Diggin' It
Smooth phlox (Phlox glaberrima) is an easy-to-grow native perennial that flowers in late spring or early summer. (Courtesy of Gene Bush)
Smooth phlox is a charming in-between bloomer
Gardeners are probably most familiar with Phlox paniculata, or tall garden phlox, which blooms in summer. If you are a woodland or shade gardener, then perhaps the creeping woodland phlox (P. stolonifera), or wild blue wood phlox (P. divaricata) is most familiar.
While tall garden phlox generally wants sun and blooms in summer, the two woodland species bloom in spring and want an edge-of-the-woods location.
Mr. In-Between
There is a lapse in bloom times between the early woodland phlox and the summer phlox. Fortunately for gardeners, that niche is filled with the smooth phlox (P. glaberrima). I call this species Mr. In-Between for its continual bloom during May and into June here in Southern Indiana. It's native to many East Coast and Midwestern states.
While the smooth phlox is satisfying in the species, my favorite is a cultivar named Morris Berd.
Its individual flowers are quite large compared to the species. Each flower is a rosy-pink with a eye of white swirl, and petals are of heavy substance. The relatively large blooms are carried in clusters well above the foliage. Flowers are fragrant and attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies as well as gardeners. Leaves are long and narrow, clean green, providing a nice background for the blooms.
Morris Berd reaches only a foot or so in height and has a spread of couple of feet. While vigorous in growth, the rhizomatous habit is clump forming, and the plant is well-behaved. It is not demanding about soil -- it handles a wide range from moist to dry -- and does well from shade to full sun. Mine is in open shade.
It's easily grown, very tolerant of less-than-ideal conditions, and hardy from Zones 3 to 8. Throw in resistance to deer browsing, and what more could a gardener ask of a perennial?
In my garden
Along a path located on the west side of my garden where plants will get a touch of setting sun, I have a drift of smooth phlox that ends in dark-leaved bugbane (Actaea) among limestone rocks lining the path. [See third photo above; click on the arrow at the right base of the first and second photos to see the third one.]
On the opposite side, there is a second small drift at the base of a tree. Thus far my favorite companion is Campanula (bellflower). [See second photo above.] The blue blooms of the Campanula provide a punch to the phlox's pink, enhancing the overall experience for those who choose to walk that path over another.
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Gene Bush, a nationally known garden writer, photographer, lecturer, and nursery owner, gardens on a shaded hillside in southern Indiana. His website is www.munchkinnursery.com. He also writes the Garden Clippin's Newsletter. To read more by Gene here at Diggin' It, click here.
This perky little perennial, known as Gaillardia Moxie Commotion, loves the sun and blooms a long time. (Courtesy of Skagit Gardens)
Great garden flowers: A gaillardia with plenty of moxie
Some readers will think it's silly for me to say I fell in love with a flower simply by looking at its photo. But it's not all that unusual among "plant nuts," those of us who love to grow many different kinds of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, herbs, vegetables -- well, a little of everything.
I'll have to admit that sometimes, the plant in the photo lives up to your hopes -- and sometimes it doesn't. But last summer I really hit the jackpot.
Skagit Gardens in Washington State, a wholesale grower of new annuals and perennials, sent me plants of Gaillardia x grandiflora Commotion® 'Moxie'. (That's a long name for a particular variety of an easy-to-grow perennial often called blanket flower.)
The plants weren't in bloom; just small, sturdy seedlings. But they came with a color photo of peak bloom -- and that's all I needed. Now, the typical gaillardia (click here to see a photo if you're not familiar with it) is a fine perennial for sunny spots and hot weather. It blooms a long time, doesn't need a great deal of water, and mixes well with other flowers.
What made the difference
But for all those attributes, gaillardia is a plant I've never gotten really excited about. Sorta ho-hum in my view.
What attracted me to this one? Well, the flowers are clear yellow with an orange center, instead of the usual red and yellow, and I'm a big fan of yellow blossoms in sunny gardens.
What you really notice, though, is that the flowers have a bit of an unusual appearance. The ends of the petals are fluted (sometimes called "spooned," or quilled). Look at the photo above and you'll see what that means.
