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.

Snow-on-the-Mountain

What you don’t know may hurt you.

Euphorbia marginata. Many years ago my grandmother gave me a plant and Snow-on-the-Mountain seeds came along. Every year since then, I’ve had them in the garden. It is a lovely memory of my grandmother’s garden. Each summer the white bush-shaped annual creates a striking counterpoint in my garden.

The other day I decided to find out more about them. I started with Dave’s Garden website http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/221/ and found this information:

"Danger: All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested. Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction."

Horror stories abound on the internet – from emergency room treatment to neighbors who are less than happy when seedlings pop up in their garden.

For myself, I’m not about to give them up. But, I’m much more careful with the milky sap and I certainly don’t plan to eat any of them.

Tomato

“What’s your favorite tomato?”

Penn State Master Gardener Coordinator Sue Drabic posed this question in her August 20 blog http://blogs.mcall.com/master_gardeners/ and got some interesting answers.

I grow one tomato plant each year – usually a beefsteak. This year’s selection was sold as “The World’s Largest Tomato”. Who could resist? I don’t have any information on this tomato but I know it’s a long time to harvest. We got our first ripe tomato last week. The taste is good, the texture is meaty and one slice will cover a slice of bread. But it’s a long time to wait for a ripe tomato. I would like to find a large tomato with a shorter time to harvest.

I found some good tomato information - everything from varieties to recipes - at the University of Illinois Extension site http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies_sp/tomato1.html - Should help me make a selection for next year.

Rain On The Garden

It has been a hot dry summer in Pennsylvania, but after three days of a good soaking rain, the gardens and lawns have come alive. The colors are brighter and the greens are greener.

I can’t get out to work in the garden but the plants are sure lovin’ it. About the only job to do outside these days is to empty the trays under the potted plants as they fill with water. The potted plants will need a shot of fertilizer after all that rain washes through the soil. As the rain ends, there will be plenty to do in the garden. I can almost hear the weeds growing.

Garden Maintenance

It’s been a busy week in the garden. I’ve started taking cuttings from the coleus, impatiens and fuchsia for next year. I sprayed the amaryllis and brought them in to dry for the dormant period. (see February 24, 2007 post.) The poinsettia was trimmed, sprayed and also brought in. I finished mulching; dead headed cone flowers, hosta, astilbe, liatris and annuals that needed it; potted some plants for friends. I trimmed the overgrown alyssum, pussy willow and roses. Weeded and watered. I spent a lot of time enjoying the garden.

Last year red/white impatiens made a nice bright spot beneath the red bud tree. This spring I planted some orange variegated coleus and salmon impatiens and the spot is even brighter.

I plant annuals in this spot to hide the daffodil leaves after they bloom. It’s fun to change annuals and see the difference it makes. It depends somewhat on the color of the cuttings I’ve grown over the winter.

Over-Watering

Many years ago a nursery woman told me, “Potted plants seldom recover from drowning.” She was trying to make a point. I took her seriously and was careful not to over-water house plants. I found that under-watering (a little) may stress a plant and it may drop a few leaves but would usually bounce back when watered properly.

But, this summer has been so hot and dry that I kept water in the hanging fuschia plant saucer continuously and drowned it. Here’s the result. A lesson re-learned.

Information on proper watering http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1459.htm

Canna

I like the look of tall Cannas along our blank garage wall. I’ve tried other plants. The hollyhocks developed rust and leaves turned yellow. Crocosmia is a gorgeous plant but not really tall enough - the same with lupine.

The cannas need to be dug up and stored for the winter (see 10-15-06 post) and then replanted in the spring. They need to be stored in peat moss over the winter in a cool place making sure they don’t freeze. That’s a bit of a chore. I’m willing to do the work - at least until I find a tall perennial to replace them.

Next year I’m going to plant early - about May 1. Even though the last frost date is May 15 in zone 6, it takes about 2 weeks for the sprouts to appear. If we get a late frost, I’ll cover the sprouts overnight. I think I can get away with it since it's a warm, sheltered spot.

There is good canna care information at Old House Gardens http://www.oldhousegardens.com/canMore.asp and some great varieties for sale.

Roses and Compost Tea

My roses usually look a little sad at this time of year. I’ve used fungicides; kept the bushes picked, plucked and pruned; cleaned up all the leaves that fell on the ground; deadheaded; watered; fertilized; and generally fussed over the roses. By the middle of summer the roses still resembled green sticks.

This year I used a fungicide once in spring and watered during the dry summer. I used a systemic fertilizer my usual 3 times this year and generally ignored them. Except -- I used compost tea every two weeks. (see July 7 post) There is no way to prove that the compost tea made a difference but the bushes look healthier than ever. There is very little blackspot and some nice little blooms.

