The Invasion of the Dame

"Hi, don't mind me, I'll just settle down here in your garden and look pretty each spring.  What?  Those plants over there?  No, not MY children.  I have no idea why those little ones choked out your prize Columbines.  These seeds?  Oh, pay no attention to them, they just aren't all that prolific.  My flowers look just like Phlox, you'll love me, and my children, and their children, and their children.  In fact, you'll like me so much you probably won't pull me out of the garden until it's too late and we've taken over.  Uh, not that we would take over, mind you, we're pretty and quiet and butterflies like us.  Look!  We're useful!"

Dame's Rocket, Hesperis matronalis, is in bloom this time of year.  It has lavender, white, or pinkish flowers.  Often confused with tall garden phlox, this invasive is a garden escapee.  Originally brought to the colonies from Europe, the plant now appears frequently throughout New England.  Here in Massachusetts, the planting of it is prohibited.  Generally, the plants are biennial producing leaves the first year and flowers the second.  They prefer sunny or partly shady areas with moist soil.  Luckily, when young, the plants are fairly easy to remove from the soil. 

Although invasive, this plant isn't quite so horrible as Rosa multiflora or Oriental Bittersweet.  It's not nearly as tenacious and is actually quite nice in small doses.  Unfortunately, if given enough time, the plant will take over.  I've seen Dame's Rocket growing next to highways, coming up between pavement and concrete steps, and readily growing in abandoned fields.  So, if it's appearing in your yard, you may want to pull it as soon as it appears, or perhaps enjoy it until it flowers, then cut it back so it doesn't produce seed.

Recommended Plant:  Hemerocallis "Bandit Man."

When this plant was first recommended to me, I read the description and said to myself, "Oh, it's another orange daylily, sounds pretty dull, why is someone recommending it?"  The first year I had it in the ground it performed well, flowered, and was fairly unimpressive.  Yes, the flowers were nice, but nothing to write home about.  The second year, and years beyond, I realized exactly why it was such a great plant.  It produces numerous flowers and all of them are large (4-5" across).  The red eye zone goes well with the orange tones of the petals.  The plant thrives in less than stellar conditions (hot and dry soil to be exact). Because the flowers are numerous and large, they look fantastic even from a distance.  Although it only blooms once during the summer, it generates enough flowers so the bloom period is lengthy.  It would be an amazing plant to have in a large grouping.  In the picture below the colors are a bit washed out due to the bright sunlight.  The orange is a tad richer in color and the eye zone more red than orange.

Rosa Multiflora

It's the time of year for an especially nasty invasive plant to start flowering.  During a walk the other day I noticed Rosa multiflora beginning to bloom.  The delicate white flowers, with a fantastic scent, were just opening on some plants while others were fully engaged.  The arching canes form dense hiding areas for all kinds of wildlife and in the late summer and winter the hips are food for birds.  It's such a shame that this plant is so invasive.  Unfortunately, Rosa multiflora was once promoted as the perfect hedge plant.  Yes, it will form impenetrable stands of thorny canes and become an excellent barrier.  The seeds are highly successful when it comes to germination.  Further, where canes touch the ground they will eventually root in and sprout new plants.  The plant was also used as root stock when grafting certain roses to make them hardier.  Die back would occur and the root stock would survive to vex the gardener in the future.

My personal experience with this invasive began at my parent's house.  This annoying rose bush kept turning up all over the yard.  My father would assault it with clippers and a shovel only to be confronted with the same plant the very next year.  They were nothing if not tenacious.  One year, so vexed by a plant growing too near a shed foundation, my father poured gasoline on it.  He'd pruned it back and tried to dig out the main stems and roots with a shovel but discovered it was growing beneath the concrete slab of the shed.  With one match, the remaining shrub was engulfed and quickly the stems blackened.  Success was had that day.  Well, just that day, the plant managed to survive the experience, shrugging off the flames and sending out bright green growth a few weeks later.  Eventually, this particular plant was defeated through the use of larger clippers that sliced through the main stem of the plant--and perhaps the judicious use of a saw or axe. 

The constant battles with this plant were fairly epic as seeds germinated just about anywhere.  I'm sure they would have come right up through pavement if given the option.  I have no idea where the original plants came from probably a gift from some bird.  As invasives go, this one ranks right up there with Oriental Bittersweet with me.  Annoyingly difficult to remove, speedy growth, and the habit of turning up in secret, unlikely places makes this invasive especially...well...invasive.  If it should turn up in your yard, remove it as quickly as possible.

