Viola Psychedelic Spring

This is a pretty viola -- sort of looks like violet-streaked ice cream.  I was surprised because I was expecting something garish
because of its name.

Thriller, Spillers, Fillers . . . Where Did That Come From?

How to make a container 101.  While, I think it can be attractive to add a vertical accent to a container, I also think following the spiller, filler, thriller rule of thumb, with the thriller being the vertical element, frequently can result in an unbalanced, unattractive container planting.   Look at the two pictures below of the containers in front of the Visitor Center at the Morton Arboretum.   Which do you like better?  I like the one without the Norfolk pine (I'm not, actually sure it is a Norfolk pine, but it looks like one).

 

Try to balance the height in a container like the one below.

Since I Am On The Subject of Tall(er) Plants That Don't Flop . . . . Dahlia XXL Hidalgo

I love dahlias.  Perhaps that is an exaggeration?  I do really like them though.  What I don't like is staking plants.  I'm not always sure of the best way to do it and I don't like when you can see the stakes before the plants grow tall enough to obscure them.  In that vein, I really do like this dahlia from Dummen . . Red Fox.  It is a wonderful apricot color. I think it would look great mixed with Helenium and Sedum in the fall.

ll.

New Vintage Achillea

This is shorter than I would ideally like, but it looks great (not weedy and doesn't flop)

Vintage Rose

Floppy, Weedy Yarrows

Does anyone know of a great yarrow?  I haven't tried 'Coronation Gold'; that seems to be the most recommended.  I tried some Anthea late in the season, by mail order, and the plants were doomed when they arrived.  They had a serious stem rot going on.

I've tried Summer Pastels and now Papricka (I do like the color), but they flop and the inevitably look weedy.  Also, like hair color, they fade.

I'm not sure that these are any better, but, Pretty Woman is an interesting red.  Somewhat of a cranberry.  And, Pink Island Form looks good in drifts.  Thoughts?

Pink Island Form

Achillea millefolium 'Pretty Woman'

Heptacodium miconioides, Seven sons flower tree

Always on the lookout for interesting plants . . . and small trees for urban settings. The bark on this tree is beautiful.   And, after a very cold winter here in Chicago, the tree is still looking good this year.

Spring Container: Primose, Viola, Nemophila

Always on the look out for new container combos . . . here is one from the Chicago Botanic Garden.

 

Plant Profile: Alcea rosea 'Simplex'

I bought seed of this plant from Jelitto.  It is a single-flowered hollyhock.  It was easy to germinate and  to grow.  Jelitto classifies this as a perennial rather than a biennial; however, last year it didn't bloom.  Its bloom period in Chicago starts in early July.

Plant form; flower, and leaf

Plant color combo with tiger lily

Gardens at Colonial Williamsburg and Monticello

I traveled over the past week and had the chance to view some of the gardens in Williamsburg and at Monticello.  First, at Williamsburg, there was an example of a formal, English-style garden at the Governor's mansion (a lot of boxwood parterres, clipped yew, and topiaries) and some nice cottage gardens behind the more modest residences.  At Monticello, the vegetable garden was the star attraction because of its site (what a view on top of the mountain) and its size. 

Both Williamsburg and Monticello are out-of-the way garden destinations and are good if you are in the area.

Governor's Mansion Garden Williamsburg

Cottage garden Williamsburg

Monticello Vegetable Garden

Monticello Vegetable Garden

Plant Profile: Aquilegia vulgaris 'Black Barlow'

Plant Profile:  Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Black Barlow’

Ranunculaceae Family

Herbaceous perennial. 

Leaf, Habit, Flower

Blooms in May in Chicago

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Bellis perennis 'Rominette Series Carmine Rose'

I'm not 100% sure where I developed an obession with Bellis perennis.  I think I must have seen a grower's picture of the flower and immediately developed an affinity for it.  I thought the flower would be much larger than it actually is.  I do think this an attractive plant, however, I'm not sure how you get it to look like the picture from a grower.  Below is the picture of this plant from Benary and a picture of what the plant looks like for me. Hmm . . . 

My Bellis



Grower's Bellis

Same Yard, No Flood; and Combinations

I am surprised that none of the plants have seemed to have perished in the flood.  I wonder how long plants can withstand being submerged.  Here is picture without the water.

It is still spring here in Chicago and the plants are still popping their heads up from the ground. 

I like thinking of plant combinations.  Here is one that I like with my bulbs:  (tulips, muscari and ipheion)



Flood, Soy Bean Meal, and Breaking The Rules

Blogging is an interesting activity.  I'm not sure why I post random thoughts about gardening on the Internet.  It is a nice chronology of my gardening activity.  Maybe that's it?

My house in Chicago abuts the North Branch of the Chicago River.  Generally, the water depth is less than one foot and I would characterize it as a creek rather than a river. Last week, though, we had a flood and the water went up about 11 feet in a few hours.  This is only the second time that this has happened in 17 years.  All of my plants were submerged for a few hours. For those interested in what a flood looks like in your backyard, I've attached a picture.

