Challenge A Shade Garden With Color and Texture

 It used to be that in a shade garden, green was the dominant color.  Dull shade gardens have been upgraded and will pop with whites, variegated foliage and colorful blooms when planned right.  A beautiful moon garden will illuminate the evening while colorful plants liven up a shady area for daytime viewing. Fern gardens are ever popular in the shade with the help of Japanese Painted Fern.

Spring flowering bulbs and perennials are the first additions to the shade garden. Hyacinthoides hispanica, Spanish Bluebells,  bloom in blue, pink and white and the Fritillaria meleagris will liven up the front of a garden with petite bell shaped checkered blooms in white or maroon.  Hyacinthoides can be planted in the back of the garden because it is one of the first plants to bloom and the spent foliage can be strategically hidden by later emerging plants. Galanthus, Snowdrops, be planted in groups and will naturalize so later on in several season the garden will have quite a show of these fragrant tiny blooms very early in the spring. Perennials favorites like Hosta can be the “bones” of the garden. Other spring blooming perennials such as Dicentra, Bleeding Hearts, will bloom for up to three weeks in the garden in pink or white. There are shorter varieties of this perennial that will not take up as much space such as the Dicentra luxuriant, which have beautiful fern-like foliage, and petite heart shaped flowers in pink or white varieties. Pulmonaria ‘Mrs. Moon’ will be the show off with flowers in blue and pink together on one plant. The foliage speckled and is good for shaking up a shady area through the entire growing season.

 Once spring has past and the summer garden starts to grow, Astilbe is a beautiful flowering perennial with red, pink or white plumes that will add some height to this area. Lady Ferns and Japanese Painted Ferns will bring the shade garden out of the darkness during the day and catch the eye of passers by with the foliage. Violets, Toad Lilies and Hemerocallis, Daylilies,  in colorful varieties will fill up the summer garden and add colors from yellow, orange, pink to red. I have fallen in love with the variety H. ‘Hello Dolly’ as the crimson red flowers with a yellow throat bloom from early summer right into the fall in my gardens. 

Late summer going into the fall is special, as we want to have a grand finale for the end of our very short growing season here in Connecticut. The Oriental Lily ‘Casa Blanca’ will provide the fireworks for part shady gardens and these huge, fragrant white blooms will not be forgotten all winter. Casa Blanca Lilies are easy to plant in the spring or fall and will start a show in late summer. The Climbing Hydrangea is a very good perennial for a backdrop in the shade garden. It climbs a wall or will cover over an unsightly area. This is when shade tolerant Annuals will fill in for instant color. Pansies, Coleus, Impatiens, Browallia and Tuberous Begonias in some of the brightest, boldest colors you’ve ever seen! One of my favorites, Wishbone Flowers can be added and fill in the shade garden with rainbows of color from mid-summer on. More formal designs can be accomplished for the tidy gardener. Shade gardening can be a challenge, but with the right planning in these areas, the results will not only be satisfying but electrifying! Listed below are some shade tolerant and bright shade plants as suggestions for adding texture and color to the landscape.

 Groundcovers for shade including Asarum (Wild Ginger) can convert an area that is not so much of a garden as it is an area that grass will not grow well in. Pachysandra and Lamium will keep an area around a tree neat where no mowing is required. Vinca minor (Periwinkle) has 2” blue blooms and English Ivy fill areas nicely in-between shrubs and will tolerate shade very well.

Spring Bulbs and Perennials:

    Fritillaria meleagris, Galanthus or Snowdrops, Hyacinthoides hispanica or Spanish Bluebells, Lily-of-the-Valley, Cyclamen, Leucojum or Snowflake and Scilla or Squill and Columbine, Dicentra spectablilis or Bleeding Heart, Dicentra luxuriant, Solomon’s Seal, Hellebore or Lenten Rose, Lamium or Deadnettle, Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’ & ‘Mrs. Moon’, Heuchera or Coral Bells, Digitalis or Foxglove and the Lady Slipper Orchid or Cypripedium

Summer:

