tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65963212898720808752024-03-05T04:16:03.430-05:00Lifestyle GardenI believe gardening can be a key component of gratifying lifestyles. How to do that is the theme of this blog. Gardening can create a desirable living environment, provide us an avenue to connect with other living things, and offer us a creative outlet. It is an entree to a system of life on earth that can be as simple as enjoying a homegrown carrot or as complex as massaging a garden into a plant community in equilibrium. CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A CLOSER VIEWLife Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-55078133604996499922018-09-02T09:29:00.000-04:002018-09-02T09:29:26.168-04:00Late August is always memorable thanks to Actea japonica (Cimicifuga japonica). I have had this stand under a massive Norway spruce for almost two decades and it never fails to please. Capturing it in a photograph, however, has always been a challenge. This year I used my cell phone and I like the results.<br />
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<br />Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-39055210220109102662017-09-19T15:53:00.002-04:002017-09-19T15:53:56.415-04:00Hardy October Blooming Perennials<div class="MsoNormal">
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I searched all the pictures I have taken in October over the
last six years and found far more blooming perennials than I could mention
here. Many of them begin blooming in August or September but carry on well into
October such as Japanese anemones. One of my favorites is <i>Anemone x hybrida</i> ‘Whirlwind’. There are also lots of different
Asters and ornamental grasses that meet this descripton. For example, I
particularly enjoy my ground hugging <i>Aster
ericoides</i> ‘Snowflurry’ in combination with various upright stonecrops like <i>Hylotelephium</i> x ‘Autumn Joy’. Curiously,
despite the name (Autumn Joy) the upright stonecrop is finished blooming by
October, but remnants of the flowers still make a nice companion for my <i>Aster</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ibukaPfce7-jLTe3VXHfM3AXRRk7B5PylBmbEXrb5epPVh5NT3z0YtqOqkMygFIx2bhPhcmqWK9YNVHaVs53hhO8HkyOZ3hdCvDafXbiKyQARmk7FQXZuYVkOF1kbIwdqekEzhpDZAY/s1600/DSC_0309-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ibukaPfce7-jLTe3VXHfM3AXRRk7B5PylBmbEXrb5epPVh5NT3z0YtqOqkMygFIx2bhPhcmqWK9YNVHaVs53hhO8HkyOZ3hdCvDafXbiKyQARmk7FQXZuYVkOF1kbIwdqekEzhpDZAY/s400/DSC_0309-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Aster ericoides</i>
‘Snow Flurry’ flowering with <i>Hylotelephium</i>
x ‘Autumn Joy’ on October 14<sup>th</sup>.</div>
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But what about the flowers that could be called denizens of
October? What are some flowers that, when everything is dying, suddenly you see
this thing blooming amongst the ruin of season's end? There is one plant that
especially comes to mind, <i>Aster tataricus</i>
(Tatarian Aster). It is defined by its late blooming season. Since 1992 I have
photographed it in bloom on seven occasions and as late as October 28<sup>th</sup>,
but never have I photographed it earlier than October 4<sup>th</sup>.</div>
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<i>Aster tataricus</i> as
seen on October 13<sup>th</sup>.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another hardy perennial whose flower show is almost
exclusively confined to October is a species of monkshood called <i>Aconitum carmichaelii</i>. A great variety
of that species that Kingwood and I both grow is called Barker’s Variety. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A species of monkshood, <i>Aconitum
carmichaelii</i>, blooming at my house on October 11<sup>th</sup>.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I can’t include in this list a couple of the most glorious
fall bloomers, a couple of non-hardy shrubby sages called <i>Salvia leucantha</i> (Mexican bush sage) and <i>Salvia greggii</i> (Texas
sage), even though they are frost resistant and never stop flowering in the
fall until they are frozen. Many gardeners find them so satisfactory they are
willing to start fresh with new plants from the garden center every year. There is, however, another sage called yellow
sage (<i>Salvia koyamae</i>) that has a
similar late season flowering persistence, albeit subtle. It makes a nice
groundcover even in heavy shade and has a pleasant display of yellow flowers well
into October. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Salvia koyamae</i>
blooming at my home on October 7<sup>th</sup>.<br />
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Finally, in this summary, there is the fall crocus. This is
not to be confused with the autumn crocus which also blooms in the fall. The
autumn crocus, despite the common name, is in the genus <i>Colchicum</i> and is widely planted for its typically pink flowers that
emerge in early September and often last until October. The fall crocus, on the
other hand has smaller flowers of varying color more like the spring blooming
crocus but that almost invariably bloom in October. For me, the allure is that
they are usually a pleasant surprise. Just when I think everything in the
garden is just about done just the flowers, no leaves, of the fall crocus emerge among the fall colors and fallen leaves. There are several species,
but the two I am most familiar with are <i>Crocus
kotschyanus</i>, which I grow, and <i>Crocus
orchroleucus</i> which I enjoy at Kingwood. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A species of fall crocus, <i>Crocus ochroleucus</i>, blooming October 26<sup>th</sup> at Kingwood
Center Gardens<o:p></o:p></div>
Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-60453383483347170002016-06-02T17:23:00.000-04:002016-06-02T17:25:21.434-04:00Thriving Siberian IrisIt is time to get this blog going again! A lot has been happening in my garden, Kingwood's garden, and gardens I visit and follow; so let's go:<br />
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I revisited irises over the last week in anticipation of using them as a topic for my next Kingwood Center Plant Talk television show. My special infatuation with irises started about ten years ago during which I acquired a flood of various iris for work and home. The enthusiasm tempered after a few years, so now I am looking back at which irises survived and thrived over those ten years and which have diminished and/or died.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizaDNz9P94NbTzxfdYW7dnPmt7qDwGg9pBUN3hMtPdfKzhjGBrukaR2vVS5FS6WseAS1L2yeci-0gZv7rW45dvQR8PUJu8JzFjKGDWKidZa-GWcxbS_uyOy3XB2u9r0Hkp_TMoaHcrGk/s1600/DSC_0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizaDNz9P94NbTzxfdYW7dnPmt7qDwGg9pBUN3hMtPdfKzhjGBrukaR2vVS5FS6WseAS1L2yeci-0gZv7rW45dvQR8PUJu8JzFjKGDWKidZa-GWcxbS_uyOy3XB2u9r0Hkp_TMoaHcrGk/s400/DSC_0170.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">First introduced in the 1930's 'Tropic Night' offers the old fashioned if yet gratifying traits of being tall, narrow leaved, basic blue and most importantly from the standpoint of this essay, vigorous. </span></td></tr>
