Herb Faire at Boerner

We attended the Herb Faire at Boerner Botanical Garden today.

Lots of good things to eat and drink.

Quite a few herb plants for sale but I was disappointed by the absence of some of my favorites like costmary, comfrey, angelica, etc.

Fox in the garden

There was a fox in the woodland garden this afternoon.

He must have had an important appointment somewhere else because he was moving right along.

Recent plantings

(1) Doronicum cordatum (caucasicum) 'Magnificum' (Leopard's Bane)
(8) Begonia 'Valentine Lace'
(8) Sun Devil White Impatiens
(1) Dendranthema zawadskii 'Clara Curtis' (Perennial Daisy)
(1) Polemonium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven' (variegated Jacob's Ladder)
(1) Aquilegia canadensis (native Columbine)
(1) Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon'
(1) Ligularia dentata 'Desdemona' (Ragwort)
(1) Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' (Coral Bells)
(2) Coleus 'Kong Rose'
(1) Coleus 'Kong Scarlet'

Mazus reptans

At last, a groundcover that stands up to trampling feet, bicycles, and other light traffic! Perfect for the family-friendly garden, these deep green leaves spread rapidly in moist soil, topped by tiny violet late-spring blooms of breathtaking beauty. The foliage retains its color in spring. Perfect around stepping-stones or as a carpet for the border! Zones 5-9.

- Wayside Gardens (link here)

Added to my wish list.

Recent plantings

(1) Dicentra 'King of Hearts' (Bleeding Heart)
(1) Antirrhinum majus 'Luminaire Yellow' (Trailing Snapdragon)
(1) Cranberry Viburnum [free at the Village Artbor Day Celebration]
(1) Iris cristata ((Dwarf) Crested Iris)
(1) Sedum sieboldii 'Mediovariegatum' (October Daphne)
(1) Eryngium planum 'Blue Hobbit' (Sea Holly)
(1) Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master)
(1) Sporobolus heterolepsis (Prairie Dropseed)
(1) Bouteloua curtipendula (Side-oats Grama)

Japanese knotweed

Fallopia japonica var. compacta

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/PlantFinder/Plant.asp?Code=E780

Possibility as a groundcover.

Painter's Palette

Persicaria virginiana 'Painter's Palette'

http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/painters_palette.htm

Recent plantings

(1) Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low' (Catmint)
(1) Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manners' (Obedient Plant)
(1) Allium cernuum (Nodding Pink Onion)
(1) x Heucherella 'Stoplight' (Foamy Bells)
(1) Tiarella cordifolia 'Brandywine' (Foamflower)
(1) Persicaria filiformis 'Painter's Palette' (European Bistort)

Golden feverfew

Tanacetum pathenium 'Aureum'

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=Z960

Weedy and invasive.

Sounds like my kind of plant.

Gateway

Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway'

Available from White Flower Farm (link here)

Citrus greening disease

http://www.saveourcitrus.org/

Yes another deadly disease on the move.

Medlars

http://www.raintreenursery.com/catalog/producttype.cfm?producttype=Medlar

They offer three varieties.

Medlars are still on my wish list.

Recent plantings

(1) Hyssop (this is the real Hyssop, not Agastache)
(1) Helle borus orientalis 'Royal Heritage'
(1) Stevia rebaudiana (Sugar Plant)
(1) Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
(1) Iris sibirica 'Butter and Sugar'
(1) Marrubium vulgare (Horehound)
(1) Baptisia leucophaea (Cream)
(1) species unknown (trailing plant, purple flowers) [to be corrected]
(1) Fragaria chiloensis 'Variegata' (Ornamental Strawberry)
(1) Blue Vein Spreading Petunia

Rainfall

We got 0.25" over the Memorial Day weekend.

We got 0.50" Tuesday night (May 26).

Lemongrass vs. mosquitoes

Tip of the Week from Horticulture magazine (link here).

We will have to try this.

Nikko Blue

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nikko Blue' from Park Seed (link here).

We planted one last year, and we are hoping for good things from it this year.

Egret

Epimedium 'Egret' available from Van Bourgondien (link here).

I am always in the market for another Epimedium.

Monches Farm

Yesterday, I drove out to Monches Farm (link here).

Sweet Cicely was in full bloom, absolutely stunning.

I bought four 4.5" pots and hope to have similar success someday.

Chocolate in the Garden

On Wednesday, May 20, I attended the Master Gardener program at the Milwaukee UW-Extension offices.

