2014: What’s New? Part 2

Feb5

Camellia Forest Nursery has a nonpareil inventory of camellias, as well as a fine selection of unique trees and shrubs, many that are hard – if not impossible – to find in the trade. Here are my 2014 choices, plus a few old favorites:

Camellia japonica ‘April Blues’

April Blues is a new addition to the outstanding April Series of zone 6, cold-hardy camellias, introduced by the acclaimed camellia hybridizer, Dr. Clifford Parks. (Dr. Parks’s wife and son are co-owners of Camellia Forest Nursery.) Aptly named, the plant’s deep pink flowers take on interesting bluish-purplish tones in cool weather. The camellia is a late Spring, prodigious bloomer. (No photo currently available.)

You might also like one of my older japonica favorites, the lovely bi-color, eighteenth century introduction, Camellia japonica ‘Governor Mouton’. (Photo below.)

Consider, too, the Nursery’s extensive collection of fragrant, hardy, Fall blooming sasanquas, including the sought after but difficult to find pink beauty, Camellia sasanqua ‘Jean May’. (Photo below.)

In my garden, Jean May has bloomed from September to frost, even in 2012 when she thumbed her nose at the Oct.-Nov. combined assault of Hurricane Sandy and a Nor’easter. The Nursery has a limited supply; grab one while you can. (See also my earlier post of December 2, 2012, “Fabulous Camellias for Northern Gardens: Autumn Flowering Sasanquas”.)

Disanthus cercidifolius (Zones 5-8)

photo credit: Camellia Forest Nursery

With its pretty, heart-shaped, blue-green leaves that in autumn turn fabulous shades of red and purple, this award-winning, relatively rare, deciduous ornamental shrub is an ideal plant for a shady garden. Disanthus thrives in acidic, organic-rich, moist, well-drained soil – a perfect companion for rhododendrons – and is both pest-resistant and disease-resistant. An added bonus are the surprising, dainty, reddish-purple flowers that show up at about the same time the leaves drop.

Acer caudatifolium ‘Variegatum’ (Zones 7-9)

photo credit: Camellia Forest Nursery

I’m very excited about this dazzling Taiwanese Striped-Bark Maple that flaunts pink-flushed new growth which becomes a variegated, rich green splashed with white, and then turns a brilliant orange-gold in autumn. Moreover, young trees sport exquisite, creamy-white bark. Amazing! Provide moist, well-drained soil in shade.

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Globosa Nana’ (Dwarf Japanese Cedar, Zones 6-8)

While Globosa Nana is a wonderful, award-winning dwarf conifer, it is not generally available. I bought one from Camellia Forest about five years ago and now have a second on order. The plant has an appealing, dense, dome-shaped form and a well-behaved mounding habit so you never have to prune a wayward stem. It is said to have a mature height of from 4-6 feet, but it’s a slow grower. (Photo below of Globosa Nana in my garden, alongside Magnolia ‘Yellow River’.)

You can easily access Camellia Forest’s 2014 catalog by clicking on the blog link to the right.

As I write this, we are snowed (iced?) in again. What a winter! Not much I can do about it but dream of Spring. And feed our friends.

2/23 Update Alert: Camellia Forest’s printed 2014 35th Anniversary Plant Catalog is now available.

2014: My Favorite Deciduous Azaleas

Jan1

Like Alice, I fear we have fallen down the rabbit hole. It’s loony tunes out there.

The New York Times reported that the nation’s largest food and beverage companies are seeking FDA approval to label as “natural” foods laced with genetically modified organisms (GMO’S). (The New York Times, December 20, 2013, p.B3)

Huh?

Hard to believe, but true. The same folks who are spending millions of dollars in a nation-wide campaign to prevent GMO food labeling, thus denying consumers the right to make informed choices, are now shamelessly demanding the right to label their GMO-laboratory-designed-food, “NATURAL”.

Thank goodness we can retreat to the sanity and comfort of the garden — in mind and spirit, if not in person — and dream about the upcoming joys of Spring, namely, Mother Nature’s sweet progeny, Deciduous Azaleas. Here are some of my favorites:

Rhododendron ‘Arneson Ruby’. (Zones 5-8).

As you can see from the photos, this exquisite show-stopper has ball-shaped trusses of purple-red buds, opening in May to vibrant ruby-red flowers. The plant is a hardy, disease-resistant, upright grower that can reach 5-6 feet in height.

copright 2014 – Lois Sheinfeld

If you aren’t into upright and tall, I recommend R. ‘Arneson’s Ruby Princess’ with similar ruby-red flowers on a mounding azalea that most likely will not exceed 3 feet. The Princess shares Ruby’s cold hardiness and good health and possesses the additional attribute of attractive dense foliage. (Photo below.)

In my garden, R. ‘Arneson Ruby’ grows alongside another May bloomer, Rhododendron ‘Klondyke’ (Zones 5-8), an azalea highly prized for its beautiful, fragrant, golden-orange flowers, complemented by handsome bronzy-green new foliage. (Photos below)

For those seeking fragrant flowers, Rhododendron ‘Narcissiflora’ (Zones 5-8) is a must-have. This tall, vigorous, old-timer flaunts masses of bright yellow flowers that fill the air with sweet perfume. And as for white-flowering azaleas, there’s none better than the uber-fragrant “twins”, Rhododendrons ‘Snowbird’ and ‘Fragrant Star.’ (Zones 4-8) (Photos below in order of mention.)

All of these deciduous azaleas have been time-tested and flourish in my organic, toxic-chemical-free garden. They require acid, well-drained soil and can tolerate — even appreciate — more sun than their big cousins, the Elepidote Rhododendrons. [See also: June 14, 2013 post, “Evergreen Azaleas: La Crème de la Crème”, and for comprehensive information on all things azalea, Azaleas by Fred C. Galle (Timber Press. 1999).]

Bee Update

Dec5

Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you really need him?

He had the courage to stand up to power, to take on corrupt politicians and industrial barons in order to protect the American people and the environment. (For a comprehensive and detailed account, see Doris Kearns Goodwin’s The Bully Pulpit, Simon & Schuster 2013)

Now, by protecting the giant companies that produce toxic chemical pesticides, the EPA is a complicit enabler in the wholesale slaughter of bees — and who knows what all else. Our regulatory agencies are marching arm-in-arm with the industries they were created to regulate. (See May 1, 2013 blog post, “Beauty and The Bees: Going, Going, Gone?”.)

Teddy must be turning over in his grave.

The latest move by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) illustrates well whom it favors. Soon after being sued by beekeepers and environmental and consumer groups who demanded a recall of the EPA approved uber-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides, the Agency went into action. In a transparent effort to counter adverse public opinion, it backed off its decision to do nothing until 2018 and instituted a new neonicotinoid pesticide package-labeling scheme (scam?) which states: “When Using This Product Take Steps To: Minimize exposure of this product to bees and other insect pollinators when they are foraging.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But it’s self-policing — leaving it up to the poison applicator to do the right thing. And we all know how that works out. As did President Teddy Roosevelt.

Note too that the original package is the only place where the protective-use instruction is required to appear. By the time the poisons are in the hands of the applicators — who are not always the initial buyers — the original packaging may be long gone. Moreover, the EPA left no doubt of its true intent when it explicitly provided that the protective directions for use “are not intended to be placed under each crop or site” where the poisons are applied. Why not? Site placement informs the public and might lead to independent violation reporting. Isn’t that a good thing?

In addition, the EPA attached a slew of exceptions that completely eviscerate any protection for pollinators. For example, no pollinator protection is necessary if the poisons are applied after sunset or when temperatures are below 55 degrees F. The EPA is well aware that these poisons are persistent and if applied after sunset will still be lethal to bees the next day and thereafter. Ditto for the temperature exception. Indeed temperature change — upwards — can occur quickly. The Environmental Protection Agency knows these things.

Yet, there is some good news on two fronts: The lawsuit against the EPA is moving ahead — it’s currently in the pre-trial motion stage. And Congressmen Conyers and Blumenauer have introduced the Saving America’s Pollinators Act (H.R.2692). There are 38 co-sponsors of the bill.

