Tag Archives: late summer color

Fall Interest, Perennials and Annuals

A native Aster you should be growing!

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Sky Blue Aster. It’s Botanical name is quite a mouthful, Symphyotrichum oolentangiense, and yes we’re fans of  its former and much more appealing name Aster azureus. This beauty is a late summer/early fall prolific bloomer with masses of sky blue-lavender flowers on stiff 2-3’ stems that rise above ovate to oblong basal foliage.  It is found throughout much of eastern North America in dry, rocky, “edge of the woodland” habitats, but will grow in most garden soils that have good drainage.  Plants spread by rhizomatous roots, so expect it to form colonies where it is happy! Like most asters, it is a favorite of many beneficial insects, bees, butterflies and moths.

Combine this aster with Bigelowia nuttallii in the foreground (Rayless goldenrod… a great undiscovered native with clusters of tiny yellow flowers held above evergreen grassy foliage clumps,) and/or any of the taller Goldenrods, such as Solidago ‘Solar Cascade’, and native grasses like Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass) and Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Blue Stem).

Oh yes, it likes full sun, and Symphyotrichum oolentangiense is super hardy…it grows  in zones 3-8.

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Fall Interest, Perennials and Annuals

Vernonia’s time has come

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A ;ate summer tapestry with Vernonia

Valued for its vibrant purple flower clusters as the gardening season wanes, Vernonia, commonly called Ironweed, is a must have for a pollinator friendly garden, and there are native forms hailing from the midwest and southern Appalachians. The common name may derive from the sturdy nature of its stems, or possibly the bronzy tan coloring of its seed heads that remain well into late autumn. The genus name honors the British botanist William Vernon, who catalogued plants on a visit Maryland in the late 1600’s.

Vernonia gigantea with tall Joe Pye Weed

We’ve had a tall form of Vernonia in our garden for a couple of decades. When I say tall, I’m talking  6-8’ tall depending on the soil moisture level that year. We purchased it as Vernonia altissima which is synonymous with Vernonia gigantea.  All too often folks shy away from tall plants, but I think that’s a mistake. Looking eye to eye, or even up at the blossoms and pollinator activity adds a dynamic  dimension. If you have very narrow planting beds, I can understand being hesitant to add such stature, but there’s a remedy…expand the size of your beds.

Vernonia lettermanii coloring in late day light

There are many Vernonia species (Kew lists over 300), and yes, some have a more restrained height. Take Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’, which can fool the eye early in the season with its thread- leaf Amsonia-like foliage. It grows to 24-30” in height and becomes covered with purple flower clusters in September.

Vernonia ‘Summer Swan Song’

A number of good hybrids were recently developed at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Vernonia ‘Summer Swan Song’ is hybrid of V. lettermanii and Vernonia angustifolia ‘Plum Peachy’. It grows to about 3’ tall and wide. Vernonia x ‘Summer Surrender’ is similar in appearance but grows larger, up to 4’ tall and wide. A note about ‘Plum Peachy’, we like it for its dark tinted stems but it has proven to be slightly less hardy than its hybrid forms.  Perhaps it’s best to grow it in climate zones 6 and warmer.

Vernonia angustifolia ‘Plum Peachy’

As mentioned before, there are many other species of Vernonia, but I’ll describe one more. This year we are growing Vernonia crinita (aka V. arkansana) which is also native to the Ozark’s. It blooms a bit earlier than the others, in mid-late August, and grows 5-6’ tall. The clusters of purple asters it produces provide nectar to butterflies and bees.

Vernonia crinita

Vernonia pair well with Ornamental Grasses, Solidago, Eupatorium and Helianthus. They prefer moist soil with good winter drainage, but adapt well to a range of soil types. Vernonia are somewhat deer resistant, but watch for bunny nibbling on the new shoots when they first emerge in the spring. We treat with a rabbit repellent such as Plant Skydd.

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Container Ideas

Container Report June 2023

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Our goal each year is to create container ensembles that hold up from the beginning of the season into September or longer.  Interesting foliage is the key, with flowering plants acting as accents, rather than the other way around. Of course you know we have to do succulents…. they are so incredibly easy and look fabulous right up to frost.  Check back for our end of the season report on how well they held up.