After the water receded, I was left with a dilemma.  About one week prior to the flood, I was working on preparing my beds and I had applied soy bean meal as I had heard it was a good, inexpensive, organic source of nitrogen.  After the flood, I had a dilemma and didn't have a clue as to whether to reapply soy bean meal as a top dress to my plants. Did it wash away?   I decided today to re-apply it.   If it did wash away, at least it was organic.  Maybe fish and ducks like soy beans?  I was surprised that more plants don't die after being under water.

I bought two Phlox stolenifera 'Sherwood Purple' the other day.  What a great looking plant.  I dug two holes and put them in the ground.  I didn't amend the soil with any organic matter or even water them in.  What heresy, right?  There isn't a garden book out there that doesn't talk about amending the soil . . . . . blah, blah, blah.  I don't have great soil here in Chicago.  It is mostly clay.  At the end of the day, though, I didn't feel like getting out the compost, lugging it to the backyard, digging, and then planting. 

Flooded Backyard

Helleborus x hybrid 'Carousel Strain'

I acquired this plant in 2009 and I think it bloomed the first year and then I never remember seeing it bloom again.  I think part of my problem was that I didn't remove the evergreen leaves in the early winter. 

Because I didn't prune away the leaves, I don't know whether it bloomed in the intervening years, and I didn't see it, or it didn't bloom.  Anyway, here it is blooming in 2013.  The colors are beautiful.  Here is the link to the youtube video from Springhill Nursery that provided me with the information I needed  :-)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvtSGQ0Km_A

What's Blooming in Chicago April 7

Iris reticulata  'Clairette'



Scilla mischtschenkoana 'Tubergeniana'



Pruning Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst' and Why I Dislike Creeping Euonymus

Does anyone really get those pruning diagrams where they have lightly shaded areas indicating the branches that should be removed?  Someone should post videos on pruning every plant that is available (maybe someday?)  I have a Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst' and today I took a crack at pruning it.  I hopefully followed the AHS diagram correctly and pruned it to its "low permanent framework."  Below is a picture.   I'm thinking that maybe I left too much stem.  The problem with gardening is that it takes a few months to really know.

Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst'

Other than pruning, I hacked, rather than pruned, at my creeping Euoymous vine and hopefully have hacked this one to death.  Last year, it had a horrible infestation of what I think is scale.  I never really like the vine anyway and the scale infestation was a good excuse to get me to remove it. Wow, what work.  I've lived in my house for 16 years and this vine was there before I moved in.  It was actually growing on itself without any support.  From a distance, it looked like a 2 foot shrub.  What surprised me was that here on March 29th that I could still see the insects all over it.  Here's a pic.  I don't know much about scale, but from what I read, the white insects pictured all over the leaf are the males.



Scale



Wave Pansies

I've grown a lot of pansies and these are truly different.  My understanding is that one of the criteria that Ball Hort uses for determining an appropriate use of the Wave brand is that the plant have a trailing habit.  These pansies definitely do.  I started these Yellow Wave by seed and as you can see in the picture the stems are trailing rather than growing upright.  These will look great in a container. 

Bulbs Are Peeping Up 2013

We still have snow on the ground in Chicago, but the bulbs are coming up.  Snowdrops and crocus are blooming.  Also, the hellebores are starting to push up. 

2012 Philadelphia Flower Show, Bartram's Garden,Terrain, Longwood Gardens, and Winterthur

I had the opportunity to travel to Philadelphia on a horticultural odyssey this past March.  The weather was unseasonably warm while I was there; the weather made it a great trip.  I always wanted to attend the Philadelphia Flower Show.  That was my first stop and  I went there during the week thinking that it would be less crowded.  It was mobbed.  There were so many people that at certain locations in the convention center you couldn't move; you stood still until the crowd moved.  I can't recommend it.  After the Flower Show we went to Bartram's Garden.   The Garden is historically significant as being, I think, the first botanical garden in America.  The Garden was recommended by the National Geographic Guide to gardening, but I can't recommend this one either.  While an interesting historical story, and there are some old, amazing trees still on the site, if you are short on time, I would pass this one up.  I've posted a picture. 

The next stop was Terrain at Styers, which is a relatively new retail garden/lifestyle concept store from Urban Outfitters.   I think Terrain was launched 3-4 years ago and at the time it was launched the focus was on the plants.  Over the intervening years, the concept for the store changed to a "gardening lifestyle" focus and away from the plants themselves. I'm guessing the plants are less profitable than the the furniture and accoutrements of gardening (organic towels, soaps and oils, dishes). 

Finally, the highlight of the trip was Longwood Gardens.  I would thoroughly recommend this one.  There aren't many places that can be described as "grand," but Longwood fits the bill.  A beautiful garden.  Also, the conservatory is huge and has a wonderful plant selection.  The blue Himalayan poppies were in bloom when I was there. 

Bartram's Garden.  Raised beds.  Prickly pear.

Longwood entrance

Rose arbor Longwood

Treehouse woven fence.  Longwood.

Field of minor bulbs blooming.  Longwood.

Blue poppy.  Longwood.

After Longwood, we visited Winterthur.  Also, a recommended place from me.  While the focus at Winterthur is more on the house than on the grounds, the grounds are lovely.

Vertical Gardening: Gardens at Ball

I had the opportunity to visit the gardens at Ball Horticultural during the Open Days program this past summer.  They had a nice vertical wall garden on their terrace.  Here are the pictures.