More good news are the photos below, taken at first light in the garden, of sleepy bumble bees on Rosa ‘Pretty Lady’ and Passiflora ‘Incense’. [ See blog posts, “Superstorm Sandy & Rosa ‘Pretty Lady’ ” (Nov.13, 2012) and “Hibiscus ‘Jazzberry Jam’ & Passiflora ‘Incense’ ” (Aug.11, 2012). ]

Surely sights worth protecting.

Variegated Plants: Caryopteris ‘White Surprise’ & Arundo donax ‘Peppermint Stick’

Nov4

I’m a variegated plant groupie. Can’t resist them. Here are two outstanding new additions to my garden:

Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘White Surprise’ – Zones 5-9

As soon as I saw this beauty in Patricia W’s garden, I had to have it.

Pat’s stunning landscape was filled with unique and interesting plants, but the shrub’s bold white-edged foliage was enough to make it a standout – even before flowering. I visited her garden in July; the lovely blue flowers, irresistible to bees, don’t appear until late summer or early fall – an added special bonus for the gardener and the bees. When I finally acquired my plant in September, it was in bloom and the bees zeroed in on the blossoms even before White Surprise was in the ground. (Photos below)

If, like me, you delight in having bees buzz about the garden but variegated plants are not your thing, no problem. Bees don’t discriminate and will happily savor the flowers of the green-leafed cultivars. (See photo below taken at Longwood Gardens in PA.)

C. x ‘White Surprise’, a low-mounding shrub, will do best in well-drained, fertile soil, in sun or part shade. It flowers on new growth and can be pruned back in late winter without ill effect –much like a herbaceous perennial. And it is said to be deer resistant.

Arundo donax ‘Peppermint Stick’ – Zones 6-9

All I can say is WOW!!!!! No shy violet this one. I love it.

Peppermint Stick, a green and white variegated Giant Reed Grass, is a dramatic, focal point-specimen plant that can reach 10 feet or so. Likes sun, isn’t particular about soil, and will spread by underground rhizomes forming large clumps. (Can you imagine the impact of that? Can’t wait.) Most important, it retains its showy variegation– even in summer – a big improvement over earlier cultivars like A. donax ‘Variegata’.

Hot Tips: Something Old and Something New . . .

Jul18

Something New Up First.

You can never have enough hydrangeas. What would summer be without them? And I’ve just acquired a recently introduced sensation: Hydrangea macrophylla Let’s Dance Starlight ‘Lynn’, z 5-9. Quite a mouthful, but it’s quite a plant, the first lace-cap hydrangea that blooms on old and new wood. A rebloomer and a beauty.

Lynn’s large showy flowers are ph sensitive: pink in sweet soil and blue in acid. Mine arrived pink (see photo below) but in my acid soil I expect the blossoms will eventually turn shades of blue and purple. Among her other virtues, Lynn thrives in sun or shade, and at a compact 2-3 feet would be ideal for large or small gardens. Provide rich, moist, well-drained soil, and encourage new growth and maximum bloom by removing spent flowers.

I bought Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Lynn’ at Lynch’s Garden Center, 175 North Sea Road, Southampton, N.Y., phone 631-283-5515, which has an extraordinary selection of plants and garden supplies. Local one-stop shopping at its best. Also worthy of mention is the helpful and knowledgeable staff. (Thank you, Jessica.)

Clethra barbinervis, Z 5-7 (Japanese Tree Clethra) is the old-timer in my garden. I guess it’s about fifteen years since I purchased a small plant from Broken Arrow Nursery (Blog Link) at the recommendation of Broken Arrow’s owner, renowned plantsman and mountain laurel guru, Richard Jaynes.

I don’t understand why this fabulous tree is not better known, or at least as popular as its kissin’ cousin, the fragrant flowering native shrub, Clethra alnifolia. My tree is now about 16 feet and displays exfoliating bark that reveals stunning patches of burnished cinnamon, much like Stewartias and Crapemyrtles. Its foliage is a lustrous dark green and in July and August the tree dazzles with an abundance of fragrant, panicles of snowy-white flowers. (Photos below).

C. barbinervis thrives in shade. Just provide rich, moist, well-drained soil.

And I’m happy to report that it hasn’t suffered a whit from the nightmarish, mega heatwave we are currently suffocating under. Unlike this gardener.

Summer 2013: Albizia ‘Summer Chocolate’ & Hydrangea ‘Ayesha’

Jul12

Yes, Virginia. You can satisfy those chocolate cravings without worrying about calories. It’s a piece of cake in the garden with Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’.

This remarkable tree and I have quite a history.

I’m reminded of a bit of popular garden wisdom: “You should not give up on a plant until you kill it three times.” Silly advice, isn’t it? There are too many fabulous plants and—regardless of the size of your property—never enough planting space to be saddled for years with non-performers. In my garden, as a general rule, it’s one strike and you’re out. Yet every rule has an exception. Reason flew out the window when it came to Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’, the purple-foliage mimosa tree.

When I lived in California, I admired the green-leaf mimosa with its graceful fern-like foliage and captivating pink flowers that attracted masses of colorful butterflies. But it wasn’t until I saw the purple-leaf variety in a Hamptons garden that admiration turned to obsession.

Over the years I searched it out, bought and planted it twice, and twice it died. But the third time was golden. A beautiful, well-grown plant survived the worst winter in memory and flourishes in my zone 7 garden.

Mimosas aren’t picky about soil ph but they do like full sun, and lots of it. The best I can offer is a few hours of filtered sun, so my tree may not produce flowers. Disappointing to be sure, but for me (sorry butterflies) it’s all about the foliage. (See photo below).

Another unique beauty, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Ayesha’, was acquired this Spring. The mophead flowers, made up of distintive, tiny, spoon-shaped florets, start off pink, but in my acid soil turn a striking, violet-pink. And the florets eventually open to reveal amazing blue centers, providing a wonderful contrast with the bluest of blue lacecap hydrangeas planted in the same bed. Ayesha also boasts outstanding, thick, dark-green healthy foliage, so important in my organic garden. (Photos below.)

I purchased H.m.’Ayesha’ from Hydrangeas Plus, hydrangeasplus.com, which offers an extensive mailorder selection of healthy, blooming size plants.

There are so many extraordinary hydrangeas to choose from, one needn’t be limited to the same-old, same-old, over-hyped, H.’Endless Summer’. As for example, one of my favorites, H. macrophylla ‘Bottstein’, produces a colorful array of mopheads in shades of purple, blue and pink. All at the same time. Even in the same flower. (See photos below.) And in the Fall , its foliage turns a rich, dark, red-purple. ( For photos and information about other exquisite hydrangeas, see my earlier Blog post of July 8, 2012, “Summer 2012: Heavenly Hydrangeas”.)

Evergreen Azaleas: La Crème de la Crème

Jun14

For flower power and multi-seasons of interest in a shady garden, evergreen azaleas are an ideal choice. And this year, despite the horrific winter, they have been garden superstars. It was difficult to choose among them — they were all clamoring to be included — so I’ve tried to showcase a diverse, interesting selection of old and new introductions possessing good foliage as well as fabulous flowers:

Rhododendron ‘Benjamin Morrison’ (photos below of flowers and buds)

Named in honor of hybridizer Benjamin Yeo Morrison, this is one of the 454 azaleas he developed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Introduction Station in Glenn Dale, MD. He began his breeding program in the late 1920’s and succeeded in creating new hardy azaleas with large flowers, known as the Glenn Dale hybrids. Morrison served as the first Director of the United States National Arboretum, and the Arboretum’s dazzling Spring display of his azaleas in bloom draws hundreds of admirers every year.

I have a special affinity for R. ‘Benjamin Morrison’ because it was recommended to me by my friend, the late Hank Schannen, an extraordinary plantsman. It was his favorite evergreen azalea.

Rhododendron ‘Martha Hitchcock’ ( photos below)

Martha is another bi-color Glenn Dale azalea. When Morrison was asked for a list of his “choice cultivars”, Martha Hitchcock was one of the nine he recommended. “The flowers are so wonderful”, he said, “anyone would be a fool to pass them by”. But he also said that as a young plant Martha is “stringy-looking”. Don’t let that worry you. Have patience. I know from experience that given time to establish, Martha Hitchcock will not disappoint. ( B/T/W, in case you are wondering, Martha Hitchcock was not married to Wild Bill; she was the wife of A.S. Hitchcock, a botanist and author of the classic treatise, Manual of Grasses of the United States.)

