Graver Arboretum

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I visited Graver Arboretum for Arbor Day tree dedication. It is a gorgeous natural resource on 63 acres north of Bath, PA.

Dr. Lee and Virginia Graver donated the arboretum to Muhlenberg College in 1994. Today it is used as a field station for biology and environmental studies classes and research. It is open to the public seven days a week during daylight hours. Tours can be arranged.

Collections of conifers, wetland plants, wild flowers and rhododendrons thrive along the paths. Here are a few of the plants and sights at Graver.

Skunk cabbage in a damp, wooded area.

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Jack in the pulpit.

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Trillium sessile, a toadshade.

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One of many ponds and vernal pools.

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Foot bridge on the road less traveled by.


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According to Graver’s Facebook page, the rhododendrons are coming into bloom. Graver Arboretum is a meticulously maintained local natural resource. I plan to walk its paths again.

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Taming an Ivy Bank - Part Two

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Thursday’s weather forecast was - breezy with temp in the low 60’s. That sounded like a heat wave after the freezing wind. The gusts seemed as strong as the other days but at least it was a little warmer.

I trimmed the ivy that had overgrown the heather (Erica x darleyensis 'Silberschmelze').
I carefully unwound the ivy so I didn’t break the heather’s tender branches. It was slow going.

The ground under the greedy maple tree was dry from 2 days of wind. I continued pulling and clipping. I didn’t get as many roots as I did the on the two previous days. I sat on my little garden cart and wiggled my way along the bank.

As I was wiggling along I heard a loud CRACK. It was so loud that it made me jumped and run. I crept back under the tree and looked up. I could see a large cracked branch high in the tree. I grabbed my tools and scooted out of there. A short while later the branch came crashing down into the ivy where I was working.

My husband dragged it to the street and cut it into fireplace size. That was the end of day 3. Add another hour for a total of 4 on this cleanup so far. I’ll finish on Day 4 – without wind, I hope.

Ivy is a great plant – hardy, holds the bank well, smothers most weeds, keeps a deep green color through most of the year but it is a lot of work. I’ll be back to trim this summer and again in fall – with one eye on the big old maple.
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Taming an Ivy Bank

(This has turned into a long post so I’ll break it up into 2 parts. It’s the usual cleanup story with a twist. You’ll understand after you read part 2 on Wednesday.)

If you’re thinking of using ivy as a ground cover, I’d like to share the story of my ivy covered bank with you. It was called American Ivy by the neighbor who gave it to me many years ago. I usually work on the bank 3 times in the growing season. I didn’t keep it trimmed and weeded last year so it was quite a mess this spring. The ivy had grown over the rocks, into the heather and it was full of weeds.

After 3” of rain at the beginning of the week, I jumped at the chance to get the bank trimmed and weeded while the ground was still moist. It's Impossible to pull weeds up by the roots when the ground is dry.

In order to get the roots, I needed to reach down so grass didn’t break off. I was mostly successful. I also got the ever-present maple tree seedlings out. They are easier to get out if you pull them when they are very young.

I spent about 3 hours in a cold, biting, 20 to 30 mile-an-hour gusty wind on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to AccuWeather “real feel” dropped to the low 40’s. There was a freeze warning – not a frost warning - Tuesday and Wednesday night.

After the 3 hours, I had over half of the bed finished. Feeling frozen, I promised myself to come back the next day when the weather was predicted to be warmer. I was paying for last year's laziness.

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Creating a Garden

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There’s a certain amount of creativity involved in gardening. I think that’s what makes the work so enticing.

I started the new garden last September to hide the AC unit. The Pieres Japonica ‘Mountain Fire’ is performing as advertised with bright red new growth. The hostas I separated and moved at the beginning of the month have taken hold. Even the tiny, almost dead azalea has a few new green leaves.

I want to add – an evergreen Daphne for spring fragrance and two mums for fall color.

We got a truckload of mulch last week and it was time to finish the garden.

I reset the path so it is somewhat level. I have paths in the garden so I don’t walk on it and compact the soil. In spring, I'm glad I have paths to work from.

I make the paths out of anything I can get cheaply (free) – leftover flagstone from my neighbors pond, pavers from an old patio, bricks and slate from a contractor friend or handmade circles from an old bag of Quickrete.

A layer of mulch and I was done. .
It may not be a masterpiece but it is satisfying to create a new garden.

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When the Azaleas Bloom

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When the azaleas bloom it’s like magic. Red, white, pink, purple and yellow shrubs all bloom at once - the crescendo of spring.

