Tree of Heaven

The Tree of Heaven is not a heavenly tree. This invasive tree was imported from China in 1784 and rapidly spread in the US. It was greeted as a great landscape tree because it grew fast and had no natural enemies. In China it is known as “stinking chun”. I hear the leaves and male flowers smell like rotten peanut butter.

Tree of Heaven resembles a Sumac. The leaves reveal the difference.

Tree of Heaven has one to three serrations at the base of the leaf.



The Sumac leaf is serrated throughout.



The Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is difficult to get rid of once it is established. It spreads by seeds and root suckers. It can grow 10 to 15 feet a year. Repeated and frequent cutting before it gets large is recommended. For larger trees, the stump may need to be painted with an herbicide immediately after cutting. Vigilance is required to eliminate suckers that pop up. It may take 2 or 3 years to totally eliminate it in the landscape.

More information from Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Forest Service: http://www.naturalresources.umd.edu/Pages/Tree_of_heaven.htm

Lawn Weeds

Two obnoxious weeds have invaded our lawn in the last few years. They are described in Penn State’s “Weed Management in Turf” publication as follows. http://turfgrassmanagement.psu.edu/weedmgmt.cfm

Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi)

Nimblewill is a blue-green perennial grass that is common in Pennsylvania lawns during summer. It spreads over existing turf by stolons and forms dense patches. Leaf blades have a medium texture (about ¼ inch wide) and are short (1½ to 2 inches) with leaf tips tapering to an abrupt point. The stems are long, slender, and wiry with prominent nodes. Ligules are short, membranous, and jagged. The leaf blades have long hairs at the margins but do not possess auricles. Seedheads are long, slender, and inconspicuous. Nimblewill grows rapidly during the warm summer months and turns brown or tan in winter.

Ground ivy (Glecoma hederacea)

Ground ivy is a low-growing, creeping, perennial broadleaf weed. Leaves are oppositely arranged on stems and are round or kidney-shaped with scalloped margins. The upper leaf surface has distinct veins and is sparsely hairy. Stems are square, creeping, and long. Ground ivy produces nodes that root at leaf and stem axils and that can form new stolons. Flowers are blue or purple and trumpet-shaped. This weed is most common in shaded areas, but it can also grow in full sun.

Penn State web sites contain information to help a homeowner deal responsibly with their lawn http://solutions.psu.edu/Horticulture_Gardening_Landscaping.htm and http://turfgrassmanagement.psu.edu/homelawns.cfm

Turfgrass serves many purposes - earth cooling, open space, a playground, an athletic field, a filter, to reduce soil erosion, to increase property value, a frame for your flower or vegetable garden - among others.

With good lawn care management, some patience, and a little common sense and we won’t end up polluting the earth with chemicals. Every expert recommends taking a soil sample (see September 29, 2007 post). That way you can be sure to add only the fertilizers or herbicides (either organic or chemical) that the lawn can use.

Frogs and Toads

I’ve been doing some research on how frogs and toads benefit the garden.

According to Frogs by Dan Greenberg – Benchmark Books 2001: “The American toad is indeed a voracious eater of garden pests. One study estimated that 88 percent of the toad’s diet consisted of insects that were harmful to garden plants, including mosquitoes, locusts, grasshoppers, snails, slugs and hairy caterpillars.”

I’m lucky because there are a lot of American toads in the neighbor’s pond. I love to listen to the trill on a warm spring evening. You can listen to the cacophony here: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/amphibian/toadvoc.htm About 100 feet of vegetative growth separates our deck from the pond reducing the toads love song to pleasant background music.

I plan to add a few toad houses to my garden next summer. You can find some ideas here:
http://www.wildlifehc.org/documents/hoptoad/toadabodeenirch.pdf or here http://entertainment.kaboose.com/gardening-plants-projects.html

Why are frogs so happy? Because they eat what bugs them.

Fall Garden Cleanup

A few days of badly needed rain has caused a temporary halt in garden cleanup.