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While gratified by the ones that hung in there with me I am surprised at how many have dwindled away under common circumstances. This is especially true of Siberian irises. The exciting new color forms have been especially susceptible to 'failure to thrive". Under what I would call the normal bumping and bruising of garden competition many Siberian iris just don't compete. It is primarily the old, species-type blue flowered Siberians that thrive. Some of the successful competitors are tetraploids, such and 'Blue Pennant', 'Coronation Anthem', and 'Teal Velvet'. Others are old diploids with the typical tall stature, narrow leaves and dark blue flowers like 'Tropic Night' and 'Tealwood', but all five of the varieties mentioned are more or less the basic blue you would expect from a Siberian iris. The white colored 'King of Kings' and the yellow 'Welfenschatz' (forget the ubiquitous 'Butter and Eggs') do a pretty good job, but, alas, would almost never be seen at a garden center. Garden centers offer horrible choices in Siberian irses. There is the default Siberian iris ('Caesar's Brother') which does very well and is that old typical blue diploid I spoke of above, but other than that it is a total roll of the dice whether you get a Siberian iris that will thrive in a dense garden.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHlTKl2l8JB7zDQhr3tYaoiVazap36_CGTvvcs_Khg6EGv_xBLOYUUxw056ugLiuPY8tE3qZpJNVIxzv0XzDwe6weLzHGhwoB0d4TdF8vY5cVkacfH-zXSlfH_LInwGyULklS6KqEzDs/s1600/DSC_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHlTKl2l8JB7zDQhr3tYaoiVazap36_CGTvvcs_Khg6EGv_xBLOYUUxw056ugLiuPY8tE3qZpJNVIxzv0XzDwe6weLzHGhwoB0d4TdF8vY5cVkacfH-zXSlfH_LInwGyULklS6KqEzDs/s400/DSC_0161.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">'Coronation Anthem' Siberian Iris, a long term survivor</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoPKthRl5vX1K4ikVwqvkxv1UQDuS1NCH3lOO55iQ0RV9oio_PnP9LZBsIqY6wDA1mQMFbAH8jKKP3ITOsOIPN8Y1ZHOX1baDQF8fEPoWiFZIwI5i6QmLHSZazZcgkWnQ7bg_MavCP3k/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoPKthRl5vX1K4ikVwqvkxv1UQDuS1NCH3lOO55iQ0RV9oio_PnP9LZBsIqY6wDA1mQMFbAH8jKKP3ITOsOIPN8Y1ZHOX1baDQF8fEPoWiFZIwI5i6QmLHSZazZcgkWnQ7bg_MavCP3k/s400/DSC_0164.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<span style="font-size: small;">Welfenschatz' is certainly the most obscure variety mentioned in this article, but it is the best yellow of several I have tried and it is still available on line. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWv87sHm7pggDqy5kFVnrhJ6xVQBEyi2bOzkiqeecp-poD5h9kz5IPKKaRF1dsIxRnV0J0u04FvyrPZGgeTDXeaHMAfK3Uy3zt3NA-dDw5d1sbOt5h5vgX3ZhEru79A1iFR0y-I4bPTo/s1600/DSC_0661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWv87sHm7pggDqy5kFVnrhJ6xVQBEyi2bOzkiqeecp-poD5h9kz5IPKKaRF1dsIxRnV0J0u04FvyrPZGgeTDXeaHMAfK3Uy3zt3NA-dDw5d1sbOt5h5vgX3ZhEru79A1iFR0y-I4bPTo/s400/DSC_0661.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">'King of Kings' has been with me for about a decade and it performs beautifully, if perhaps not as vigorously as something like 'Tropic Night'. </span></td></tr>
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Then there is the issue of the leaves standing upright or flopping after flowering. The floppers not only look bad but drown their neighboring plants. You will have to dig for information about this essential trait, and don't bother digging at the garden center; they don't know. As I recall all the varieties I mentioned above do not have a late season flop problem.<br />
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There is an easily accessed group of iris specialists who will not only have these otherwise obscure but superior varieties, but some will also tell you which ones will stand upright throughout the summer. If you want good Siberian iris other than 'Caesar's Brother', do your research and order by mail from a small scale iris specialist or just buy 'Caesar's Brother' and be done with it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECca4WlXAwVlmIfiXWim6fHQjUpnXw_h8LYOGWoXNpN-cpNuzZWjSQdPDRkbK-QqAZ84fx0Zc9rhqDuzdQmwlTeS7yCcJoMgUMxIhvzoT-4WskbH52AGhdInLyMXMdBIARu2jpK4uNZA/s1600/DSC_1224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECca4WlXAwVlmIfiXWim6fHQjUpnXw_h8LYOGWoXNpN-cpNuzZWjSQdPDRkbK-QqAZ84fx0Zc9rhqDuzdQmwlTeS7yCcJoMgUMxIhvzoT-4WskbH52AGhdInLyMXMdBIARu2jpK4uNZA/s400/DSC_1224.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">'So Van Gogh', a clever name, an unusual color combination, but where did it go? Two years, maybe three and it was gone. It failed to thrive.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-54956086795478849932015-05-18T14:14:00.002-04:002015-05-18T14:14:41.460-04:00Wary ExhilarationIt is exhilarating to plant a plant that was previously unknown to me and see that it not only survives but thrives and looks good doing so. I continue to be overwhelmed by the range of choices of plants offered up for rock gardens, most of which I am relatively unfamiliar. The problem is that most are unsuitable for my hot summer rock garden, but I don't know which ones. So when one of my most recent set of recruits does very well in my rock garden I celebrate. Most recently <em>Hutchinsia alpina</em> (<em>Pritzelaga alpina</em>) (Chamois Cress) has fit this success mold. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku8TkgEveyKor5yUoZ2o-EM0xdtDG1l-GBnmiLzbnCr42Qsg0I-VlPr9m8piakFNcW8IydpuZqEo_wFJ3WENGVivr9o3eyKGQVm51CnFYSlPdg1RiNtfyOsO9eKp8jbE2nHCniqHTrj4/s1600/2015+05+07_0401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku8TkgEveyKor5yUoZ2o-EM0xdtDG1l-GBnmiLzbnCr42Qsg0I-VlPr9m8piakFNcW8IydpuZqEo_wFJ3WENGVivr9o3eyKGQVm51CnFYSlPdg1RiNtfyOsO9eKp8jbE2nHCniqHTrj4/s400/2015+05+07_0401.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Hutchinsia alpina</em> gratifying in its adaptability to my garden and a bit ominous in its vigor as it starts only its second year in the garden.</span> </td></tr>
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But now as its vigor is displaying itself this first spring after its first winter I wonder if this isn't going to be another of those great rock garden plants that eats the rock garden. I have several. They have the frustrating habit of overwhelming my more demure plant jewels before I realize it. <em>Gypsophyla cerastioides</em> (Alpine Baby's Breath), <em>Dianthus</em> <em>deltoides </em>'Arctic Storm', <em>Geranium</em> 'Biokovo' (I should have known better; its all out of scale), <em>Cymbalaria muralis</em> (Kenelworth Ivy, I did know better; it arrived uninvited), <em>Campanula poscharskyana</em> (Serbian Bellflower, I knew better but thought I could control it). These are representatives of the overly prolific rock garden plants that are consuming my gardens. Will Chamois Cress be another? <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iye6pQTk83fdukScuegxDVjvDYo8sbP-zq93ClAP5lu3fN47ZVzYIXR23pdo_26X5asMSJnzjbyCjYNa_mSEvvynxsiqZ-OEwCWKxw3szt4_-n4bWWo8LsI71dHXaJ7e0Q8rHnkHzhw/s1600/DSC_0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iye6pQTk83fdukScuegxDVjvDYo8sbP-zq93ClAP5lu3fN47ZVzYIXR23pdo_26X5asMSJnzjbyCjYNa_mSEvvynxsiqZ-OEwCWKxw3szt4_-n4bWWo8LsI71dHXaJ7e0Q8rHnkHzhw/s400/DSC_0171.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Dianthus deltoides</em> 'Arctic Fire' is in danger of overwhelming its more demure neighbors such as in this case, <em>Saponaria pumilio</em></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVjYWKhM3qLb0i0MYDQ27vhwAWIuNgQZg9-p1rrygMUPY6WiMVlOQBa4FFhWDTG4011yjN4ZS8A-6z-7vH9dR1tMf6PO4k0ptwW1Kg3s60NONUG9NrkH2G3EH0hTRfwKewRFTHqjuIDA/s1600/DSC_0694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVjYWKhM3qLb0i0MYDQ27vhwAWIuNgQZg9-p1rrygMUPY6WiMVlOQBa4FFhWDTG4011yjN4ZS8A-6z-7vH9dR1tMf6PO4k0ptwW1Kg3s60NONUG9NrkH2G3EH0hTRfwKewRFTHqjuIDA/s400/DSC_0694.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A great performance for another context, this <em>Geranium</em> 'Biokovo' is all out of scale and too aggressive for this garden. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3vVRSY1uhR1ar0P44YaGZkGT-FUSE2XFFC8neseAfBe0eWBz68MN4PNLBBDKMIKZ-dv2RgLwkUlvLAQrgOoV3OFYcya82dqNGMJCvJk_i2AzvT72nfjDZRX0LzwyIOiZzLxKu6EjoCU/s1600/DSC_0522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3vVRSY1uhR1ar0P44YaGZkGT-FUSE2XFFC8neseAfBe0eWBz68MN4PNLBBDKMIKZ-dv2RgLwkUlvLAQrgOoV3OFYcya82dqNGMJCvJk_i2AzvT72nfjDZRX0LzwyIOiZzLxKu6EjoCU/s400/DSC_0522.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kenilworth Ivy is one of those cute little plants that sneaks into your garden, you think its cute for a while and then it gets everywhere. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Sbwm-SJF1_ABxZAd5ccGDTHz4zVXYNriveHFEaRwSRK5Xkxj9_ZW_xZImvg-T9vSX9AcEYjxuVrYxDliqQvBc4XTWDh7mHfsa-6jYyUdwRDw_c-BzVLKH6qtftFjXvmLHKK7xtexp9w/s1600/DSC_0520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Sbwm-SJF1_ABxZAd5ccGDTHz4zVXYNriveHFEaRwSRK5Xkxj9_ZW_xZImvg-T9vSX9AcEYjxuVrYxDliqQvBc4XTWDh7mHfsa-6jYyUdwRDw_c-BzVLKH6qtftFjXvmLHKK7xtexp9w/s400/DSC_0520.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Gypsophila cerastioides</em> (Alpine Baby's Breath) Too much of a good thing. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTHUUBmLTyMiLRgvW9WysFOaSB_ZeeSD1lD1YAiSt8mPSnqcMsLvUpV26QLv0UgU1Qs19TH26cr1U3mNVzbjBbcpnDL17uUhLMeLs1Zu5ZAgb2mLin7FGZkH1GnzxEtPgIMjTWMVleyc/s1600/DSC_0324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTHUUBmLTyMiLRgvW9WysFOaSB_ZeeSD1lD1YAiSt8mPSnqcMsLvUpV26QLv0UgU1Qs19TH26cr1U3mNVzbjBbcpnDL17uUhLMeLs1Zu5ZAgb2mLin7FGZkH1GnzxEtPgIMjTWMVleyc/s400/DSC_0324.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Campanula poscharskyana</em> (Serbian Bellflower) is busily pushing out everything around it. </span></td></tr>