Rhododendron ‘Marshy Point’s Lavender Miss’ (photo below)

Would you believe, a Martha Hitchcock look-alike on hormones? Semi-double flowering R. ‘Marshy Point’s Lavender Miss’ is an exciting new introduction from an outstanding, albeit not well-known azalea breeder, Harry C. Weiskittel, founder of the wholesale family owned and operated Marshy Point Nursery in Maryland. (Weiskittel also introduced ‘R. Marshy Point’s Humdinger’, in my opinion one of the best multi-season blooming evergreen azaleas. See my Blog posts of March 1, 2013 and November 2011.)

Rhododendron ‘Marshy Point’s Daisy’ (photos below)

My most recent Weiskittel azalea addition, Daisy, is a knockout. In May and June gorgeous, large, single, peachy-pink flowers cloak her pristine, shiny green foliage. And the foliage suffered no winter damage this year. Amazing! (Don’t tell the others, but I think she’s my new Marshy Point favorite).

Rhododendron ‘Amoena'(photo below)

Amoena is a very hardy, old-timey, Japanese Kurume hybrid, a group of azaleas with breeding and selection going back hundreds of years. With masses of tiny hose-in-hose vibrant magenta flowers in May, bronzy-green foliage in the fall, and at maturity a majestic presence, she would be an awesome addition to any garden. Yet for many years she has been out of fashion, out of favor, and impossible to find in the trade. That’s changing, slowly. Grab her if you can.

Note: For evergreen azalea culture information see my Blog post: Azalea ‘Marshy Point’s Humdinger’ (March 1, 2013).

Update: The Encore evergreen azalea, R. ‘Autumn Embers,’ survived the winter looking more everbrown than evergreen. It did bloom in the Spring but it was a sparse display — nothing like its Fall flowering. I’ll give it one more year before making a final judgment. Update 2014: Plant removed.

And Clematis ‘Omoshiro’ from Klehm’s Song Sparrow Nursery did bloom for me in the Spring. (See Blog post, The Next Best Thing 2013: Part 2, Jan.26, 2013). In fact, my Omoshiros are still in flower, both in the ground and in containers. Enchanting plant. (photo below)

Beauty and the Bees: Going, Going, Gone?

May1

When I saw the first bees arrive and buzz about the garden it was cause for celebration.

While a quarter of the American diet depends on bee pollination, for almost a decade bees have been dying en masse. This time period coincides with the increased use in agriculture and in gardens of an extremely toxic group of pesticides called neonicotinoids. Last year, 40 to 50 % of the honeybee hives needed to pollinate fruit and vegetables in the U.S. were lost.

On April 29 the European Union’s health commissioner announced that the European Commission would enact a two-year ban on neonicotinoids. “I pledge to do my utmost,” he said, “to ensure that our bees, which are so vital to our ecosystem and contribute over 22 billion euros annually to European agriculture, are protected.”

Yet despite numerous studies and scientific evidence linking these chemical pesticides and the loss of bees, our government has not taken remedial action . Well, strike that. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been motivated to “assess” the situation.

Another USDA assessment casts some light on what that means. A Director at the USDA has recently recommended approval of a U.S. based slaughterhouse for horses intended for human consumption, the first since 2007. Not only does the owner of the proposed slaughterhouse have a criminal record but in 2009 and 2010 his previous business, a cattle slaughterhouse, was effectively shut down by the USDA for serious violations of sanitation and food safety. These violations included “inadequate” testing for E. coli, and “irregularities” in the segregation and disposal of animal parts banned for human consumption because they have a high risk of transmitting mad cow disease.

If you fail with cows, you get to kill horses? Gee, it doesn’t bode well for the bees, does it.

Meanwhile, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is “in discussion” about its earlier fast-track, inadequately reviewed, approval of the neonicotinoids, but it has put off making any decision until 2018. I guess they figure if they wait until all the bees are dead they won’t actually have to do anything at all. And that is what the bio-chemical giants that manufacture and profit in the billions from the poisons are probably counting on— indeed expecting; they have been playing footsie with these federal agencies for years.

It’s business as usual in Washington.

Fortunately, private individuals and groups have stepped up to the plate. Two months ago, beekeepers, environmental organizations, and consumer groups sued the EPA on behalf of the bees, asking, inter alia, that two of the most toxic and dangerous neonicotinoids be removed from commerce. (Ellis et al. v. Bradbury et al., United States District Court for the Northern District of California, March 21, 2013). The bees and I will closely follow developments.

I am reminded of another case, one before the Supreme Court of the United States, Baldwin et al v. Fish and Game Commission of Montana et al. (1978). When I was teaching I found it very useful in illustrating how parties to a lawsuit determine the issue before the Court. Here, hunters were suing the State of Montana because they, non-residents, were forced to pay more than Montana residents for a hunting license to kill elk in Montana. The Supreme Court decided the issue in favor of Montana: It was not a violation of law for Montana to charge non-residents more for the right to kill elk.

I asked, would the issue have been different if the elk were represented by counsel?

Unlike the hapless elk, the bees’ interests are represented. Hopefully that will affect the outcome.

Moreover, be aware that these poisons also endanger birds. A recent comprehensive report by The American Bird Conservancy concludes that “neonicotinoids are lethal to birds as well as to the aquatic systems on which they depend. A single corn kernel coated with a neonicotinoid can kill a songbird.” (The Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely Used Insecticides On Birds (March 2013).)

The good news is that endearing, native bumble bees still abound in my organic garden. The early Spring arrivals are very fond of the masses of flowers produced by Rhododendron ‘Mary Fleming’, an outstanding shrub.

As you can see from the photos below, while her flowers change color somewhat in different light, they are always lovely. I am told, however, that there is an R.’ Mary Fleming’ in the trade with unattractive “muddy” colored bloom. So, if possible, check out the flowers before you buy. ( For a discussion and photos of other wonderful, early Spring blooming, lepidote Rhododendrons, see my Post, Rhododendron Favorites: April 2012).

And treasure the bees and birds. As Rachel Carson, author of the seminal treatise on the dangers of pesticides, Silent Spring, said: “There is something healing in the repeated refrains of nature.” May the music continue.

Early Spring: Snowy White Dazzle For Shade

Apr16

PIERIS x ‘Spring Snow’ (z. 5-8)

I love all things Pieris! With handsome evergreen foliage, vibrant, colorful new growth, and fragrant early Spring bell flowers that attract both fat bumble bees and stunning white-edged, dark-chocolate-brown Mourning Cloak butterflies, no wonder it’s one of my all time favorite garden plants. Oh, and did I fail to mention that it’s deer resistant? (Actually, over 25 years, I’ve planted a good number of Pieris and they have all been deer-proof.) Moreover, all my Pieris are grown in shade and have been disease free. (Be aware that Pieris grown in sun is vulnerable to lace-bug attack which can cause serious damage.)

Pieris x ‘Spring Snow’ is a cross between our native Pieris floribunda and Pieris japonica and inherited outstanding attributes from both parents: rich dark green foliage from japonica and masses of upright, luminous, snowy-white flowers from floribunda. But this hybrid-child also surpasses its parents with a profusion of bloom that cloaks the shrub with dazzling, dense, very fragrant white flowers in early Spring.

And Spring Snow is a slow, compact grower, never exceeding three feet in height, making it an ideal plant for a small or large garden. Moreover, it’s a can-do, easy-care plant. Good winter, bad winter—it doesn’t matter. P. x ‘Spring Snow’ will bloom reliably for you every year and its foliage will be bright, healthy green. Just provide well-drained acid soil and shade. And enjoy.

A few other Pieris favorites are: P. japonica ‘Mountain Fire’ which flaunts fire-engine-red new growth that turns bronze and then dark green; P. x ‘Brouwer’s Beauty’, another floribunda-japonica hybrid with light green new growth, an exquisite contrast with its mature dark green foliage; and P.’Flaming Silver’ which astonishes with scarlet-red new growth that turns pink, then yellow, and finally variegated green and white. All fabulous woody ornamental shrubs.