Wow! I thought. Could this plant really look that attractive? And if it did, would it bloom a long time, be insect- and disease-resistant, and be winter-hardy so it returned the next year? (Looks aren't everything in the garden.)
It passed the grow test
The young plants flowered quickly and were everything I was hoping for. They looked as good as in the photos, and they performed well in the garden and in containers. And yes, they returned this spring, although, admittedly, I live in USDA hardiness Zone 8 and we didn't have much of a winter. Still, the plant is supposed to be hardy to Zone 5, where the average winter temperatures may dip to -20 degrees F.
This gaillardia is easy enough for beginners. Plant in a spot that has well-drained soil and is in the sun all day (seven or more hours). It grows 18 to 24 inches tall and spreads about the same distance.
Fertilize monthly and remove flowers as they fade. In midspring, cut the plants back to about three inches high. Then sit back and enjoy the commotion year after year.
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Judy Lowe, a member of the Garden Writers Association's Hall of Fame, is the editor of the Monitor's Diggin' It blog and the author of 12 garden books. Her latest book, 'Herbs! Creative Garden Themes and Projects,' shows how to create dozens of interesting herb gardens based on themes that vary from herbs mentioned in the Bible and by Shakespeare to a pizza herb garden and herbs that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard..
No space for a garden? A clay pot will hold a variety of basils and other culinary herbs. They'll spice up your cooking this summer! (Courtesy of Lynn Hunt)
Basil spices up summer gardens and recipes
Few summer experiences are as memorable as strolling through an herb garden, brushing past Ocimum basilicum, and inhaling the intoxicating scents of anise, clove, and cinnamon in the warm breeze.
Ah, the sweet smell of basil! If aroma were its only attribute, basil would still be a welcome addition to the garden. But, of course, fragrance is just the beginning.
Starting now, gardeners in most areas of the country can count on basils to liven up a variety of summer dishes, provide the essential ingredient for mouth-watering pesto, and add touches of color throughout the landscape.
Small wonder that basil, called the herbe royale by the French, has become the king of the herb garden in America.
An herb rooted in history
Basil is a member of the mint family and most likely originated in tropical Asia. The first written history of the herb goes back 4,000 years to when it was grown in Egypt.
While many ancient Greeks thought the fragrant leaves to be cursed, Romans associated basil with love and devotion. It was believed if a man accepted a sprig of basil from a woman, he would love her forever. A pot of basil seen on a balcony signaled a suitor that the lady welcomed his attentions.
With the diverse legends surrounding basil, the herb was traded across the globe and eventually arrived in America. Sweet basil is one of the herbs mentioned in Colonial garden records.
Basil basics
Although they grow as perennials in their native land, basils should be treated as annuals in most areas of the United States. They are not hardy below 32 degrees F. (0 C) and will usually turn black after the first freeze.
The tropical origins dictate where basils grow best: a warm, sunny location where plenty of moisture is available. Basils require at least four hours of sun daily and should not be planted until night temperatures are in the upper 50s F. (13 to 15 C).
Basils will tolerate a wide variety of growing conditions but do best when planted in rich, well-drained soil. To provide proper air circulation and discourage disease, plants should be set about a foot apart. Pinch back the top of the tender stems to encourage a bushier plant.
Keep an eye out for flowers and prune them off immediately to promote further leaf growth.
Water regularly -- at least one inch per week. Basils grow quickly and are heavy feeders, so be sure to give them a dose of liquid fertilizer twice a month.
If you don’t have room to plant basils outdoors, or if you live in an area where summer evenings are cool, try growing basil in clay pots. It is one of the few flowering herbs traditionally raised as a potted plant. Gardeners in England often presented guests with a pot of basil as a symbol of good wishes.
Colorful choices
We’re all familiar with the popular culinary basils including Genoa Green and Genovese. They are two of the best selections for pesto but some of these colorful varieties are also great choices for cooking and garden display:
African Blue basil -- Green leaves shaded with purple; leaf veins and stems are purple. A wonderful ornamental plant.
Red Rubin -- Rich, dark purple leaves have a clovelike spiciness. May be a bit strong for pestos.