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Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-70814025243063996772015-04-02T15:30:00.000-04:002015-04-02T16:00:57.773-04:00Perspectives on Ways to Garden<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think that gardeners who are paying attention are becoming
less certain of what a “proper" garden (as an English friend used to say)
actually is. I have been reading a fairly new book that Noel Kingsbury wrote with Piet Oudolf called <u>Planting, A New Perspective</u>. It is a provocative book on the topic of plantings that emulate, in many respects, natural plant communities except they are aesthetically designed and they utilize ornamental plants which do not necessarily share common ecosystems. I have experimented with this type of planting and remain mystified by how to sustain them. I also recently read a book called <u>Bringing Nature Home</u> by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy. Their brilliantly instructively illustrated book emphasizes gardening predominantly with native plants in stable associations. It was very convincing. I see similarities between the two in style but not in substance. Those two approaches remind me of the multiplicity of approaches to gardening and all the associated consequences beyond the desired appearance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this image below of Kingwood Center in Mansfield Ohio the calendar is dictating the end date of a
garden still in full bloom. It seems ridiculous at first blush, but if there is to
be a spring display the summer crop must come out in time to plant the bulbs. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3Kqu0NU3PIzCz6carUchkrLMztJ16GkvNFdcHrEMDl5YMQ1-oBqfwUkoFk-95ixBFNPA5_T7vI_KC3Q9_DI51VBnOSlcTvU18xTb4MjiUeChyphenhyphenUwK0tPavxB1a74mBxTKijQ7SLQxMGQ/s1600/DSC_1268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3Kqu0NU3PIzCz6carUchkrLMztJ16GkvNFdcHrEMDl5YMQ1-oBqfwUkoFk-95ixBFNPA5_T7vI_KC3Q9_DI51VBnOSlcTvU18xTb4MjiUeChyphenhyphenUwK0tPavxB1a74mBxTKijQ7SLQxMGQ/s1600/DSC_1268.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next image of a seasonal planting in Connecticut is a classic, but
today’s sustainable gardeners might say it’s a rich man’s conceit, a display of
resources at his command. And they would be right, but does that make it a bad
garden?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70ZMKGFFkGmQpTm3yKfQgsiQEoJ_VyDyUKLceDtHJOv0pnjg1leTtdE_OhS1Tomr4xbG7l8GrBLAOx14eLXOjz3y1znFYRQ3flAQ_NbTPH_N3VDbr7TFj5mbp7QYcIxkhgfNmwrZdRi8/s1600/DSC_0896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70ZMKGFFkGmQpTm3yKfQgsiQEoJ_VyDyUKLceDtHJOv0pnjg1leTtdE_OhS1Tomr4xbG7l8GrBLAOx14eLXOjz3y1znFYRQ3flAQ_NbTPH_N3VDbr7TFj5mbp7QYcIxkhgfNmwrZdRi8/s1600/DSC_0896.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Below is a rose garden on June 23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd </span></sup> at the Columbus (Ohio) Park of Roses. Here is an
entire garden dedicated to plants that probably need more care and
attention than any other plant a gardener is likely to choose, yet here it sits out of
bloom and contributing almost nothing at a time when most gardens are in their
glory. But who would dare disparage a rose garden? </span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrE5eqEOn3gwYUlwpfD8h0DlLYeBVI-OXRh6sQOzHvNF7wWSn1JDQvx4LRrbb4CKq7S4vpdF_ZFzWIcKWmY_SCvG8lbZJI32AlBiArVbp5FWzRD3Y_ToE8rUqqT0SklU-YompeUMZdVA/s1600/DSC_0868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrE5eqEOn3gwYUlwpfD8h0DlLYeBVI-OXRh6sQOzHvNF7wWSn1JDQvx4LRrbb4CKq7S4vpdF_ZFzWIcKWmY_SCvG8lbZJI32AlBiArVbp5FWzRD3Y_ToE8rUqqT0SklU-YompeUMZdVA/s1600/DSC_0868.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the other side of the gardening pendulum we see in
the image below what seems to be a beautiful informal, sort of wild looking
planting at the Berlin Botanical Garden. Look closer. I took this picture largely because it includes,
<em>Equisetum</em> (horsetail) which is about the most obdurate weed I know. It will be
a permanent and aggressive fixture in that garden until everything is removed
and all traces of the <em>Equisetum</em> are destroyed. I have had similar experiences repeatedly with <em>Agropyron repens</em> (quackgrass), which is probably easier to control than Equisetum. It is this sort of experience that mystified me about the Kingsbury/Oudolf approach. Removal of the horsetail would be about a draconian
two year project with no guarantee of success. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ebkp9co0YJbWCAv5eVNZCQI7uP_XFgHT_vNewwVFbPHYcUqONlLqwObKYs2RKm-7zJLBTSe1JGu30pVv6iHm4lvbkKvrE4Bv7TCpusJe79nXHodus7FQBWk9JMuqF6sWIUmP7nnFCGI/s1600/DSC_1718-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ebkp9co0YJbWCAv5eVNZCQI7uP_XFgHT_vNewwVFbPHYcUqONlLqwObKYs2RKm-7zJLBTSe1JGu30pVv6iHm4lvbkKvrE4Bv7TCpusJe79nXHodus7FQBWk9JMuqF6sWIUmP7nnFCGI/s1600/DSC_1718-3.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Below is a lovely looking scene at my home of blooming <em>Stylophorum
diphyllum</em> (celandine poppy). Unfortunately it represents the failure of an
attempt to create a beautiful and stable community of native and floriferous garden
plants. One species is taking over and driving all the other species out in the
process. Nevertheless I see the Stylophorum diphyllum as a valuable tool in a Darke/Tallamy type gardening where it could be confined by bordering shrubs. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLXTrCvFDna1Jr5twgeX1PQPV8cCAA4JH9EnGPXOkRw7vZRq2gXbVWsQuXaji-_dX7F2fgYEROfeDtW04UYyZSb3tB9tB2I0eiK9V2YyNIJnGDRg99GyVPF_EkbT6xxLdY5T_IYQ162o/s1600/DSC_2050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLXTrCvFDna1Jr5twgeX1PQPV8cCAA4JH9EnGPXOkRw7vZRq2gXbVWsQuXaji-_dX7F2fgYEROfeDtW04UYyZSb3tB9tB2I0eiK9V2YyNIJnGDRg99GyVPF_EkbT6xxLdY5T_IYQ162o/s1600/DSC_2050.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then we come to this proud community of cultivated plants
that seem to be stable, growing in a Berlin park. (The first six or seven feet of perennials up to the shrubs) If they are indeed a compatible community, it
represents the work of a very knowledgeable gardener. But what has been achieved
aesthetically compared to a more conventional garden? Was I evaluating this
garden at the wrong time (July 9<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>) or is it kind of nondescript? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybGIrXvZ-sdDHWy87Z-srhzlGTBNCTzQ6KItZ7-gNVkrjj-aVW3oRlI5zVXHdhhADANI2wq1ocR5g0njnzblACzrMwIzhEdQf_Vi-9KV9iwwDFJhknMbJyYYSvHcC6UtyxtDmhHyJ8ks/s1600/DSC_1806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybGIrXvZ-sdDHWy87Z-srhzlGTBNCTzQ6KItZ7-gNVkrjj-aVW3oRlI5zVXHdhhADANI2wq1ocR5g0njnzblACzrMwIzhEdQf_Vi-9KV9iwwDFJhknMbJyYYSvHcC6UtyxtDmhHyJ8ks/s1600/DSC_1806.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My conclusion is that there is room for all of the above.
