Herb Garden
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-(photos of recent dry stack wall class)
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2003 Newsletter
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Karen's letter to Fellow Gardeners
Classy Clethra - Sweetens the Summer Garden
Herbal Spotlight - Perennial Picks with a
Medicinal History
Small Trees for Special Spaces
A remark about the unusual amount of rainfall this spring, and that continues into the summer is almost enough to make a gardener despair. While most plants in the ground have loved it and thrived, those gardeners who have been trying to plant have had a frustrating time. It’s really difficult to plant things in mud.
In addition, it would seem that the weeds are having a booming year…here at Foothills anyway. Were you aware that pokeweed can actually be trained into a standard! (kidding). I’ve been a little worried that these overwhelming interlopers might take lessons from the carnivorous plants and start snatching up small children as they pass by.
For those of you who have delayed planting because it was always raining on Saturday, (and I know many of you are reading the newsletter via internet in faraway places) please visit and support your local small garden centers soon. Many folks are struggling because of the double whammy of a slumping economy and weather related “blues”. If you value the options and choices that these folks make available to you….patronize them soon.
There have been, and will continue to be some changes at Foothills. We’re calling it the Foothills Facelift. We have been cutting down some trees and limbing up others to create space and some sunnier areas. While we are doing this, we apologize that the place looks as though we’re having a giant rummage sale. In order to move plants out of the way of falling trees, we’ve had to put plants in areas that were already full. If you like the feel of a tropical jungle, you’ll love those areas right now.
I hope that
you’re enjoying those plants in the garden that are able to thrive. For you
disappointed
rose gardeners, we have a terrific new collection of bog garden
plants if you’d like to make a change!
Hope to see you soon and a special thanks to the many friends and customers who’ve been our way so far this year…
Happy Gardening,
Karen
Classy Clethra Sweetens the Summer Garden
An enticing sweet fragrance wafts over the water garden from the area behind the little hut and envelopes me in a delicious cloud of perfume. I recognize the sensual fragrance from the the summersweets, as there is nothing else that quite compares with it in July and August. The warmth of the evening rays of the setting sun seem to intensify the aroma as the many butterflies flitting among the long flower panicles begin to drift off in search of safer night time resting spots.
Each year I fall in love anew with a clethra…some years I prefer the ‘Hummingbird’ Clethra (Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’) because it is the most compact of the forms and the easiest to fit into the landscape, in a shrub border, in front of taller shrubs, along a wood’s edge or fence line. The foliage is a lush, elegant green and the long white blooms seem to smother the plant at its peak.
Other times,
the flashy, bright pink flowers of ‘Ruby Spice’ (Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby
Spice’) seem to be among the most stunning summer bloomers available as it holds
the deep rose color instead of fading away. A taller grower, the foliage is
still a luscious dark green and provides an excellent summer backdrop or screen
behind other plantings.
When I’m in my “it’s got to be variegated” mood, ‘Creel’s Calico’ (Clethra alnifolia ‘Creel’s Calico) is impossible to beat with it’s irregular variegated leaves of deep green and white, topped by the ever-fragrant white candles of bloom. What a splash of color this guy can offer in the shade or full sun.
There is even a Japanese Clethra (Clethra barbinervis) with a lovely exfoliating bark like that of the Stewartia. Leaves are a leathery dark green, almost black, and flower clusters are a bit longer. Fall color develops in shades of red and gold…what a plant!
And for the rare plant lover, Clethra fargesii, a native of Central China creates a 6’ to 10’ shrub with dark green foliage and lengthy, fragrant white blooms that can reach up to 7”. (This one does prefer partial shade.)
Finally, one that extends the season, ‘Anne Bidwell’ begins to bloom later and continues after the others have signed off. White blossoms are clustered and are more irregular in shape, but the added length of bloom time is nice for those who hate to see summer drawing to an end.