Cinnamon basil -- Dark green, distinctively veined foliage, spicy aroma with a hint of cinnamon.
Lemon basil -- Light green leaves are wonderful in salads and iced tea.
Purple Ruffles -- With ruffled, deeply toothed leaves, this plant is excellent for containers or as an ornamental accent in the garden.
Spicy Globe basil -- A dwarf hybrid loved for its spicy aroma, flavor and bushy appearance. Excellent for edging.
The endless summer
The close of the season doesn’t mean the end of a good thing. Most basils root easily in water so you can extend your harvest. Place cuttings in a small jar or paper cup on a sunny windowsill. Be sure to change the water daily to avoid stem rot, then pot them up before the roots get too long.
You can also freeze chopped leaves in an ice cube tray. Pop the frozen basil cubes into a freezer bag and use them whenever you want to spice up a meal and revisit the sweet days of summer.
PSSST: Liven up a boring plate of sliced tomatoes with your favorite salad dressing and a mixture of thinly sliced basils including Purple Ruffles, Spicy Globe, and Red Rubin. Yum!
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Lynn Hunt, the Rose Whisperer, is one of more than a dozen expert gardeners who blog regularly at Diggin' It. She's an accredited horticultural judge and a Consulting Rosarian Emeritus for the American Rose Society. She has won dozens of awards for her writing in newspapers, magazines, and television. After a recent move, she grows roses and other plants in her garden in the mountains of western North Carolina.. To read more by Lynn, click here.You can also follow her on Twitter and read her Dirt Diaries.
The creeping types of Tiarella or foamflower, such as Running Tapestry, shown, spread to cover woodland gardens without crowding out other plants. (Courtesy of Gene Bush)
Tiarella, or foamflower, does double duty in the shade garden
Gardeners will want to know that foamflowers fall into two divisions. There is a species, with its forms and cultivars, which all form tight clumps over time. Most of these will have some Tiarella wherryi in their parentage. Tiarella cordifolia, which has both rhizomatus stems and is stoloniferous, creates ground covers.
Each -- creeping ground cover or clumping -- has its place in the garden. As I learn how best to use foamflowers in my garden, ground-covering forms have become my favorites. I find it easy to use ground covers with companion plants. In fact, foamflower is so versatile that it's difficult to choose a less than ideal companion plants for them.
For example, while flowing outward, they offer no competition for other plants to grow up through. I enjoy being able to use the same space in my garden more than once, providing several seasons of interest in the same location.
Ground-covering plants are more than just another pretty face for the gardener. They also serve to hold down weeds by occupying space so seeds cannot germinate. While covering an area, foliage provides constant shade to keep the roots of other plants cooler and more moist.
Try Running Tapestry foamflower
Of all the foamflower cultivars that have come and gone over the years, my favorite is T. cordifolia ‘Running Tapestry’. [See photo, above.] Mature leaves are about 4 inches across and 4-1/2 to 5 inches long, softly hairy, with gracefully scalloped edges. The veins are heavily marked as though ink-stained in brown-black with concentrated patterns or blotches of color in the center of each leaf. In winter the foliage takes on additional colors of pink, tan, and maroon-red over the dark, rich, green.
Running Tapestry is one of the heaviest bloomers of all foamflowers grown here at my garden in southern Indiana. Almost every one of the plants that have matured on runners will have clumps of bloom stems with white frothy flowers on display.
In spring and summer, the plant sends out thin, green runners that reach two to three feet in length. These will have leaves about the size of a quarter along their length. At each leaf node, the runner will take root and form another plant that will mature and send out its own runners.
Woodland landscaping with foamflowers
Three years ago I transplanted three plants to my raised bed. Those three plants have grown nicely to cover an area about six feet by seven feet. The raised bed, which has old rotted pines and cedars as side supports, is about 12 feet by 12 feet. There is a path around all four sides of the bed, with largest plants in the middle, stepping down in size to the edges of the bed. There are two native azaleas, hellebore garden hybrids (Lenten roses), ferns, Trilliums, and Disporum (fairy bells).
