Right now I’d much rather talk about Clematis.

Pretty darn spectacular this year!

I finally got my Clematis montana to bloom. It wanted to climb and I wanted it to make a pretty floral waterfall over a big rock. It sulked for two years! Cats don’t fly, no matter how often you toss them in the air and they get grumpy too. I’ve got to accept that, in the long run, plants are more stubborn than people. Like all Clematis it wants its feet in the shade and its head in the sun. Picky that way.

If you want the pink one, it is Clematis montana var. rubens.

Now that montana is going the way it wants to, it should get twenty to thirty feet high in a couple of years with a substantial trunk. The flowers are small-ish but abundant and more than able to cover a structure. Sweet smelling….some say like vanilla, and strongest in the evening.

When we visited Arizona I fell in love with the idea of a ramada (not the motel chain) witch is a branchy or latticed roof meant to provide shade. Every public park and zoo has signs directing visitors to restrooms, water and shade. Shade is a wonderful thing in the Southwest. This is a different concept from either an arbor, a lanai, or a patio.

Clematis montana - sweet vanilla fragrance

Arbors are mostly for growing vines, like grape arbors, and do not necessarily provide shade.

A lanai is roofed and can be either screened or glassed in depending on the season.

Sometimes a patio has a ramada or a trellis over part of it as a feature but it isn’t the main idea.

Perhaps you have seen old photographs of the Navajo areas of people lounging around under a ramada stringing chilis, weaving, or doing silver work. Yes, ramada, that thing that keeps people from frying.

I find it infinitely useful. It is where my house plants spend the summer. It is where I go with my morning coffee or afternoon tea. It is where I sit where I am all tuckered out from lawn duty.

When the Clematis montana gets moving, it’ll be even nicer.

There are clumpers and there are runners, but foam flowers are top notch garden plants for the shady garden, and on’t much like them, and are wonderfully serene.provide a terrific alternative to deer devoured hostas.

Top notch groundcover Tiarella

All tiarellas are at their best in a woodland setting and really shine in moist humusy soil; but with tree root competition it can become a desperate affair. I have had to intervene in several situations and whisk the plants into better homes.

Each shift in location presents an opportunity to take advantage of some unique characteristics. Particularly the dark patterns and interesting leaves  “that looks like a black snowflake when new. The dark color is more pronounced in cool weather. “ (taken directly from Fine Gardening’s website http://www.finegardening.com/plantguuide/tiarella-spring-symphony-foam-flower.aspx). A good accent for these markings are the inky unfurling fronds of Japanese painted fern (Athyrium nipponicum pictum), dwarf black mondo grass (Ophiopogon) or a silvery lamium.

` Spring Symphony is one of the clumping tiarellas, in 5 years it has never strayed from it’s allotted place. Spring Symphony is a tiarella x, which means it (shhhh) has a very mixed parentage. Many in this group have finely cut foliage – kind of like an oak leaf, which makes a nice contrast to many other shade plants.

There are some new kids in town, the River series of running tiarella cordifolias, the heart leaf tiarellas. These have all been named for Pennsylvania rivers. I planted Delaware last year, and my goodness it has feet. This spring it is three times the size it was last year and covered with blooms. Next year I will try Susquehanna and Brandywine. Susquehanna is supposed to have the flashiest foliage and Brandywine acts as the best ground-cover. Yum.

More hanky-panky in the laboratory? Absolutely! Ta-dahhh! x heucharella. Scientists waved a magic wand and now there are heucharellas, sterile hybrids and stronger for it. They put their energy into looking pretty not into making seeds. I don’t know if tiarella and heuchera are naturally compatible but the heucheras (coral bells) are already a mixed bag. “Most hybrids are combinations of sanguinea, americana and micrantha with exact parentage confused and unclear.” from the listings at Lazy S Farm, http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Perennials/H_files/H.htm. Yawn. Got that? They’ve been cohabiting for centuries. So, the coral bells we are familiar with have brilliant clouds of flowers and big colorful leaves, sometimes purple, sometimes silver veined, depending on who’s stirring the pot.

