When I was a young child, there used to be a person on television called "Mr. Wizard." He was an expert at experiments and could do things that would always amaze us. Now, I am not saying that I am Mr. Wizard, but I am trying some experiments this year.
My first experiment was with a product called Plantskydd, a critter repellent. I tried it in three different gardens, one completely overrun by rabbits - most perennials eaten last year, one with spring bulbs tops eaten and the other with various plants and bulbs eaten. The product was applied in early March and reapplied in the overrun garden because mulch was put down. Not one plant has been eaten or chewed in any of the three gardens. The product is guaranteed against animal plant damage. I know, no one wants to believe this, it it not inexpensive, but it seems to work.
My other experiment is the layered raised bed vegetable garden. I have really gone big time this year, layering just about everything. I am also experimenting using the philosophy of Art in the Garden and incorporating the colors of famous artists in my containers and garden beds. My final experiment is the seed starting that I said I was not going to do, but I have done it without my lights. I am now hardening off Nicotiana, Saliva and Amaranthus (Love Lies Bleeding). They are all so fragile I hope they make it.
Mr. Wizard (Don Herbert) I hope you will be proud of me for being an experimenter!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
What's Blooming?
There are several things blooming in a quiet way before the full blast of the spring perennials take over. The Blue Dart Vinca is just beautiful this year. It must have been the snow cover. Those Orange Emperor Tulips will not give up making a final showing in the cooler and a little shadier part of the garden.
My strange fern is up and it looks like it could be from the dinosaur age. I identified it at a local garden center but did not write down the name. Bleeding Hearts are in full bloom on the north side of my garden and Viburnum Carlesi Compactum is full of blooms with a most heady fragrance by my front walk. The Amelanchier Regent was beautiful about a week ago as per the picture Anemone Sylvistris is blooming on the south side of the garden
The vegetable garden looks very colorful this year as I made it a point to grow some unusually named lettuces in some colors that just pop. The carrots are sprouting between the lettuce, as most of my lettuce usually is done by July, seed onions are coming up between the sets. It's an experiment called layering, so we'll see if it works.
My strange fern is up and it looks like it could be from the dinosaur age. I identified it at a local garden center but did not write down the name. Bleeding Hearts are in full bloom on the north side of my garden and Viburnum Carlesi Compactum is full of blooms with a most heady fragrance by my front walk. The Amelanchier Regent was beautiful about a week ago as per the picture Anemone Sylvistris is blooming on the south side of the garden
The vegetable garden looks very colorful this year as I made it a point to grow some unusually named lettuces in some colors that just pop. The carrots are sprouting between the lettuce, as most of my lettuce usually is done by July, seed onions are coming up between the sets. It's an experiment called layering, so we'll see if it works.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Swale Gardening
I am doing a couple of coaching jobs, one being the typical blank slate landscaping job and the other can you believe is a swale. Unbeknown to most gardeners, swale gardening is a whole other area of expertise. I am certainly not an expert but I did have a swale in my last home.
Just because there is a graduated dip so the water will flow into this area and away does not mean it is always wet. The banks of the swale can be quite dry, but eventually the roots from these fringe plants will reach down into where the water flows. I had three River Birches which loved the wet conditions, banks planted in day lilies which will also tolerate some wetness, some Red Barbary, Claveys Dwarf Honeysuckle and Cranberry Viburnums. They all did very well with the only planting at the bottom of the swale being the River Birch.
The garden I have looked at had to do a swale because water was leaking into their windrow wells and subsequently their foundation and basement. I am thinking just because of the size of our lots, River Birch trees will not be an option. So we talked about some plantings, Carex Ice Fountains (for the shady, wet area overshadowed by large arborvitaes), Viburnum Autumn Jazz in the sunnier area with plantings of daylilies below. In the front area of the swale it is also sunny (with three Green Mountain Boxwood already planted), so I suggested coneflowers White Swan and Kim's Knee High. At the back end leading into the back garden where the swale has ended, it would be nice to end the walk with Viburnum Carlesi Compactum. All of the large fieldstones will need to be relaid because they are on a slant. Not all of the plantings will be "in" the swale but will border it on top and bottom.