I am especially pleased with the way Running Tapestry has woven a carpet around hellebores and ferns. Trilliums poke their noses up through the weave, adding vertical accent. New runners are drifting over the edge of the rotted logs like a tattered rug, creating a wonderfully soft, natural appearance to the edges of the bed.
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Gene Bush, a nationally known garden writer, photographer, lecturer, and nursery owner, gardens on a shaded hillside in southern Indiana. His website is www.munchkinnursery.com. He also writes the Garden Clippin's Newsletter. To read more by Gene here at Diggin' It, click here.
Cheesy spanakopita is a tasty way to serve the fresh spinach you've grown in your garden, or picked up at the farmers' market. (Courtesy of Linda weiss)
How to grow and cook spinach
Spinach likes it cool, says Anne Moore, the gardener. Plant it early in the season for a spring crop or late for a winter crop. If planted after the soil heats up, the seeds might not germinate. For a winter crop, you might have to sow it indoors where you can regulate the soil temperature.
Bloomsdale Long-Standing spinach is a reliable, old-fashioned spinach. It is slow to bolt (a seed stalk shoots up from the center of the plants, turning the leaves bitter.) Use it anywhere the weather jumps from cool to hot with little “spring” in between.
New Zealand spinach and Malabar spinach make good hot-climate spinach substitutes. In the South, you can sow either directly into the soil after all danger of frost has passed. Despite their names, neither are spinach but they taste much the same. Both can be eaten raw or cooked slowly as you would other greens.
New Zealand spinach seed should be soaked for 24 hours before planting. It actually is a cluster of seeds (like beet seed) and will come up thickly and need thinning once it establishes in the garden.
You should scarify Malabar spinach seed (scratch it with a file or knife). This helps to speed germination, although my preferred speed-up is soaking. It is a vine with red stems and glossy green leaves, showy enough to run up a trellis amongst your ornamental plants.
Grow any of the spinaches or subs in well-draining soil. Keep the seedbed moist until the seeds sprout. Then water whenever the soil dries out about an inch deep.
If the plants wilt during the heat of the day, check the soil with your finger before you add water. Over-watering can promote root rot and fungus infections.
Spinach recipe - Spanakopita
The first time I took cooking lessons, almost 40 years ago, was at a Greek cooking class, says chef Linda Weiss. The two recipes that we learned that night were spanakopita, and baklava. We made the spanakopita with frozen spinach that we thawed and squeezed almost dry before adding to the recipe. I made this recipe, below and in the photograph above, with fresh baby spinach. It has a different color and texture. I think you’ll like it. I sure do.
1/2 package phyllo dough, thawed *
10 tablespoons melted butter
10 ounces reduced-fat ricotta cheese
10 ounces reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
2-1/2 tablespoons finely grated Romano cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 pound fresh baby spinach, finely chopped, or chopped in food processor
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 green onions with 3 inches of tender stems, chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped dill
Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
If phyllo dough is frozen, place in refrigerator to thaw.
Once phyllo has thawed, melt butter and set aside.
Unroll thawed phyllo dough and cut in half by width to fit a 9-by-9-inch oven-proof pan or the equivalent in volume. (I used a 7-by-11-inch pan and staggered the filo dough). Butter the baking pan and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a small skillet. Add green onions and sauté until tender. Set aside.
Prepare spinach and place in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheeses, green onions with the olive oil, dill, and pepper to the spinach. You will have about 6 cups of mixture.
In the buttered baking pan, add 8 layers of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with butter. Spread 2 cups of the spinach-cheese mixture over the phyllo. Add 8 more layers of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with butter. Spread 2 more cups of spinach-cheese mixture, and layer again with 8 buttered layers of dough. Spread the final 2 cups of the spinach-cheese mixture, and then add 14 layers of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with butter and making sure you brush the top layer with butter as well. Cut the pastry into equal pieces with a sharp knife and bake for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let rest 20 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
* There are two rolls of phyllo dough in most packages. Each inside roll has 20 layers. Unroll one and cut it in half by width. This will give you 40 sheets. Make sure you keep it covered with a slightly damp cloth; otherwise, it will feel like paper crumbling in your hand when you try to pick it up.