In the last few weeks, I managed to get a few things done.

Even though we have not had a frost, I’ve been emptying pots and composting the potted annuals. The pots were cleaned and stored for the winter. The pot pictured is ready to roll toward the compost bin. I never do a great job of cleaning pots before I put them away. I dump the soil and brush out a little remaining soil. I use new soil mix in spring and I haven’t had any problems. I guess this is OK but I’m sure there are better methods.

I cut back a few of the black-eyed Susan and cone flowers. I leave some for the small birds to feed on. They like the little seed heads.

I cut back and cleaned the iris bed a few weeks ago. This is the first year I’ve done this. Most years I tend to ignore the mess altogether. The yellow iris blooms profusely every year with almost no care at all. I hope the iris like being neat and tidy for a change.

The peonies were cut off and discarded in the trash. They were a mildewed, unsightly mess.

I picked the last of the tomatoes and pulled the plant the other day before the rain. I harvested 8 green tomatoes and one almost ripe. Most of them will ripen off the vine – or become green fried tomatoes. Next year I want to try Brandyboy tomatoes if I can find them. It's large beefsteak that I’ve heard good things about from other gardeners.

If we get a frost this weekend, I’ll cut off canna stalks. I’ll dig up the canna tubers with a garden fork. They will be dried and stored in peat moss in a cool place for the winter. The rest of the annuals will need to be cleaned out of the garden.

Hopefully, I’ll have time to spread some compost and mulch before leaf raking starts in earnest.

Autumn

As I slowly work on garden cleanup (who could rush in such glorious weather), I continually stop to admire the plants.

The mums in bloom, the grasses against a blue sky, the annuals bright colors and even the obnoxious beans on the locust tree grab my attention.

It’s hard to get serious about cleanup with all that’s still happening in the garden. Even the resident bunny is lulled into a leisurely, relaxed life.

Cow Pots vs. Peat Pots

(See February 1 and May 9, 2007 posts.)

The cow pot versus peat pot experiment this summer showed no advantage to cow pots (at least in my garden).

I planted 4 cuttings of the same variety of coleus - 2 in cow pots and 2 in peat pots. I tried to keep the size of the plants similar - about 2” - and planted in the garden on May 14. I planted the peat pot on the left and the cow pot on the right. I tore the bottom out of the peat pot and put a few holes on the side with my thumb nail and broke off anything above soil level. The cow pot top was broken off to the soil line. Both plants received the same amount of water and fertilizer during the summer.

I did this in two areas. During the summer, all plants grew fairly well. But, by September, the peat-potted plant was slightly larger in both instances. (peat pot left – cow pot right)

When I dug out the plants last week, the peat pot was still more or less intact. The cow pot had completely degraded. Although the cow pots served the purpose well for cuttings and are a great recycling effort, there was no noticeable contribution to the growth of the plant. I would use them again if I can find them locally at a competitive price.

I reuse small plastic pots for most of my cuttings. I use peat pots for cuttings taken late in the winter so I don’t have to disturb the roots when planting the young plants in the garden. I have a friend who reuses empty yogurt containers for cuttings. Now that’s recycling.

Mums and Asters

The colors of fall.

Mums and asters are in bloom everywhere. The colors in my garden are mostly yellow to orange, a few pinks and a purple. The size varies from a diminutive button mum to the 3 foot high and wide yellow mum that was an Easter gift. (Yes, I did pinch it back.)

Chrysanthemum rubellum 'Clara Curtis' has been a real winner. This pink daisy mum, purchased in 2004 from Wayside Gardens, grows and grows and bloomed all summer. I’ve given away a few pieces of this plant.

Another winner in the hardiness category is Chrysanthemum koreanum ‘Single Apricot’. This daisy-shaped mum spreads and needs to be propped up. I use 4 sections of 24” or 32” Gard’n Border green round folding fence to make a cage. The fall color is a sweet peachy-pink. I purchased it in 2004 from Hickory Grove Greenhouses in North Catasauqua.