Recommended Plant:
Magnolias are common spring trees that offer up amazing flowers each spring.  There is one variety, native to the United States, that is a bit more subtle and flowers during summer.  Also known as Sweetbay Magnolia, the small tree Magnolia virginiana is a great addition to the garden.  They have waxy leaves, new growth that is grey/green, and creamy white flowers that smell like gardenias or vanilla.  It's a fairly durable plant with few pests or disease issues.  This plant is especially nice when planted next to a patio; it will offer some shade as it grows and the scented flowers should be close to where they can be enjoyed.

Musings on Foundation Plantings

On the way to and from work today I was confronted with a harsh reality.  There is nothing quite like a warm, sunny, spring day to make the heart long for the garden.  During the drive home a detour was in place and I got to drive through a neighborhood I'd not been through before.  Surprisingly, there were many fairly new homes along this road and best of all they weren't supporting yet another crop of muffined yews or similar evergreens in the front yard.  It appears that builders are ranging out into the world of deciduous shrubs and perennials.

There was a time, not so long ago, when the common plants in front of new homes consisted of yews, arborvitae, rhododendrons, azaleas, and maybe a holly or boxwood.  At some point, spirea became a common addition as well and barberry was practically inevitable as far as deciduous shrubs went.  Unfortunately, yews are tasty and the local deer population will nibble at them even if they're planted right under the dining room windows.  Arborvitae are also quite tasty to deer and I've seen many lovely hedges almost completely bare to about the 4' mark.  Azaleas, rhododendrons, holly and boxwood all have some fairly specific needs and southern exposure in poor soil aren't two of them.  Azaleas are particularly tricky, yet builders loved them.  While working in the industry I saw many Delaware Valley White azaleas return quite dead due to exposure, over watering, or death by dryness. 

So what did I see today that was different?  Well, there were still some azaleas and rhododendrons kicking around, but there were many perennials mixed in.  Siberian iris and daylilies were most common and some ornamental grasses were showing signs of life as well.  A few Japanese maples were mixed into the foundation plantings and a dwarf weeping cherry of some sort was also seen (at least I hope it's a dwarf weeping cherry--far too many people buy standard weeping cherries when they're young, not realizing they'll get to 30' high and 30'wide).  Now, one could argue that Japanese maples are a bit over planted these days, but it is nice to see them in place of the red barberries.

So, how can you make a foundation planting better and/or what should you do if faced with something new?  Here's a list of 10 things to consider in no particular order (except for #1, it is most important). 

1.  Know your site.  What exposure does it have?  East?  North?  What is the soil like?  Is it dry?  Wet?  Sandy?  Rich?  What plants are there currently and what seems to do well?  Can you plant far enough out beyond the roof line so that plants won't be damaged by falling snow/ice?  Can you give your plants enough distance from the house so that you can maneuver behind them?  Knowing your site well might mean watching the area for a year and jotting down notes.  Although it gets full sun in early April, can the same be said in May once leaves are fully out?  Are winter winds particularly bad?  Are there critters in the neighborhood who will eat everything you plant?  Keep an eye out and learn as much as you can about the planting site before you start planting.  I have much experience in the "wrong plant, wrong place" school of horticulture.  Taking time is difficult, but worth it in the long run.

2.  Symmetry is overrated.  You do not need a columnar plant on each side of your doorway or at the front corners of the house, nor do you need an even number of plants.  Aim for groupings instead of straight lines.  Plant in odd numbers.  This will lend a more natural look to the plantings, which can still end up being quite formal in tone.

3.  Go for complimentary colors.  Remember back when you were in school and your art teacher talked about the color wheel?  No?  Well, look it up online.  It's fairly easy to match up colors if you stick with colors close to one another on the wheel.  At the same time, some opposing colors look amazing together--just be careful.  Looking for a white garden?  Add some pale blue and grey colors, or maybe light pink in with white flowering plants for a more interesting collection.

4.  Timing is everything.  Avoid buying plants when you see them flowering just because they are flowering when you see them.  Why?  In some cases plants are brought to nurseries from other locations and they may be weeks ahead of their normal bloom time in your climate.  Study your plants in advance and try to add a mix to the garden that will provide bloom time throughout the year.  Those foundation plantings of azaleas and rhododendrons look great in the spring, but once June rolls around they get pretty boring. 