Editor's Note: To read more of Anne and Linda's "how to grow and prepare" series, click here.
Linda Weiss is a personal chef. She attended Le Cordon Bleu of Paris’ catering program and is a professional member of The James Beard Foundation and the Southern Foodways Alliance. Her cookbook is "Memories From Home, Cooking with Family and Friends." Anne Moore is an award winning free lance writer. She is the horticulture editor, gardening consultant, and newsletter editor for GardenSmart.tv. She is a member of the Garden Writers Association. Follow Linda & Anne as they blog at www.thegardenerandthechef.com
Single peonies are attractive and the flowers aren't as likely to be adversely affected by bad weather as double flowers can be. (Courtesy of Donna Williamson)
Peony season
Peony season is a delight. This year it is earlier than normal due to weather weirdness. Usually in Northern Virginia, the peonies are Memorial Day treats.
The fragrance is compelling to many. It’s not the cloying sweetness of lily-of-the-valley or the intoxication of lilac. It’s not even the fresh grape fragrance of iris or the multicharacter fragrance of rose. Peony fragrance is of sun and clean linen.
As a fan of plants that are good companions (those that look and grow well together), I prefer single-flowered peonies to the big doubles so popular today.
Doubles need support . If you don’t get that peony ring and frame out in time, the plants' stems lean over with the weight of hundreds of petals.
Often the rains of May will turn the blossom into a soggy tan mess that then dries on the stem. Ick. It might even be dry enough to shatter into a mass of brown petals that make a lumpy pile at the base of the peony plant.
This is unattractive and requires the gardener to intervene with a quick clean-up. There are too many other things to do this time of year!
More weather-proof
The better idea is to look for the single-flowering forms of peony (see first photo above). The flowers are exquisite, can be held up by the stems, and flutter into decay after blooming. They don’t create a pile of mush, but decompose rapidly.
I often buy these types of peonies and work hard to keep the names. Sadly, cats and sun ruin my tags, and I lose the names. It doesn’t seem to matter. though, as they are still beautiful and don’t require me to clean up after their big moment.
Plant in fall
In the fall, look peony roots for sale and plant in a sunny location with good drainage. They seem to live forever and will benefit if the ants find them. Peony flowers are tasty to ants. They secrete nectar so the ants will protect them from other big and small critters looking for a meal.
Don’t plant the roots too deep; the eye needs to be less than two inches below the soil level or they will not flower well. Over time, they will often dig themselves deeper into the soil and may need dividing.
Deer tend to leave peonies alone, but not always – in a tough year. deer will eat the foliage, which does not seem to bother the plant much. After frost,cut back spent, dried foliage in fall or spring, or not at all, as it lies down and doesn’t really interfere with new growth, creating its own mulch.
And then, next May, let your eyes be filled with the beauty of peony flowers and the fragrance of clean linen.
Editor's Note: The first two paragraphs of this article were accidentally omitted when it was first posted.
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Donna Williamson is one of more than a dozen professional garden writers who blog regularly at Diggin' It. She's a master gardener, garden designer, and garden coach. She has taught gardening and design classes at the State Arboretum of Virginia, Oatlands in Leesburg, and Shenandoah University. She’s also the founder and editor of Grandiflora Mid-Atlantic Gardening magazine, and the author of “The Virginia Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Low Maintenance Gardening in Virginia.” She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. To read more by Donna, click here.
Pepper Cayennetta is an All-America Selections winner for 2012. As an ornamental pepper, it looks good and grows well among flowers in hot, sunny spots, but it's also edible. (Courtesy of All-America Selections)
A look at the 2012 All-America winners
Many gardeners aren’t familiar with the All-America Selections organization (AAS) that tests new varieties of flowers, herbs, and vegetables every year, in several trial grounds throughout the US and Canada. It’s been going on since way back in 1932, and many of the winners have come to be loved regulars in the home garden.
But I’ve found, in talking to gardeners about All-America Selections or All-America winners, that they don't bring up oohs and aahs, but rather a question, “What do they do?"
