early that the only insect pollinators available are flies. The fetid odor of skunk cabbage is an adaptation designed to attract flies and ensure pollination.

Hepatica is another early bloomer, with blossoms that span the time of available pollinators. Hepatica relies on flies as well as early bees, beetles and moths for pollination.

Our native bumble bees are essential to the reproductive success of many spring ephemerals, such as Dutchman’s breeches.

Seed Dispersal

Many woodland perennials rely on wind, or birds, or water to spread their seeds.  Others, like bloodroot and trilliums, have their seeds spread by ants, a process called myremecochory. Ants gather the seeds and store them in underground nests where they feed upon a fleshy appendage attached to each seed. In this way, the ants essentially plant the seeds in an environment where they stay protected until they germinate the following spring. A single ant colony may collect over a thousand seeds in a season, but they do not move them a great distance. In general, a seed is carried no more than two meters from the parent plant. Because offspring and parent plant remain in close proximity, their existence is easily threatened. When their habitat is disturbed or they are removed from the woodland (by changing environmental factors and human or animal activity), it is rare that they recur.

Deer Resistance

After a long winter, foraging deer are fond of fresh new plant growth.  Most spring ephemerals have developed adaptations that make them unpalatable to deer, including hairy stems and leaves, and poisonous sap.

Spring ephemerals and other early-blooming woodland perennials have developed ecological strategies for flowering, pollination and seed production that are completely reliant on the seasonal cycles of our native woodlands, on the growth patterns of our native plants, and on the availability of our native pollinators. In spring, our woodland floors are carpeted with the blooms of wildflowers that are wondrous examples of the complex inter-relatedness of the natural world.

By Joan Butler

Spring Ephemerals: Early to Bed and Early to Rise

My husband’s Uncle Charles is an avid outdoorsman who loves to hike and canoe all over the country. At the young age of 81, he is constantly conquering another river, portaging his canoe over landmass obstacles or encountering a bear in the campground of a national park. When we started writing our gardening articles last year, I learned that he is also an avid naturalist, and has been photographing our native wildflowers for years. I had just recently become interested in spring ephemerals, and knew most of them only from friends’ gardens. It was a thrill to see his photos of Hepatica, Bloodroot, Trilliums, Erythronium, Jeffersonia, Uvullaria, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and Phlox captured in their forest habitats throughout the U.S. and Canada.

For those of us gardening in northern climates, spring ephemerals stretch the gardening season with their early blooms. Many spring ephemerals are native to our North American woodlands, where springtime begins slowly and ends with a crescendo of blossoms that carpet the forest floor in May. These early wildflowers can be effective and adaptable additions to the home shade garden.

 You will be surprised at the number and variety of cultivars of our early spring bloomers: 40 species of trillium, 20 species of erythronium, more than 100 cultivars of hepatica, to name just a few—there are ample opportunities for collectors!

As with all living things, having knowledge of a plant’s natural habitat and lifecycle produces success in the home garden. Spring ephemerals represent a unique ecological strategy and share these traits:

Quick Growth Cycle. Spring ephemerals are perennial wildflowers that develop their aerial parts - stems, leaves, and flowers - early each spring and then quickly bloom, go to seed and die back to their underground parts (roots, rhizomes, and bulbs) for the remainder of the year. Many emerge in April and are completely gone by June.

 Forest Dwellers. In early spring, the forest provides a warmer habitat than open field. Trees absorb the heat of the sun with their trunks and slowly radiate this heat to the air at night, when frost is still a threat to small plants. Until the trees leaf out, the sun’s rays can thaw and warm the soil of the forest floor. Trees also act as a windbreak, reducing the “wind chill” factor in the woodland.

 Reaching for the Light. Spring ephemerals take full advantage of early spring sun by blossoming before the forest trees leaf out.

 Moisture Lovers. Early spring is also the time of year when soil moisture is at the highest because the trees are not actively soaking up all the available water.

 Early Feeders. Soil nutrients are at their highest levels in early spring, when decay of the previous year’s leaves produces a bumper crop of nutrients in the soil. The spring ephemerals have first crack at this abundant food supply.

 Early to Bed. Once the leaves of taller plants expand and command the light and water, the ephemerals simply go dormant. Reserving the nutrients they gathered in their tubers, rhizomes, or other underground storehouses, they wait quietly until they can be “early to rise” the following year.

So if you want to add beauty and interest to your early spring gardens, look for the spring ephemerals that will enchant you with their woodland wildflower magic.

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