Finally, please indulge me. Magnolia x loebneri ‘Merrill’ demands a mention—and a photo shoot. So, if you want a beautiful, vigorous, hardy tree, that blooms with an abundance of pristine white flowers that perfume the air with sweet fragrance, at roughly the same time as P. ‘Spring Snow,’ you can’t do better than my “very pushy”, albeit beloved, Merrill. (See also my previous post on M. x loebneri ‘Merrill’, entitled Identity Theft, November 26, 2012.)

Winter Superstars: Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Pallida’ & Salix chaenomeloides ‘Mt. Aso’

Mar12

I was longing for Spring but Mother Nature’s Evil Twin wasn’t finished with us. As soon as the snow melted enough to see bare ground, we were zapped with yet another storm on March 8th—my birthday, no less—causing more havoc and ruin. It’s enough to make your head spin.

Thank goodness for the intrepid and beautiful Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Pallida’. ( Zones 5-8 ). This award-winning, sweetly fragrant Witch Hazel bloomed on, despite the strong winds and heavy snow. Pallida has lovely yellow flowers with vibrant reddish-purple calyxes and foliage that turns a rich banana-yellow in the Fall. According to Witch Hazel guru, Chris Lane, “It sets the standard on which to judge all others.” ( See Lane’s authoritative reference, Witch Hazels, Timber press, 2005.)

Witch Hazels do best in compost enriched, well-drained, acid soil. It’s important to supply sufficient moisture, especially in times of summer drought. Mulching helps. My Pallida flourishes with filtered sun in winter and early spring before the oaks leaf out and in high shade thereafter. It’s sited in front of a white pine that serves as an ideal backdrop for the hazel’s flowers.

Hamamelis 'Pallida' (3/8/13): copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

H. 'Pallida' post storm: copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

Another winter-wonder worth mentioning is the magical Salix chaenomeloides ‘Mt Aso’ (Zones 6-8), a Pussy Willow adorned head-to-toe with fabulous pink catkins. Irresistible!

Like Witch Hazels, Willows appreciate moist, well-drained soil, but require more sun. Mt. Aso, relatively new to my garden, is faring well with filtered morning sun. As you can see from the before-and-after snow storm photos below, the pink “pussy willows” have been doing their star-turn for months, despite MN’s ET’s never-ending winter assaults. Amazing!

catkins emerging before storms: copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

closeup of catkins emerging: copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

catkins between storms: copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

catkins post storms: copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

It has now warmed up a bit. Dare we hope for an early Spring?

March 29 Post Update: Mt. Aso is a bottomless well of interesting. Check out the Springtime Fashionista in pale yellow, dove grey, and a sprinkle of pink.

Azalea ‘Marshy Point’s Humdinger’

Mar1

Hurrah, it’s March! Spring is but a shiver away.

Since I first wrote about ‘Marshy Point’s Humdinger’ in November 2011, this can-do, glowing, double pink, evergreen azalea has flowered reliably and prodigiously every spring and fall. It’s a fabulous, hardy, blooming machine. (Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the Encore Series repeat-blooming azaleas I’ve tried. Yet I’m hoping for better luck with my current Encore, ‘Autumn Embers’. I’ll let you know.)

Humdinger is not a fussy or demanding garden diva, but like other evergreen azaleas it does insist on a few culture essentials:

Plant in acid soil, in an area with high, open shade protected from exposure to strong winds. The soil should be well-drained and abundant in organic matter such as leaf mold, compost or shredded pine bark. Organic matter improves aeration, increases the soil’s water-holding capacity, reduces leaching of soil nutrients and promotes beneficial mycorrhizae. Moreover, in my garden, beneficial soil-enriching earthworms are especially abundant in areas with pine bark mulch.

Before planting, any tightly bound root mass must be loosened by cutting from top to bottom around the circumference of the root ball. Failure to do so often results in a dead plant. So don’t be timid, you won’t hurt the azalea. Humdinger will thank you.

Comprehensive information about azaleas can be found in the ne plus ultra reference, Fred C. Galle’s Azaleas (Timber Press, 1987). For a more recent reference, see Kenneth Cox’s Rhododendrons & Azaleas: A Colour Guide (The Crowood Press Ltd, 2005).

I bought my Azalea ‘Marshy Point’s Humdinger’ (Zones 6-9) from RareFind Nursery. To easily access their 2013 online catalog click onto my blog link. (For my previous post on Humdinger, see: Archives, November 2011, “The Real Dirt: Try It You’ll Like It”.)

Skimmia japonica: Shade Plant Sublime

Feb3

When we left northern California and returned to the east coast in the early 1980’s we bought wooded acreage in Southampton N.Y., built a house and started a garden. Actually, 14 lilac bushes went in before the house was finished. I couldn’t wait.

Lilacs are my favorite flowers. They need a cold spell in order to bloom, so for the twelve years we lived in La La Land, zone 9, I was lilac-deprived. (We did have one small shrub in a pot that we fed ice cubes all winter while we sang, “New York, New York, it’s a wonderful town”. It rewarded us with two or three flowers every year.)

California nurseries tried to sell us on “California lilacs,” a/k/a Ceanothus, which we scornfully rejected. They looked nothing like real lilacs. ( Of course I would now kill to have a glorious, sumptuous, blue flowering Ceanothus in the garden. Figures, doesn’t it? ) But I digress.

After the house was built we lined one side of a shady path with a group of the woody ornamental shrub Skimmia japonica. A friend of a friend was experimenting with them and urged us to try some. At the time I hadn’t heard of Skimmia, no one I knew had them, and they weren’t available at local or mail-order nurseries. Now, 25 years later, what a difference. Skimmia is everyone’s darling, and rightfully so.

Through lectures and meetings I have certainly done my part in spreading the word about its many virtues and happily take the opportunity to do so here:

Skimmia is a reliable, prolific bloomer, even as a young plant, and even in shade, which is its preferred location. Lovely creamy-white flowers open in April, releasing their delicious fragrance into the air. Large reddish flower buds are produced in early autumn and carry over winter, so the shrubs appear to be flowering in the snow. And in late summer, female plants produce clusters of fat, fire-engine-red berries — which the birds ignore until spring — so that highly decorative flowers and fruit adorn the shrubs at the same time.

Skimmia japonica is dioecious and requires both male and female plants for fruit. I don’t grow the self-fertilizing variety, Skimmia reevesiana. The jury is out on its performance: reviews are mixed, some good, some not.

No doubt about Skimmia japonica’s garden worthiness. In addition to fabulous flowers and fruit, the shrub’s magnolia-like, thick textured, dark green leaves are evergreen, and if rubbed or bruised emit a strong herbal scent that repels deer. Fragrant flowers, evergreen foliage, decorative fruit — and deer resistant! To my mind, as close to perfect as a plant can get.

And yet, with all its superlative qualities, Skimmia isn’t a prima donna requiring constant pampering. Far from it. But there are a few essential culture requirements: moist, acid, well-drained organic soil, and most important, SHADE.

Skimmia is winter hardy here on Long Island, zone 7, and despite periods of horrific and loony weather we have never lost a plant. Zone 6 may be somewhat iffy but given a bit of protection surely worth a try. (Sort of the reverse of our lilac in a pot with ice cubes.)

One other thing. My shrubs are over 6 feet tall. The plants I now see for sale and in gardens mature at 2 or 3 feet tops. The current garden trend does seem to favor dwarf plants.

Large or small, Skimmia japonica is an outstanding plant of enduring merit. One of the best.

Skimmia japonica copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

Note: Setting The Record Straight. Growing along the same path as Skimmia japonica, Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Orange Peel’ has been in dazzling bloom since mid-January.

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Orange Peel’ —
copyright 2013 – Lois Sheinfeld

Because of its sweet fragrance, I chose Orange Peel over the similar orange-flowered Witch Hazel, H. x intermedia ‘Jelena’. While Jelena is a looker, her flowers have no scent. ( See the authoritative reference in the field, Chris Lane’s 2005 Royal Horticultural Society Plant Collector Guide: Witch Hazels. )

I’m surprised that garden writers continue to wax eloquent about Jelena’s wonderful fragrance. In The King and I, the King of Siam said it best: “Is a puzzlement!”