     Astilbe, Hemerocallis or Daylily, Violets and Pansies, Japanese Painted Ferns, Asarum, Pachysandra, Vinca minor, Sedum, English Ivy, Lilium martagon, Fuchsia. Asiatic Lilies, Coleus, Impatiens, Browallia, Lobelia Aristolochia or Dutchman’s Pipe and Begonias

Fall:

     Oriental Lilies, Climbing Hydrangea, Clematis paniculata or Fall Blooming Clematis, Violas or Pansies

The Beautiful Lily

One of the easiest ways to add height and character to a perennial garden is by planting Lilies. The bulbs are simple to plant and many can be added for colorful blooms through our growing season in the fall or the spring. The lily is hardy to our cold winters; in fact, they need a cooling period to bloom properly. Here in Connecticut Lilies should return each year for an explosive blast of color from spring to late summer.

  The Lily can be planted in the early spring or in the fall and are available at both times of the year. Lilies can be grown just about anywhere in the garden, in a shrubby area, the perennial garden and even on display in containers wherever one wishes to show them off.  They are very useful planted in a cutting garden for fantastic indoor displays.

   There are hundreds of Lily varieties available at nurseries and mail order catalogs. I recommend ordering early for the best and largest of bulbs. The size varies from one variety to another. A healthy Lily bulb should look like plump scales that overlap each other until the bulb if formed. Some roots will be on larger bulbs at the base, but is not necessary to grow properly. Take care when purchasing late if there small stalks starting to grow. It is important to protect the new growth from breaking away from the bulb. The bulb should be firm, not soft or dry.

  The flowers of Lilies come in different shapes. There are Trumpets, Bowl shapes, re-curved petal that will reach all the way back like a butterfly and funnel shaped blossoms that will open slightly but not fully. We will explore the Oriental and Asiatic so as not to get too complicated.

Asiatic or Oriental? Which to choose?

 There are a few differences between the Asiatic and Oriental Lilium which will make it easy to choose where to plant them. By combining both, the perennial border will have blossoms through most of the season.

   Asiatic Lilies generally Bloom earlier in the year, from mid-to-late spring. One of the earliest being the Martagon Lily or Madonna Lily.  Many are trumpet shaped and have little or no fragrance. However, lots of hybrids have been developed to enhance these characteristics. These include the Candidum, American hybrids and Longiflorum hybrids. One favorite of mine is the Lilium speciosum rubrum. This year it has several small recurved blossoms that look down and are truly eye catching.

  Oriental Lilies may be some the most recognized because they have a very powerful scent that can carry long distances. One blossom can fill a room with sweet perfume when used as a cut flower. Most blossom later in the season from mid-to-late summer, sometimes even into early fall such as the sparkling white L. ‘Casa Blanca’. A very popular Oriental Lily, L. ‘Star Gazer’ has a dark fuchsia blossom speckled with black dots with and outer edged lined in white, which is a show stopper. ‘Oriana’ starts off as a blush pink bud that opens to surprise one with a creamy light orange/peach and very nice soft scent. The Oriental Lily flowers are very large bowl shaped bloom with beautiful color patterns.

Planting and Care of the Lily

   Most Lily bulbs can be planted in a full to partially shaded area. The soil does not have to be anything special but drain well in a place where water is not a problem. Some bulbs grow roots from the base of the stem. Plant each bulb six to eight inches below the soil as soon as they are purchased for the best results. Space each bulb at least 12-inches apart so they will each have enough room to mature with time. Taller varieties should be tied up with a sturdy stake before blossoms open to keep them erect. Heavy rain or the weight of larger blossoms may cause the tall stalks to bend or break off.  Lily bulbs planted in containers should, again, be well drained and at least 12” in diameter. I recommend using larger containers that are heavy with several bulbs planted in the same pot for an outstanding show near a doorway or patio.

   Lilies are very heavy feeders and will need to be fed on a regular schedule to keep the bulb strong and healthy. I recommend sprinkling a time released fertilizer right after planting, and early each spring. When cutting these beautiful flowers for arrangements, be careful not to cut more than one-third of the stalk as this will make the plant weak.