That’s too bad, because the All-America trials and winners are important to gardeners, just as they are to seed companies and to plant breeders. For those of us who garden, it lets us know what reputable judges think of new varieties each year, it publicizes them, and causes the bedding-plant growers to produce them for all of us to plant and evaluate for ourselves.
Although I'm a fan of AAS, I have to say that not all the winners, in my view, have been great, but some of them have been and others are quite good. I usually try them each year, just to see for myself what they’ll do. Sometimes I’m impressed, occasionally not.
For those of us who garden in southern California, there’s another catch — some winners may not be great in our various climates.(This can be true in several areas of the country, especially those that are especially hot or cold, or where it rains sparingly or quite a lot.)
The 2012 AAS ornamental winners
This year there are four winners, two flowers and two vegetables. The two flowers are Salvia 'Summer Jewel Pink' and ornamental pepper Black Olive. It may be stretching a little to consider a pepper plant as a flower, but that’s how they have classified it.
The salvia is really a winner and is similar to Salvia 'Summer Jewel Red,' an earlier winner. Summer Jewel Pink is compact, with lots of blooms, a real attraction for hummingbirds, and will do well in almost every SoCal climate -- beach, inland and mountains, and the desert.
I have trouble thinking of peppers as flowers, but they are often used in bouquets, last well indoors, and are attractive in the garden. Would I grow this ornamental pepper in my garden? Probably not, but if you like to experiment you might try it [especially those who are into edible landscaping, which is growing in popularity.]
The winning veggies
The two vegetables that garnered a 2012 AAS award are a watermelon and another pepper, this time a cayenne type.
The watermelon, named Faerie F1, is an oddball in my view, with a creamy yellow rind with thin stripes, but good pink flesh that is very sweet and crisp. For those with limited space, it’s a good melon to grow since the vines spread to only about 10 to 11 feet and can be contained by circling them around the center of the plant. The melons are small, weighing four to six pounds.
The pepper, Cayennetta, is a cayenne type, which produces three- to four-inch fruits that are only mildly spicy. The plant is well branched and upright, and the fruits are prolific. It is said to do well in heat and has good cold tolerance, so it may do well inland as well as in beachfront gardens in southern California.
These AAS winners should be available on seed racks and in catalogs, and as started bedding plants in garden centers. The melon and peppers are summer plants and should be planted now. The salvia may do well all year in the warmer parts of SoCal; summer in the mountains and in beach gardens.
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Gerald Burke is one of more than a dozen garden experts from all parts of the country who blog regularly at Diggin' It. He is a freelance horticultural writer who spent 35 years in the seed business, 30 of them with Burpee, and is a member of the Garden Writers Association. To read more of what Gerald has written here at Diggin' It, click here.
A cat sleeps on top of a bed of low-growing catmint. (Courtesy of Gardenology)
Hybrid catmints: Cool cats in your landscape
Included in the shipment of plants I received this past Friday were several members of the catmint family. Since I’m already hooked on these beautiful plants, these new additions were welcome new members of my outdoor family.
If you are looking for a vibrant, colorful powerhouse of a perennial, than look no further than hybrid catmint.
While it is true that there are numerous members of the catmint clan – some adored by humans, some favorites of felines – without a doubt, the notable star of any garden is one called hybrid catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) and its various cultivars.
For those who are into lavender or close to lavender-colored blossoms, it’s very likely that hybrid catmint has already found a spot in your garden. But for those who may not be familiar with this perennial, Nepeta x faassenii cultivars make for some rather spectacular ornamental plants in the landscape.
Hybrid catmint offers attractive aromatic foliage and misty clouds of tiny flowers. The individual grayish-green leaves are small, soft, and slightly pointed. They’re set on long, lax stems topped with spikes of diminutive lavender-purple to blue tubular flowers, creating a lacy haze atop foliage cushions that make them the perfect choice for front of the border plantings.
To be fair, catmint is also available in white or pink flowers, but I’m especially fond of the lavender-colored ones.
Keep them purring
For sheer endurance in the heat and drought of our hot summers, which usually obliterate most other perennials, they are standouts. No matter what the weather may creatively throw at them, hybrid catmints prove they are carefree and reliable performers from mid-June right through the first frost.