The Next Best Thing 2013: Part 3

Jan26

Fairweather Gardens

Many of my favorite plants have come from Fairweather Gardens (www.fairweathergardens.com), and I’m excited about its 2013 catalog offerings. Here are my choices:

True to its name, Hemerocallis ‘Milk Chocolate’ is a exquisite, brown daylily. I already grow a bunch — but more is better. I’m not aware of another source for this wonderful, uniquely colored plant. Z. 3-9.

Rohdea japonica ‘Galle’

Rohdea japonica ‘Galle’ is a 12-18 inch high, evergreen, shade perennial. A handsome ground cover or edging plant, Galle has shiny, dark green leaves, short stalked pale-yellow spring flowers, and carmine-red berries in the fall. Z. 6-9.

My red-flowering Cytisus scoparius ‘Burkwoodii’ was so knock-your-socks-off gorgeous it took my breath away. (See photos below) That is, before the voles killed it. Now that I’ve discovered VoleBloc ( See April 2012 Post, “Hot Tips: Vole Damage Protection” ), I can safely invite this ornamental woody beauty back into my life. I’ve ordered three replacement plants. Happily, Fairweather assures me they will be blooming size. Cytisus is an easy-care plant: Provide sun and infertile, sandy soil; once established, there’s no need to feed or water. Z. 5-8.

Baby 'Burkwoodi'copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

Baby ‘Burkwoodii’
copyright 2013 – Lois Sheinfeld

Mature 'Burkwoodi'copyright 2013 - Lois Sheinfeld

Mature ‘Burkwoodii’
copyright 2013 – Lois Sheinfeld

Finally, I’ve chosen a new and distinctive tree to grace my garden: Abies pinsapo ‘Aurea’ ( Golden Spanish Fir) is an eye-catching conifer with dense, sharp, prickly needles that emerge golden yellow before turning chartreuse green. This uncommon, slow-grower is suitable for a large or small garden and appreciates well drained soil with protection from intense afternoon sun. Z. 6-9.

Abies pinsapo ‘Aurea’

Note: Fairweather Gardens is a small grower/nursery, so there are limited quantities of each plant. If you are interested, order now.

The Next Best Thing 2013: Part 2

Jan9

Klehm’s Song Sparrow Farm and Nursery

A long time ago I visited the New York Flower Show in Manhattan and was seduced by a beautiful peony from Klehm Nursery. The New York Flower Show may be defunct, but for twenty years and counting I’ve been a Klehm plant groupie.

The nursery specializes in and hybridizes peonies and daylilies but it has also been my go-to place for fabulous woody ornamentals and perennials. Here are some of my 2013 picks:

Paeonia ‘Guardian of the Monastery’

Tree Peony, Paeonia ‘Guardian of the Monastery’, is a vision with dazzling flowers in shades of mauve and lavender with purple flares. From spring to fall, Klehm ships these 3-to-4 year old woodies in pots. (Note: I’m delighted that apart from daylilies and herbaceous peonies all of Klehm’s plants are shipped in their containers.) Zones 4-8.

Clematis ‘Omoshiro’

Clematis ‘Omoshiro’, has large, 5-7 inch, lightly fragrant, pale-pink flowers with a dark-pink edge and reverse. I am surprised that the name Omoshiro means amusing, interesting. In this case, don’t you think WOWIE! is more apt? The plants are two-year-old trellised vines that will probably bloom the first season. (That’s my experience with Klehm clematis, not a Klehm guarantee.) Zones 4-9.

Pinus cembra ‘Big Blue’

Pinus cembra ‘Big Blue’, is a dense, slow growing, showy, evergreen conifer with long blue needles. I am very fond of blue plants and the birds love conifers. A win, win. Zones 2-8.

x Heucherella ‘Gold Zebra’

x Heucherella ‘Gold Zebra’ is a ground-cover or edging plant sporting gold leaves splashed with dark red swirls. There are white flowers in the spring, but this shade perennial is all about the foliage. Zones 4-9.

Klehm’s 2013 catalog can be easily accessed by clicking on this blog’s LINKS.

2013: What’s New?

Jan5

Happy New Year!

An early-bird 2013 catalog has arrived from one of my favorite mail-order nurseries and my order is in . Here are some of the plants that have caught my eye:

Camellia Forest Nursery:

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Champagne’ is a sport of C.j ‘Nana Albospica’, but is more vigorous and grows twice as fast. It has white new growth which takes on a purple cast in winter. Ten year size is 8 feet tall by 6 feet wide. Zones 6-8.

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Knaptonensis’ is a slow growing dwarf with brilliant white new growth and very short needles that curve around the branches. Zones 6-8.

Both C.j. ‘Champagne’ and C.j.’Knaptonensis’ like moist, acid, well-drained soil and some shade—especially shade from intense afternoon sun.

Symplocos paniculata (Sapphireberry)

Symplocos paniculata (Sapphireberry) is not a new plant but almost impossible to find in the trade. In the spring, small white fragrant flowers cover this large shrub (or small tree) and in the fall it produces masses of sapphire-blue berries. Sapphireberry is a social animal and likes company: plant several to ensure cross pollination and abundant fruit. Zones 5-8. ( And do check out Camellia Forest’s exquisite and extensive camellia offerings. )

You can easily access the nursery catalog by going to LINKS on this blog.

Next time: Part 2 ( more nurseries, more plants)

Fabulous Camellias for Northern Gardens: Autumn Flowering Sasanquas

Dec2

Camellia lovers, no need to envy Scarlett O’Hara her camellia friendly, hot, sultry, climate. Thanks to the breeding efforts of Clifford Parks, William L. Ackerman, and others, we now have an extraordinary selection of beautiful, winter-hardy, evergreen camellias available for northern gardens. I am particularly fond of Fall blooming sasanquas that defy cold, frosty conditions and grace my garden with a profusion of flowers (often fragrant) when little else is in bloom.

Consider my three favorites:

C. x ‘Survivor’ lives up to its name and then some. It has survived -9 degrees F. without injury. A sasanqua and oleifera hybrid, ‘Survivor’ blooms for months, displaying an abundance of small, single, white fragrant flowers from pink buds.

Another snowy-white flowering lovely, C. sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’, has large, fragrant, semi-double flowers, pink buds, a long bloom period, and particularly nice dark-green foliage.

Pretty in pale pink, C. sasanqua ‘Jean May’, flaunts her showy, fragrant, multi-petaled blossoms from September until winter’s hard frost.

All three recently suffered thru a brutal October-November assault from Hurricane Sandy and a nor’easter, with no ill effect to bloom or to foliage. (Would that my other plants had fared as well.)

Camellias prefer well-drained acid soil rich in organic matter; composted leaf mulch would be a welcome additive. Apart from this basic rule, here are a few additional time-tested culture tips for Northern gardens:

First, the best time to plant is in the Spring, between mid April and late May, so the camellias have time to establish before their first winter. Fall planting may be ideal for the South, but too risky for Yankee gardeners.

Second, the best location for camellias is a north or northwest exposure with protection from wind; exposure to early morning winter sun can cause leaf burn or even death.

These essential culture tips and much more practical information can be found in the book, Beyond the Camellia Belt, by the noted cold-hardy camellia breeder, William L. Ackerman. A must-have reference.

I purchased my dazzling trio from Camellia Forest Nursery. (See Links).

SUPERSTORM SANDY & Rosa ‘Pretty Lady’

Nov13

Thank goodness, after two hellish weeks we finally have power again. Suffering a nor’easter hot on the heels of SUPERSTORM SANDY, we had all but given up hope.

The garden is a mess, littered with fallen trees, branches, leaves, and blackened plants. So it is with both wonder and delight that I can report that one shrub, the floribunda rose ‘Pretty Lady’, is in pristine condition, blooming away and wondering what the fuss is all about.

Funny thing, I never intended to buy this extraordinary rose. Years ago, after watching a DVD about an English rose garden, I went searching for a hybrid tea named ‘Lovely Lady’, a favorite of the garden’s curator. It wasn’t available on this side of the pond, so eventually I stopped looking.

Then sometime later I saw R. ‘Pretty Lady’ listed in a mail-order catalog. Not remembering (as is my wont) that my quest was for ‘Lovely’ not ‘Pretty’, and for hybrid tea not floribunda, I ordered it.