    After flowers have finished blooming, only cut off the spent flower and not the stalk. The bulb needs to rebuild itself for the next season of growth. Wait until the entire stalk turns brown in late fall before removing and cleaning the area up for the winter months. The stalk should break away very easily at this point. Good gardening practices by proper care and clean up of the lily beds in the fall will keep them healthy and strong.

   One pest that is important for a gardener to keep a lookout for is the Lily Leaf Beetle. This pest can damage an entire Lily garden in one spring. The beetle is very beautiful with a bright red body and black head and legs, but a pest indeed. You can find more information about the lily leaf beetle at the online Pest Handbook by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Keeping the flower beds clean and free of debris is helpful in prevention of an infestation.

Cape Primroses

 A Blooming Jewel for Winter

     Streptocarpus caulescens or cape primrose is a beautiful and unique plant that can be grown indoors on a bright windowsill in winter. This plant will bloom profusely all season long if kept in the proper conditions. It  has oblong, green textured leaves with fine hair that will hang over the side of the pot while a most delightful bonnet-like flower stands on a taller leafless stem. Hybridizers have made these plants into double-petal and two-toned jewels that will cease to amaze one all winter long with its endless energy. Bright pinks like the S. ‘Pink Surprise’ and darker red varieties like the S. ‘Cherry Pie’ with a velvet like 1 ½ inch blooms are there to cheer and take away the winter blahs.

      Dr. Ralph Robinson, Owner of Robs Violets, New York will tell you how beautiful and interesting the Streptocarpus is. This plant is great for the winter and will tolerate cooler temperatures a bit more than it’s cousin, the african violet.  Robinson is a breeder of the world famous ‘Bristol’ series of streps in a rainbow of different colors. Not only does his greenhouse grow the Streptocarpus, they specialize in hybridizing and are well known for their breeding of the ‘Ma’s’ and ‘Rob’s’ series of african violet hybrids. Their website has nice selection of the Bristol series as well as other varieties to choose from at www.robsviolet.com. His plants are shipped in nursery pots and are a very fair price. A collection of 10 plants will run about 30.00 plus shipping and handling.

       To grow these easy to care for plants, use an african violet mix to pot up the plant or make your own loose porous potting mix by blending 2 parts sphagnum peat moss to 1 part vermiculite or perlite with 1 part soil and 1 part clean sand all mixed together. Streps prefer small pots for growing which will encourage more flowering. “Keep soil the moist but not wet or what we call, happy feet” as Dr. Robinson says. Be careful not to let the plant completely dry out as the plant shows stress quickly.  Try not to let the pot sit in water as the plant also resents constant wet conditions and may cause root rot. Streps will do well on a south or southeast-facing window in the winter or a place that receives bright sunlight. 12-14 hours under grow lights are also fine to keep this plant happy and in bloom. In the summer, the plant needs to be out of direct sunlight or the delicate leaves may burn. Cool temperatures don’t seem to bother this plant and it likes a house that keeps the thermostat down and will flower well all through the winter months. Fertilize with an african violet food, peter’s houseplant food or almost any fertilizer for house plants cut down to 1/8^th of its strength. Use this mixture each time the Strep is watered. This will keep the plant fed and in a healthy condition over the winter months. Try not to splatter the leaves with the water mixture or it may cause burn spots on the leaves. If a single leaf gets very large or shows signs of brown edges, cut it off at the base with a sharp blade or shears to prevent bruised leaf edges. This helps to promote flowering and keeps the plant neat and tidy. Cape Primroses may go dormant or stop growing if left to dry completely out. Try not to let the soil become too dry in-between watering

Annuals vs Perennials

What to plant this spring

When starting or planning a new garden for the spring, what is better to use, annuals or perennials?

Annuals will flower all season long, however, will need to be replanted each year.  

     Perennials should grow back bigger and better with each growing season. The downside of having only perennials is most will only bloom for two to three weeks a year, which can leave a garden very green at times. With careful planning, a perennial garden can bloom through the entire growing season. Perennials require more maintenance and attention to thrive but well worth the effort over time.