Clethras are highly adaptable plants, thriving in full sun or shade without pest or disease problems if given adequate moisture. Best bloom is achieved in sunnier locations, but for those with shade who regret that they can’t grow Buddleia, the classy clethra offers an even better option.
Hydrangea Help: What Do I Do?
“My hydrangea hasn’t bloomed in years!” or “I bought a pink hydrangea and now it’s blue” are both common comments from customers in the nursery as they gaze at the “Hydrangea Heaven” area under the huge burford holly that received a facelift. (We hauled away 8 truckloads of burford holly limbs to create a lovely area for hydrangeas and to display a beautiful gnarled trunk beneath the deep green cap of leaves.)
It is important to know
which kind of hydrangea you have before making your pruning decisions.
Some
flower from buds on stems that were formed the previous year, while others
flower on new growth. The macrophylla species (has fat, rounded,
glossy green leaves) is one that flowers on the previous year’s growth. It is
best to prune them in late summer (now) and complete your pruning before
mid-August. You may want to cut spent blooms and part of the stalk back to the
uppermost pair of new leaves or buds.
If the plant needs thinning or rejuvenating, wait until January or February and remove about a third of the old wood, taking the stems off at the ground. If it is a true mess, you might cut the whole shrub to within 1.5’ of the ground and let it regrow. It will not bloom that year, but will regrow healthy new stems and create a more attractive shrub.
Black Stem Hydrangea
The serrata species and the oakleaf varieties, (quercifolia) are also best pruned in summer after they have finished blooming.
The Annabelle hydrangea (arborescens), with the hugest form of white mophead blooms, is one that blooms on new growth. This means that you can wait until late winter or early spring and cut the plant back to about 1 foot in height.
Paniculata hydrangeas, like the Tardiva, Unique and Pee Gee, also may be pruned in late winter without affecting your blooms. These plants can be really large, so you may wish to prune heavily and remove extra branches. Flower panicles will be larger with fewer stems. This is also a terrific species of hydrangea to shape into a standard in a patio pot or to prune into a “tree form” like a crape myrtle.
Climbing hydrangea (anomala ssp. Petiolaris) usually doesn’t require pruning. Keep in mind that it may take several years for this plant to begin to perform (bloom) at its peak. Deadheading does help the plant to continue blooming.
If you haven’t pruned your hydrangea at all, but are seldom having blooms year after year, it’s possible that the particular hydrangea that you are growing is not really a good choice for your area. Perhaps the bloom buds are being killed during late winter/early spring freezes. This is the case for a particular variegated hydrangea in our area. I grow it for the foliage alone because it is lovely planted behind blue hostas.
Flower color is another issue that is a constant issue. Generally, in North Carolina, our soil is acidic, which means that our hydrangeas tend to be blue. The more acid the soil in an area, the darker the blue color in the bloom. If you would like to strive for the pinker shades, adding dolomitic limestone to the soil around the base of the plant several times a year will make the soil more alkaline and enhance the pink shades in the blooms.
It is very difficult to change the color of hydrangea blooms on an ongoing basis with plants in the ground. Perhaps growing in containers or large planters where you have control over the planting media and its ph is a more achievable goal.
Keep in mind that a true white hydrangea will stay white, except for perhaps some pink tinge as the bloom fades. Adding limestone will not turn them blue, nor will adding aluminum sulfate turn them pink.
HERBAL SPOTLIGHT: PERENNIAL PICKS WITH A MEDICINAL HISTORY
Each year we grow a few herbs that are
more often found in the perennial border because they have no culinary value,
but the blooms are a terrific attraction. My favorite is also one of the most
common of perennials, the purple cone flower (Echinacea sp.) with the large
orange-brown cones
protruding upwards from the center of its drooping
lavender-pink rays of petals. One of the top 10 plants for butterflies, it is a
durable, drought resistant, long-lived beauty that every garden should include.