There is no such thing as a “proper” garden. We work in a multitude of
circumstances with many ambitions and goals. While I certainly have my
preferences I applaud the achievement of all of the gardening goals represented in the pictures above and the skills
required to achieve them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-18386069653630591522015-01-09T08:29:00.001-05:002015-01-09T08:29:30.153-05:00Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-59012451871135094202015-01-09T08:27:00.001-05:002015-01-09T08:27:08.860-05:00Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-12162767558327035242014-12-31T09:48:00.001-05:002015-01-09T08:25:07.450-05:00Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-57208531534726309322014-12-22T08:28:00.000-05:002015-01-09T08:30:17.867-05:00My Most Recent Favorite Plant<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcg6i23qH8eJTXeRabOIQ4rCxcoUx3jvyy6dxhZqEs15bP9cueznpsEAA8h8FPX64Xee-RK5-9mrMCZYbkcsJN5KIlrtUgy_4mjOrvKEOFwRq3JTtxcj7JA2By5rkK4jjNAOedQpkPww/s1600/DSC_0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcg6i23qH8eJTXeRabOIQ4rCxcoUx3jvyy6dxhZqEs15bP9cueznpsEAA8h8FPX64Xee-RK5-9mrMCZYbkcsJN5KIlrtUgy_4mjOrvKEOFwRq3JTtxcj7JA2By5rkK4jjNAOedQpkPww/s1600/DSC_0472.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Pseudofumaria alba</em> on 11 September 2013</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQuKB_bfKL10Jr3fAGgzjmsfbx-WeNBxgq_X_2Srz4Nbz3DzrRsTF72xNKcgmIEzMDyLGG47dGScA3-F3CyKsfnyJd3P-DemcwQqoujBwG4yFejB9eEVWADHdqOfEgE9aZ24H8DCAYhQ/s1600/DSC_1755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQuKB_bfKL10Jr3fAGgzjmsfbx-WeNBxgq_X_2Srz4Nbz3DzrRsTF72xNKcgmIEzMDyLGG47dGScA3-F3CyKsfnyJd3P-DemcwQqoujBwG4yFejB9eEVWADHdqOfEgE9aZ24H8DCAYhQ/s1600/DSC_1755.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Pseudofumaria alba</em> seedlings from the above plant on 2 May 2014</span></td></tr>
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I am fascinated by my two growing seasons experience with <em>Corydalis ochroleuca, </em>or apparently more correctly<em> Pseudofumaria alba</em>, or I could improvise a common name like White Rock Fumewort. Anyway, as my common name suggests, they are known for growing on cliffs and rock outcroppings, but now are also known in Europe as an escapee of cultivation on walls. I am advised by the literature to regularly deadhead my plants in order to extend the bloom time through the spring and into the summer. They are said to be hardy to -13 degrees Fahrenheit. <br />
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None of that corresponds with my experience. I bought the three plants in the spring of 2013 from Digging Dog Nursery and planted them in a slightly raised bed near but not in a rockery. They grew well and bloomed abundantly from late July through September and probably until they were frozen in October. In the spring of 2014 following a winter with minimum temperatures that may have approached -13 degrees Fahrenheit, the three original plants were dead. As the spring progressed I noticed seedlings that looked like they were from my Fumewort, so I moved some around and protected the others. By the end of the summer they were gorgeous full-grown plants. As I write this on 22 October they are still in full bloom, and they have been blooming since about the end of August, as I vaguely recall. I didn't get around to photographing them until 10 September. <br />
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Now I have three locations, all close-by each other where I am growing the plant. One of the spots is a heavy clay overlain with an inch or so of rotted organic matter. The other two are in rich, fairly well drained garden soil. None has found its way to the rockery all around them. <br />
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So I await the results of their second winter and spring. Perhaps these will perform every year as non-hardy self sowing perennials. If so, that is fine with me because they quickly grow from seed into wonderful garden plants in one summer. When I have a successful experience with a plant that is so contrary to what I am led to expect from my readings I am always fascinated, and when the results are so gratifying I am especially so. Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-10928655858966348492014-11-07T15:19:00.001-05:002014-11-07T15:19:11.468-05:00Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-28535851284944570832014-11-07T15:18:00.001-05:002014-11-07T15:18:10.241-05:00Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-21077926014593226082014-08-24T16:30:00.000-04:002014-08-24T16:30:00.738-04:00Money Well Spent in Lexington, KentuckyI had the opportunity to see several private gardens in various tours of this year's Perennial Plant Association annual meeting. There was plenty of beauty and livable garden space to go around, but one struck me for making so much from such a conventional setting. Louis and Betsy Hillenmeyer live in a typical, albeit up-scale, subdivision. Modest lots of, I would guess about a quarter of an acre looked to be standard. The Hillenmeyers made the most of theirs. Arriving at the house one was taken with the elegant walls, full but uncluttered front garden and the manicured Boston ivy enveloping the house. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqTQ1ADfgVS0j8QQo6gI7HRdknBO4diN6IILzgp8vFl6uSq3elF_YUfXD8d1EiYB84IsD0EjLcAiRhxAspjpt3-IlwwDGPCiptKiWEllLd8_ipusxhJs07esWivNLs9FhFfhyphenhyphenRXBAGBc/s1600/DSC_1801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqTQ1ADfgVS0j8QQo6gI7HRdknBO4diN6IILzgp8vFl6uSq3elF_YUfXD8d1EiYB84IsD0EjLcAiRhxAspjpt3-IlwwDGPCiptKiWEllLd8_ipusxhJs07esWivNLs9FhFfhyphenhyphenRXBAGBc/s1600/DSC_1801.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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A beautifully constructed stone wall with clean and simple ground cover and a row of small trees gave the yard a gardened look without being busy or difficult to maintain. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5cjMnqacUZp0EBHUCNEmcsTtsWjkwIwn351eiKkdPA1PGA8jxwov_t9bhLiW9rIqHbXN6Bgazz2pWbSXXPq-rQDwzxtYuIinMBHCd4En6iEfQDbALHI6cMlM0ytPlb8FZWEOqSGxg9c/s1600/DSC_1819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5cjMnqacUZp0EBHUCNEmcsTtsWjkwIwn351eiKkdPA1PGA8jxwov_t9bhLiW9rIqHbXN6Bgazz2pWbSXXPq-rQDwzxtYuIinMBHCd4En6iEfQDbALHI6cMlM0ytPlb8FZWEOqSGxg9c/s1600/DSC_1819.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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The carefully crafted Boston ivy looks nice but the owner admitted to biweekly pruning. Unless that pruning gives him pleasure, I think that's too much of a commitment to repetitive handiwork. </div>
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Walking around the back yard one discovers a far greater investment in elegance, comfort, livability, and artistic flare than expected. The space between the lot line and the side of the house was small enough that the neighbor's front porch was cheek and jowl with the Hillenmeyer's side yard. To both neighbor's credit each of their side yards complemented the other making a lovely enclosure, especially for the deep low front porch of the neighbor. </div>
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The Hillenmeyers, however were far from lacking in elegant outdoor living space. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZUf-JxDnyGPYivbOQV41CdiGOCOZlkVg_1pQvpxPJF-s_KxfBDmdnPoWod4kwT2N6TvZgofnLLYkT7AZkgCodaolkk6F7kB4ml0ZZeSJqWru1i5KAIYChRYaN2pDjK3DkOYUfZpe-3U/s1600/DSC_1825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZUf-JxDnyGPYivbOQV41CdiGOCOZlkVg_1pQvpxPJF-s_KxfBDmdnPoWod4kwT2N6TvZgofnLLYkT7AZkgCodaolkk6F7kB4ml0ZZeSJqWru1i5KAIYChRYaN2pDjK3DkOYUfZpe-3U/s1600/DSC_1825.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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Off the back porch of the house a nice sense of enclosure was created by the walled-in garage and driveway areas while open views of the garden-encircled back yard also offered a nice sense of openness. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuH8o7TLqG1jOmqhm80VcVXEV2thTRPNX5aGsOWqUo2PRjUOUGz9xLrlnN4MqSiVCPQkMEJCuPx6Gbq9RGhEmCbB3hL9CJrxEVdXRc5p1d22qIPbn_rXRUeOht3LgkvEsB5zjW7nhYMk/s1600/DSC_1807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuH8o7TLqG1jOmqhm80VcVXEV2thTRPNX5aGsOWqUo2PRjUOUGz9xLrlnN4MqSiVCPQkMEJCuPx6Gbq9RGhEmCbB3hL9CJrxEVdXRc5p1d22qIPbn_rXRUeOht3LgkvEsB5zjW7nhYMk/s1600/DSC_1807.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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A private and intimate enclosure around an outdoor fireplace offered amazing privacy for the relative density of the housing development. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49sZ-YGQGkk7Yld8vWjl1q2WXuci6w3afMFVpv9GOXuQwvcUZEwIK-AWmc-ZbrXHjFTs1DcfyNp3rlevcS1G1VAZxdX5XFh5f72br5lgaSPZrU435VMlXVFLYUf9tHGMALFs9fGDwUXQ/s1600/DSC_1824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49sZ-YGQGkk7Yld8vWjl1q2WXuci6w3afMFVpv9GOXuQwvcUZEwIK-AWmc-ZbrXHjFTs1DcfyNp3rlevcS1G1VAZxdX5XFh5f72br5lgaSPZrU435VMlXVFLYUf9tHGMALFs9fGDwUXQ/s1600/DSC_1824.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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And this little courtyard by the fireplace is divided to offer almost a forecourt for the trip into the sanctuary. The garden was full of what I would call condensed journeys. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3E0nRSE9uvkajav34okB6c54wuUBLF5UByb17f2rtgaLso5vmXoSyWwqIaZgmEL-HmJe6j16ofzjwlylqMjyCMeTVKfm7JmJkcJaI3N5VLh7wYjW_ir1-B6V5sVSzaZ3lqiIsamkVZE/s1600/DSC_1846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3E0nRSE9uvkajav34okB6c54wuUBLF5UByb17f2rtgaLso5vmXoSyWwqIaZgmEL-HmJe6j16ofzjwlylqMjyCMeTVKfm7JmJkcJaI3N5VLh7wYjW_ir1-B6V5sVSzaZ3lqiIsamkVZE/s1600/DSC_1846.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