Now if I could only conquer the Japanese beetles.

Topiary

In the corner of our side garden, we have some variety of juniper which is probably about 40 years old. It is overgrown and a bit of an eyesore. We have been going to replace it for years, but that never happens. So, I decided to try my hand at topiary.

With a hand hedge trimmer, I attempted to make a spiral shape – not very exciting or artistic – but at least it’s now within bounds.

Tiger Lily

This one pops in the back of the garden. The plant is tall plant (3-4 ft.) and truly carefree. I cut off the tops when they finish blooming and that’s about it. Lilium lancifolium I believe. It was a gift from a neighbor – an old plant that grows in a few neighborhood yards. One day I’ll have to make a list of all the plants I received from gardening friends and neighbors.

More information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilium_lancifolium

Rudbeckia

If you need a tall, stand-out plant for a special place, Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstsonne' is it. Blooming from July until frost, the bright yellow cone flowers are a cheery addition to a blank wall or back of the garden. The seeds feed small birds from summer into early winter.

The plant must be staked in places where you don’t want to give it a lot of room. At over 8 feet tall, our yellow rudbeckia stands sentinel at our garage door.

I bought it at Point Phillips Perennials. This great garden with wonderful plants for sale is located 15 miles north of Bethlehem. (see web site for directions) http://www.ppperennials.com/about/about_us.htm Kay and Herb Johns also offer classes, seminars and tours.

Hydrangea

The hydrangeas are in bloom. These great showy bushes are a delight - little care and great blooms. The bones in the garden.

Hydrangea ‘Venice’ is a small, about 2 1/2’, plant with large blooms that is tucked away in part shade in my garden. It was a gift in 2004 and has bloomed every year.

The lace cap hydrangea was also a gift and planted in 1994. This plant is taller at about 4’ and also blooms reliably every year. The blooms form on the previous year’s growth.
This plant is nestled next to a tall spruce which shelters it from some of the late spring frost that burns new growth.

Neither plant blooms blue due to lack of an acid soil, but the flowers are great no matter what the color. I fertilize with Holly Tone once a year. I cut off dead branches and flowers as they fade and I trim it back if it gets out of bounds. The smaller ‘Venice’ has needed no trimming so far. Neither bush is bothered by any pests.

More information on hydrangeas: http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/hydrangea.html

Mulch

I finally got another load of mulch to finish the garden. Spreading it is not much fun at this time of year. The plants have grown and most of the mulch must be spread by hand. I have to be careful not pack the mulch against the stems to prevent burn. But the soil will benefit. It should help keep weeds down and hold moisture during the hot summer.

My next few days will be filled with moving mulch. The plants always stand out after a fresh layer of mulch and the garden looks neat and tidy. Bring on the Gatorade.

English Garden

I’ve always admired the look of an English garden. My attempt at an English garden contains perennials and re-seeding annuals. The garden, pictured above, contains: snapdragon, snow-on-the-mountain, a tall ornamental grass, yellow/orange cosmos, coleus, cleome, a red rambling rose, pussy willow, mum ‘clara curtis’, annual forget-me-not, sweet alyssum. Coreopsis ‘moonbeam’, purple cone flower and a purple liatris are not shown in this picture.

My aim is to have something blooming all summer – from daffodils to mums. The garden is different from year to year and I think that’s part of the charm. Although there are many interpretations of an English Garden, this is my version this year.

Fragrant Lily

Lilium ‘American Dream’ purchased from White Flower Farm in 2003 grows to nearly 8 feet tall with a mass of blooms and a heady fragrance. I don’t know why this lily grows so tall and has such a terrific show of blooms. It loves the spot where it is planted. Sometimes a gardener gets lucky.

Coleus for Color

A variety of spectacular colors, shade or sun varieties, tall or short, spreading or upright, easy to propagate, easy to grow – that’s the mighty coleus. A friend turned me on to these wonderful annuals several years ago and I’ve been a fan ever since.

I planted about 70 cuttings in May and added few new ones. They are now coming into their full colorful glory – pink, yellow, white, green, orange, red. They brighten up dark spaces and provide color all summer. They look great grouped or standing alone - in pots or in the garden.

The bloom on the coleus is not spectacular so I pinch off the flowers as they appear. I fertilize the plants when/if I get around to it. I water when I can or if they begin to droop. Of course, the pots need to be watered daily. I’ll begin taking cuttings in August to start next year’s crop. I am definitely hooked and, some would say, a little out of control.

The infinite variety of coleus can be seen at http://coleusfinder.org/pictures.php?lang=en