Drum Pot 2023. Ingredients:  Cordyline ‘Mocha Latte’, Abutilon ‘Harvest Moon’, Oxalis spiralis aurea,  Heuchera ‘Southern Comfort’, Ming Fern, Begonia thurstoniiNearby Iron Urn 202. Ingredients: Begonia boliviensis yellow, Heuchera’ SouthernComfort, Oxalis spiralis aurea,  Begonia sutherlandii,  Ficus elastica variegatedDetail with iron fiddleheadsClassic Bowl on Pedestal. The foliage has filled in, but flowering is just beginning. Ingredients: Gaura ‘the Bride’, Origanum rotundifolium ‘Kent Beauty’, Cosmos ‘Chocomocha’, Stipa tenuissima, Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’, Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Profusion’2023 Brown Urn. Ingredients: Petunia’ Mocha Latte’, Heuchera ‘Obsidian’, Ming Fern, Euphorbia ‘Starblast Pink’Detail…not generally a fan of Petunias, but this proven winner selection came highly recommended by a gardening friend, and it is nice next to dark leaved foliage.Zen Bowl (36″).  Colocasia  with Cyperus  alternifolius  variegata (Dwarf Papyrus),  Pilea  microphylla (Artillery Fern), Black leaved Geogenanthus  and trailing Variegated Bermuda Grass.

Succulent Planter, potted up in early  March: Graptoveria ‘Fred Ives’, Graptosedum cv, Senecio vitalis, an Echeveria from Dick Wright, trailing Senecio The Cylinder Pot, potted up in early May:   Echeveria hybrid,  Aeonium, Portulacaria afra aurea, Graptoveria ‘Moonglow’,  Sedeveria hybrid, Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’, AsteliaUnbusy pot: a specimen Echeveria ‘Lucita’ in a blue Apulito Bowl

Simple Terracotta Rectangle, with mini Sedum adolphii ‘Shooting Stars’, Sedum rubrotinctum, Sedum borchii sport and Crassula muscosa.

Check back in the autumn to see how these fared over the summer.

 

 

Garden Musings and Tips, Growing & Fertilizing Tips, Perennials and Annuals, Propagating & Pruning

Growing Biennial Angelica

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One of the stars of our late summer pollinator garden is Angelica, whose umbels of tiny flowers invite insect and butterfly activity galore.  Angelica are biennials, and most of you know this  means that seed sown this year grow roots and foliage, with flowers appearing in year two. The hope is that once planted, the Angelica will self sow, providing progeny for years to come. Hmm, sounds good, but….

Angelica germinates best after the seed has been exposed to cold temperatures. If plants are allowed to self sow in the garden, the seed naturally gets a long winter chill, and wakes up with the spring rains. When this works, it’s wonderful! In our experience this is not always something to be counted on. What if the seed germinates but then a dry spell settles in and you are too busy to observe and water?

We choose not leave our supply up to chance. After collecting seed in the fall, we store it envelopes in a cool dry space. In February we sow the seed in a slightly dampened germinating mix and let it sit for 2 weeks at room temperature (60-72F). We then transfer the seed flat, enclosed with a sealed baggie, into the refrigerator (35-40F) for 4-6 weeks (you could also try leaving the flat in a safe spot outdoors). In April, we transfer the seed flat out to germinate under 60-70F conditions. Once the seedlings have developed first true leaves, we transplant them into deep 2” tubes (Angelica do develop a taproot). When plants are established enough they can be transplanted into the garden, or in our case, into deep nursery quart pots for retail sales.

Angelica atropurpurea

There are numerous species; here are a few of our favorites. Angelica gigas, native to Korea has bolder foliage with dense deep wine globular umbels. Angelica stricta ‘Purpurea’. (aka A. sylvestris purpurea) hails from northern Europe and has dark tinted stems and foliage, with 4’ stems bearing dark purple flower buds opening maturing to lavender-pink, followed by attractive seed heads. There is a species native to parts of the US, including New England, Angelica atropurpurea, (Purple angelica) which has medicinal uses, plus it is quite ornamental with tall  red tinted stems and green to white umbels.

If you want to grow Angelica in large swaths of your garden, why not order seed and sow this winter. You’ll have to wait a year for blossoms, but you’ll have dozens of plants. Or, compromise. Purchase a few established first year plants and get them in the ground this year for color and activity next, but still sow seed next winter for your endless supply.

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Summer Color, Trees and Shrubs

Hydrangea involucrata

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Rosebud Hydrangea stands out in a crowd, despite its small stature. Slightly fuzzy soft green ovate leaves adorn the branches and it slowly grows into a 3-4’ x 3’-4’ shrub (more like 4′ in mild winter climates). From rosebud shaped  buds emerge blue lace cap flowers…clusters of tiny lavender-blue flowers are surrounded by white 4 petaled florets. It often dies back to the ground for us each winter, but since it blooms on new wood it always provides a show for us in late summer. (My honeybees descend on it as a pollen source in September.)

The literature suggests growing Hydrangea involucrata in part shade, but we’ve been growing this Hydrangea in full sun in sharply drained soil and have had it in our garden for 15 years. It has put up with weeks of dry condition this summer without looking thirsty, but we finally gave it a good soaking after the last forecast of rain didn’t materialize.

Plants are hardy in zone 6-9.