And finally this transition from the driveway into the aforementioned private space is typical of the heavy investment in creating not only lovely enclosures but also the satisfaction of moving gloriously from one space into another. <br />
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Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-73297994948465312892014-07-13T11:07:00.001-04:002014-07-13T11:07:29.012-04:00Diverse Growing ConditionsOver the last several years I have delved into rock gardens of various sorts, gravel gardens, trough garden, meadow gardens and my latest, a "well-drained" garden. They have all been and continue to be great learning opportunities. I am introduced to new challenges of all sorts and get to grow plants that I had previously killed, just admired from afar, or had never even heard of. Below is a sample. <br />
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Well-Drained Garden:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxouVKzwymVSLBB16pYhgDLU6VIK5tOSeapLpXX3jm07tpc0fP7PehqOvwTQ8z4nUBT9SifarYp2muD1mYFZJuugo00m3rN0g30OnD-g_Qy-Y0iay6oCycWTszP_5Un2eKCiR3D02qGvk/s1600/DSC_0836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxouVKzwymVSLBB16pYhgDLU6VIK5tOSeapLpXX3jm07tpc0fP7PehqOvwTQ8z4nUBT9SifarYp2muD1mYFZJuugo00m3rN0g30OnD-g_Qy-Y0iay6oCycWTszP_5Un2eKCiR3D02qGvk/s1600/DSC_0836.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
I have killed <em>Euphorbia x martini</em> 'Ascot Rainbow' (above) three times. Each planting site had better drainage than the last on the theory that the plant, which the label claims to be hardy in zone 5, died from being too wet in the winter. The third effort was in the very sandy soil of my well-drained garden. Rather than take the next step and put a roof over the plant for the winter I am concluding that the claims on the label are exaggerated and it is NOT hardy in zone 5.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkjJ6ZOtNir3I79Y64STeRFv6E4pT1i-4XZ0tID3nnZq4y8yMLRFFZucxhQTsRhJwzRt0bdCMdEG386xnEp8jnI76Sng_0LGxLlTNLWtwyUjG1Y8NRtyLGbXt5xibNT9xaaOvTyRlxYk/s1600/DSC_1377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkjJ6ZOtNir3I79Y64STeRFv6E4pT1i-4XZ0tID3nnZq4y8yMLRFFZucxhQTsRhJwzRt0bdCMdEG386xnEp8jnI76Sng_0LGxLlTNLWtwyUjG1Y8NRtyLGbXt5xibNT9xaaOvTyRlxYk/s1600/DSC_1377.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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On the other hand my well drained garden prompted me to experiment with previously unfamiliar <em>Silene laciniata</em>, <em>Dianthus amurensis</em>, <em>Muhlenbergia reverchonii</em>, and <em>Stachys lavandula</em> all with gratifying success. Pictured above is the rather insubstantial but engaging <em>Silene laciniata</em>. </div>
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Gravel Garden:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcZdf03KgTw7QbZP6h-pDwIdstgw2GFS9nSdebnbSC_TMN0qcAL2OHlS2GLnlIMcsH3wX-n-huh5tjOjQIFse_eBTtE67vjBYjBJcLsAM5YInUx5oLgU6Qe_qFj4wiLvlUs-8XnpWHe4/s1600/DSC_1992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcZdf03KgTw7QbZP6h-pDwIdstgw2GFS9nSdebnbSC_TMN0qcAL2OHlS2GLnlIMcsH3wX-n-huh5tjOjQIFse_eBTtE67vjBYjBJcLsAM5YInUx5oLgU6Qe_qFj4wiLvlUs-8XnpWHe4/s1600/DSC_1992.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
I didn't set out to have a gravel garden. I built a rock garden/retaining wall along the edge of my gravel driveway and was thrilled and fascinated to see what decided to migrate into the driveway. In the above picture you can see that forget-me-nots (<em>Myosotis sylvatica</em>) descended from the wall to colonize the gravel. Others that have done the same include Verbena 'Annie", Corydalis cheilanthifolia, Festuca glauca, a dwarf form of Lychnis flos-cuculi, Aetheonema schistosum, and Phemeranthus calycinum. Now I am starting to experiment with conscious introductions to complement the many desirable volunteers. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbP1gzG6eOgFnC82RHC99s1tVADvjrKsffFn5Eizt5VN2K3yHk3b0cFaU68gIfrZ23Wzgb2qkiNskqnBIiHZdycNj7oWFiHcewCrRtnELjSyjHHzssUNLinU1QcWxC4ZP0imiW46FaQJw/s1600/DSC_0772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbP1gzG6eOgFnC82RHC99s1tVADvjrKsffFn5Eizt5VN2K3yHk3b0cFaU68gIfrZ23Wzgb2qkiNskqnBIiHZdycNj7oWFiHcewCrRtnELjSyjHHzssUNLinU1QcWxC4ZP0imiW46FaQJw/s1600/DSC_0772.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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Above is the Phemeranthus calycinus (aka Talinum calycinum) as it makes an interesting wash over the garden with its easily edited and unobtrusive seedlings.</div>
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Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-44973421685523489542014-06-23T10:24:00.000-04:002014-06-23T15:00:36.050-04:00Fragrance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aGrn0Y4caPPCqL3F5QhPgFW-IjjTc28yX4OBXYfcbqp0jV9lqUjB6GyWDPHCW1EJ9o8Um7qqunkRbMwtTC70vy-A1J00SJZeFtH74KtScWL7oM3wNWqIl6brHI-ZkyE5JtF-pRasHQQ/s1600/DSC_0487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aGrn0Y4caPPCqL3F5QhPgFW-IjjTc28yX4OBXYfcbqp0jV9lqUjB6GyWDPHCW1EJ9o8Um7qqunkRbMwtTC70vy-A1J00SJZeFtH74KtScWL7oM3wNWqIl6brHI-ZkyE5JtF-pRasHQQ/s1600/DSC_0487.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em>Abelia mosanensis</em> (Fragrant Abelia) is an underused must-have for fragrance. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SlxO4zuNUMGwONlkFZAb8FYd3ZIkl2Opm7jgAHiErySS7fMa5KEbCNweAWGJh3r_XebuUTXShGjfyx2nW_2wJcKvqmhRYUEEMs_XIvRIQecJdOrNaIasgXyrDbNpSSfOkDKHBrMc7Vc/s1600/DSC_0489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SlxO4zuNUMGwONlkFZAb8FYd3ZIkl2Opm7jgAHiErySS7fMa5KEbCNweAWGJh3r_XebuUTXShGjfyx2nW_2wJcKvqmhRYUEEMs_XIvRIQecJdOrNaIasgXyrDbNpSSfOkDKHBrMc7Vc/s1600/DSC_0489.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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Close-up of <em>Abelia mosanensis</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshLyH4M43IEyfYUFkOZ40Aj8PKq481janXRTSXZlImTaUiFt8yu0V8hk9El8xeIu1_pZa6NYGAe98EQM2TMnkJ1O0ZE1gNvP-No8-zvg8xcSVOys9SZo56M5PR8rrrDqBoJS5atndczE/s1600/DSC_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjshLyH4M43IEyfYUFkOZ40Aj8PKq481janXRTSXZlImTaUiFt8yu0V8hk9El8xeIu1_pZa6NYGAe98EQM2TMnkJ1O0ZE1gNvP-No8-zvg8xcSVOys9SZo56M5PR8rrrDqBoJS5atndczE/s1600/DSC_0397.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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Nothing compares with the a well fragranced rose such as <em>Rosa</em> 'Gertrude Jekyll'</div>
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Fragrance in plants is a multi-faceted story. I never fail to stop to smell the 'Gertrude Jekyll' roses when I walk by their flowers while at work. And I still mourn failing to move some peonies with me that were so fragrant their cut flowers could perfume a large room. In retrospect I never appreciated how rare that intense fragrance is in peonies. On the other hand I am repeatedly irritated by claims of lovely fragrance that in-truth require deep inhalation with nose squarely imbedded into the flower. And, of course, there is the long established<em> kvetch</em> about breeders neglecting the fragrance trait in otherwise fragrant plants like roses (and peonies, I suppose).<br />
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The sense of smell powerfully influences our memories and can bring back long forgotten experiences. The smell of petunias, which is more distinctive than fragrant, immediately brings me back to my early childhood. <br />