Happy I did. Rosa ‘Pretty Lady’ is a marvelous find. She is fragrant, very disease resistant, and a nonstop bloomer with lovely pale apricot-pink flowers and lustrous, dark green foliage. ( Check out pre-storm and post-storm photos below). Fate works in strange ways, doesn’t it?

Slowly but surely we are recovering from the storms, and I’m looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with family. If you also have turkey on your mind, here’s a tip: Before roasting, use the aromatic stems of rosemary to spread marinade on the bird and then throw the stems in the pan to flavor the juices. Much better than synthetic brushes which are impossible to clean.

Moreover, according to Bancke’s 1525 “Herbal”, rosemary gladdens the spirits and delivers one from evil dreams. “Smell of it oft,” Bancke further advised, “and it will keep thee youngly”. (Who wouldn’t want that?)

And when ancient Greek scholars sat for examinations, they wore garlands of the herb to improve their memories. Hasn’t quite worked yet for me, but hope springs eternal.

Autumn Color: Lindera angustifolia

Oct19

I’m besotted. Every day I stand in awe before Lindera angustifolia, the Asian Spicebush, utterly transfixed by its dazzling Fall foliage display of fiery orange and pink. (Not to mention the elegant silvery-gray leaf reverse.)

The shrub is new to my garden and now I can’t imagine the garden without it.

British author, Dame Penelope Lively, got it right: “For me”, she said, “gardening is a sequence of obsessions — the tingle of discovery, the love affair with the latest acquisition”.

My plant is about three feet tall but will reportedly grow from eight to ten feet. What a spectacular autumn sight that will be! I feel faint just thinking about it.

Clusters of small yellow flowers will appear on the stems in early Spring, but only female plants will produce berries; the shrub is dioecious and requires male fertilization. Like its kissin’ cousin, Lindera benzoin (our native Spicebush), L. angustifolia’s leaves have a spicy fragrance, though opinion is split as to whether the flowers are also fragrant. I’ll let you know when it blooms for me. (BTW, the same spicy, herbal foliage is enjoyed by Skimmia japonica and ensures it’s deer-resistance; deer don’t like the smell.)

In accordance with its culture preferences, I planted L. angustifolia in a shady area that gets a bit of filtered sun in the afternoon. The soil is moist, acid and well-drained.

Autumn may well turn out to be my most favorite season.

Hot Tips: Osmanthus x fortunei ‘UNC’

Oct12

On a beautiful autumn day in October, some years ago, my husband and I visited the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in North Carolina and were immediately captivated by the most wonderful floral fragrance. We searched all over the Arboretum for the source. Finally, quite a distance from where we started, we found it, the sublimely fragrant shrub, Osmanthus fortunei ‘UNC’.

Earlier, on the recommendation of others, weighted with the promise of flowers with “overpowering” scent, I rushed right out to buy Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Gulftide’ and O.h. ‘Goshiki’. How very disappointing. Sure they have fragrance, if you stick your nose into the flowers. But fragrance on-the-air, blossoms filling the garden with their delicious perfume? Not!

Don’t get me wrong. They are both nice plants. Gulftide has lovely glossy green foliage, and is very cold hardy; Goshiki has beautiful green and gold variegated foliage. As I said, nice garden plants. But on the fragrance front, the raison d’etre for my purchase, they fall far short.

Yet on the other hand, another variety, Osmanthus fragrans, delivers on fragrance but isn’t cold hardy here.

Which brings me back to Osmanthus x fortunei ‘UNC’, a hybrid of O. heterophyllus and O.fragrans, and for me the very best of both parents. This hardy beauty sports handsome, evergreen, holly-like foliage and in autumn produces abundant clusters of tiny white flowers that waft their exquisite perfume all about the garden. This year the flowers opened mid-September and now in mid-October are still releasing their intoxicating fragrance into the air. ( photo below). Can’t beat it. Aromatherapy in my own backyard.

These easy-care plants flourish in well-drained acid soil in sun or shade. (Mine are in shade.)

O. x f. ‘UNC’ is not widely available — and for a time was not available at all. I found and purchased my shrubs at Camellia Forest Nursery (See LINKS) which currently offers small, well-grown plants that should reach blooming size in one or two seasons. Grab them before they fly out the door.

You’ll thank me for this one.

OCTOBER 2013 UPDATE : My small plants bloomed! (Hope yours did too.)

Autumn Update: Iochroma & Clerodendrum

Oct3

Iochroma ‘Royal Queen Purple’ has fully lived up to expectations — and then some.

She has been a spectacular non-stop blooming machine for over four months with no end in sight. As soon as one flower cluster fades, another takes its place, to the delight of hummingbirds and bees.

Planted in a large container, the Queen achieved five feet by six feet and was fertilized only once, not monthly as was suggested. And she receives filtered afternoon sun, not full sun all day. She may be royal, but she doesn’t require pampering.

Downside? Her stems were so heavily laden with royal-purple blossoms, they did need a bit of support. That’s about it. And I suspect that if she were grown in the ground, even that would not be required.

For me, an unqualified success.

Clerodendrum trichotomum has just begun to reveal its Autumn splendor. When the pink calyxes open, the pea-sized fruit inside has a greenish hue before turning a rich, metallic cerulean blue. A sight to behold.

Here in zone 7, the promise of fragrant flowers and blue fruit at the same time was not to be. ( See “August 2012: Clerodendrum,Hydrangea,Phygelius”). No problem. In fact I prefer it this way, appreciating each superb feature in its turn. Too much of a good thing the other way, don’t you think?

Sited in shade with a bit of filtered sun, C. trichotomum flourishes in my organic garden in acid, well-drained soil.

Both plants add to the garden’s Autumn magic.

Addendum: Photo update of Clerodendrum a few weeks later:

Autumn Magic: Lespedeza and Callicarpa

Sep29

About twenty years ago, on a brisk Fall day, I visited a beautiful lower-Manhattan community garden. There I saw Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Gibraltar’ for the first time and was instantly smitten. It has graced my garden, on and off, ever since. I say on and off because the voles are equally smitten. ( See Archives, April 2012, “Hot Tips: Vole Damage Prevention”).

While styled a woody shrub, in my zone 7 garden it behaves like a herbaceous perennial, dying back in Winter and returning in Spring. Not a problem, since an established plant can grow a formidable six feet high and six feet wide in one growing season.

In Spring and Summer the shrub is clothed in lovely blue-green foliage. Then in the early Fall, the long, slender stems are smothered in magenta pea-like flowers, creating an enchanting fountain of resplendent blossoms. Breathtaking! I’ve paired Gibraltar with a standard form of PeeGee Hydrangea (H. paniculata ‘Grandiflora’) whose snowy white flowers turn pink about the same time. As you can see from the photo it was love at first sight, with Lespedeza reaching up to embrace PeeGee before cascading down.

I’m mad about magenta. But if it isn’t your thing, I also have and recommend an equally impressive white-flowering form of Lespedeza, L.t.’White Fountain’. As a bonus, this cultivar sports lovely golden foliage in late autumn. An ideal partner for Callicarpa dichotoma, which turns autumnal gold at the same time.

Splendid Fall foliage is but one virtue of Callicarpa dichotoma. Aptly named Purple Beautyberry, this ornamental shrub is acclaimed for it’s spectacular Autumn display of purple berries. Though again, if purple doesn’t move you or if it’s too much of a wow, try the more refined, yet elegant, white-berried form, C.d. var. albifructus. I have and like both.

In my garden, Lespedeza and Callicarpa flourish in shade and well drained acid soil. Apart from the aforementioned voles, which regard both as menu favorites, the plants have been trouble free.

More Autumn beauties next time.

August 2012: Clerodendrum,Hydrangea,Phygelius

Aug25

If, like me, you are mad about fragrant plants, you will love Clerodendrum trichotomum, the Harlequin Glorybower. The buds on my deciduous shrub have just started to open and the perfume is heavenly. The flowers are also a welcome late summer gift for butterflies. Cerulean blue, pea-sized fruit nestled in dark pink calyxes follow the bloom. (Note the blue caps on the ends of the dancing flower stamens. Putting us on notice of the fruit to come?). Flowers and fruit may even appear at the same time. Very showy.