5.  Texture.  Plants aren't just greenery and flowers, they are texture as well.  Some plants have interesting winter bark or stem colors (like Acer griseum--the paperbark maple).  Perennials are excellent sources of different textures as well, such as hostas which can have crinkly, or wavy leaves.  Some plants have a soft profile, while others look strong.  Some plants, like the Harry Lauder's Walking Stick (Corylus avellana 'Contorta'), are both; being a different looking plant between winter and summer.

6.  Sometimes it just doesn't work out.  It's not you, it's the damp.  No, no, really, it isn't you, voles have come between us.  In the garden, nothing is guaranteed 100% and even with your best efforts sometimes plants just don't work.  They die mysteriously, become dinner for an animal, or shack up with the neighbor's hydrangeas.  Move on, let it go, it wasn't meant to be, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, and so forth.

7.  Plants can be a lot of work.  Some plants are fussy and enjoy as much attention as you can give them.  They are divas of the yard and let you know if you've somehow disappointed them.  Certain hydrangeas, clematis, azaleas, delphiniums, birch trees, and a host of other plants are picky, need your focus, and cannot go without more than the usual support in the yard.  Granted, there are exceptions, but be prepared for the divas and avoid them.  Even one of my favorite perennials, daylilies, offer up the finicky variety every now and again--I'm looking at you Strawberry Candy with your flowers that turn into gross, slimy, masses of evil if they get wet.  And don't even get me started on the topiary...yes they have them at Home Depot, no it doesn't mean you should try one unless you are willing to take the time to take care of it properly.  Just ask the horse topiary down the street from me that lost its back end to die back and turned into 1/2 a horse with a gigantic neck.

8.  Avoid fad plants.  For a while now the Tri-Color Willow (Salix integra 'Hakura Nishiki') has been popular with gardeners.  Unfortunately, in order to get the interesting leaves, you need to prune the plant back in the spring (or more often).  I've encountered gigantic, horrible versions of this plant and the pretty leaves are lost because the plant was attempting to eat the fence it was planted next to.  Other plants look fantastic at first sight, but aren't reliably hardy, have insect/disease problems, or just don't thrive (like the Great Expectations hosta I once had).  If something new appears at the garden center watch how it does in someone else's yard.  Let them make the first mistake.

9.  Mix in bulbs.  A foundation planting needs a boost of early color and there are all kinds of bulbs that fit the bill.  Snowdrops are especially early and spread well.  Daffodils and Tulips are especially well known and some varieties are fantastic. 

10.  Take risks.  Please, for plant lovers everywhere, take a risk and mix up the plants in front of your house.  Oh, and don't prune your yews into neat little muffin shapes...they don't like that, although will tolerate it.  Yews put out new growth on the tips of branches and if this is cut off every year it's possible to end up with a yew that has a thin shell of needles on the outside and nothing on the inside.  Do you like blue hydrangeas?  Put them near your front door.  Like boxwood but don't want the plant to get large?  Seek out one of the low growing types like Buxus sempervirens 'Vardar Valley' or the dwarf boxwood (Buxus sempervirens Suffruticosa).  They may grow slowly, but they'll be far happier near your house.  Try a weeping redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Covey') in place of a cherry, or maybe the lovely native fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus). 

Recommended Plant:
Since I mentioned it above, I figured I'd provide this as my recommended plant.  I have a soft spot for the Redbud (Cercis canadensis).  This great small tree is excellent as a foundation planting (give it some room--at least 10' away from the house) and enjoy the early flowers and large heart shaped leaves.  There are pink and white flowering types and another with reddish leaves (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy').  There's even one with variegated leaves called 'Silver Cloud.' The weeping variety, 'Covey', is particularly nice and would make an interesting addition to any foundation planting.  You may find 'Covey' listed as 'Lavender Twist.'

Far, far too long.

It has been ages since I've posted anything garden related here.  Last weekend I joined the Tower Hill Botanic Gardens in Boylston, MA.  Each year I try and support a local museum or botanic garden and this year it is Tower Hill.  Ultimately, my goal is to spend more time among plants and have the opportunity to learn more about photography.  Above is one of the pictures I took during the visit.

I also went hunting for local wildflowers during a hike here in town.  My luck wasn't so good as we've had a dry early spring.  I did come across wood anemone, however, and managed to get a decent picture.

Beyond this, my gardening enjoyment is limited to planters out on the apartment deck railing--herbs this year--and visiting botanic gardens.