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Fragrance can transform an evening. For example the smell of the flowers of <em>Brugmansia</em> (Angel's Trumpet) brings back an early evening walk in Balboa Park in San Diego. As I was walking along I was suddenly aware of a most wonderful fragrance which I was able to trace back to a <em>Brugmansia </em>tree. The flowers that emit their strongest fragrance in the evening bring a special delight to what is probably the most emotion laden time for visiting a garden. <em>Nicotiana sylvstris</em>, flowering tobacco, is another memorable plant that contributes to the pleasures of an early evening in the garden, and night-blooming cereus is worthy of a special evening pilgrimage to an enlightened greenhouse. <br />
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Another sort of fragrance experience is provided by the likes of <em>Abelia mosanensis</em> (Fragrant Abelia) and <em>Viburnum carlesii</em> (Koreanspice Viburnum). These two shrub's fragrance can transform an entire backyard. Curiously around my part of the country the <em>Abelia</em> most often seen is <em>Abelia x grandiflora</em>, a half hardy shrub with forgettable fragrance. (I really can't recall.) On the other hand <em>Abelia mosanensis</em> is fully hardy and made our deck a sensory delight for about two weeks this spring.<br />
<br />Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-49268436415197725202014-05-29T11:10:00.000-04:002014-05-29T11:10:38.007-04:00Boon and Bane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em>Symphytum azureum</em> is not your grandmother's comfrey. Here it is in bloom on May 9th. </div>
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The mass of blue at the top of the picture is <em>Symphytum azureum</em> on May 4th demonstrating its ability to function as a groundcover and suggesting its potential to spread. </div>
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This October 24th picture demonstrates the ability of <em>Symphytum azureum</em> to grow through thick mulch and for its leaves to persist well into the fall. </div>
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<em>Symphytum azureum</em> (The common name (comfrey) is very misleading. This is NOT the comfrey that most people know.) It is one of those plants that is both exceptionally useful and a nuisance to get rid of. I am just coming off about a ten year honeymoon with the plant where everything it did pleased me, so I am surprised at how little is seems to be known and offered. Curiously, a Google search brings up mostly sites outside of the U.S. An issue over its proper name may be one reason. <br />
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It spreads slowly. It isn't what you would call invasive. Inexorable would be a better description for its slow but relentless spread throughout a suitable growing site. So now after a decade it has reached the boundaries of where I want it to be, but I find it does not come with an off switch. It would not be very compatible with mixed perennial plantings. I fear it would insinuate itself into most anything herbaceous, although I imagine larger plants could readily grow through it. By the way the web site for the German nursery Lorenz von Ehren says that prompt deadheading will slow its spread. <br />
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What has been exciting to me is that it is both attractive and very successful at developing a dense stand under the heavy shade of a sugar maple and a massive Norway spruce. For the very patient or the free spender it makes a great groundcover for the shade. The catch is that it must be contained (or perhaps diligently deadheaded). <br />
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On the whole it is a very useful plant that would bring considerable joy to gardeners, especially where an attractive solid stand of a highly shade tolerant groundcover is wanted. Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-47923995101898329062014-05-07T17:31:00.003-04:002014-05-12T10:39:52.578-04:00The Wow Factor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gentiana verna</div>
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Sometimes plants just knock your socks off when you first have success growing them. Jeffersonia dubia certainly had that affect on me as did Gentiana scabra. Now another Gentian has bowled me over, Gentiana verna. I am growing it in a trough garden with excellent drainage, and it is blooming after its first winter. I read that it is short lived, and I see no mention of self seeding so I guess I had better enjoy it while I can. What an amazing blue!Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-4720216416697840952014-02-17T09:18:00.001-05:002014-02-17T09:21:52.541-05:00Inverted Growing Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em>Cyclamen hederifolia</em> flowers emerging through <em>Carex platyphylla</em> foliage in September</div>
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<em>Cyclamen hederifolia</em> in full leaf in mid January, finding plenty of growing room, growing with the dormant <em>Carex platyphylla</em> seen in the previous image</div>
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<em>Arum italicum</em> fruiting in August with conspicuously dormant leaves. </div>
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<em>Dentaria (Cardamine) diphylla</em> still looking fresh in March after being around all winter and before going dormant in the summer</div>
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<em>Sternbergia lutea</em> blooming in the fall as its leaves emerge from dormancy</div>
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I grow at least four perennials that emerge in the late summer or fall, remain green all winter and then go dormant as summer approaches <em>(Dentaria (Cardamine) diphylla, Arum italicum, Sternbergia lutea, and Cyclamen hederifolium)</em>. Weird. I suppose that makes sense in a Mediterranian climate where the winters are mild and moist and the summers are hot and dry, and that is exactly where three of these four are native. But somehow they survive in climates with cold winters and relatively moist hot summers. <em> Dentaria diphylla</em>, on the other hand, is native to the eastern U.S. So where did it acquire this inverted growing season behavior? I bring this up not for botanical reasons but rather horticultural. How do you take advantage of this habit to enhance your garden? I mean, what a gift to have plants that grow when others aren't. They need to be paired up with compatible companions, but there's the rub. <br />
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I pride myself in my efforts to orchestrate the sequence of emergence and decline of perennials in my garden and have several combinations that I shamelessly tout as exemplary. But, alas, this growth habit I am calling "inverted" is challenging. I think I found a nice combination for the<em> Cyclamen</em>. I combined it with <em>Carex platyphylla</em> (Silver Sedge). The sedge is low growing enough that when the otherwise dormant <em>Cyclamen</em> sends up its flowers in mid summer they poke through the sedge and make a nice display. As the<em> Cyclamen</em> leaves are emerging late in the growing season the sedge leaves make room for them as they go dormant. It is all very tidy, but I haven't been able to do anything comparable with <em>Arum italicum</em> or especially <em>Dentaria diphylla</em>. (For hardiness reasons I grow <em>Sternbergia</em> in a pot.) <em>Arum italicum</em> produces stalks with bright red fruit in August when the leaves are gone. It makes an interesting affect on bare ground, so there is a reward for not finding a sort of mirror image growing companion, but I would be more satisfied if I could. I have been growing<em> Dentaria diphylla</em> for six or seven years and only recently realized why it was so unsatisfactory in the summer. I just have to apply myself to this challenge. That (and so much more) is what I love about gardening. Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-66375113237876825882013-12-20T10:12:00.000-05:002013-12-20T10:12:05.916-05:00Old Dwarf ConifersThose cute little balls of evergreen dwarf conifers seem like they will be small forever, but eventually, of course, they get big. It is sad, sometimes to see old dwarf conifers that have never been pruned because many varieties are so dense they form a solid but shallow encasement of foliage that reveals none of the plant's branching architecture. I did a program recently on dwarf conifers and dug up many of my old slides which included pictures of old plants that, because of their dwarf and slow growing nature, had acquired an interested sort of aged look to them. I am eagerly pruning my own dwarf conifers to try to accelerate that look. <br />