The main goal with a swale is to hold the soil on the sides. My present yard had a really dangerous swale when we moved in: whereas; you had to step down from the patio to walk to the front of the yard, there was no gradual descent. We had a raised bed built and a paver walkway put from back to front gradually maintaining the swale. In most cases you cannot remove this swale without impacting neighboring property or your own.
Just because there is a graduated dip so the water will flow into this area and away does not mean it is always wet. The banks of the swale can be quite dry, but eventually the roots from these fringe plants will reach down into where the water flows. I had three River Birches which loved the wet conditions, banks planted in day lilies which will also tolerate some wetness, some Red Barbary, Claveys Dwarf Honeysuckle and Cranberry Viburnums. They all did very well with the only planting at the bottom of the swale being the River Birch.
The garden I have looked at had to do a swale because water was leaking into their windrow wells and subsequently their foundation and basement. I am thinking just because of the size of our lots, River Birch trees will not be an option. So we talked about some plantings, Carex Ice Fountains (for the shady, wet area overshadowed by large arborvitaes), Viburnum Autumn Jazz in the sunnier area with plantings of daylilies below. In the front area of the swale it is also sunny (with three Green Mountain Boxwood already planted), so I suggested coneflowers White Swan and Kim's Knee High. At the back end leading into the back garden where the swale has ended, it would be nice to end the walk with Viburnum Carlesi Compactum. All of the large fieldstones will need to be relaid because they are on a slant. Not all of the plantings will be "in" the swale but will border it on top and bottom.
The main goal with a swale is to hold the soil on the sides. My present yard had a really dangerous swale when we moved in: whereas; you had to step down from the patio to walk to the front of the yard, there was no gradual descent. We had a raised bed built and a paver walkway put from back to front gradually maintaining the swale. In most cases you cannot remove this swale without impacting neighboring property or your own.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Summer Place
We took a trip to our Wisconsin home mostly because we had a very large arborvitae topple onto the walk during the winter. It didn't make sense, as ours was the only one in the area to have this problem. Well, the arborvitae has been propped up with a wooden 2" board. I am not sure this will be the solution, but for now it is at least upright and looks green and healthy.
My Knockout rose bushes, which had been under the arborvitae, looked very spindly with only bottom growth, so I cut them back severely. Our Wisconsin place is about two hours north of the Chicago area, so things are not quite as far along growth wise as back home. The land where our home is built was littered with huge boulders as construction crews dug foundations. These boulders were used throughout the area for retaining walls and pleasantly became part of the landscape.
My hyacinths and daffodils are just about done, the sedums, nepetas, coreposis, day lilies, campanulas, shastas, coneflowers, and dianthus are all up and growing well.
I am an absent owner and have to choose plants that are xeric and will not require a great deal of care. So far, there are times when I think that this far away garden looks better than my garden at home. There is a watering system on the grounds but just for the grass areas and trees. All of the bed areas are without any additional water unless by hose. I have boxwoods, red twig dogwoods, Arrowwood Viburnums, Carl Forrester grasses, Chanticleer Pear over the patio (which looked beautiful).
We put out our patio furniture, and also a small table and chairs by our front door, watered all of our cactus plants, turned the water back on, cut down and fertilized everything. My husband refused to touch the rose limbs (because we both forgot our garden gloves), but I showed him how brave I was and cut the rose bushes up into little pieces. He finally loaded them into a plastic bag complaining the whole time.
We talked about selling the place as we both yelled "ouch" from the thorns because we don't come up as much as in previous years. We have been coming for about twenty years to two different homes, our grandchildren love it, it is a whole different world where people drive long distances to come to Wall Mart. There are no shopping malls, but there is a Home Depot now and a Target.
If your take a ride in any direction right out of town, there are large expanses of land dotted with farms, cows, sheep and horses. Little towns whip by in a flash, like Burlington (where Panicum 'Northwind' was discovered at Northwind Perennial Farm). This perennial farm is certainly worth a stop if there is time, not just for the plants but for the vintage yard art and the chickens that walk with you as you shop. If you go in the opposite direction down Route 50 out of town you will run into Pesche's Garden Center in the middle of farmland. It is a fun experience, great gift shop, reasonably priced perennials with lots of unusual varieties.
I get a feeling as I drive in on Route 12 that I am going back in time, like American Graffiti, the young people still play very loud music while tooling around town in their hopped up cars and motorcycles. This is an old town back to the 1800's with a gorgeous lake, Lake Geneva. What were we thinking of ? No Sale!