The tiarellas are a little more reserved, maybe a little tougher, inclined to scamper a bit and with potential as a ground cover. Both of these plants belong to the same family (kissing cousins?) and are American natives.

Are you still with me? I’m getting to the part that will make your life better. The men and women in the labs have also spent time on practical matters. Heat tolerance! Any of these heucharellas that have heuchera villosa as part of their parentage are heat tolerant. There is a whole group with names ranging from Sweet Tea to Southern Comfort to Alabama Sunrise. Brilliant leaves and tough as nails.

After the summer we had last year I’m all in favor of heat tolerance. A little Southern Comfort of an afternoon is a good thing.

The good stuff: tender spring lettuces and peas

I’ve noticed that this year scallions are either in short supply or more expensive than I would expect. The price has made it worth my while to try a to grow crop again. Up ’till now I have avoided going to the trouble because it takes some fussy weeding to get a crop. Although at current prices it will be worth it.
Do I dare try the fancy cippolini onions? Fancy, as in very expensive, company dinner, fancy. They are tasty grilled or with other roasted vegetables, very sweet.
I wondered if the onions needed lime or somesuch to help them along so I checked Johnny’s (http://www.johnnyseeds.com/).
The first caution for the onion was:
“Matures to a medium-small, yellow cipollini onion, avg. 1 1/2-3″ diam. x 3/4-1″ depth. Pungent and sweet. Stores well. For bunching or braiding. Deliciously sweet when cooked. Recommended for latitudes 38°-60°, necks may be too thick at lower latitudes.”
See, research! The last time I thought about latitude, I was in grammar school. OK, found a map (and bless the internet) and it seems as though we are right about 40°. Pretty darn close. I wonder if that limit is strictly according to day length or does temperature have something to do with it. Hmmm.
Here we go on Johnny’s web site:
“CULTURE: If your field or garden has full sun and is fertile and well-drained (no standing water after heavy rain) you can grow large, sound onions from seed. The best crops are grown in humus-rich sands, light loams, or other soils high in organic matter. Onions from seeds or plants are generally better than set-grown onions.”
Doesn’t say a thing about lime. Light loam, not happening; extra organic matter, can do. Patience? I’ll try; raised bed – you got it. Reading further, Johnny’s recommends one inch of water a week, oof. Looks like onions and their cousins are going to be the crop I’m paying close attention to.
On the way to look at herbs I made a short detour through flowers and watched a video on edible flowers (http://www.johnnyseeds.com/MediaPlayer.aspx?VideoID=63&source=JSSVideos). Johnny’s suggested using the flowers from the greens that have bolted (thrown out tons of flowers) in salads. Fabulous, I do hate wasting them even though the leaves are too tough to eat. I wonder if that applies to lettuce too. I’ll have to try a nibble this spring.
Back to herbs and checking out the varieties of sweet basil. Extra disease resistance. That’s interesting, I’ve never had a problem, but better safe than sorry.
“Use quality seed that has been tested for the presence of fusarium wilt fungus.” Hmmm.
“• Grow your crop in disease-tested soil or sanitized greenhouse conditions. “ Not my problem.
“• Do not grow consecutive basil crops in the same soil.” Since I always grow the basil in tandem with tomatoes, and I shift the tomato beds each year – not a problem either
“• Inspect growing areas frequently, and remove any diseased plants immediately.” Yah, when I pick tomatoes.
“• Limit overhead irrigation, which can spread disease through the stand of plants.” I’m not one to throw water around. Not with a well.
“• Create good air movement by increasing the spacing between plants or using fans.” Don’t think so.
“• Increase the organic matter in the soil, which favors pathogen reduction.” Always.
“• Consider beginning an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program.” I’ll leave that to the big outfits.
Yes, I always talk to my seed catalogs.
I wonder if the Co-Op (http://www.bmfca.com/) or Montgomery Gardens (http://www.montgomerygardens.com/) will be carrying that disease resistant basil. Tomatoes too, ask for them.

Spring will bring other necessities and temptations. It will be necessary to divide certain perennials and there will be the temptation

Epimedium rubrum, forever divisible

to conquer blank space. At times the necessities and temptations collide and all the blank spaces have been filled with divided perennials leaving no room for new treasures. There is such a thing as too many peach colored Korean chrysanthemums. Hey, I’ll share!