     The structure of a garden will need to be established by perennials. The foundation can be evergreen or deciduous. Perennials will support this function and keep a similarity and  form to the established garden.

Herbaceous and evergreen perennials

     Some perennials will die all the way back to the ground each year (herbaceous) and hibernate under the soil. These perennials are very good for areas that are exposed sites or will go through a lot of punishment over the winter months. Herbaceous Peonies are beautiful, bushy perennials that tuck away to sleep for the winter and come back to fill in the garden each year with their beautiful foliage and sweetly scented flowers.

     Herbaceous perennials can save a garden from being destroyed on very bad winters. Places directly to each side of a front door stoop and around driveways where heavy snow is often plowed and shoveled in large amounts are trouble spots. Windy sites, foot traffic, animals, are some other trouble spots. 

     Evergreen perennials will show themselves through some of the toughest New England weather. Armeria rubra grows green grass-like mound all through the winter and in spring it sends out beautiful spikes of pink globe-like blossoms that last for weeks. This is a wonderful evergreen perennial for the edge of a border planted in clumps of at least three plants.

     Herbaceous and evergreen perennials will need division every two to three years to keep them a manageable and healthy. I do not recommend fertilizing any newly planted perennials for the first year as this may cause problems with the plant establishing a good root system. Get the soil in good shape by adding lots of aged manure, compost and natural additives before planting a new bed.

     Patience is the key to growing perennials, as the first years may not show even one bloom. This is natural and to force the perennial into blooming by giving the plant more nutrients will make the plant weak. During times of stress such as drought and hard winters, the perennial may not live.

Annuals are delightful

    Annuals will complete a life cycle in one growing season. They will bloom through the entire summer with the proper care. Using annuals as solid borders or a planted specimen can sparkle any garden and are wonderful for the homeowner that likes to change the theme and colors each year.

     Annuals have shallow root systems and most need water and fertilizer more often to thrive. Some annuals will re-seed and come back again the following year but are unreliable. Fertilizing regularly will keep annuals healthy and strong for a great performance.

     Shade gardens can stand out by using annuals. A mass planting of Impatiens ‘walleriana’ under the shade of a red maple is most attractive. Theme gardens will sparkle with color such as a patriotic garden filled with red white and blue annuals.

      Annuals can be used in areas that will need to be cleared and out of the way once the fall arrives. Tender bulbs such as the giant leaved Colocasia are wonderful around above ground swimming pools and the plant looks very tropical. Once fall arrives and the pool must be covered, it is a much easier job with nothing in the way around the pool area.

     Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ has striking red drooping flowers that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies from afar. Gladiolas are an inexpensive and easy addition to a cutting garden. Cut dahlias, gladiolas and fragrant freesia mixed with perennial treats make for a beautiful display on a table. Tender bulbs need to be carefully dug up and stored each fall or can be replanted each year. 

Living together in harmony

    What happens when a perennial garden fails to fill in for reasons that we cannot control? A late frost can damage tender flower buds just as a plant is set to bloom. A wet, cloudy and cool summer can cause the perennials to stop blooming or not at all. Drought will make many perennials go dormant to save themselves. Annuals will come to rescue the day. Pretty pansies love the cool weather. Drought tolerant annuals such as Nasturtium or cleome planted among the perennials will save the garden from looking bare and dreary.

     When a perennial is sadly lost there can be a large gap in the border which annuals come to fill in, if only for a short time. Annuals may be planted all through the growing season but perennials should be planted in the spring or early fall, not suring the heat of the summer months.

     Each year a garden will go through changes with new growth and mature withe seaon. The plant will become larger and take up more space in a border. During this time of growth, a perennial garden can look a bit thin. Planting annuals such as dwarf dahlias, portulaca and cosmos will brighten up the garden while the new perennials are work on establishing a good root system.