Recommended Plant:
False Hellebore, Veratrum viride.  Also called Indian Poke or Indian Hellebore.  This native plant prefers damp soils and is often found along streams or in marshy fields.  The bright green leaves offer amazing texture in the early garden.  The flowers appear on tall stalks and are similar in color to the leaves.  I've never had the opportunity to grow this myself, but when the time comes I hope to give it a try.  If you're looking for a replacement for Hosta or similar shade/damp tolerant perennial, try this one out.

A Walk in the Woods

Yesterday, with the greens of spring in full riot, I went for a walk with my partner. We visited a state park nearby that is part of the Blackstone River National Heritage corridor. The weather was dubious, as there was a heavy mist falling, yet the walk was fun. There was, however, an upsetting element to this walk. There were tons of invasive nonnative plants all along the walk. There was no major variety to this invasion, but the sheer numbers were staggering.

First came the Berberis species, vulgaris or thunbergii. They were everywhere. One large specemin lurked right next to the path laden with flowerbuds. I'm uncertain which species this was, but it looked to have pendulous flower clusters that would produce yellow flowers. Other examples of Berberis were lower growing, others growing in shady spots were reaching for the sky.

Celastrus orbiculatus was making inroads in a few spots, but the greedy tendrils weren't covering everything as thickly as I've seen elsewhere. Perhaps the park rangers are working to remove it.

Lonicera possibly of the maackii or tatarica family, was absolutely everywhere. The flowers are about to emerge and I suspect they'll show the plants to be of the tatarica group. They grew most thickly right along the path where the sun was brightest, although gangly versions grew further in the trees with less light. Little grew beneath them due to the shade they were casting. Birds will most happily spread their seeds further afield.

Of course Rosa multiflora made an appearance, but like the bittersweet it wasn't appearing in great abundance. If only the multiflora in my own yard were following the same pattern. It's sprouting up absolutely everywhere this year.

There was no sign of Lythrum salicaria, the horrible purple loosestrife, but I'm sure it was lurking around somewhere.

The good news is there were plenty of native plants chugging along, including a variety of evergreen fern that I'd love to try and grow in my own garden. I'm hoping that if funds or initiative allow the park will try and cull out these unwanted invaders to preserve what natives are there.

Recommended Plant of the Week: Magnolia soulangiana. In the north, we cannot reliably grow the beautiful evergreen magnolias so common in the south (Bracken's Brown Beauty can survive if in a protected location, but I've never seen a very large one). The common saucer magnolia offers up huge flowers and a tree large enough to provide shade. Toward the end of April here in Massachusetts, the trees are covered in sweetly scented flowers. These flowers are pink at the base and change to white toward the ends of the petals. It's a fantastic classic plant that certainly deserves a showcase position in the garden.

Plant Disappointments

"Your tastes will mature," said a co-worker to me one day. I was complaining about some plant or another and swearing up and down that I'd never enjoy that particular tree/shrub. Over time my tastes have changed, but there are still many plants that fit into the category of "Disappointing."

My biggest plant gripe is with fad plants. At one point it was anything in the Amelanchier species. Yes, a nice native plant that doesn't get overwhelmingly large, flowers, and has fall color. It will tolerate city conditions and fits well into a small garden. Sounds good. In nature, it's a great plant. The flowers will cover the tree turning it into a fluffy cloud of white. The flowers don't last all that long, but in spring we'll take what we can get. The foliage varies in quality and can range from yellows to oranges to reds. These trees also produce fruit for birds. Excellent, you want one, right? So what's my problem with these plants? Well, I like them enough in the wild, but there are so many other plants that offer far more. There was a time at the nursery when rabid customers would arrive in droves to see this miracle plant their landscape architect had recommended and then they'd take one look and say, "Is that all?" The fad surrounding the plant was far greater than the plant itself. Would I own one? Sure. Would it be the centerpiece of my small garden? No. I've also seen what happens when these trees mature and they can be some pretty gnarly ugly things. They're pretty in flower and the fall foliage is nice, but the rest of the year they're a Gothic mess.

Hosta "Great Expectations" was all the rage one year. Sure it looked interesting and I was hoping to have one. A co-worker and I were given plants to test out in our yards. Before long the expectations turned into frustrations as the plant just sat there in the garden. Other hostas nearby chugged right along, but Great Expectations just sat, expectantly. After about 3 seasons of being the same exact size, it disappeared. My co-worker had a similar experience with the plant. According to a grower we'd talked to, the plant was having issues. Tissue cultured versions of the plant just weren't growing and there were so many of these plants on the market because it had a sudden explosion of popularity. If you could find a plant divided from a healthy parent, things might turn out different. I expected more than this and decided to skip getting another.