I’ll explain how to do the easy ones first. Creepy crawlies like the mints are the simplest. Not just mint julep mint, there are all kinds in that family and a snap to recognize once you know the secret. Mints have square stems. That’s all, just twiddle the stem between your fingers, and if it is square – you got it! Mints will increase all by themselves, to divide: dig up a bit and plotz it in its new home. Water and there it is. The only thing to remember is not to plant it in a sand dune. Pick a wet-ish spot and get out of the way. Monarda (Bee Balm) responds well to this.

If the plant is mint like, yet only has one main stem, it will probably respond to your Granny’s glass of water treatment. Cut a stem off, strip the lower leaves, stick it in a glass of water placed in front of the kitchen window. After a month or so rootlets will work their way out from where the leaves were joined to the stem, as long as the leaves on top are still lively there are possibilities. I say put it in the kitchen because you are more likely to keep the water topped up if you can see it. When it has a good set of rootlets pot it up and keep it in the same spot to help it get over the shock of being in a soil-less medium. When baby starts pushing new leaves – you have a new plant.

There are other plants that are either mint family of have a similar habit. The type where lots of little stems come from the base, like spines from a hedgehog. Ornamental minty ones are catmint and calamint. Both catmint and calamint are pretty tightly matted into clumps. You may have to dig it up and slice or saw it into bits. As long as roots are attached and it doesn’t dry out, that bit will grow.

Equally desirable are thyme, true geraniums (the red window box fillers are Pelargoniums -you can’t make this stuff up) , hosta, hellebore, some ferns, daylilies and phlox. If you are nervous about messing with one of these, dig out the clump, dump it onto some newspaper on a shaded picnic table or anywhere you can sit comfortably. The shade is to keep the plants from drying out and the newspaper is to keep you from losing sections. OK, look at what you’ve got, wiggle your fingers between the stems see if they want to come apart easily or need some persuasion. If your desire is great and the pieces are small you might want to pot them up for a couple of weeks for a chance to regain their strength. Else wise replant immediately and water vigilantly for at least a month, longer if it is high summer.

Grasses, large or small, are more of the same. The two major differences are: it should only be done in spring and after the big ones have been cut back. Not that it would hurt them…but it would be difficult. The other difference is that it can sometimes take big men and much violence to divide a large grass.

Then there are the small grass-like things sedge, lirope, and mondo grass. I have found both the sedges and lirope hard to divide. It is tough to even get them out of the ground to hack at them. Which is what makes them really, really good ground covers. Add to that that they are not touched by deer and never have to be mowed….. Watch out for Lirope spicata though, it is as aggressive as a salesman.

Last, but never least are the daisy family (Asteraceae or Compositae).

Korean chrysanthemums blooming in November

They range from the tiny calico aster though the giant sunflowers. Not all are

perennial, sadly sunflowers are not but asters are.

Crouch down and examine the base of the plant,

if there are tufts of greenery sprouting at the base you have a candidate for division.

But wait! Only in the spring.

I don’t know exactly why but I do know you will be faced with a dis-aster

if you try to move them at any other time.

]]> http://sagegardeners.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=496 0 http://sagegardeners.com/blog/?p=490 http://sagegardeners.com/blog/?p=490#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:24:01 +0000 admin http://sagegardeners.com/blog/?p=490