     Once the foundation fills in every nook and cranny, annuals will not be needed as much unless the gardener wants to use them as a border to frame out the garden. Empty spaces left by spring flowering bulbs is a good place for annuals to grow in harmony with the perennials. Another way to add annuals into the landscape is by using large containers placed all through the perennial border overflowing with color. In all cases annuals will enhance the perennial border but will not take away from the beauty of the perennial blossoms.

     This spring use your creative sense and think about what kind of time you will have to spend in the garden. Annuals (and container plants) will have lots of color and need to be watered often if there is no rain. An established perennial garden should do well with minimal care.

Bold & Beautiful Begonias

The Begonia is a most versatile annual for adding bright color and unusual foliage to shady spots indoors our out. Begonias grow wild in Africa, South America, Central America and Tropic Asia. These beauties are named after a French governor in the Caribbean, Michael Begon who had an interest in the plants after conducting a botanical survey in an established French colony. Since their introduction in England in 1777, there are thousands of Begonias to choose from. Careful cultivation has brought larger and more colorful flowers as well as interesting foliage and fragrance.

There are Tuberous Begonias, shiny wax Begonias (which can tolerate more sunshine), upright and trailing Begonias with many intermediate varieties. These delicate plants also have a wide range of foliage as well as blooms. Speckled angel wings, dark burgundy or shiny lopsided leaves are only a few mentioned. Tuberous Begonias are spectacular in large containers. Multiple plants dressing up a front doorway or a hanging from a porch is wonderful place for planting.

Annual Begonias can be used in perennial border to formalize the garden. The wax begonia ‘Prelude White’ keeps the perennial garden neat, interesting and filled with tiny clam like blossoms over nice looking curved foliage that almost wraps around each bunch of flowers.  Plant this variety in containers with Coleus and they will compliment each other very well. This type of begonias is used for forming many kinds of art patterns as it will stay in place and have continuous flowers for the growing season. In-between a two-garage door frame is a fabulous place to put a large container filled with speckled leaved varieties and tiny fairy-like flowers overflowing and the large bold blossoms of the Blackmore and Langdon seedling begonias.

 Tuberous On Top©  B. ‘Pink Halo’ is outstanding with clean white flowers and ruffled, deep pink edging. B & L© B. ‘Orange Cascade’ is another very bright and attractive hanging form of begonia. For those who favor the more subtle shades, there is the Scentiment©  B.‘Sunrise’ or B. ‘Blush’. Growers have managed to breed fragrance into these last two varieties. Some named varieties of tuberous begonias can get pricy but, the tubers can be saved and started early each year with some special care. The tuber will grow larger, allowing for future divisions.

Begonias are easy to care for in containers and flower boxes. Start with a good container mix and an urn or planter that has good drainage. Begonias need evenly moist soil but resent being soggy all of the time.  The plants will do well with little care of pinching and deadheading in a bright shady location such as a porch or a north side of a home where there is bright light but no direct sun. The plants tend to flower less if placed in too much shade. Happy Begonias will form lush foliage and sprout many flower buds through the entire growing season. The blooms are breathtaking at times.

Tubers can be started in late winter indoors in a 4” container. Transplant the growing begonia in a larger pot at least once before planting outdoors. Place outdoors in the ground or containers when the soil temperatures warm to at least 70 degrees. Again a bright shady spot is best for these beautiful begonias.

White Flower Farm in Litchfield, Connecticut has a nice choice of tuberous begonias to offer as well as the California seed begonias. Tubers are best purchased by mail order and should be started while waiting for spring to arrive in late winter for a show stopping shade garden every year.

For The Love of Roses

   With Valentines Day at hand, the colors one chooses for their better half, sweetheart, friend or significant other has a special meaning. Historically, the Rose has been around for millions of years. Archeologists found rose petals in fossils that are said to be 35 million years old. Cultivation of the rose may have begun in China some 5000 years ago. They were so valuable in the seventeenth century; rose water and roses were used as money or bartered for other valuable items.

