From the Garden: May 2011

The moisture requirements described at the link above are interesting, because last year I planted one next to the garden pool, and it did not survive.

Valerian

http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=VALOFF

Valeriana officinalis

We bought one at Monches Farm.

I planted it by the valerian near the old eastern crabapple tree.

This gives us a total of four with the one in the maple forest and the one in the daylilies on the west side of the house.

Jupiter's Beard

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene2d02.html

Centranthus ruber

We bought one today at Luxembourg Gardens.

Would love to reach a point someday where it actually does self-seed.

Blackberry Punch

http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/detail.cfm?photoID=9547

Calibrachoa 'Blackberry Punch'

We bought a hanging basket today at Luxembourg Gardens.

It contained several plants.

Dandelions

http://www.herbcompanion.com/in-the-herb-garden/three-reasons-to-love-dandelions.aspx

Good bee plants.

Big Herbs

http://www.herbcompanion.com/in-the-herb-garden/growing-big-herbs-angelica-borage-and-tansy.aspx

We grow angelica, borage, and tansy.

Three of my favorites.

Silverlace Vine

http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/47366

We have two, and the younger one is doing much better than the older one.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Sophia

http://www.monchesfarm.com/FEATUREthermopsis.htm

Thermopsis chinensis 'Sophia'

False Lupine

We bought one today at Monches.

Dwarf Blackberry Lily

http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/43500/

Belamcanda chinensis

Would love to try some.

The Blues

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/173/the-blues-little-bluestem.php

I love Little Bluestem.

Best Ornamental Grasses

http://www.midwestliving.com/garden/design/ornamental-grass/

Features some beautiful grasses.

Wild Cucumber

http://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/echinocystis-lobata-wild-cucumber/

Echinocystis lobata

I have seven seedlings so far this spring from the previous year's seeds.

Midnight Ruffles

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?pageId=1150

Helleborus 'Midnight Ruffles'

Gorgeous blossoms.

Sweet Kate

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=a737

Tradescantia 'Sweet Kate"

Spiderwort

We bought one today at Shady Acres.

Ornamental Bush Pea

http://www.monchesfarm.com/FEATURElathyrusvernus.htm

Lathyrus vernus

Stunning flowers, tolerates significant shade.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Amethyst Falls

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?pageId=1119

Cultivar of American Wisteria.

Fairy Gardens

http://bicreativeinspirations.com/becreative/natureinspired-fairy-garden/

Clever.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Red-headed Woodpecker in the garden

There was a red-headed woodpecker in the woodland garden today.

We get red-bellied woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers regularly, but it is very unusual to see a red-headed woodpecker.

Celandine Poppy

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=CelandinePoppy

Stylophorum diphyllum

We bought one at Northwind Perennial Farm.

I planted it near the ford with the bleeding hearts.

Swedish Ivy

http://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/swedish-ivy.html

I bought one at the Boerner Botanical Gardens gift shop.

It was on consignment from Shady Lane Greenhouses.

Red Twig Dogwood

http://www.ecoterralandscape.com/cgi-bin/ViewTopic.pl?Topic=00-020509cp

Some interesting choices for companion plants like Clethra alnifolia (summersweet).

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Beware Phytophotodermatitis

http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/fact/hogweed.htm

We have angelica and cow parsnip.

Best to use caution.

Always.

Cow Parsnip

http://www.oikostreecrops.com/store/product.asp?cookiecheck=yes&P_ID=513&PT_ID=90&strPageHistory=cat

The Scotty People also gave us a Cow Parsnip.

I planted it west of the apple trees, north of the arborvitae.

Barbarea spp.

http://www.all-creatures.org/picb/wfshl-wintercress-early.html

The Scotty People (cherished neighbors) gave us a plant that they called "Wintercress."

I am pretty sure that it is one of the Barbarea species but I am not sure which one.

I planted it west of the apple trees, north of the arborvitae.

Bring Back the Monarchs

http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/

We planted some other milkweeds, but finding a local source for common milkweed is proving difficult.

Might have to grow it from seed.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Blue-joint Grass

http://www.borealforest.org/grasses/grass1.htm

Calamagrostis canadensis

A native alternative to Common Reed (Phragmites).

Indian Grass

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/ind_grass.htm

Sorghastrum nutans

We bought one at the Native Plant Sale at Wehr Nature Center.

I planted it by the garden pool.

Skunk Cabbage

http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/symplocarpusfoet.html

Symplocarpus foetidus

We bought two at the Native Plant Sale at Wehr Nature Center.

I planted one on the edge of the garden pool and one in the northeast corner where water often collects after a rain.

Flowering Quince

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaenomeles_japonica

We bought one from Heritage Flower Farm.

I planted it on the northeast side between the variegated elderberry and the dutchman's pipe vine.

Nice thorns.