Of course, there are plants I've changed my mind about. Witch Hazels, for example. Hated them to pieces when I first saw them. They were gangly, yellow, and their leaves were unimpressive. Over time, however, I realized that there was more than just yellow, the plants could be beautiful in the right location, and the fact that I saw them flowering in January in southern Rhode Island sure made them more appealing. Even the native "virginiana" is an interesting plant that flowers far later than other blooming plants. The forests in New England are full of them. Sure, they're a common yellow and the flowers are small, but some years they're holding onto flowers near Thanksgiving.

Have my tastes matured? Somewhat. I'm more willing to give plants a second look now, although I still haven't changed my mind about many others (which I'll discuss later). Native plants hold more interest for me now, especially since a number of them are quite hardy. Will I rush out to buy the new Echinacea or Hydrangea? Probably not. I'll wait and see how nature deals with these introductions before I decide whether or not they'll appear in my garden.

Recommended Plant of the Day: Erianthus ravenna. If you're looking for an ornamental grass that becomes a beast, this is the one for you. It's a reed-like grass that reaches 12-15 feet or so. The seed heads are whitish/silver and look a bit like pampas grass. It's native to southern Europe, but is hardy to zone 5. I've seen a stand of it growing and didn't think much of it at first, until the seed heads started growing so much higher than the clumps. Plant it as a specimen plant by itself, or put it in as a summer screen.

Addictions

Hemerocallis "Now and Zen"

With spring impending, thoughts turn to green growing things. At times, this desire for green becomes obsessive. Some might say it turns to addiction. I once worked with a woman who thought nothing of spending $200.00 on perennials at each and every garden center she visited. Now, the money wasn't spent on creating massive drifts of flowers. Instead, she focused on unusual plants and plants more challenging to grow. Double flowering trilliums ended up being a multi-year obsession. She'd purchase three, two would not survive the year, and the next spring she'd try again. I'm not sure I could tolerate the heartache of losing such a beautiful plant time and again.
The addictions didn't end with trillums. Hostas and daylilies figured prominently in her garden cart everywhere she went. Usually, these plants were the newest introductions or rare hybrids. Often times, she'd try and talk the grower into digging up a daylily that wasn't yet for sale. More often than not, they'd relent and dig out a fan. Shopping with her was an amazing trip and the kind of behavior I swore I'd never engage in. "I'll never become a plant addict like THAT," I'd foolishly say to myself.
The past couple years my addiction has been daylilies. Vacation trips have been impacted by a wish to visit garden centers or growers. Last summer it was Olallie Day Lily Gardens in South Newfane, Vermont. It's just a short drive from Brattleboro, where my partner and I were vacationing, and was a grower I'd wanted to visit for a while. Luckily, I was limited by the contents of my wallet and so came home with a far less damaging amount greens than possible. "Bayou Bride" and "Mystical Rainbow" had caught my eye, along with a long list of others. There was one, however, that I'd had regrets about. It was a tall reddish purple daylily called "Katahdin." I'd walk around the growing fields time and again and come back to this plant. I hemmed and hawed and then finally decided to show some restraint. I left with the plants as "Katahdin's" flowers waved with an air of melancholy in the rear view mirror.
This year I discovered a daylily auction site online. It's quite dangerous as I could easily lose an entire paycheck to these auctions. So far, I've ordered just two plants. There's a grower in Maine (near where I like to visit when traveling there) who offered up "Now and Zen" and also "Katahdin." I remembered fondly my time last summer and vowed to win the auction. Luckily I was the only person bidding on the plant and managed to win it handily. So, my "Katahdin" saga has finally come to a satisfying end.
My addiction is under control. I hope. But there's a daylily farm in New York I might want to visit this summer and I can always go back to Tranquil Lake or Olallie. Looks like I'd better do some garden expanding this spring, just in case.

Visit: http://www.daylilygarden.com/

Find Addiction At: http://www.daylily.com/cgi-bin/auction.cgi

Recommended Plant of the Day: Since I've been talking about daylilies it's only fair that I recommend one. I've had Hemerocallis "Coburg Fright Wig" for quite some time. The poor thing was in a neglected part of the yard and I didn't notice the flowers. Then I moved it to a newer garden area and last year it produced amazing blooms. Not only were they colorful, they were huge. The base color is yellow, but every other petal has a red tip. Given the size of the flower, it puts on quite a show. This is a "spider" day lily, which means the flower petals are long like fingers. It's an excellent addition to any daylily collection.

Coburg Fright Wig