They are the most care free shrub in my garden. A little compost and mulch and Holly Tone most (some) years is all it takes – no trimming, no pruning and evergreen too!

(For an opposing view see the article by Adrian Higgins regarding Jane MacLeish’s thoughts on azaleas in the Washington Post - info courtesy of Garden Rant.)

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The Circle

(Picture from September 2009)

I worked on the circle garden this week. (It’s actually more like a half circle.) I started the idea 10 years ago and wrote about it in 2007.

It is edged with brick and a row of blue fescue (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'). Although the fescue is supposed to be a sun plant, I think it would keep its color better with a little shade from the hot summer sun. Every spring I comb it with my fingers to remove the old dry growth. The deep blue/green color is great this spring.

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A fluffy row of silvery Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria ‘Silver Dust’) makes up the second row. It is an annual that acts like a perennial in my garden - even after a cold, snowy winter. The new leaves are showing through last year’s growth. I don’t cut the old leaves off too early in the spring. The birds think they like the soft new growth for their nests and sometimes rip the entire plant out of the ground. They look a little ratty right now.

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The third row is the yellow/green of Euonymus (Fortunei ‘Moonshadow’). It hasn’t completely filled in since I lost one to scale several years ago. I wrote about the problems with scale in August last year. The yellow/green is bright this spring.

I’m not sure I’m satisfied with the look but I’m too lazy to start over. Ten years and it’s still a work in progress.

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – April 2010

Over the years, I tried to grow primrose without much success. I even began to call them “stinkin’ primrose”. This primrose, in its third year, is my first success. It was a gift from a friend’s garden. I don’t know its name but I know I’m happy to have it in my garden. (If you know or have a guess, please leave a note in the comments.)

The trees and shrubs are perfect today.

White lilac

Purple lilac


Dogwood


Redbud


and spectacular azaleas
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Ah, Spring!

From a brown, chilly March to a bright, colorful April - there are sure to be many examples blooms in the links at Carol’s blog for April Bloom Day. I can’t wait to see what is blooming around the world. Visit May Dreams Garden blog and enjoy!
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Digging

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From this

to this


and this. (The upside down pot marks the place for the little pink azalea’s new home.)

My friend, Cindie, stopped by and helped get some of my plants dug and divided. Don’t you love when a friend is also a gardener? We got the hosta divided into 4 pieces and replanted. Cindie is dynamite with a shovel!

We dug some Tansy for Cindie’s garden.

And potted the Red hot poker.

We also removed some Lily of the Valley, Dead Nettle (Lamium) and False Forget-Me-Not (Brunnera). An altogether good work day. Thank you Cindie.

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Divide and Conquer

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I’ve been busy helping my mom through some rough times so I haven't had much time in the garden. I managed to get out in the other day and snap some pictures and make a plan.

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Divide

The small variegated hosta (above) needs to be divided now before it gets any bigger. I’ll cut it in four pieces and plant 3 pieces in the new garden and put a small piece back in the same spot. I know it will take a hatchet or a small saw to divide it.

Liriope, planted quite a few years ago, needs to be divided. Can you believe the size of it? I’ll plant several small pieces along the garden edge. The extras will be given away or composted. Tool of choice will be a hatchet or saw. This is one tough little plant.

This Brunnera, perennial forget-me-not, re-seeds - even though I deadhead after blooming. It makes pretty sea of blue flowers in spring but they are taking over the area.

The Red Hot Poker, planted near compost bin (temporarily) many years ago, is in the shade and doesn’t bloom. I’ll be delighted to pot it for a friend.

I had a request from a friend for a piece of this tansy two years ago. I will finally get around to it this year.

Another friend requested a bit of the Sheffield Pink mum. It is creeping out of its boundary. Over the years, it has become shaded by a dogwood so I’ll move some to a sunny spot in my garden too.

This little pink ruffled azalea is barely visible behind the daffodils where I put it (temporarily) several years ago. It will also move to the new garden.

I divided a tall (6’) yellow coneflower Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstsonne' and put some in another temporary spot in the garden. I’d be willing to share some if I can find a taker. I also have yellow (not Stella) and double orange daylilies that I potted in fall and looking for a home.

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Conquer

So now that I have a plan. I need to get out in the garden and dig. Hopefully, I’ll be able to conquer this part of my garden in the next two weeks.

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Easter

You're a springtime kind of person,

and there's sunshine in your smile.
There's warmth in all the gladness you impart.

And here's the special reason

you're so like this lovely season—
It's the springtime that you keep within your heart.

Happy Easter Happy Spring

Anon.

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