Containers That Worked

Believe me I have some that did not work in this summer's heat.

Coleus Redhead, Dichondra and Cordyline

This one never even had a wilt during the intense heat because they are in very large containers, less chance of the soil drying.  I am going to try to invest in a couple more larger containers for next year.

Supertunias Bubblegum and Bordeaux

Not all Supertunias perform like these two!  Even the Supertunias need a little trimming and fertilizer this time of year.

This is a basket that I put together early in the season, never had a chance.  The Japanese beetles ate everything in it, Sweet Caroline sweet potato vine, beautiful geranium and Cranberry Crush superbells.  It is just starting to revive for the fall season.

When I first planted this I did not have much hope for it being a great container.  However, it has become my favorite, Caladium Aaron with Orange Guinea Impatiens.  I really like this caladium, more petite and stronger than many of the other varieties.  It hangs on the fence under my neighbor's old lilac tree.

This is the one hanging basket that I purchased at Home Depot.  Each year I have brought home one of their tuberous begonia baskets and so far they have not disappointed.  Many of the other with overgrown plantings have not been a good investment.

Mystic Illusion Dahlia and Phantom Petunia

I have a couple of other plants in here but I can just imagine how spectacular this would have been in a larger container.  It dried out quickly and needed daily watering, sometimes more.

I love hayracks on a little shed, but oh what a chore it is to keep the plants alive.  The soil dries out too quickly and I had to pull the zinnias and put in the superbells.  I am totally rethinking this one for next year, how about cactus?

These are the nasturtiums in my veggie garden growing up an obliesk.  They are infringing somewhat on my peppers, but I hate to pull them out.

I should have just stuck with the Algerian Ivy, the impatiens hardly bloomed all season.

Rex Begonia

This is a plant that likes the heat, formerly a houseplant but being used more and more in the outside garden.  We wintered this over inside from last year.



Coleus Sedona and Blackheart Sweet Potato Vine

I have kept it pretty simple this year, no more than three types of plants in a container.  We all know that some of those multi-flowered containers begin to show stress half way through the summer.  It is always upsetting to see some of the lovely plants in an expensive container drying up when the rest look fine.  I am almost ready to go to the single plant look if it withstands the high temperatures!

How's Your Heuchera?

I have many varieties of Heuchera in my garden, some in part shade and some in full sun.

Heuchera Peach Flambe

This is my best heat performer, not a crispy leaf on it!

It has been an extreme test this year on which varieties will survive in the heat.  Heat resistant and drought resistant are two different attributes we need to take into consideration when planting future gardens.

Heuchera Autumn Leaves

This one has done very well, you will notice that the heat produces leaves without color.  They slowly replace these light colored ones with the new deeper colored leaves.

Many plants can be watered well but cannot take the high temperatures and their foliage begins to fry.  Some of the Heucheras I have fall into this category during the current summer season.

Heuchera Miracle

This is a full sun heuchera, lost its leaf colorations in the heat, some black spotted leaves.

Heuchera Plum Pudding

You can see the bleached out leaves with some plum colored ones rejuvenating the plant.

The large leaf Heucheras like Southern Comfort change color to muted shades of gold with brown spots on some of the leaves.

Heuchera Southern Comfort

The bleached out leaves have been a symptom of the heat along with blotches on the leaves, continually trying to regrow the original colorations.

Heuchera Pistache

The leaves have been chewed and the color is not the lime green it should be for this part shade variety.

Clip off the affected leaves and new leaves will regrow.  This has been a daunting task this summer because some of the leaves have turned crispy and are very unattractive.

Heuchera Raspberry Ice

Looks great but again has lost its true raspberry leaf color

Heuchera Villosa Pupurea

An original villosa heuchera (part shade) from which all the new villosa varieties came - It has lost its soft purple/brown colorations and royally chewed this year.

Heuchera Mocha

Wonderful flower stalks, usually brown leaves have turned green

Heuchera Carmel

Carmel is a popular heuchera and is used extensively in landscape design.  It has struggled to keep its wonderful color and has succeeded better than most.

A surprise to me that the least affected varieties in my garden are the Heucherellas!  I have not had to trim but a few leaves, they seem to love the heat without the drastic color change of the heucheras.

Heucherella Golden Zebra

Heucherella Stoplight

Heucherella Sweet Tea

So we know what the heat does to some heucheras, it fades the leaves and crisps some varieties, heucherellas hold up much better.  I guess we have some rethinking to do in regard to one of our favorite new plants!

How Did We Ever Survive?

Without air conditioning....

Phlox Blue Paradise loves the heat and has been deadheaded to keep blooming until frost.

Our central air stopped working the other day and you would have thought we were all going to expire, even the dog was miserable.  Luckily, our service man came quickly and had us back in the cool the next day.

Phlox Lavender David

Phlox David

Later blooming

Phlox Eva Cullum

Later blooming

Phlox Franz Schubert and Laura

Deadheading now for rebloom until frost

My Mystery Phlox

Unlabeled last year at Home Depot

Phlox Thai Pink Jade

A gift last spring from the Garden Writer's Workshop

Well, I guess you can see I am really hooked on phlox for the heat.  Even in 100 degrees and some water it bounces back.  If you really want to love phlox just make sure you plant something in front of it to cover it's not too pretty legs.

