How a New Gardener Got Bamboozled by Catalog Shenanigans
- On January 16, 2012
- By Meleah
- In Perennials, Seeds
0
Of all the seed and plant catalogs that pile up on my desk this time each year, Klehm’s Song Sparrow is my favorite with Baker Creek coming in a close second. The gorgeous, color photography is what hooks me in both cases.
Though I admit that the fact that I can get actual plants rather than just seeds makes Klehm’s close to my heart, too. Some years, I just don’t feel like firing up the seed-starting setup in the basement. I want that spring miracle of small boxes showing up at the door filled with seedlings smelling of wet peat and dirt.
When I was just starting out as a gardener, I didn’t think much about the difference between catalogs. While most have actual photos and detailed plant information, others use illustrations at least some of the time. Catalogs in the latter group are not always to be tossed in the recycling bin straight away, but I learned after some painful planting mishaps that some were not to be trusted.
Read More»Some Things To Know About Japanese Beetles
- On August 22, 2011
- By Meleah
- In Bugs, Organic Gardening, Perennials
- 0
For five years now I’ve fussed over bare-root sprigs and cuttings of Virginia creeper, nursing them into the lush vines that now cover three arbors and a couple of fences at my house. This week, I started ripping all those vines out because, sadly, Japanese beetles just love Virginia creeper. For a while, my husband and I thought we could live with the damage the beetles do —all those green leaves reduced to lacy brown ghosts of their former selves. But when scads of beetles and showers of the dust-like poo they leave behind started raining down from the arbor into our hair every time we shut the back gate, well, goodbye vines.
For those who aren’t familiar with Japanese beetles, they are actually quite fetching little bugs. Dime-sized with shiny purple-green bodies, they almost look like something a wacked-out artificial intelligence researcher would create in a sci-fi film. First spotted in 1968 in Minnesota, as well as on the East Coast, Japanese beetles have since plagued eastern states, primarily, while slowly making their way westward. Larvae, or grubs as they’re usually called, feed on the roots of turf grass and adult beetles feed on a wide variety of ornamental plants.
Read More»Perennials That Bloom and Bloom
- On June 04, 2011
- By Meleah
- In Perennials
- 0
Are you busy ordering up this year’s plants for the garden? If so, consider some of these long-blooming perennials that look great long past summer’s dog days.
- Hollyhock mallow ‘Mystic Merlin’ (Malva sylvestris ‘Mystic Merlin) offers up 2-inch blooms in shades of purple, mauve, and blue from early July until frost. Unlike traditional hollyhocks that bloom on a stalk, ‘Mystic Merlin’ produces flowers atop bushy foliage that can grow 4 feet tall. Zones 4 to 8.
- Blanket flower ‘Fanfare’ (Gaillardia ‘Fanfare’) is no ordinary blanket flower. Each flower petal on this compact plant flares out like a miniature trumpet in hues of red, orange, and yellow. Blooms last from late spring through fall. Grows 18 to 24 inches tall. Zones 3 to 9.
- Yellow corydalis (Corydalis lutea) really pulls its weight in shade gardens. Lacy foliage is topped by dainty golden flowers. Blooms from late spring through fall. Grows about 15 inches tall. Zones 5 to 7.
- Geranium ‘Rozanne’ (Geranium ‘Rozanne’) was named Perennial Plant of the Year in 2008. Violet-blue blooms top masses of finely textured foliage and last from early summer to frost. Grows 16 inches tall. Shear back in mid summer to increase bloom. Zones 4 to 8.
Cut back tall perennials to keep them looking great
- On May 18, 2011
- By Meleah
- In Perennials
- 0
As you can see by the title this column is all about shearing and how taking time to do it will keep garden plants from doing a face plant in late summer. But first, I want to send out a little public service announcement. As you may know, when shopping for perennials you want to look for plants marked as being hardy in our unbelievably cold Zone 4 (-30 degrees F) climate. Otherwise, you can’t count on seeing them the following year.
Some gardeners are willing to take a chance on a Zone 5 plant they really love like Japanese maple, say, or butterfly bush, figuring if it dies it dies but if it lives — great! But you shouldn’t have to take a risk if you don’t want to, and that’s exactly what’s happening when we buy plants with misleading tags. Truthfully, no season goes by that I don’t see some mislabeled plants at garden centers, even really good ones. But this year I’ve been hearing from many gardeners that there are a LOT of mislabeled plants out on shelves, particularly at big-box stores where plants are often shipped in from the South.
Read More»Success With Bare-Root Perennials
- On April 09, 2011
- By Meleah
- In Perennials
- 0
It’s that time of year when the mailbox is full to bursting with plant and seed catalogs. If you’re thinking of ordering some bare-root perennials, great! They are a wonderful way to add plants to your garden without busting your budget. They can sometimes be a little temperamental, though, so let me offer a few tips for success.
When your plants arrive, open the box right away so you can inspect everything. Bare-root perennials are usually shipped in small plastic baggies filled with sawdust or a bit of peat moss. Roots should be white and firm. If you’re looking at plants that are yellowish or brown, or if they feel dried up or mushy, send them back for a refund. It’s not worth planting anything in that shape.
Read More»New plants for 2011
- On March 14, 2011
- By Meleah
- In Annuals, Perennials
- 0
Whether you have room for something new in your garden or not, it’s hard not to at least peek at the plants that are introduced each year. I’ve drooled over much of what I’ve seen on tap for 2011, and here is a roundup of the things I fell for that are suitable for our Zone 4 climate. If you’d like to see more of what’s new for 2011, go to the websites of any of the nurseries or growers I mention here. You can also just type “new plants for 2011” into a search engine, like Google, and you’ll get all kinds of results and photos.
From our very own Bailey Nurseries, located in Newport, Minn., we have Hydrangea arborescens (‘PIIHA-I’) Bella Anna, a new hydrangea in Bailey’s Endless Summer collection. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of many of the poofy-headed hydrangeas in this collection. But Bella Anna stands out in my mind for being only 3 feet tall, having unusual pink blooms that last from early summer through fall, and for being able to withstand severe pruning and our harsh winter weather.
Read More»