Members of the Lamiaceae, or mint, family, these exuberant growers, hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 8, they are also unfazed by harsh winters and lean or clay soils. Catmints attract pollinating insects, perform well in hot, dry sites and, best of all, are for the most part, deer- and rabbit-resistant.
And like all cats, they love basking in the sun and absolutely abhor getting their feet wet – so, the only conditions catmints won’t tolerate are deep shade or poorly draining soil.
Beautiful garden additions in their own right, catmints also play well with other plants in perennial beds as fillers, bringing some much needed cool color shades to hot summer borders.
According to the Perennial Plant Association, which named the cultivar ‘Walker’s Low’ as the 2007 Perennial Plant of the Year, you can pair ‘Walker’s Low’ with foxgloves, pinks, bearded iris, and peonies for a scene straight out of your grandmother’s garden.
Catmints are clump-formers whose spread, though neither rampant nor aggressive, is slow but relentless. To keep them in check, divide clumps every few years in early spring.
To keep these plants flowering through the summer until fall’s first frosts, prune them back by two-thirds when the first flush of flowers fade. To propagate the plant, use divisions or rooted cuttings. Cut back plants to the ground late winter or early in the spring.
Some notable cultivars
‘Walker’s Low’ – Despite its name, this catmint is anything but low. Named for a site in Ireland where it was discovered, this cultivar can reach three feet in height with about the same spread, though it does tend to flop over and sprawl. It has deep lavender-blue flowers that bloom profusely in early summer and then off-and-on throughout the rest of the growing season.
‘Six Hills Giant’ -- A large, vigorous, yet impressive, plant sporting equally large, impressive flower spikes of violet-blue flowers. A catmint on steroids (three feet high and 30 inches wide), this is a reliable bloomer that can add visual sturdiness to any border.
‘Kit Cat’ (also sold as ‘Kit Kat’) – A truly floriferous dwarf cultivar that grows in spreading mounds to only 15 inches in height, it sports interesting two-lipped, almost true-blue flowers, making it the perfect choice for rock gardens, bed edgers, or containers.
‘Select Blue’ – Another shorter cultivar, ‘Select Blue’ is a bluer version of ‘Kit Cat’.
‘Blue Wonder’ - A midget by comparison to most, ‘Blue Wonder’, at 12 inches in height, is a spectacular ground cover, which creates a soft grey mat smothered in blossoms in summer. One of the best plants for perennial bed edging or underplanting of rose beds. Unfortunately, cats enjoy this cultivar as much as they do catnip.
Editor's Note: Read more about catmint at Catmint is purrfect with roses.
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Betty Earl, the Intrepid Gardener, is one of more than a dozen gardening experts who blog regularly at Diggin' It. She's the author of 'In Search of Great Plants: The Insider’s Guide to the Best Plants in the Midwest.' She also writes a regular column for Chicagoland Gardening Magazine and The Kankakee Journal and numerous articles for Small Gardens Magazine, American Nurseryman, Nature’s Garden, and Midwest Living Magazine, as well as other national magazines. She is a garden scout for Better Homes and Gardens and a regional representative for The Garden Conservancy. To read more by Betty here at Diggin' It, click here.
Walking in a woodland garden
There are many myths about woodland plants. One I hear often is how native woodland perennials are "pretty little weeds that soon disappear." As with most myths, there is a kernel of truth in there, but a kernel does not make an entire ear of corn.
Some, but not all, of our native woodland plants are ephemeral. The ones that are emerge in late winter while the soil is just beginning to warm, then bloom, set seed, and go dormant until the next spring.
There is a reason for this behavior. The ephemeral plants are filling the niche that exists before trees and shrubs leaf out, blocking the light and taking up available moisture and nutrients. Usually the early-blooming plants are dormant by July.
Effective design with ephemerals
There are several ways to effectively use these gems of the forest floor. My preference is to pair up ephemerals with plants that bloom at the same time, but do not go dormant early, as the ephemerals do.