A spectacular show this year is the orange mum transplanted from my Mom’s garden several years ago. I don’t know the name but it produces a great bloom every year. This one also gets pinched and propped and grows 2 to 3 feet tall.

Aster novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’, planted in 2004, has a deep, rich purple color. I originally planted 2 but only one remains. I pinch the plant back lightly until the middle of June. I didn’t have much trouble with mildew this year – because it was so dry? It doesn’t spread (unfortunately) and is pretty care free if you can put up with the mildew. I would like to add a few more asters next year.

I try to plant mums in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot. They make good foundation plantings. In winter, I cover them with branches cut off when the plant dies back and some leaves or mulch. I try to shelter them from the winter freeze/thaw cycles. Sometimes I lose a mum but mostly they make it through the winter.

The hardiest of my mums: ‘Clara Curtis’ is planted in a sunny open spot and seems to do fine. I haven’t done anything to it – no fertilizer, no pinching, no cutting off dead branches. The ‘Single Apricot’ is under a dogwood tree but gets some sun. This one is pinched, propped, cut and covered. It spreads a lot so I end up with plants to share or plants for the compost. I just pull or cut them out when it gets too wide.

What a colorful way to end the summer.

Blumenplatz

It’s time to clean out Musikfest’s Blumenplatz. (see June 30, 2007 post) In the next week or two, we will be removing all the plants and taking them to the Bethlehem Compost Center.

It’s been a year with the usual ups and downs. Most plants thrived. Some areas looked anemic and had to be enhanced with plants from the Butterfly (plant holding) Garden in the Colonial Industrial Quarter. The chairman kept everything on track and tirelessly tended the garden. Many of the lights during the festival gave him fits. The dry summer never gave a break to watering. A lot of help at planting time came in the form of Art’s Quest interns. Dan Schatz Greenhouse again provided massive amounts of annuals. Deadheading. trimming and weeding continued all summer. The design was beautiful as usual.

It’s time to put the garden to bed. We’ll meet again next April to plan the garden in the city center. We hope it will be even better than this year. The best garden is always next year’s, isn’t it?

Invasive Plants

Two popular shrubs have become invasive in Pennsylvania dominating natural resources and depleting cover and food for wildlife – Japanese Barberry and Burning Bush.

Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) has never been a favorite of mine because of its sharp edges. It has a burgundy color that adds interest to the landscape so it is has become an attractive addition to many gardens.

According to Invasive Organization http://www.invasive.org/eastern/midatlantic/beth.html

“In the United States, Japanese barberry occurs throughout much of New England and the Northeast, south to North Carolina and west to Michigan and Missouri. Barberry forms dense stands in a variety of habitats, including closed canopy forests and open woodlands, wetlands, pastures, meadows and wastelands. This highly shade-tolerant exotic shrub displaces a variety of native herb and shrub species in areas where it is well established.”

The Barberry variety ‘Concord’ can be substituted providing everything the invasive plant offers without the seeds that promote invasiveness.

I do have personal experience with Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus). Purchased in the early 90’s, I wanted a shrub that would add some color to the fall landscape. I got the color but I also got hundreds of seedlings after the shrub matured. I’ve removed the bush.

The Global Invasive Species Team http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/alert/alrteuon.html has this to say about Burning Bush:

“This new invader is becoming increasingly common in Connecticut, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. It has been observed making dense thickets in Pennsylvania. These thickets can shade out native herbs and crowd out native shrubs.”

Some native plant substitutes for Burning Bush worth checking include: maple-leaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), Korean spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii), service berry (Amelanchier arborea), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), strawberry bush (Euonymus americanus) or red chokeberry 'Brilliantissima' (Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima').

Even the much loved Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) has become invasive in some parts of the country. Since seeds of the Butterfly Bush don’t mature until spring, trimming spent flowers in the fall will greatly reduce the threat.

It may take a bit of research to make the right choice when buying shrubs or working with a landscaper. But, by staying away from the shrubs that can become invasive, at least I won't add to the problem.