It was "Chocolate in the Garden" by Laurie Weiss (BS Botany, MS Horticulture).

Laurie Weiss is the owner of Sandhill Farms Nursery in Hartford, Wisconsin.

She talked about the history of chocolate and we had a chocolate tasting.

Then she talked about chocolate gardens that feature chocolate-scented plants, plants with chocolate-colored flowers and/or foliage, and plants with chocolate in their name.

Entertaining, informational, and well worth attending.

She recommended the following books, which I checked out of the library and am currently reading:

The True History of Chocolate (1996) by Sophie Coe and Michael Coe

Foliage: Astonishing Color and Texture Beyond Flowers (2007) by Nancy J. Ondra and Rob Cardillo

Meliisa officinalis

Lemon Balm

http://www.floridata.com/ref/M/meli_off.cfm

I am particularly interested in the cultivars 'All Gold' and 'Aurea.'

Tulip Tree

Flower of a tulip tree from Doug Green's newsletter (link to his website here).

Trench Foot

Another style of shovel attachment that enhances your shoveling experience (link here).

Dig Rig

Shovel attachment to enhance your shoveling experience (link here).

Recent plantings

(3) Nasturtium 'Dwarf Jewel'
(1) Bur Oak
(1) Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells)
(1) Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen Victoria'
(2) Pelargonium 'Apache Red'
(1) Trillium (mottled leaf, species unknown)
(1) Ipomoea 'Margarita' (Sweet Potato Vine)
(1) Ipomoea 'Tricolor' (Sweet Potato Vine)
(1) Lavandula stoechas (French Lavender)
(1) Thymus citriodorus 'Archer's Gold'
(1) Trillium grandiflorum
(1) Caulophyllum thalictrides (Blue Cohosh)
(1) Smilacina racemosa (False Solomon's Seal)
(2) Dodecatheon meadia (Shooting Star)
(1) Uvularia grandiflora (Merrybells)
(1) Coreopsis lanceolata (Lanceleaf Tickseed)
(2) Fanfare Blush Spreading Impatiens
(4) Hypoestes 'Red Splash Select'
(4) Hypoestes 'Pink Splash Select'
(1) Baptisia leucantha (White Indigo)
(1) Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles'
(1) Helenium autumnale (Autumn Sneezeweed)
(1) Liatris pycnostachya (Prairie Blazing Star)
(1) Dalea purpurea (Purple Prairie Clover)
(2) Diascia 'Miracle' (Red)

Recent plantings

(1) Anthriscus cerefolium (Chervil)
(1) Silphium lacinatum (Compass Plant)
(1) Dill (a dwarf fernleaf variety)
(1) Borago officinalis (Borage)
(1) Ruta graveolens (Rue)
(1) Lime Thyme
(1) Valeriana spp. (Valerian) [looks more like Centranthus spp.]
(1) Vinca spp.

Shady Acres Perennial Nursery

On Sunday afternoon, May 17, we attended the free "Sunday Sampler" demonstration at Shady Acres Perennial Nursery (link here).

The topic was planting a container.

Informative and entertaining.

Monches Farm

On Sunday morning, May 17, we attended the Open House at Monches Farm (link here).

It included an art fair and a water plants vendor.

We bought a couple of potted plants for the garden pool, and the vendor gave us a free bareroot water-loving iris.

A beautiful day in the display gardens with a lot of excellent plants in bloom.

New Berlin Farmers Market

On Saturday, May 16, we attended the New Berlin Farmers Market.

The same talented young violinist was playing folk music.

We bought a nice blooming foxglove and several other plants.

Onyx Odyssey

Hellebore Winter Jewels Onyx Odyssey

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=511

On native plants

It drives me crazy when I read that “Native plants have fewer insect and disease problems, that they are more drought tolerant, or require less care.” Anyone that knows anything about plants knows this is hoowie.

- Tim Wood, The Plant Hunter (link here)

Brandywine

http://springmeadownursery.com/brandywine.htm

Viburnum nudum 'Bulk'

On my wish list.

Spring Meadow Nursery

http://springmeadownursery.com/Index.htm

A wholesale nursery.

A tremendous source of information on flowering shrubs.

Gardening Gone Wild

http://www.gardeninggonewild.com/?p=5429

Interesting interview with Tim Wood, The Plant Hunter.

Now that he mentions it, he does sort of resemble his cousin, Elijah Wood.