My Knockout rose bushes, which had been under the arborvitae, looked very spindly with only bottom growth, so I cut them back severely. Our Wisconsin place is about two hours north of the Chicago area, so things are not quite as far along growth wise as back home. The land where our home is built was littered with huge boulders as construction crews dug foundations. These boulders were used throughout the area for retaining walls and pleasantly became part of the landscape.
My hyacinths and daffodils are just about done, the sedums, nepetas, coreposis, day lilies, campanulas, shastas, coneflowers, and dianthus are all up and growing well.
I am an absent owner and have to choose plants that are xeric and will not require a great deal of care. So far, there are times when I think that this far away garden looks better than my garden at home. There is a watering system on the grounds but just for the grass areas and trees. All of the bed areas are without any additional water unless by hose. I have boxwoods, red twig dogwoods, Arrowwood Viburnums, Carl Forrester grasses, Chanticleer Pear over the patio (which looked beautiful).
We put out our patio furniture, and also a small table and chairs by our front door, watered all of our cactus plants, turned the water back on, cut down and fertilized everything. My husband refused to touch the rose limbs (because we both forgot our garden gloves), but I showed him how brave I was and cut the rose bushes up into little pieces. He finally loaded them into a plastic bag complaining the whole time.
We talked about selling the place as we both yelled "ouch" from the thorns because we don't come up as much as in previous years. We have been coming for about twenty years to two different homes, our grandchildren love it, it is a whole different world where people drive long distances to come to Wall Mart. There are no shopping malls, but there is a Home Depot now and a Target.
If your take a ride in any direction right out of town, there are large expanses of land dotted with farms, cows, sheep and horses. Little towns whip by in a flash, like Burlington (where Panicum 'Northwind' was discovered at Northwind Perennial Farm). This perennial farm is certainly worth a stop if there is time, not just for the plants but for the vintage yard art and the chickens that walk with you as you shop. If you go in the opposite direction down Route 50 out of town you will run into Pesche's Garden Center in the middle of farmland. It is a fun experience, great gift shop, reasonably priced perennials with lots of unusual varieties.
I get a feeling as I drive in on Route 12 that I am going back in time, like American Graffiti, the young people still play very loud music while tooling around town in their hopped up cars and motorcycles. This is an old town back to the 1800's with a gorgeous lake, Lake Geneva. What were we thinking of ? No Sale!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Is There A Reason To Look Out Your Window?
We should all have a reason to look out a window, whether it be to look at who is passing, the dawn, the sunset, the stars, a storm, but most important what we have in our landscapes should be the best reason of all.
I went around the inside of my home the other day peering out each and every window and, to my amazement, I did have points of interest through just about every window. I am not sure that this was a major concern when I was landscaping this blank slate. However, I do remember thinking about the placement of the Chanticleer Pear and the Star Magnolia. Each one of these specimens fills my view as I look from my dining room windows, the Pear straight ahead and the Magnolia to the side. I still have some views to improve on my shade side of the garden.
As I move to the living room windows, which are in the shape of a bay, there are flowers visible from all angles. When I pull up the sheer shades, it always reminds me of that old story The Night Before Christmas when they threw open the shutters and pulled up the sash and saw that magical scene of Santa and his sleigh. Oh, sorry, I got carried away, but throw back your curtains, pull up your shades and see what you have outside your windows. Is it interesting?
I went around the inside of my home the other day peering out each and every window and, to my amazement, I did have points of interest through just about every window. I am not sure that this was a major concern when I was landscaping this blank slate. However, I do remember thinking about the placement of the Chanticleer Pear and the Star Magnolia. Each one of these specimens fills my view as I look from my dining room windows, the Pear straight ahead and the Magnolia to the side. I still have some views to improve on my shade side of the garden.
As I move to the living room windows, which are in the shape of a bay, there are flowers visible from all angles. When I pull up the sheer shades, it always reminds me of that old story The Night Before Christmas when they threw open the shutters and pulled up the sash and saw that magical scene of Santa and his sleigh. Oh, sorry, I got carried away, but throw back your curtains, pull up your shades and see what you have outside your windows. Is it interesting?
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