I did not grow up with air conditioning but I do remember my brother and I going to my aunt and uncle's house (they had all the modern conveniences) and putting our faces in front of the window unit.  Maybe it didn't get this hot then, but in the city the homes were quite close together with little air circulation.

Geranium Blue Sunrise begins with yellow leaves that slowly turn green, weaves gently, loves the heat!

Bob's Blunder Geranium, hugs the ground but also weaves very gently, bronze leaves and tiny lavender flowers - doesn't even know how hot it is outside.

I could barely think about the garden when I was wondering where and how I was going to sleep.  I think I now know how the plants feel with day after day of heat and no cool place to go.

Heliopsis Sunshine Lorraine

I have had this plant for several years and this is the best it has been.

Daylily Tetrina's Daughter

Tall and slim, about four feet middle-late blooming

We didn't spend much time in the house during the summer, catching fireflies in jars during the evening and going to the park district pool during the day or frolicking under the circular sprinkler on the front lawn.  After building our little tent cities in the backyard sleeping under the stars was a great treat.  The popsicles tasted like real fruit with banana being my favorite.

I had to take the zinnias out of this planter because I could not supply enough water to sustain them, but not so for Verbena Imagination.

Dahlia Mystic Illusion and Phantom Petunia and I have certainly found out what Gerber daisies like - HEAT!

I am planning ahead for more hot summers, Allium Summer Beauty has been planted for summer, fall and winter interest.  It likes the heat and is drought resistant.

I was a gardener back then with my carrots around the catch basin, rhuburb and corn along the south side and morning glories growing up the garage wall.

My carrots now are coming up under the daylilies in my vegetable garden, daylilies cut down, carrots revealed.  Well, we will see how this works out!

(The header is the alley garden with Panicum Northwind, Centranthus Alba, Agastache Blue Fortune, Nepeta Walker's low, Sedum Autumn Fire and Sedum Vera Jameson - all drought and heat resistant)

Garden Writer's Day

I was invited for the second year to Midwest Groundcovers Sixth Annual Writer's Day.  It is a long ride, close to an hour to reach St. Charles Illinois, but it is well worth the trip.

Eryngium

I need to find a place for this plant, had it at my last home but it didn't work in my too formal border.  I will try to work it in with the grasses and daylilies in my back garden or maybe the alley garden.

We had heavy much needed rain the night before and even some in the early morning.  The temperature was down to the 80's but extremely humid.

Amsonia and Echinacea

I was so anxious to hear our main speaker Jennifer Davit, Horticultural Director for the Lurie Gardens in Millennium Park.  She not only expounded on her extensive background in many types of plants but also the various locations in which she interned to learn about them.  She is originally from Chicago, but has studied in the four corners of the U.S. including Hawaii.

Echinacea, Amsonia and Asters

The majority of the gardens at Midwest Groundcovers have been designed by Piet Oudolf and the rest certainly show his influence.  Midwest is a large plant supplier to nurseries all over the United States, marketing under different brand names.  That is about to change and we will see their name on plants that we purchase at local nurseries.

The Lurie Gardens uses no chemical additives, all natural insect controls like other insects to keep destructive ones under control.  The mulch for the gardens is the leavings of the plants that are mowed down and shredded in late winter.  Watering is usually not necessary except for this year!  Piet Oudolf is consulted on all changes or additions of planting materials and Jennifer stressed this is a collaboration.

Agastache Blue Fortune

This is one of the few agastache that is hardy in zone 5.  I have this one in the alley garden.

The gardens at Midwest are smaller; whereas, the Lurie gardens is on five acres including hardscape.  The Lurie Gardens are built over a parking garage with real soil used on the roof, not synthetic which many times is used on rooftop gardens.

A speaker who was not on the agenda suddenly walked up to the microphone and it was a pleasant surprise to see Roy Diblik.  I met Roy many years ago when he first began Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, Wisconsin (close to my home in Lake Geneva).  I saw drastic changes in the farm in the last several years but didn't know why. 

Roy told the story of when Piet Oudolf unfurled the drawings for the Lurie Gardens, he actually got chills at the sight.  He was always a plantsman growing and researching and crossing all types of plants for his business, but he was never a gardener until that moment.   He supplied the plants, many found at Midwest Groundcovers, and Piet supplied the artistry.  Northwind Perennial Farm is now Roy Diblik's own study in artistry.

Allium Summer Beauty

Allium Peek-A-Boo

Will be offered on the market in the spring of 2013, similar to Allium Summer Beauty but shorter

Echinacea Virgin

Delphinium Blue Mirror and Burgundy Fireworks Echinacea

Geranium Soberliferum

We had never heard of this one, lovely leaf structure, gently mounding, no flowers at this time.

My Magical Moment

As I looked at the combination of structure, spikiness, softness and color it all made sense to me.  It doesn't matter how large your garden is because this can all be achieved in a small area.

I came home with lots of goodies, Allium Summer Beauty I purchased a flat (they don't sell in quantity to the public, but I still had an account from several years ago).  The gifts were from Roy Diblik (No names on any of them but I think I have them in my notes) and some Allium Peek-A-Boo from Midwest Groundcovers.  Where am I going to fit all of these treasures in the garden?