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An Austrian pine (<em>Pinus nigra</em> 'Nana') seen many years ago growing at the National Arboretum in Washington D.C. had acquired a venerable and distinguished look while remaining within a reasonable scale for most landscapes. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSz9i13uTCF3R18e-WTfhd7NY-0aF4LiQzuuG7QgXT6ohVceYGtRZwppe-YDgwajLvFMgCeFRbAsB0IkOGIfDhI6PTRbV1c6mj7BaCclAxJzAFn8AJZ7-ay9JxE8gfm54vkHAnqStlO94/s1600/scan0145_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSz9i13uTCF3R18e-WTfhd7NY-0aF4LiQzuuG7QgXT6ohVceYGtRZwppe-YDgwajLvFMgCeFRbAsB0IkOGIfDhI6PTRbV1c6mj7BaCclAxJzAFn8AJZ7-ay9JxE8gfm54vkHAnqStlO94/s400/scan0145_edited-1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Japanese umbrella pine (<em>Pinus densiflora</em> 'Umbraculifera') is not a dwarf, but it is a fairly small, slow growing tree a with distinctive growth habit. If it isn't pruned it grows into a very uninteresting solid mass of foliage. The plant pictured above, as seen many years ago at the Cincinnati Zoo had been beautifully pruned to show off its many attractive features such as the orange bark, vase shaped growth habit and flat topped branching. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This</span> <span style="font-size: small;">dwarf eastern white pine (<em>Pinus strobus</em> 'Nana') also seen a number of years ago at the National Arboretum in Washington D.C. has a fascinating form that in a better setting and without the gravel and ring of exposed edging could be the centerpiece of a wonderful garden composition. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">My own dwarf eastern white pine is only eight years from the container nursery and already I think it is starting to show some interesting branching habits that will only become more interesting with age if I prune with care. It may be hard to imagine, but shortly before taking this photograph I opened up the interior of this plant and removed a great number of branches.</span></div>
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Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-81243357769562844602013-11-21T11:06:00.000-05:002013-11-21T11:06:15.099-05:00Growing Weird Plants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I like to grow weird plants like<em> Ephedra,</em> and they can be considered weird for any number of reasons. Anyone who studied plant taxonomy would have to consider <em>Ephedra</em> weird because it just doesn't fit into the preconceived notion of a cone bearing gymnosperm. It seems like a remnant of evolution. They are also unusual for their essentially leafless habit, although in their typically arid habitats, that trait is shared by many. Finally the alkaloids contained within the plant have a long history of use and abuse which gives the plant special interest. Gardeners are often collectors, and there is great pleasure in being able to say, "Oh yea, I have that." <br />
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When I was thinking about whether to include this plant in my blog I checked the Internet for images of<em> Ephedra minima</em>, which is the one I have been growing since 2008. Most pictures show the red fleshy cones, which I also illustrate, but I didn't see any with the interesting growth up a vertical crevice with the leaf-like switches lined up in a similar vertical orientation as if the plant is flowing up the rockery. My weird plant also makes a nice aesthetic contribution to my rock garden. Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-70779103348915113672013-10-17T17:58:00.002-04:002013-10-23T10:37:23.440-04:00My Flat, Rock GardenI love my tiny garden compositions. Judging by the current enthusiasm for fairy gardens and ongoing enjoyment of gardens for model trains and terrariums diminutive garden compositions seem to be popular. I guess I get my diminutive garden outlet through my rock gardens and in particular, for the sake of this edition of my blog, through my flat, rock gardens. One in particular has proven particularly satisfying, so I am in the midst of expanding and improving it. The photographs below portray a sampling of some of my favorite inhabitants. <br />
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I have access to a quarry's scrap sandstone rocks that typically have at least one flat side and are about four to eight inches thick. They are otherwise irregular. I lay these down like a patio leaving abundant planting gaps where the irregularly shaped rocks don't fit together. I backfill with sandy loam soil. <br />
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Above is one of my favorites in this garden, <em>Veronica prostrata</em> 'Wine'. Although the growing conditions are very different from alpine screes, to me this sort of scene reminds me of that rocky, sparsely vegetated landscape. <br />
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This tiny clump of <em>Lewisia</em> 'George Henley' (above) is my only surviving <em>Lewisia</em> and it has been growing as this little clump for about seven years. Those sandy cracks between the rocks must be well drained, because I think my <em>Lewisia</em> growing in other sites died from winter wet. Its biggest threat is from encroachment by the neighboring <em>Dianthus</em>. See below. </div>
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A dilemma that always seems to loom for me in my rock gardening is what to do with expansive plants such as the above <em>Dianthus gratianopolitanus</em> 'Feuerhexe'. I relish its success in the site but don't want to lose the precious little specimens it engulfs. A balance must be struck and I have been brutally whacking the<em> Dianthus</em> back lately. Notice the above mentioned <em>Veronica prostrata</em> in the lower right hand corner for a size perspective. <br />
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I thought I had lost my fall blooming, questionably hardy <em>Leucojum autumnale</em> (above) from this garden, but I was thrilled this fall to find it growing and in bloom.</div>
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I had also been missing the flowers of my fall blooming crocus (<em>Crocus kotschyanus</em>)(above) from this garden but it appeared in good blooming order this year. I saw the spring leaves but have had problems in other gardens losing track of these little plants in mid summer after the leaves disappear. I think in this case the flowers were obscured by floppy bordering plants such as the Japanese anemone seen here. I have since beaten them back. <br />
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And finally, I want to mention this long time survivor of this garden pictured here several years ago before the stones became weathered and moss covered. This year's photographs of the plant don't do it justice. Its <em>Antennaria dioica</em> 'Rubra', a red flowered selection of a common native inhabitant of thin infertile soils around here. My rockery seems to suit it just fine and its another example of how I don't get too hung up on beating my head against a wall trying to grow true alpines in my hot humid climate.</div>
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Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-91681039072004055862013-09-20T11:50:00.000-04:002013-09-20T11:50:11.604-04:00Long Term Investments<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d6x7InJVtqRTybj4pMp4MYQYgXiR3kjgmmgI4xEdhQknIKkVP3H1K3jYcoy114CPzMFJieQQOJVxMw79RUZqk_FgMqpetFkkIkmoomA91KEmE_o_h34deige5tNnufvWunBZYjtMNX8/s1600/DSC_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d6x7InJVtqRTybj4pMp4MYQYgXiR3kjgmmgI4xEdhQknIKkVP3H1K3jYcoy114CPzMFJieQQOJVxMw79RUZqk_FgMqpetFkkIkmoomA91KEmE_o_h34deige5tNnufvWunBZYjtMNX8/s400/DSC_0478.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These four dwarf confers (<em>Pinus cembra</em> 'Blue Mound') have been growing in my garden for eight years and are now ready to be pruned into something of interest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This dwarf conifer <em>(Pinus parviflora</em> 'Miyajima') (next to the phlox) has also been growing in my rock wall for eight years. It was difficult to get it established in the thin lines of soil between the rocks, but now it should be perfect for sculpting as it continues to grow. </td></tr>
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I have been growing a cluster of four dwarf conifers (<em>Pinus cembra</em> 'Blue Mound') for eight years now (top picture). I planted them with the notion that eventually I would like to make a landscape scale grove similar in concept to bonsai groves that I so admire. Inspiration for exactly what that should look like has not yet hit. Finally, however, they are getting to a size that I can start forming them into something of interest. My long term investment is beginning to pay off. I have the raw materials in hand to make something interesting of this little grove.<br />