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Container Ideas, Featured, Garden Musings, Succulents

Fall Container Report 2021

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As we approach October, it’s time to evaluate which planters held up well in this surprisingly wet year. Perhaps my favorite planter this year was an afterthought…what to do in a 36″ bowl that gets less and less sun each year. It was in an area that doesn’t get much attention to boot, but as you can see it didn’t suffer at all.

This combination of different Snakeplants (Sansevieria) and Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon nigrescens) with variegated ivy and Dichondra worked astonishingly well. Sophisticated in a way, but totally unfussy! Will have to consider a future repeat performance.
It’s been 20 years since we’ve grown Brugmansia (Angel’s Trumpet), but since we have had so many inquiries recently,  we decided to give them another go. (I vaguely remember that they were a magnet for whiteflies, and banned them from the greenhouse.) In June I ordered 5 different varieties from Logee’s, (yes, a late start for a summer display, especially starting with 4″ pots), but with regular doses of the  miraculous Neptune’s Harvest fish/seaweed fertilizer, they all took off. The mystery selection shown above differed from the name tag description, but it sure was quick to flower. In fact it is in its second flush right now.

This is what we learned: Brugmansia grow very fast in tropical weather conditions (we’ve certainly had  heat, humidity and a fair amount of rain this season).  We know that hybrids of the species versicolor have flowers that first appear yellow then age to shades of pink. Two of the 5 selections grew to large proportions but as of Sept 27 are only now forming flower buds.  Two others provided flowers within  3 months time.  Logee’s ‘Pink Champagne’  (pictured above) has a subtle coloring that is best enjoyed up close. The larger proportioned  ‘Angel’s Lemon Zest’ (below) has also rewarded us with repeat flowerings.

I should say that this year we’ve enjoyed simply growing on specimen plants in individual containers, and either arranging little groups or featuring  on pedestals of their own. The little Goldfish Plant, Nematanthus  gregarius, is an easy “succulent” for shadier spots. Consider it an indoor/outdoor plant..most of us have a windowsill that will accommodate this little guy for the winter,  and then next year it can renew itself outdoors again all summer.

A 20 year old pot of Haworthia reinwardtii and a 3 year old Aeolinanthus repens spent the summer outdoors, and will return to a western window inside for the winter…super easy plants to keep happy!

And now for the before and after pics.  All in all, plants held up well, although this was the year the Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ really sulked. It didn’t die, but it didn’t luxuriate as in previous summers…too humid?A few succulents exceeded their bounds and needed a cut back.
Here the Dichondra was cut back in Sept. when it got dingy looking.You can never go wrong combining succulents with Phormium.Abutilon ‘Harvest Moon’ likes to be fed a lot, and it will  reward you with blooms all summer. Begonias may have liked the humidity but not constant wetness. Begonia ‘Art Hodes’ above, one of the best, never complained. Begonia ‘Escargot’ , below,  survived, but was more challenging to keep  happy.

Please tell us…how did your containers fare this summer? Still looking good? Which plants impressed you the most?

Container Ideas, Featured, Garden Musings

Quick Container Rehab

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Nothing stays the same, and this is especially true with gardening. A container planting can look great for 2 months and then an issue arises…a focal point plant gets leaf spot or melts with the humidity, or it just stops blooming.  This doesn’t mean you have to ditch the grouping. You just need to edit.

Blame it on the humidity or uneven watering, or gardener’s neglect (I’ll be honest) but the showy orange Begonia bolivinensis just began to look awful with leaf spotting. Spraying with a fungicide would only prevent new leaves from being affected, so the only thing to do was to remove this sad plant and find a worthy replacement. Sad because the hummingbirds sure did visit frequently.

This spot gets a few hours of the afternoon sun, and we’ll have summery weather for at least another 6-7 weeks, so I decided on using orange flowered Cuphea ‘David Verity’ (for the hummingbirds) which never disappoints and will flower until a hard frost. I also had enough space to tuck in a dwarf variegated papyrus  (Cyperus albostriatus) , (you can always count on foliage plants). Although it likes moisture I’ve found it can tolerate dryish conditions.

I am guilty of overplanting a container, in case some plants just don’t perform, figuring I can always thin out the planting later. This pot with Verbena bonariensis, Lantana montevidensis, Gomphrena ‘Truffula Pink’ and Euphorbia Diamond Delight needed editing. The Angel Wings Senecio candicans really started to go downhill once the humidity arrived in July.First  I brought down the height of the Verbena bonariensis by removing the tallest stalks. I cut back the Lantana and the Gomphrena to allow the Euphorbia to own more space. And out came the Angel Wings…lesson learned…not a plant for southern New England summers. Next, I fertilized with fish emulsion to give a nourishment boost to the planting.

Later, I’ll post how these containers fared when I do the end of September evaluation.