Damaged core in a crabapple

A disaster can be an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Snow before Halloween? What a mess, misery for so many. Weeks of clean up. Quite a few of us took it as a word to the wise and bought a generator. Good for us, learning from our mistakes, seeing our weak points.
As always, the first trees to split were the Bradford Pears. Bless our good intentions. The Bradfords are beautiful, shiny, lollipop trees. So tidy looking. So weak, so inclined to split. The bouquet of branches that makes them so symmetrical is also their weakness (wouldn’t you know it). That is right where they come apart. I guess the bouquet effect was not such a great idea. Pretty though…for a while.
We lost a lovely Redbud. It snapped right above the point where it had been staked. Something to think about. A whole ‘nother conversation: to stake or not to stake?
Surprisingly a section the top of a Hop Hornbeam tore away. This is one of the toughest trees around. The post mortem revealed a line of woodpecker holes right below the first branch division. Hmmmmm. Something was not right. The woodpecker was looking for bugs, obviously found and extracted bugs, why were there bugs? Must have been taking advantage of a weak point. Must have been some weak point to afflict a hornbeam. Maybe, like a Bradford pear, it had something to do with the way the branches joined the trunk. They did form kind of a tight V where water would collect. Oh, my. Live and learn. Exeunt one hornbeam. Enter a new player. That’s going to take some research.
Perhaps I should put an ad in the paper; Wanted: a small single trunked tree, of genial disposition, accustomed to heat and drought. Must play well with others.
It was pretty obvious what happened to the Virginia magnolia. There had been some damage ten years ago to a lower branch. It looked fine for quite a while. On the outside, on the inside not so much. That took a chainsaw to tidy up.
We were not surprised when the crape myrtle lost a couple of trunks. That tree was not designed to take a load of snow while in full leaf. That’s evergreen’s strong point. That’s OK, stuff happens.
The take away message for us was to finish putting snow guards up on the roof. Insurance against more smashed shrubbery.
Speaking of learning from past mistakes …I should think it would be cheaper in the long run to maintain the trees along the power lines than it would be to scurry around during a storm propping up the un-prop-able. A chair with only two legs isn’t stable nor is a tree with a big hole cut out of the middle. If a really big tree is in the right-of-way, take it out and plant something naturally short, like a dogwood. There are tons of native trees without lofty ambitions that would be just the thing.
Mutter, mutter, even a child, mutter, tower of blocks, mutter, knows better.

The allergies left me with altogether too much time to think while grumbling at the wizard weeds and pitiful peonies in the garden. Doing research is always more productive than taking potshots at boxes of tissues and my first target was the EPA.

Bulls-eye: EPA releases report examining climate change’s effects on aeroallergens: http://www.epa.gov/ord/gems/scinews_aeroallergens.html. “Aeroallergens such as dust, ragweed, pollen, and mold impact half of all Americans, and treatment for allergies in the U.S. costs $21 billion annually. What most Americans probably don’t know is that climate change may increase production and dispersion of airborne allergens….” Oh joy!

Reading further: “Increases in temperature, carbon dioxide (CO2), and precipitation tend to favor the proliferation of weedy plant species that are known producers of allergenic pollen.  Higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere act as a fertilizer for plant growth. Warmer temperatures and increased precipitation cause some plants to grow faster, bloom earlier, and produce more pollen. Temperature changes are expected to alter allergy seasons to begin earlier and last longer and the distribution of allergenic plant varieties to change over time…..” More joy!

And the frosting on my cupcake: “Recent scientific studies also suggest that climate-related temperature changes are expected to increase the potency of airborne allergens. Such changes increase the concentration of pollen in the air, the length of the allergy season and the strength of airborne allergens, and associated increases in allergy symptoms…..”

OK, a little positive effort here. Throw a little energy into getting rid of some of the CO_2.

Check out the options http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/co2.html. Plant some trees.

A Buck in all his glory

An E for effort, and foiled again. I’ve been bucked. I do wish Bambi would take his personal life elsewhere. I understand the part about the antlers growing in all covered in velvet, which then itches like crazy and Bambi goes a little nuts rubbing the velvet off. I understand all that. So I planted my pretty new trees (all part of my anti CO₂ effort, or so I tell myself) after that velvet was gone.

Unfortunately the buck had a different agenda. An X rated agenda, his own personal advertising campaign. All of which involved my pretty new trees. And scent glands. On the forehead, the hind legs, and other things. For a more detailed explanation see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_deer in the section under Marking.

Ultimately the scent marking entailed thrashing the young branches to shreds. The trees may or may not come back in the spring.

Meanwhile, occasionally the ragweed pollen gets knocked out by another rainstorm http://www.wunderground.com/DisplayPollen.asp?Zipcode=08558

and I can get busy with the fall chores.

After a rain, no thoughts about pollen.

Like moving the peonies off of center stage.