Here it borders the back of the herb garden for color that begins in late June
and seems to continue for the rest of the summer. The roots of the plant are the
source for the herbal supplement used to boost the immune system and avoid
winter colds. I don’t harvest mine, but enjoy it’s other attributes in the
garden.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is often offered in updated colors in the garden center, but the old standby is a favorite of mine for its fernlike foliage that is topped by fragrant white lacy flowers from the May through June in our area. Active ingredients in the plant are said to have a tranquilizing effect with none of the side effects of valium.
Another “herb” that frequently surprises is Betony (Stachys officinalis). Another highly adaptable and drought tolerant trooper, the pink spikes of bloom over the lush green foliage are great along the garden walkway. Blooms will last from July through August and can stretch above the foliage to reach up to 3’. Used for many ailments in the past, current pharmacologists maintain that it is best used as a gargle for sore throat, or to make teas to cure diarrhea. As I can’t bear to chop up my plants, I can’t comment on either remedy!
CHEF’S CORNER
Tomato time again. And of course, I’m always grilling. Here’s a new favorite that originated on foodTV.
It’s good as a side dish or served over couscous flavored with garlic and olive oil.
Grilled Tomato Salad
2 large ripe tomatoes (beefsteak size)
1 extra-large sweet onion
2 – 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme.
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Slice tomatoes and onions into ½” thick slices. Brush with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill about 3 minutes on each side. Chop coarsely and add balsamic vinegar and thyme. Wow!
Another recipe that I’ve modified comes from a low carbohydrate diet source, but this burger is so tasty, you’ll enjoy it any way you choose to eat it. They use dill instead of basil…and no garlic powder. Is it food without garlic?
Basil-Feta Burger
1 lb. Ground beef
1 chopped green onion
½ cup chopped spinach
¼ cup chopped tomato
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
3-4 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. Garlic powder
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
Combine all ingredients and shape into 4 patties. Grill 4 to 6 minutes on each side for medium doneness.
Small Trees for Special Spaces
Some spaces seem to cry out for a small specimen tree, and for many their first choice for a slow growing beauty is one of the many available Japanese maples. The lacy burgundy texture of the cascading leaves of the ‘Crimson Queen’ (Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’) add dramatic flair in many a garden.
Exploring other options, however, can be worthwhile, as there are a number of alternatives to make your garden distinctive. For instance, the foliage of the Japanese Alder (Alnus firma var. multinervis) can hardly be bypassed here in the nursery without comment. “It just seems to shine,” noted one customer, while her friend commented on the pronounced veination and similarity in appearance to the Japanese Hornbeam. A slow grower, this small alder from the mountains of Japan has distinctive pointed leaves that are a lush dark green with strongly pronounced veining. Relatively overlooked by nurserymen, this beauty is especially attractive as a focal point in a bed near a walkway where the foliage can be admired. Attractive, white-speckled gray bark, and seed that is carried in long pendulous racemes add to the seasonal interest of this lovely tree.
Another great
choice in small trees is the Fernleaf Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula ‘Asplenifolia’).
The fine textured leaves and speckled bark of the multi-stem trunk on this
lovely slow grower make it another perfect specimen for a small garden bed in a
foundation planting. It will very slowly mature to a 10’ – 12’ height with a 6’
spread. Visit our 7’ beauty near the ‘Blue Ice’ Cypress and Weeping Cherry area
in the center of the nursery. This is an excellent choice for an airy texture
near the water garden.
For those who want the outstanding bloom of a Crapemyrtle in a 3’ to 5’ size, there is ‘ Victor’ (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Victor’) with blooms in a dark red from late July through August. Fall color of foliage on this compact grower is a super reddish-yellow. It will glow in a spot in the full sun.
And then again, if it’s bark that you’re after, perhaps the ‘Fox Valley’ Dwarf River Birch (Betula nigra) will fit the bill. This shorter version of the popular river birch will reach about 10’ in 15 years. Its dense oval growth habit is perfect for smaller spaces.