Stinky Bob

Geranium robertianum (herb robert)

http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/Geranium_robertianum.html

The State of Washington obviously has a very low opinion of herb robert.

Sand Mountain Herbs sells the seeds (link here).

and kingcounty.gov provides an excellent photo (link here)

Haiku

(Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this entertaining haiku.)

With inoculant
Made into thick black slurry
Toss peas, soak, and plant.

- nytimes.com (link here)

Mrs. Betty Ranicar

Stunning new hellebore from Heronswood (link here).

Barthel Fruit Farm

(Thanks to my master gardener buddy Ray Gurney for calling my attention to this website.)

http://www.barthelfruitfarm.com/

Impressive list of herbs for sale.

They offer sweet cicely, which a lot of garden centers do not.

Recent plantings

(1) Sedum spurium 'Fulda Glow'
(1) Arisaema triphylla (Jack in the Pulpit)
(1) Podophyllum peltatum (May Apple)
(1) Cymbalaria muralis (Kenilworth Ivy)
(1) Caltha palustris (Marsh Marigold)
(1) Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'
(1) Hiemalis Begonia 'Clara'
(1) Trailing Coleus 'Lava Rose'
(1) Hosta lancifolia 'Funkia'
(1) Hosta (variegated, variety unknown)
(4) Flowering Cabbage 'Osaka Mix'
(3) Pelargonium 'Horizon White'
(1) Sedum requienii (Miniature Stonecrop)
(1) Sedum hispanicum minus 'Purple Form'
(1) Allium tuberosum (Garlic Chives)

Recent plantings

(1) Cordyline 'Red Star Spike'

(1) Concord Grape

(1) Lemon Verbena

(1) Pineapple Sage

(48) Snapdragon 'Tahiti Mix'

(1) Magnolia 'Leonard Messel'

(1) Persian Cornflower

(4) Marigold 'Dwarf Orange'

Bee plants

As recommended by The Dirt Doctor in his weekly newsletter (his website is DirtDoctor.com)

Trees/Shrubs

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)
Holly (Ilex spp.)
Lilacs (Syringa spp.)
Sweet Mock Orange (Philadelphicus coronarius)
Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Willows (Salix spp.)
Wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis)

Annuals

Asters (Aster spp.)

Borage (Borago officinalis)

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Salvia (Salvia splendenss)

Winter Savory (Satureja montana)

Biennials/Perennials

Ajuga ( Ajuga spp.)

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Daffodil (Narcissus spp.)

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Goldenrods (Solidago spp.)

Grape Hyacinth (Muscari botryoides)

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Joe Pye-Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Lovage (Levisticum officinale)

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Strawberry (Fragonia spp.)
Thyme, English (Thymus vulgaris)

Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

IPM

http://www.ncipmc.org/index.cfm

North Central Integrated Pest Management Center

Tons of helpful information.

We Love Foxgloves

http://www.hortmag.com/article/foxgloves

I love foxgloves, but have had very poor luck with them.

They do great during the growing season, but over-winter poorly in water-logged clay soils.

Weed control

As hard as it can be to accept, the most effective (and safest) weed control is hand pulling.

- Horticulture magazine (link here)

Sweet Cicely

Myrrhis odorata

Plants available from Big Dipper Farm (link here)

Seeeds available from Thompson & Morgan (link here)

I have not been able to fnd any local sources.

Richters

http://www.richters.com/

Richters Herb Specialists

Canadian vendor with a wide range of herbs.

Timber Press

http://www.timberpress.com/

Publishers of millions of books related to gardening.

Joe Gardener

http://joegardener.com/

The Fathead Experiment

Yesterday, I saw the school of fathead minnows in the garden pool.

It was the first time I had seen them in about a week.

DiSabato-Aust

http://www.tracylive.com/

I currently have two of her books checked out of the library.

50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants.

The Well-Designed Mixed Garden.

Both are outstanding books.

National Wildflower Week

http://www.wildflower.org/nww/

Today is the first day of National Wildflower Week.

Persian Cornflower

Centaurea dealbata

We have grown Centaurea montana for many years but this is our first try with Centaurea dealbata.

New Berlin Farmers Market

Yesterday, we attended opening day at the New Berlin Farmers Market.

There was a talented young woman playing old time folk music on her violin.

We bought a Persian Cornflower from The Plot Thickens.

And we bought a rhubarb plant and a Ligularia 'Desdemona' from Jerry's Produce.