Because I suspect summers will continue to be ugly and some plants will be just as miserable as we are.

What about farm shares, and farmer’s markets?

Like every other gardening question the answer is: it depends.

I’m particularly fond of fancy lettuces in the spring, the kind that don’t ship well. Trout Back, Black Seeded Simpson, Oakleaf. The fine French fillet beans are a joy as are snap peas. I would have a garden just for the lettuces. That and tomatoes, the kind I like and not for $2.50 a lb. Those things make a garden worth it for me.

My kind of tomato, Granadero

The only thing that is free about a vegetable garden is the open house it provides for deer and woodchucks. Your backaches are not free, neither is your sweat. The bug bites are a bonus.

That segues right into fencing, which is also not free. At least something that is effective. A boy with a slingshot used to work fairly well, but I suspect both the slingshot and and the effect it has on deer are illegal now. Boys aren’t free either. Check with the Belle Mead Co-op for what is most effective this year. (http://www.bellemeadcoop.com/ )The co-op’s policy is to source most of its plants, materials and grains locally. Buy local!

If you prorate your costs over ten or twenty years the outlay becomes a little easier to swallow and your sweat equity increases the value of your garden. Not only that but every bit of experience you gain makes you a better gardener which in turn makes for a more productive garden.

I often been asked how I do what I do…easy, I’ve been making mistakes for fifty years and smart enough to learn from them.

On the other hand buying farm shares will let someone else sweat the details….and make all the choices. The selection one week may be between a whole bunch of stuff you’ve never heard of and things you can’t stand. Both Griggstown Farm CSA (http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M27311) or the Honey Brook Farm CSA (http://honeybrookorganicfarm.com/about/about-the-watershed/) which is part of Stony Brook Watershed Organization are local. A few suggestions: Honey Brook has been running longer and has more land than the Griggstown CSA and therefore has a wider selection of produce and fruit. It takes time to get those berry bushes to any size. Secondly, Honey Brook shares sell out in January, and I suspect Griggstown is not far behind. Finally, start small; get a half share the first year until you see how it agrees with your family.

As I said, it depends. If you have a large family and are good at dealing with and storing thirty pounds of very good carrots, sign up for a CSA. If you like schmoozing with local farmers and don’t need tons of vegetables -then a farmer’s market is the way to go. Or if you know what you like and have the room for a garden– go for it.

Unfortunately, the ideal conditions for displaying vegetables are difficult to find in the middle of summer. The veggies at both Farmer’s Markets and CSAs can look the worse for wear after ten am.

There used to be a fun, if funky, covered market in Hillsborough. I don’t think we need the funk here but I do miss Shimmy’s barrels of pickles and sauerkraut.

Piquante DIY condiments

I guess, bottom line, what I am really suggesting for is a covered community farm market. No bugs allowed. To be a permanent feature of Montgomery Township it would have to be a real part of the community.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a venue where local crafts people could display their wares and farmers could sell produce? Pretty old fashioned, huh? But then again, so am I.

Like an old friend the most necessary equipment is neither shiny nor glamorous but well worn and suited to your hand.

My most reached for tool is my nippers, they are small and fit my hand perfectly; so indispensable do I find them that I would rather ignore the holes they have poked in all my pockets than carry them any other way. I’ve had them so long I don’t remember where I got them.

Next there is a narrow trowel, made by Corona, creating perfect openings for annuals and vegetable seedlings. Works pretty well too for stirring up the soil before I rake out small weeds with my fingers. Fingernails – what fingernails? How can you tease out fine weed roots wearing gloves?

Then the dandelion and dock digger, only really successful when the soil is moist; still quite satisfying as a weapon to stab offending weeds. Take that, you bugger! The Belle Mead Co-Op has a decent selection of the kind of hand tools I like.

Tools In The Garden

For more serious work there is my Dutch perennial spade, meant to be used while kneeling, super useful both for planting and unearthing bulbs to be moved. The Sneeboer Perennial Spade is available from http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/

Daffodils are the most obvious target, and they rather take to being moved. As soon as they look crowded – or as soon as there is more than one set of leaves – hoick them out with a digging fork or perennial spade, drag them apart and replant them about the same depth as they were. An established clump of daffs can yield over a hundred bulbs. Unless you paid a fortune for each bulb there is no need to be nice about it.