Sweet Pea

I’ve tried for the last two or three years to grow sweet peas. Last year I got a few beautiful blooms from Ferry & Morse seeds Sweet Pea Early Mixed Colors. (See December 29, 2006 post.) I guessed that there were so few blooms because they didn’t get enough sun.

So this year I planted Burpee Sweat Dreams and Streamers Mix in the rose bed in full sun. I’m not sure it was good for the roses but I finally got more sweet pea blooms. Planted May 2, they are coming into full bloom now.

Burpee description of Sweet Dreams says, “Old-fashioned fragrance”. The fragrance is really not noticeable but the flower is large and bright.

The Streamers Mix is a really spectacular color although I have only seen lilac-colored striated flowers. According to Burpee, “The pure white flowers are infused with intense tones of purple, rose, pink, blue and orange.” Streamers is also supposed to be fragrant but I really can’t notice any aroma.

There are lots of buds. I hope to see many more flowers before frost.

Celtic Classic

A weekend of fun, food, entertainment and competition happened in Bethlehem September 28, 29, 30. The 20th annual Celtic Classic was organized by the Celtic Cultural Alliance. http://www.celticfest.org/

Celtic Classic Invitational Pipe Band and Drum Major Competitions included 10 bands from northeast US and Canada. Third Place Grade 3 MacMillan Pipe Band from Rockville, MD as well as the other competing pipe bands marched down Main Street. A few local bands also contributed to a musically colorful parade. Pipe band competitions were held behind Moravian South Campus soon to be used for a new dorm building for the college.

US National Highland Championships – according to the Celtic Classic publication:

“This is Celtic Classic’s third year of hosting the official U.S. National Highland Athletic Championships and our 20th year of witnessing many World Records being set on our Highland Fields!”

The history and rules of these competitions can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_games#Heavy_Events As always, the Caber Championships drew a large crowd on Saturday. Local favorite Harrison Bailey III from Easton put on a great show to the delight of a cheering crowd.

Celtic education and culture were on display in the Ring of Celtic Heritage and included Celtic Quest –

“Celtic Quest is a journey to the Seven Celtic Nations. Upon arriving at the Celtic Classic, children (or the young at heart) can receive a free Celtic Quest passport at each Celtic Nation Station throughout the Celtic Classic grounds. The Quest takes the passport bearer to all seven of the Celtic Nation Stations, where demonstrations, craft projects and displays will be set up to entertain and educate children, and adults alike, about the seven Celtic Nations.”

Tom Slattery an Irish-experience storyteller charmed the crowd and passed out information on the CCC Celt Collection Library at Bucks County Community College http://www.ccccelt.org/ Several Clans presented history of their clan. Representing Brittany, Cornwall, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales, Celtic garb, jewelry, signs and memorabilia were on sale everywhere. Highland dancers, step dancers and traditional as well as modern musicians performed on every stage.

There were few complaints for such a large festival. The Celtic singing competition was held across the Monocacy Creek from the main Grand Pavilion. It was almost impossible to hear the singers as the music from the Pavilion stage overpowered the vocals. Due to the large crowd on Saturday, lines were long at ticket booths and at most food vendors. The fiddle competition at the Ice House was at capacity Saturday and Sunday and no one else could be admitted. And, the results of the competitions were not published until this morning and don’t include the results of the individual athletic events.

All in all, Celtic Classic is a wonderful and family-friendly festival. The weekend was a reminder of what a beautiful city we live in - from the quaint main street to the view near the Lehigh River photographed on the way to the volunteer parking area.

Soil Test

I took my first soil tests this year. The soil test packets can be picked up at a county extension office or some local nurseries. Information on how to obtain a soil test in Lehigh and Northampton Counties is available at http://northampton.extension.psu.edu/Horticulture/soiltest.html#no

Taking a soil test takes a little time and effort but it was much easier than I imagined. Am I absolutely sure I’m getting a perfect sample? – not really. But I think it’s adequate. I’ll try to describe what I did for a small rose bed – 3’ x 12’.