My shrub is about 7 feet tall but in warmer climes Glorybower can grow into a magnificent 15-20 ft. tree. Tree or shrub, it’s disease-and-pest-resistant. The only downside is its propensity for invasiveness.

I should mention that C. trichotomum’s other common name is Peanut Butter Tree; when the leaves are bruised they are supposed to smell like peanut butter. I put it to the test. Result? Stick with Glorybower.

You can never have enough hydrangeas. Mother Nature agrees. She (in league with the birds?) has graced my garden with a bountiful selection of the most beautiful flowering volunteers. Many of these, in glorious bloom now, are probably the offspring of Hydrangea paniculata. At least I think so. The foliage is the same and the bloom time corresponds; short of a DNA test, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, etc., etc., and so forth. One of these plants is over 6 feet and flaunts gorgeous, brobdingnagian panicles of fertile and sterile flowers. When the fertile buds open, intoxicating fragrance fills the garden. I’m in awe. And so are the bees.

Please forgive me for saying this ad infinitum: Be careful when you weed. A volunteer may turn out to be one of the best plants in the garden. Mine did.

As I reported in May, Phygelius x rectus ‘Moonraker’, planted in the ground last summer, suffered very little winter dieback. It’s now over two feet, multi-stemmed, with masses of elegant, long, pale yellow trumpets. A big success.

This Spring I experimented by planting in a container the hummingbird magnets, pristine-white-flowered Phygelius aequalis ‘Snow Queen’ and the glowing-pink-flowered Phygelius aequalis ‘Sani Pass’. They have been in continuous, harmonious bloom ever since. (For best effect, I remove the spent flowers). Check out the closeup photos below: P.a. ‘Snow Queen’ weeps golden tears and P.a. ‘Sani Pass’ is a party-girl in red lipstick. A fabulous duo. Compact and ever-blooming, P. aequalis plants are perfect in pots.

Late summer in my garden. Not bad at all.

Summer 2012: Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)

Jul21

In the last post, I mentioned that hydrangeas like to make whoopee. Yet of all the flowering plants in the garden, Rose-of-Sharon is by far the whoopiest. I started with two plants, one with white flowers and the other with blue. Now, years later, I have so many colorful, blooming volunteers –white, blue, dark pink , light pink, multi shades of purple etc. — I don’t know what to do with them all. And they keep coming nonstop. My own fault. I’m so curious to see what colors will turn up, I hesitate to weed out the masses of tiny seedlings. Mea culpa!

If you want to avoid that sort of thing, there are sterile (mostly sterile?) plants available, like the lovely, pure white H.s. ‘Diane’ a.k.a. ‘Diana’. Years ago I was awestruck by the beauty of the allee at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. (Unfortunately, I’m told it no longer exists). But without self-sown seedlings, I would miss the joy of anticipation and surprise. In fact, when the plants produced sports with green and white variegated foliage, I was absolutely giddy. In my world, cause for celebration.

Rose-of-Sharon is an easy plant to grow: it will flourish in sun or shade, acid or sweet soil, and while it will naturally grow to tree size, it can also be hard-pruned and thrive as a small shrub with large flowers. Though reportedly prone to an assortment of pests and diseases, that’s not my experience; in my organic garden, these reliable summer bloomers have been uber-healthy and problem-free.

Do try them. With Mother Nature’s help, you may even wind up with a sensational volunteer that will knock your socks off.

Summer 2012: Heavenly Hydrangeas

Jul8

Hydrangeas are immensely popular and rightfully so; they are showy, easy-care flowering shrubs that work for you, not the other way around. In the Hamptons, a garden favorite is the familiar mop-head hydrangea, H. macrophylla, a standout with its fabulous pink, blue and purple flowers. But there are other less well known, equally worthy hydrangea beauties, and I’d like to celebrate a few of my favorites:

Hydrangea x ‘Sweet Chris’ (Big Smile Hydrangea), a cross between H. macrophylla and H. serrata, inherited the best attributes of both parents. Many hydrangeas are chameleons and change flower color depending on the ph of the soil — pink in sweet, alkaline soil, and blue or purple in acid. Sweet Chris takes it one exciting step further. In my garden (acid soil) the gorgeous lace-cap flowers are bi-color with fertile centers of rich ocean blue, contrasted with lacy caps of pink sterile flowers with serrated edges and blue button noses. A hydrangea designed by Dior. Irresistible.

New to my garden this year is Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Hanabi’ which means fireworks in Japanese. (It is sometimes sold as ‘Fugi Waterfall’, or ‘Shooting Star’). Hanabi’s exquisite, lacecap type flowers have huge pink fertile centers surrounded by long-stemmed, pink-blushed white, double sterile flowers, which parachute from the center like birds in flight.

With my acid soil, I expected the flowers to be blue, not pink. In fact, Hanabi shares a garden bed with the bluest of blue lacecap macrophyllas. A mystery, to be sure. Hydrangeas are surprising as well as heavenly.

Update on H. angustipetala ‘ MonLongShou’ (Golden Crane Hydrangea): Back in February I wrote about wanting (lusting after?) this treasure. (For details and a photo see: “More 2011 Successes and 2012 Obsessions”). But for months it was touch and go as to whether I could actually get it. So my grateful thanks to Paige Patterson of Marders Nursery in Bridgehampton, N.Y.; through her diligent efforts I now have two small plants in my garden. One came with just a sliver of a flower — yet it was big enough to smell. I’m happy to report that Golden Cranes’s flowers are indeed fragrant. Hallelujah!

Finally, be aware that hydrangeas love to make whoopee. As a result, my garden boasts some extraordinary volunteers. Yours will too. Makes life interesting.

June 2012: Rhododendron ‘Summer Summit’

Jun23

According to nurserymen and growers in the U.S., the current trend in garden design seems to be two-fold: a focus on easy-care shrubs along with a preference for small — even dwarf — plants.

For more than thirty years I’ve always favored shrubs (and trees) over the very popular high-maintenance perennials. But for me, bigger is better. And no plant proves that point quite so well as the majestic Rhododendron ‘Summer Summit’. Just give it a bit of room, and stand back.

In my shady organic garden, the Summit is healthy, vigorous, and wonderfully over-sized in every way. For starters, the shrub dominates the landscape and is a sight to behold with its towering 16 foot tall and 10 foot wide tree-like stems. And when it blooms in June, it’s nothing short of glorious: a shower of beautiful, huge, snowy white blossoms set off by expansive rings of long, elegant, dark green leaves. (Indoors, one truss will amply fill a large container, and the flowers last a long time).

While tropical in look and habit, this late-blooming David Leach hybrid is hardy to -20 degrees F., and to my mind it’s one of Leach’s finest introductions.

Doesn’t every garden need at least one fabulous, flowering, trouble-free giant?

June 2012: Roses

Jun14

No doubt about it. Roses and hydrangeas reign supreme in June, and this year they are spectacular.

Roses first.

While it was difficult to decide which of my bewitching, lushly fragrant roses to talk about, Rosa ‘Belle Vichyssoise’ won out because of the fascinating history of Belle’s rose-class, the Noisette.

In the early 1800’s John Champneys, an amateur rose hybridizer in South Carolina, developed the first reblooming rose in the western world, R.’Champneys’ Pink Cluster’. Then, as the story goes, he distributed the rose to a number of people, including his French-born neighbor and nurseryman, Philippe Noisette. Philippe, in turn, sent the rose or seedlings of the rose to his brother, Louis Claude, a nurseryman in France, who used the roses as seed parents in his own hybridization program.

Louis invited the renowned botanical painter Redoute to draw one of the roses. On the drawing Redoute wrote: “Rosa Noisettiana, Rosier de Philippe Noisette.” The rest is history: Redoute’s paintings became world famous, along with the name Noisette, and all the hybridized roses in the class are now called Noisettes — not Champneys.

Was Champneys robbed?

William R. Prince, of the Prince Nursery in Flushing, New York, the purveyor of plants to many notables, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, certainly thought so. In 1846 he wrote: “The origin of the first varieties of this remarkable group has been announced erroneously to the world by various writers, arising first, from the want of candor on the part of Philippe Noisette of Charleston, when he transmitted the plants to Paris; and secondly, from the ignorance of those who have discussed the subject.”