Snowdrops can be shifted even while they are blooming – which allows you the gauge the the effect. Tulips and crocuses not so much, they don’t seem to increase as quickly as daffodils and it is more effective just to buy more.

I’ve used a kneeling stool for several years, one of the best things about them is that you can flip them over for as-you-go seating. The older you are the more often you need to pause and admire your handiwork. The great disadvantage to the design is that you are kneeling almost four inches above ground level which is an additional four inches you have to bend to get at ground level weeds. This and other gardener friendly tools are available from http://www.gardeners.com/.

My super find of the year is a ground level kneeler with the same handy get-you-up-again handles vital for both desk jockeys and extreme gardeners. The pad on the kneeling part is designed (supposedly) to support your weight either on your knees or shins; an excellent idea but more padding might work even better. This is available through the Lee Valley paper catalog, I didn’t see it on line – but that is what customer service is for, isn’t it. Contact information is on the web site for wttp://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/. Check it out anyway, they have some serious high end tools, excellent for presents for the gardeners you love.

More goodies are on display in http://www.duluthtrading.com/ . An innovative company that deals in work clothing beyond the usual; of especial interest to me is the section devoted to real women, with real women as models: landscapers, farmers and veterinarians. These are the duds that stand up to abuse, the shirts have coverage even if you are wrestling with a reluctant calf, the vests have pockets for tools and the pants will not fail.

When you finally drag yourself back in the house after an afternoon digging dock or cleaning stalls there is Duluth’s pump action gallon of Goop biodegradable hand cleaner and No-Crack hand cream (I think the large size also comes with a pump dispenser).

Hurry, hurry, because summer’s for relaxing and picking vegetables and barbeques, spring and fall are for getting down and dirty in the garden.

More systematic gardeners never leave home without pruners in a holster on their belt – and they reach for those pruners as predictably as guys at a restaurant reach for their wallets.

However you do it (though there are preferred seasons to prune) the rule is: prune when your shears are sharp. In other words, if you are there and you see that it needs doing, do it. Of course there are exceptions, mostly among fruit trees and vines, but a judicious snip here or there to head back a wayward branch won’t kill anything.

So, nippers in hand, take a walk around your garden. Keep in mind that as this year’s leaves mature they will weigh branches down further. Look for branches that are eye height, ranging from a six-footer to your dog’s level. Don’t worry about the cats, they like weaving in and out of the low bits.

While you are there, look for bits of green sprouting from the main trunk – these are branches waiting to happen. Just run your hand over them, presto! All gone.

If you don’t want to confess to having wasted an entire afternoon puttering and muttering in the garden it can be said that you were searching out adventitious buds. Time well spent!

Before you get into any trouble with pruning saws and brand new lopping shears get a copy of Lee Reich’s ‘The Pruning Book’ published by Timber Press. For a gardener that book is as valuable as a dictionary –either on line or hard cover.

Fine Gardening Magazine’s online presence http://www.finegardening.com/ has some incredible videos on dividing perennials, Lee Reich on pruning tomatoes and the best how-to on pruning hydrangeas I’ve seen.

There is further information online on Lee Reich. Amazon carries nine of his books as does Barnes and Noble, and his website is delightful.

Which led me to one of DigIt online magazine’s life garden articles http://www.dig-itmag.com/features/lifegarden_story/312_0_6_0_M/. Very nice resource for New Jersey gardeners based in Augusta NJ.

Martha Stewart had few insights, more to do with harvesting and preparing the fruits of your garden. Her advice on soil prep for vegetable gardens was quite different than that offered by Lee Reich; I follow Reich’s precepts because of his in depth knowledge. Martha’s gardens sure are pretty though.

Horticulture magazine didn’t have much to offer on pruning.

What they did have was a series of amusing articles by

Amanda Thomsen,

http://www.hortmag.com/category/blogs/kiss-my-aster.

The mid-April article was on gardening while very pregnant.

Takes all kinds of puttering to make a garden,

and we are all the better for it.