Featured, Shade Gardening

5 Plants for the Late Summer Shade Garden

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Sunny borders can be wonderfully colorful, but when the heat of summer settles in, it is the comfort of the shade garden that I am drawn to. Hosta is now excluded from so many gardens due to its “appetizer for deer” reputation, so you might want to consider this short list of shade-tolerant plants that shine in August.

Hydrangea  arborescens ‘Haas Halo’... This lace cap selection of Smooth Aster boasts sturdy stems that can bear the weight of the large white blossoms.  This native shrub is a favorite of pollinators and grows 3-5′ tall and wide. Hardy in zones 3-9.

Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’.…. It’s hard not to be impressed by a glowing golden specimen of Sun King Spikenard. This Aralia grows 4-6′ tall and we have 6-year-old clumps that are easily 6′ across.  (It might take a few years, but be ready…). In late summer white “Sputnik” flowers top the tall stems, followed by showy black fruit. Pollinators love this plant and the deer don’t. Hardy in zones 4-9.

Kirengeshoma palmata… I remember the first time I saw  Korean waxbells, looking very shrub-like in front of an antique farmhouse, fresh and in flower in August. Bold Maple like leaves are its main feature, but it does have soft yellow somewhat bell shaped flowers.  Slow growing at first,  but in about 4-5 years you will have a clump 4′ tall and 5′ wide. Oh, and yes, it is deer resistant. Hardy in zones  5-9.

Tricyrtis ‘Autumn Glow’ Toad lilies tend to get resentful if the soil isn’t evenly moist, but I have found ‘Autumn Glow’ more forgiving than most. The extra-large foliage has a wider band of gold than the other variegated forms, and the purplish orchid-like flowers are produced in profusion during August and September. Hardy in zones  5-9.

Hakonechloa macra aureola Japanese Forest Grass is simply rewarding. It clumps up, not too quickly, to healthy expanses  2-4′ across and its yellow and green variegated leaves brightens up shady corners and adds contrast to other bold foliage plants. The deer are not fond of Hakonechloa, but we are learning that the bunnies like to nibble its young shoots in the spring, so an application of repellent is in order by those who are being pestered. Hardy in zones 5-10.

Do you have a favorite late-summer plant that tolerates some shade? I’d love to hear your comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Container Ideas, Featured, Garden Musings

containers 2018… the after shots

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The summer of 2018 presented many challenges to gardeners here in the northeast. Some folks had mind-numbing amounts of rainfall. We had the heat and HUMIDITY but missed most of the storms until September, when we began to catch up with the precipitation….a good thing for the trees and shrubs,  but after a summer of high humidity, the succulents which s often end with a grand tra-la, began to falter.  On the other hand, containers that loved tropical conditions thrived, and I wish I had planted more.

I present to you the before and after pictures:

Brown terra cotta bowl, June and then October…a number of succulents like the yellow and copper Sedum melted with the humidity and late season wetness.

The turquoise jar held up admirably, with Echeveria ‘Afterglow’. The after picture was taken in mid-September.

We never caught them in action, but think some birds decided to have a go at pecking on the succulents’ foliage and breaking off strands from the Rhipsalis which trails over this gray cylinder pot.

Still looking as good as it did in June, this urn with Beschorneria and tender succulents put on a little more growth.

Shade Pot 1. The white form of Begonia boliviensis continues to send our flowers with the Blue Rabbit’s Foot Fern and trailing Alternanthera ‘Gails Choice’ is still holding up well in early October.

Time of day and time of year affect lighting so much. This was a fairly successful shade planter with Begonia ‘Concorde’ filling in nicely, and the golden-leaved piggyback plant Tolmeia ‘Cool Gold’ adding color contrast. The Maidenhair fern fronds had a tendency to brown out.

Happy happy tropicals such as the dark red Caladium and Black Elephant Ears aren’t ready to quit. Trailing over the pot is variegated Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon)

 

How did your containers perform this season?  Did you try a combination that worked well all summer and is still showing off now?

Fall Interest, Perennials and Annuals, Summer Color

Vernonia x ‘Southern Cross’

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Do you have room in your garden for a late summer/early fall blooming perennial that attracts butterflies galore? This Ironweed has dreamy clouds of composite purple flower clusters on sturdy stems 3-4’ tall beginning in August and its handsome narrow foliage looks fresh all season long. Discovered by Brent Horvath of Intrinsic Perennials, ‘Southern Cross’ obviously has the species lettermannii in its heritage. This selection combines beautifully with ornamental grasses such as Sorghastrum, Schizachyrium and Eragrostis.

‘Southern Cross’ appears to like extra moisture the first season but becomes more drought tolerant once it is established. Plants are hardy in zones 4-8 and should be deer resistant.

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