Ornamental Millet

http://wimastergardener.org/?q=OrnamentalMillet

Would love to grow some.

'Jade Princess' looks particularly interesting.

Ironweed

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/sm_ironweedx.htm

Vernonia fasciculata

We bought one at the Native Plant Sale at Wehr Nature Center.

I planted it west of Dr. O'Grady's dogwoods.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Urban Tree of the Year 2011

http://www.gardendesignonline.com/gardendesignonline/2011/04/urban-tree-of-the-year-2011.html

Goldenrain Tree.

Koelreuteria paniculata

We do not have one (yet).

Planting Spear

http://www.gardenershub.com/product/planting-spear-w1384/weeders/

I would like to try one.

Variegated Purple Fountain Grass

http://www.santarosagardens.com/Pennisetum-Fireworks-p/pen-fire.htm

Pennisetum 'Fireworks'

Gorgeous ornamental grass, but would have to be grown as an annual here.

Perilla

http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/5795

"Re-seeds freely" but not yet in our garden.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Swamp Currant

http://www.forestfarm.com/product.php?id=3912

Ribes lacustre

Likes shade and has thorns.

Save the Bees Mix

http://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/view/7020/Save-the-Bees-Mix-Seed/srch:bees

Support your local bees.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Urban Gardening

http://www.rodale.com/small-space-vegetable-gardening?page=0%2C1&cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-05052011-_-Top5-_-NA

Tips on how to get more out of limited space, which is important to many of us.

Birds in the Garden

There is a gray catbird in the garden this evening. I have been seeing it the last couple of days.

There was a rose-breasted grosbeak in the garden yesterday.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Purpurea

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/search/lst.srch.asp?prodid=1618

Angelica stricta 'Purpurea'

I would sure like to reach a tipping point where our angelicas self-seed.

Pest Fighting Flowers

http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/10805/pest-fighting-flowers

We need to grow more Borage.

Homemade Trellises

http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/4464/learn-lashing-and-make-your-own-garden-trellises

Some good advice on knots.

But I personally prefer a hatchet knot.

The Garden Professors

https://sharepoint.cahnrs.wsu.edu/blogs/urbanhort/default.aspx

This looks like a very informational and entertaining blog.

Organic Matter

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/organic-matter

Never enough composted organic matter to go around.

Crop Rotation

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/crop-rotation

Good idea for several reasons.

Elfin Treasure Door

http://www.plowhearth.com/Elfin-Treasure-Door_p11312_S2010_D3010_C3072.html

Very clever.

Filiformis

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/2156/weeping-threadleaf-arborvitae.php

A striking specimen.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Variegated Virginia Creeper

http://www.gardenvines.com/shop/other-species-9/parthenocissus-quinquefolia-variegata-344.html

I love our Virginia Creeper and we have quite a bit of it.

Would be nice to have this less vigorous variegated version as a contrast.

Midnight Oasis

http://www.herbcompanion.com/gardening/down-to-earth-planting-a-moonlight-garden.aspx

I love white flowers because they glow at dusk.

Perennials for Hummingbirds

http://www.santarosagardens.com/Perennials-to-Attract-Hummingbirds-s/224.htm

We try to grow a mix of flowers for hummingbirds.

Lucerne

http://www.romencegardens.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=1497

Sisyrinchium augustifolium 'Lucerne'

Blue Eyed Grass

We have one small clump and need many more.

Mt. Atlas Daisy

http://www.greatgardenplants.com/index.php?pageId=620

Anacyclus depressus

Requires well-drained soil.

Pagoda

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/230323-product.html

Erythronium 'Pagoda'

Avoiding the dry summers and wet winters is very tough here.

Big Effects from Small Bulbs

http://gardennews.biz/?id=5569

Best in large numbers.

Solar Angel

http://www.plowhearth.com/Garden-Angel-with-Solar-Lantern_p12580_S2008_D3063_C2009.html

Would love to have one.

Bluestem Farm

http://www.bluestemfarm.com/

Maybe we can visit them at the Dane County Farmers Market some time.

Southern Wisconsin Butterflies

http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabawba/

Maybe they can help me identify butterflies in the garden.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Slug Wars!

http://www.monchesfarm.com/SLUGWARS.htm

I am a little worried about collateral damage inflicted by an ammonia solution.

Karasuba

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=C964

Mukdenia 'Karasuba'

We bought one at Shady Acres.

I planted it in the woodland garden near where the deer destroyed the Rhododendron.

Boerner Craft Fair

On Sunday, we attended the Craft Fair at Boerner Botanical Gardens.

We bought several plants from Shady Lane Greenhouses:

2 scented geraniums (pelargoniums)

2 black petunias

1 sweet basil

1 cilantro

1 parsley

And we bought a demonic shovel bug from Jeff's Garden Accents.