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I have several other dwarf confers that all represent similar long term investments. Most are in rock walls (such as the bottom picture above) where I hope to make them into something like the wind swept confers (Krummholz) seen at the tree lines of tall mountains or the confers growing out of rock faces hanging on to tiny cracks in the rocks. A couple have been "in training" for a couple of years, but others are so small they can hardly be shaped yet. I lost a few initially that just couldn't get a toe hold on the rocky retaining wall, so it is gratifying to now have some well established plants in a difficult site that are getting to a size that they can be the objects of my artistic ambitions. Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-6402072419062624942013-08-23T17:04:00.000-04:002013-09-20T09:30:24.433-04:00Even a Blind Pig...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am not ready to shout, success!, but I do think this unlikely combination in the top picture looks kind of cool. It is <em>Hibiscus</em> 'Robert Fleming' and <em>Clematis</em> 'Mrs. Robert Brydon' growing at Kingwood Center. As an administrator I don't get many opportunities to garden at work, but I do have a few beds to tend, and I try to do weird things that are unlike what the other gardeners are doing. My efforts fall flat all too often, but I want the gardeners to experiment and try new things. Maybe if they see me doing it, and eventually succeeding, they will be emboldened. <br />
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We had <em>Clematis</em> 'Mrs. Robert Brydon' for sale at the Greenhouse for two years and could hardly give it away. That is one reason I made a point of using it in the garden. <br />
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On the other side of the bed I am trying to do something similar, but instead of using 'Mrs. Robert Brydon' as the groundcover I am using<em> Indigofera pseudotinctoria</em> 'Rose Carpet' (Dwarf False Indigo). When I took delivery from our local supplier I noticed that he gave me more than I ordered. He said he couldn't sell them (I see a pattern here.), so he just give me the last of his supply. The first year they looked great and full of flowers as illustrated in the bottom picture, but I discovered they die back hard in the winter. The good news is the Indigo has come back vigorously in year two and has self seeded. I am counting on a robust groundcover eventually. <br />
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To me this is the sort of stuff that makes gardening fun.<br />
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<br />Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-21860080146460806732013-07-31T16:22:00.000-04:002013-07-31T16:22:32.092-04:00Veratrum nigrum (Black False Hellebore)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Plants can be desired because they are rare, beautiful, fruitful, shade giving, architectural and so forth, but I also love plants that are intriguing. One of those intriguing plants is blooming right now in my garden and I feel a compulsion to share my enthusiasm for it. I can't say it is especially beautiful, although it is striking. Imagine coming across a patch of these in some remote Asian meadow. Who wouldn't be drawn to it? Perhaps I find it intriguing for its deep maroon flowers, pleated leaves and stark inflorescence, but that doesn't seem sufficient. Maybe it is because I have just the one and it has made itself a fixture in my garden since I bought it from Arrowhead Alpines nine years ago. I don't know, but I do relish it and why not? The flowering of my <em>Veratrum nigrum</em> is always a special event. How many other plants can offer that? Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-71227877825675342942013-06-27T11:16:00.000-04:002013-06-27T11:17:24.170-04:00Needs Well Drained Soil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A new bed at Kingwood Center features a highly amended soil intended to offer excellent drainage to plants that are hardy but intolerant of wet winter soils. <br />
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As I continue my fascination with rock gardens I keep coming up against plants that are hardy to my zone 5 but often die in the winter, not because they are damaged by the cold, but because they rot in the winter-long water-logged soils. I ran into this problem years ago and recall being perturbed by the garden centers that sell drainage sensitive plants like <em>Aster frikarti</em>,<em> Lewisia</em>, most Penstemons, <em>Incarvillea delavayi</em> (hardy gloxinia), many Agastaches, and most Veronicas without a word about drainage. Now that I am being introduced to more and more plants that grow in gravel, screes, sand, and rockeries I have become much more interested in this issue. I was pleased to see that the New Mexico nursery High Country Gardens was saved from bankruptcy. They offer a plethora of plants native to the west that would be hardy here in Ohio but just won't take our wet winter soils. I, like most any plantsman, want to grow those cool looking plants from the west as well as the ones already well known to me (such as the ones above) but that are likely to die over the winter without appropriate growing conditions. <br />
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I decided to experiment with a bed at Kingwood Center. I excavated several truckster loads of the underlying clay layer and replaced it with copious amounts of sand, incorporated into the remaining upper level soil layer. When I thought I had enough sand I added some more, because I know sand can just sort of disappear into the soil matrix unless you really add <u>a lot</u>. Now I hope I didn't just build a bathtub. <br />
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Then I started looking around for suitable plants. I asked one nursery we deal with regularly what plants they grew that would fit this definition. I enjoyed their reply when they said anything like that would be dead at their nursery. One plant I wanted to try was <em>Euphorbia x martini</em> 'Ascot Rainbow'. I first saw it last year when it seemed that every garden center was offering it as a good zone 5 plant. (Drainage wasn't mentioned on the tag.) I was skeptical but bought some anyway. They were profoundly dead in the spring. I later read that it needs good drainage and also saw we were even selling them at Kingwood Center. I had to find out if it will perform as claimed. The survival of another selection may be wishful thinking. Every mention I read of <em>Stipa gigantea</em> (Giant Feather Grass) was expansively enthusiastic. Mostly it was listed as zone 7 but one authoritative reference said zone 5, everyone said good drainage is a must. I had to try it. I bought one for home and one for work. The balance of the plants selected for this experimental bed were similarly inspired. Everything has had a good start as can be seen in the above photograph. I will know more in the spring. Life Style Gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16142069169512945170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596321289872080875.post-24908294908587282582013-06-03T10:26:00.000-04:002013-06-27T11:19:54.526-04:00Desert Lifestyle, the Wallace Desert GardensI had the opportunity in the third week in June to make my first visit to Arizona, and I was particularly interested to experience life and gardens in a desert environment. In and around Phoenix and Tucson I visited five public gardens and several private gardens. Between those visits I was constantly scrutinizing other landscapes such as at my (and other) hotel, commercial landscapes, and typical residences. It was the Wallace Desert Gardens in Scottsdale that impressed me the most. Established in 1987, it is a twelve acre collection of desert plants from around the world. I was impressed by the diversity of ornamental forms exhibited by the plants and how effectively they were assembled into engaging spaces. I had come to Arizona as a sworn advocate of the land of water and lush plant growth, but left admiring the desert lifestyle and the plants that can be so instrumental in creating it. Unfortunately Wallace Desert Gardens' days may be numbered. Ensconced in an exclusive gated community the neighbors have the power and the will to so severely limit the garden's activities as to make it impossible to attract the visitation necessary to sustain operations.<br />
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