   In Catholicism, a red rose represents the Virgin Mary.  Latin Christians used the red rose to represent martyrs. During the renaissance, rose gardens were created for lovers as well as a devotion to the rosary. In Greco-Roman culture roses represent the season of spring, beauty and love. American Indians used roses in their weddings and for medicinal purposes while Romans believed that pink roses represented pain, suffering and death.

What Shade of Love To Choose?

Or Not… Hmmmm?

   A red rose is a universal symbol of how much in love one is to the recipient. This made giving them for Valentines Day so popular. The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

   A fresh single red rose expresses a passion for another as well as respect and courage. An unattractive dried out shriveled rose means the affair is over.  Rose buds represent youth and beauty which is a wonderful surprise for a daughter or young love.

  A single white rose is a symbol of spiritual love, purity, virginity, humility, innocence, secrecy, charm, spiritual unfolding and silence. A white rosebud means a young girl or too young for love. White roses that are past their bloom will send the message that you did not make an impression on the other person.

  A single yellow rose represents freedom, joy, “welcome back”, gladness, caring, and jealousy, a decrease in love, friendship and infidelity.  Bouquets of yellow roses are perfect to send a new Mother.

  Pink roses stand for gentle grace, gratitude, appreciation, admiration, happy love, perfect happiness, gentleness and sympathy. Dark pink roses say “Thank You”.

  Peach colored roses give the meaning of immortality, modesty, sympathy, sociability and friendship.

Did You Know?

   George Washington was a rose breeder for which the Martha Washington rose is named. In October 1985, the Senate passed a resolution that declared the rose as the National Floral Emblem of the United States.

  Have a loving and happy Valentines Day! --TPW

Tea Time With Pansies

Just looking at Violas can have a happy effect. Walk into a greenhouse of pansies with their smiling faces and one can’t help but be a bit more cheerful. Pull out the white gloves, set the pot on for tea and enjoy.

Violas are heirloom flowers. Johnny-jump-ups are one of the wild forms of violet as well as the one first known varieties. Pansies are the result of cultivation for many years in France from these wild forms of the Viola. The word Pansy is French for “thoughts” and “memories”.  V. ‘Strawberry Sundae’ has unforgettable beautiful large bloom with a perfect mixture of red and white swirled together.

Pansies have much larger flower, but are not as tolerant of our cold temperatures here in the Northeast. Violets are hardy here in our climate zone 5. Some violets do very well as a perennial in Connecticut gardens. The V. Rebecca is a beautiful white and yellow flower edged in purple, which will come back reliably each year.

A sure sign that summer is on the way are when we see the first pansies shining their pretty faces with bright purples, sunny yellows, sparkling reds and even crispy white varieties. I recommend growing them in containers so they can be used again in the fall. Compliment a spring garden with Pansies just as the tulips, crocus and daffodils start to fade away.

Dappled shade or bright shade is the secret to growing these easy to care for plants. Under a deciduous tree that is just sprouting its spring leaves is a perfect place for planting. Keep the soil moist but not wet and be sure the area or container is well drained. Pansies resent soggy soil and will quickly wilt. If the weather stays cool, the plants will thrive and bloom into the summer months.

Gardeners are discovering that Pansies are not finished by the end of spring. Fall is a great time to have plants re-bloom as the cooler temperatures return. Once pansies begin to bolt in the summer heat, cut the plants all the way back and set the containers in a shady place in the yard. Water regularly until the cool weather returns and the pansies are ready to bloom again.

Just imagine the V. ‘Jolly Joker’ as a perfect flower for the fall landscape with its bright orange petals and dark violet edging. These are the colors of fall as pansies stand far apart from the typical chrysanthemums for autumn.

Viola seeds can also be sprinkled in the garden by late spring to early summer for a fall bloom. Viola seeds can also be sown, germinate and grow well into the late fall. The foliage will stay evergreen and when spring arrives, the plants will come into full bloom earlier. The plants are acclimated to the cool temperatures and a stunning early show.

Johnny-jump-ups will re-seed in areas by popping their seedpods out over an area. The seedlings will sprout up just about anywhere in the garden and the lawn. Sprinkle these seeds into the lawn for early fall.