Was Champneys robbed? Probably.

But don’t let this sorry history deter you from enjoying the splendid Noisette, my treasure, Rosa ‘Belle Vichyssoise’. Unlike most Noisettes which prefer southern climes, Belle is winter hardy here in the northeast, zone 7. She is in continuous bloom from late Spring thru Fall, flaunting fat clusters of small pink blossoms that perfume the air with intoxicating fragrance. And she enjoys robust health, a sine qua non in my organic garden. Truly a must-have rose.

I purchased mine from Roses Unlimited (www.rosesunlimitedownroot.com).

Update on Rosa ‘Golden Fairy Tale’. ( See “2011 Successes”)

This year R. ‘Golden Fairy Tale’ is better than ever. No change in the foliage—-still clean and healthy. It’s the flowers. The shrub is bursting with them; one large stem even jumped the fence looking for new worlds to conquer. The blossoms are fragrant and beautiful from bud to mature bloom. Another must-have rose.

I purchased mine from Palatine Roses ( www.palatineroses.com) on the recommendation of one of the owners, Eva Schmitz.

“The Darling Buds of May”: Rhododendrons: ‘Ben Morrison’ & ‘Calsap’

May20

There are two May flowering plants that demand a mention.

Rhododendron ‘Ben Morrison’ always reminds me of the late Hank Schannen, plantsman-hybridizer extraordinaire, because it was his favorite evergreen azalea. Not surprising. Ben Morrison, beautiful in bud and flower, is a boldly handsome bi-color standout in orange-pink and white with a vibrant reddish-orange flare. In addition to these attributes, Ben is a reliable, hardy bloomer and immensely popular with one and all. Sort of like having your very own May fireworks display.

My second “mentionable”, Rhododendron ‘Calsap’, is a dazzling elepidote whose only real drawback is its silly name. With lovely lavender buds which open to luminous, snowy white flowers, graced with knock-your-socks-off purple-red flares, this beauty lives to be admired. And Calsap possesses both the good health and hardiness lacking in one of its similarly flowered parents, R. ‘Sappho’.

Take a tip from the bees and try one or both for May magic and year-round enjoyment.

May Surprise: Azalea Leaf Gall

May14

At the beginning of May I found a very unusual and interesting growth on my azalea, Rhododendron ‘Gibraltar’. It looked like a baseball-size, smooth, light green fruit. Wow, I thought, a HUGE seedpod.

So wrong!

Jim Fry, an azalea guru, set me straight. My azalea had a fungus disease, Exobasidium vaccinii (or E. japonicum), otherwise known as azalea leaf gall. During cool wet Spring weather the fungus enters the tissue of plants, incubates over winter, and the fleshy galls appear the following Spring. When the galls turn white—looking as though they have been dusted with flour— they are actually coated with fungal spores which can infect other plants. Cut them off before they reach this stage.

The fungus doesn’t kill the plant or cause serious damage but the galls do replace flowers.While a single plant sporting a bouquet of galls might be quite a garden showpiece, don’t be taken in. The fungus spores are airborne takeover artists.

Reportedly, the French solved the problem of galls the French way. They eat them. Adventurous diners, the French. Me, not so much.

R.’ Gibraltar’ is a gorgeous deciduous orange azalea. One of the best. Don’t let the possibility of galls stop you from having it in your garden.

And forgive me as I digress a bit to recommend another orange May beauty, my favorite tree peony, Paeonia ‘Nike’. Exquisite flowers and fragrance! (Available from Klehm’s Song Sparrow Nursery).

March Bloom 2012

Mar24

Rhododendron mucronulatum ‘Mahogany Red’ usually blooms in April, but this year it jumped the gun and was in full dazzling flower in March. The bees were delighted. Not wanting to be left behind, Mahogany’s longtime garden companion, the fragrant Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star’, also made an early appearance with its lovely rosy-pink buds that open white. These two loving intertwiners have shared star billing in my garden for over fifteen years and have bloomed reliably and heavily every year. Both flourish in compost-rich, well-drained acid soil.

Camellia ‘Governor Mouton’, a hardy April bloomer, also flowered in March because of the unseasonably warm weather. A old favorite introduced in the eighteenth century, the Governor is quite the showstopper with vibrant red flowers splashed with white. (For hardy camellia culture information, see William Ackerman’s book, “Beyond the Camellia Belt”, and click on my post, “Exciting Plants for Shade”).

Edgeworthia chrysantha always blooms in March and this year is no exception. Despite the unexpected competition from the fabulous plants described above, Edgeworthia had no problem attracting attention with its showy yellow and white flowers that perfume the air with intoxicating fragrance; and when the flowers fade, the shrub sports beautiful, tropical like foliage for the rest of the growing season. All this on a woodland plant that appreciates shade.

March 2012 has been both a surprise and a joy.

More 2011 Successes and 2012 Obsessions

Feb5

2011 Successes

Everyone needs an occasional bit of sunlight to chase away the winter blues. I’m no exception. So when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate, I bask in the warm glow of Pinus densiflora ‘Burke’s Variegated’. Endowed with green needles banded in gold, this dwarf conifer resembles one of my long-time favorites, Pinus wallichiana ‘Zebrina’, but when its foliage matures and turns a luminous pale yellow, there’s none can match it in the winter landscape. My own burst of sunshine.

Whenever I see a plant with dazzling trumpet-like flowers I’m breathless with longing. It’s a case of lust at first sight. (See “Hot Tips: Great New Plant”). British Dame Penelope Lively understands. “For me,” she said, “gardening is a sequence of obsessions — the tingle of discovery, the love affair with the latest acquisition.” And so it was with me and Begonia ‘Bonfire.’ I filled three containers with this glorious annual and was rewarded all summer with a sea of vibrant orange flowers. They made me happy. Bonfire is a keeper.

Ditto for Rhododendron ‘Mrs Furnivall’, an oldie introduced in 1920 but new to my garden. No demure Mrs this one. More like a Las Vegas showgirl flaunting her stuff: a luscious display of saucy pink flowers splashed with red. She doesn’t need trumpets to be irresistible. (The bees agree).

2012 Obsessions

This year I’m after Fuchsia ‘Pour Menneke’, an annual with captivating, long, slender, soft orange trumpet flowers. (Yup, those trumpets again). An ideal plant for a container, Pour Menneke will be available this year in England, but as far as I can tell, not available here. More’s the pity, but it takes time (Drat!) before their best newbies reach us. (Yeah, yeah, I know. HAVE PATIENCE).

NEWSFLASH: Just read an alert about the Fuchsia gall mite from Andrew Halstead, Principal Entomologist with the Royal Horticultural Society in England. He warns that this predatory insect is a “devastating microscopic pest of fuchsias that will probably eventually spread throughout Britain. Because the damage cannot be controlled, it may lead to a decline in the popularity of this valuable garden plant.” (He’s right about that. ‘Pour (Poor?) Menneke’ is no longer on my wish list.)

No problem whatever with the fabulous shade plant, Heuchera ‘Stainless Steel’, from the breeding program of Charles and Martha Oliver of The Primrose Path, Pennsylvania. With silver foliage (flipside reddish-purple) and lush sprays of white bell flowers on chocolate stems in May, this unique beauty is nothing short of sensational. Grab it while you can.

credit: The Primrose Path

And thank goodness for Dan Hinkley, plantsman-explorer extraordinaire, who teamed up with Monrovia to offer a select group of his plant hunting finds, The Dan Hinkley Plant Collection, which will be available in nurseries and garden centers this Spring. Topping my wish-list is the lovely and rare Golden Crane Hydrangea, H. angustipetala ‘MonLongShou’. Not only does it flaunt showy white and chartreuse lacecap flowers with scalloped-edged petals, this hydrangea is intensely fragrant.

credit: Dan Hinkley

Finally, I can’t wait for my Genie to arrive. While this one doesn’t live in a bottle, she is magical. Magnolia ‘Genie’ has reddish black buds and masses of plum-red (dare I say magenta?) flowers in the spring with repeat bloom in the summer. She flowers at a young age, only grows to about ten feet, and is already an award winner. As the song goes: ” Who could ask for anything more?”

credit: Rare Find Nursery

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A Garden Blog by Lois Sheinfeld

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