Among my favorites to use as companions are Phlox stolonifera (creeping phlox) and trilliums. This species of phlox is green all 12 months of the year and looks great with trilliums coming up through the mat of fresh green.
There are 40 species of trillium to choose from and many colorful cultivars of creeping woodland phlox to select from. My favorite is white blooming trillium [see photo at top] paired with Sherwood Purple creeping phlox.
Other such selections are Tiarella, or foamflower, in drifts with your trillium of choice [see photo at top], or perhaps Uvularia grandiflora, Merrybells, which has yellow blooms, grown with Mertensia virginica, Virginia bluebells, which quickly disappear while merrybells remains until frost. It's a classic blue and yellow color combination. [See second photo at left. click on arrow at right base of first photo to see the second one.]
Walk and see for yourself
My inspiration came from hiking through a woodland hillside and seeing drifts of color sweeping around trees and boulders, completely hiding broken branches and leaf litter.
Hundreds of thousands of tiny flowers such as Delphinium tricorne (dwarf larkspur) were growing with companions of trilliums, Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), anemones, Dicentra such as Dutchman's Breeches, along with ferns unfurling.
The list could, and does, fill numerous woodland gardening guide books, and possibly your shaded garden, as it does in mine. Spring beauty that isn't ephemeral.
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Gene Bush, a nationally known garden writer, photographer, lecturer, and nursery owner, gardens on a shaded hillside in southern Indiana. His website is www.munchkinnursery.com. He also writes the Garden Clippin's Newsletter. To read more by Gene here at Diggin' It, click here.
It’s time to think about planting summer flowers in southern California if you haven't already done it. Some fast-growing kinds can still be started from seed in May. (Courtesy of Gerald Burke)
Southern California gardening in May
With the arrival of May and summer weather, Southern California is likely to get some pretty warm days. The weather has kept all the forecasters covering their tracks, and summer weather may be unusual, they say, as were the temperatures in fall and winter, as well as the lack of rain.
But whatever the weather, gardeners will go on doing their thing: planting vegetables and flowers, replacing worn-out or frozen shrubs, pruning back excessive growth, fertilizing, and all the other good things that need to be done.
Many of the fall, winter, and early spring flowers we planted — pansies, violas, stocks, snapdragons, calendulas, and others will be looking a little worn out now, and we need to think about replacing them and planting summer flowers and vegetables.
Veggies from seeds and plants
You can now sow seed outdoors of the following vegetables: asparagus; beets; beans, both pole and bush; lima beans, carrots; sweet corn; popcorn; cucumbers; all melons; eggplant; leaf lettuce; romaine; kale;kohlrabi; peanuts; mustard greens; okra; long-day onions and onion sets; leeks; peppers; potato tubers; pumpkins; radishes; rhubarb; spinach; Swiss chard; all squash; turnips; rutabagas; and tomatoes.
You’ll probably be happier with tomato plants this late in the spring, so think about buying already started plants rather than growing them from seed. You can also think about buying plants of some other vegetables: sweet potato, hot and sweet peppers, lettuce, eggplant, melons, and cucumbers.
The benefit of starting with plants now instead of seed at this time is that you’ll have edible produce much sooner. The downside is that you have little choice in varieties.
Don't forget the flowers
Most of the summer flower varieties can be started from seed now. The quick-growing ones will do best, and include zinnia, dwarf and tall marigolds, gaillardia, cosmos, nasturtium, alyssum, portulaca, melampodium, and sunflower.
I would use started plants for amaranthus, fibrous or wax begonia, bells of Ireland, celosia, coleus, delphinium, dianthus, carnation, ageratum, lobelia, gazania, foxglove, geranium, hollyhock, gerbera, impatiens, petunia, larkspur, scabiosa, all the coneflowers, salvia, statice, verbena, and annual vinca.
Do keep in mind that we didn’t get a lot of winter rain, so mulch well and keep the garden well watered.
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Gerald Burke is a freelance horticultural writer. He spent 35 years in the seed business, 30 of them with Burpee, and is a member of the Garden Writers Association.He is one of more than a dozen garden experts from different areas of the country who blog here at Diggin' It. To read more of what he has written, click here.
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