The test packet contains a sealable plastic test bag, a soil test information form and a lab-addressed mail envelope. Each piece of the kit has the same assigned number.

It is recommended to take 12 to 15 soil sample plugs 6 to 10 inches deep for gardens and to zig zag through the bed – following the line of an imaginary W.

Since the bed is small and there are 5 roses in it, I took only 5 samples 8 inches deep with a hand trowel. Too many roses for this small bed? - but I had to have them. There were only so many places to dig a sample. I have managed to get the recommended amounts of sample plugs in the larger beds.

The samples were mixed together in a clean bucket and then spread on newspaper overnight to reduce moisture. Stones were removed. I put a cup full of soil in the sample bag.

The information form for gardens is the last (green) page of the form. I filled in my name and address and picked a “crop code” from the back of the form for my sample, i.e., 5510 for “Roses Maintain”. I put the soil sample and form into the mailing bag and took it to the post office.

The cost for the sample kit was $9.00 and postage about $2.50. I received the analysis and recommendations by mail about a week and a half later. In the case of the rose bed maintenance, it was suggested I use 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1.5 pounds per 100 square feet. No limestone, magnesium (Epsom Salts) or gypsum is needed. Soil pH is in the optimum range. Organic matter is above minimum acceptable CEC number.

I have two more beds I’d like to test this fall. In spring, I would like to test the lawn soil. We’ll see how much time (and energy) I have in spring.

Winter Blooms and Buds

The Japonica (I don’t have a genus/species on this one) and Heather (Heathe Erica x Darleyensis ‘Silberschmeize’) have buds ready for winter bloom. These evergreen and almost care-free woody ornamentals are a nice green spot in the brown winter landscape. Both plants are well-established - planted about 9 years ago. I feed with Holly-Tone in spring and occasionally prune a branch. I deep water during dry spells with a soaker hose.

The rhododendrons have large buds ready for spring bloom. Our large (mostly ignored) rhody seems confused. A few buds have opened with the warm fall weather. Every year I vow to pay more attention to this old (at least 40 years - 10 ft. tall) bush. It seems a bit stressed. I'll have to make it a point next growing season to take better care of it.

Bethlehem

As preparations continue for Celtic Cultural Alliance's Celtic Classic September 28 - 30, the marigolds got a trim by the Arts Quest's Blumenplatz committee. The plants are donated by Dan Schantz Greenhouse. The flowered sign is located at the northern end of the Fahy bridge below Payrow Plaza city center.

The 20th Annual Celtic Classic features Highland Games, music, food, crafts, a parade and musical competitions for a fun-filled weekend festival.

http://www.celticfest.org/2007CelticClassic/index.html

Fall Roses

I think of the fall bloom of roses as a bonus in the garden.


The hybrid tea rose ‘Peace’ is not my favorite rose. It blooms reliably although only sporadically. It is not disease resistant and I continually fight the black-spot battle. A few times I’ve been tempted to dig it out and replace it with a modern disease resistant rose. Then it blooms and I’m caught up in the beauty of the flower.

The color of the climbing rose Eden changes from a deep pink and cream to a medium pink to white as it matures. Planted in 2004, it seems slow growing and is now reaching about 3 feet. Eden is advertised as disease resistant and that seems to hold true. I can’t wait to see it climb over the arbor. It is a spectacular bloom.

Autumn Blooms

The mum buds are swelling as the nights get longer but I have a few other plants in my garden that bloom in autumn.

The old stand-by Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is beginning to bloom along the hot, dry path behind the garage. It’s a reliable plant that will not be burned to crisp in the hot summer sun. My self-named sedum path also has pink-blooming Sedum ‘Sieboldi’ as well as a variegated sedum and little stonecrop ground cover.