Northern Lights

http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/164/northern-lights-tufted-hair-grass.php

Tufted Hair Grass 'Northern Lights'

We bought one at Shady Acres and I planted it by the garden pool.

Prairie Cordgrass

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/pr_cordgrass.htm

We bought one at Shady Acres and I planted it by the garden pool.

It is going to be interesting to see if it will be as successful as the Golden Reed.

Ascot Rainbow

http://www.deerxlandscape.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=87945&p_catid=37

Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow'

Listed as Zone 6 so it might have a tough time here in Zone 5.

We bought one at Shady Acres.

I planted it by the fireplace chimney so it will get the benefit of the heat radiating off the brick wall.

Virginia Bluebells

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/bluebells.htm

We bought one at Shady Acres and I planted it in the northwestern shade border.

Osaka Mix

http://www.sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/brassica/brassica_0494.php

Flowering Cabbage

We bought a four-pack at Luxembourg Gardens.

As per the Flowering Kale, I planted two in the ground and two in pots.

Flowering Kale

http://www.umass.edu/umext/floriculture/fact_sheets/specific_crops/cabbkale.html

We bought a four-pack of 'Red Peacock' Flowering Kale at Luxembourg Gardens.

I planted them today, 2 in the ground and 2 in pots.

Spinach Growing Guide

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/spinach-growing-guide

Spinach can be ornamental in the garden.

Edible landscaping.

Viburnums

http://www.finegardening.com/plants/articles/viburnums-are-versatile-shrubs.aspx

They are versatile and there are a lot of choices.

Six Herbs for Containers

http://www.finegardening.com/plants/six-superb-herbs-for-containers.aspx

Excellent ideas.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Burgundy Hellebore in the Garden

The second of the two original Hellebores in the garden.

Pansies and Daffodils in the Garden

Fizzy Lemonberry Pansies

More Squill in the Garden

In a good location, Squill will increase in number year after year.

Daffodils in the Garden

Getting some nice clumps of daffodils in the garden.

Violets in the Garden

Hard to see in this picture, but this is the best area of Violet flowers in the garden.

This is the state flower in Wisconsin.

Marsh Marigold in the Garden

This clump was planted last year.

It has buds but no flowers yet.

Marsh Marigold in the Garden

This clump was planted a few days ago.

We bought this from Heritage Flower Farm

Hyacinths in the Garden

Cannot appreciate the heavenly fragrance from the picture.

Squill and Daffodils in the Garden

I like the combination.

Ornamental Rhubarb in the Garden

We bought this one from Heritage Flower Farm.

Bloodroot in the Garden

Too few blooms impoverish the view.

Maybe someday there will be a nice clump.

Costmary

http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/tanbalsamita.htm

At one time I had more than anybody, but it is all gone.

Medicinal Plants

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/

In search of scientific information.

Organic Garden Info

http://www.organicgardeninfo.com/

Dirt, compost, fertilizers, etc.

American Fern Society

http://amerfernsoc.org/

Established in 1893.

White Feather

http://www.dutchbulbs.com/store/hostas/62241

Hosta 'White Feather'

Very white leaves.

Little Honey

http://www.waysidegardens.com/gardening/PD/41839/

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'

Very ornamental.

Chickity Doo Doo

http://chickitydoodoo.com/

100% chicken manure.

I want to try it.

Professor A. Kippenberg

http://springhillnursery.com/professor-a.-kippenberg-dwarf-aster/p/82058/

Aster dumosus

Compact stature, Zone 4, and deer-resistant.

Sip of Spring

Yesterday, we attended a workshop at Shady Acres Perennial Nursery in New Berlin.

The presenter was Jim Garbe.

The topic was "Sip of Spring."

Jim talked about some of the great new cultivars of perennials like Achillea, Astilbe, Echinacea, Geranium, Hemerocallis, Heuchera, Heucherella, Mukdenia, Salvia, and Vernonia.

He also talked about maintenance, fertilizer, pest control, watering, containers, rain gardens, native plants, and sustainability.

Great program.

Growing Low-Maintenance Perennials

On Thursday, I attended the Horticulture magazine online workshop (webinar).

The presenter was Kerry Mendez from Perennially Yours (pyours.com).

The topic was "Growing Low-Maintenance Perennials."

The sponsor was Osmocote.

We learned about a great many perennials, including some of my own favorites like Pig Squeak, Siberian Iris, Epimedium, Hellebore, Solomon's Seal, Echinacea, Yarrow, Agastache, Sneezeweed, Butterfly Weed, Swamp Milkweed, Rudbeckia, Culver's Root, Clematis, Miscanthus, and Sedum.

There was Q&A at the end, with questions about intersectional peonies, plants for wet shade, coral bells, Amsonia, plants that should not be fertilized, Solomon's Seal, Sweet Autumn Clematis, and Hellebores.

Informational and well-worth attending.

1/8" Rain

We got 1/8" rain last night according to the rain gauge.