Persicaria ‘Painter’s Pallet’ is grown for leaf color. The creamy white and green leaves are striking in the bright shade. The crazy little red blossoms that appear in fall make it look a bit like Medusa. It re-seeds prolifically so I’ll cut the flowers before they turn to seeds - certainly no loss to the attractiveness of the plant.

The Clematis paniculata ‘Sweet Autumn’ insert says, “vigorous and easy to grow" – you betcha. I grow it for its light fragrance as well as its fall bloom. Since it blooms on new wood, I’m not shy about cutting it back. Although I haven’t had any problem with re-seeding (yet), I’ll trim it as the flowers begin to fade to reduce seed production. I’ll cut it back another third in late winter. Sweet Autumn is the kind of plant you can hack away at - a great stress reliever.

Dusty Miller and Silver Mound

I love the silver-grey of the annual dusty miller (Senecio bicolor subsp. cineraria Senecio) and the perennial silver mound (Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound')

The Silver Mound dies back in winter but the soft feathery green is a fluffy little clumping plant. I give it a light hair cut with the scissor early in summer and in remains in control in dry/part shade.

The Dusty Miller contrasts the evergreen euonymous and hinoki cypress as well as the annual coleus. It seems to grow anywhere – dry, wet, sunny, shady.

It is an annual in zone 6 but I have some that have wintered-over for years. I cut off any dead stems in late spring or early summer after the new growth appears at the base. The birds seem to love the new growth for nest-making. I try to keep them away by placing a pinwheel nearby or sprinkling a little cayennne pepper on the new growth. One of its best attributes in my mind - it adds another hue to the brown winter landscape.

Container Vegetables

The container vegetable experiment this summer was a moderate success. (see July 4, 2007 for variety and method) Both the cucumbers and beans were very tasty.

The beans did well and are still flowering and producing – a regular bean machine.

The cucumbers produced a moderate number of cukes into July. Production slowed in August to a standstill. The leaves became grey with mildew but new shoots are coming out of the base of one plant now. I don’t know if there will be any late crop cucumbers but it is flowering. Next year I may try a mildew resistant seed (with a cage?) or try to replant for a late season crop.

The greatest problem with container gardening is water. In the hot days of July and August, the pots needed water 3 or sometimes 4 times a day. There are a few things on the market to help with this problem - water absorbing polymers and drip/wick systems. I will most likely give it another try next year with a better watering system.

The best thing about container vegetables - they are right outside your door and there is little to no bending to harvest them.

Enjoying the Garden

The last few weeks of August, I’ve noticed I can’t get enough of looking at the garden. There’s not a lot of work to do. Oh, there’s some watering and dead heading and a few weeds to pull. It’s hot. There has been some rain. I’m enjoying wandering through the garden in the morning with a cup of coffee and looking at the plants in bloom.

The soothing trickle of water in the oriental garden, ornamental grasses waving in whatever light breeze blows through, the bright heads of the cleome flowers, colorful coleus grown to bushes, annual zinnia six feet tall, ripe tomatoes on the vine, aroma of sweet alyssum along the paths – fruits of the labor of spring and summer.

It’s a time for reflection and enjoyment – watching the butterfly and goldfinch visits. It’s a peaceful time in the garden.

As September starts, it’s time to think about next year’s garden. The dry shade under the lilac needs a new plan. Overgrown perennials need to be divided. The clean-up will begin soon. Leaves will need raking. The mulch bin will be filled. Hopefully, I’ll have time to do some garden tours.

Bloodleaf Plant

This plant, also know as Beefsteak Plant, is a bright tropical plant that I purchased at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few years ago. It is officially known as Amaranthaceae Iresine herbstii. (Say that fast three times!)

It roots easily from stem cuttings. Every spring I have several to put out in pots or in the ground. I found that it doesn’t do well in hot sun. Sun burn causes loss of color in the leaves and leaf curl. The deep red leaves do better in the shade. I plan to give it a prominent place among my house plants this winter.

I haven’t found any place to buy this plant locally but there are some internet sites that have the plant for sale.