Sun and Shadows in the Garden

The morning sun is such a welcome friend. I watch the rays stretch into the garden while brewing my morning cup of coffee. Which by the way was the plan from the start of this area of my landscape.

We often get all caught up in the beauty of a particular plant, or bloom or single characteristic of a tree or shrub, but a good master plan for the landscape considers what sun and shadows will offer the landscape when the garden is complete and mature.

You need to consider exposures of the sun when you design your garden or landscape. Where will the sun be and where will you be viewing the garden from? What will happen to the landscape when the trees have matured? Will the sun still shine through? Do you need or want it to? And what about the different seasons? What will your landscape offer when it's the dead of winter here in New England?

This is the Eastern border of my landscape, the towering white pines are quite large now and yet sun is still stretching through them. The shadows the pines cast are an art form and light show in themselves. On this particular morning there was a light misty fog in the air that was just lifting, providing the view of the sun's rays bouncing into the blue spruce. I had hoped when we planted the spruce next to the perennial garden nearly 18 years ago that this might be the finished product. I got lucky. Nature didn't hamper the plan with its own obstacles nor did the neighbor on their property next door.

Imagine the above photo without the 3 blue spruce, it would not have nearly the same effect. And the dwarf alberta spruce also has an impact on the image. They frame the rays of the sun. I'm no expert or even a novice on photography, but when I see an image that has an impact on me I research what it takes to reproduce it or create one with the same effect. Often the imperfections of the garden or landscape are just a gem not discovered. The tall pines have lost many of their lower branches in our New England winter ice storms, the blue spruce have thinned at their bases and the lawn, well it's always having some sort of issue, and yet, on this morning it all came together and harmonized into the perfect morning lightscape.

So, next time you're thinking about adding to your garden or landscape or removing from the landscape, stop and think about what it may mean to the 'big picture'. You can have a lot of fun with sun and shade in your gardens and landscape, so remember to think about them when you're designing or having someone do a design for you.


Truly a morning dance by nature! Enjoy!

What's Eating My Plants!

Oh the joys of summer gardening! Yes they are here. Those pesky pests! And, they are voracious consumers of our prized plants.

Japanese Beetles! These little machines feed on nearly 300 species of plants as adults!

So What To Do...
Well there are many styles of dealing with this particular critter. But.. the best practice is to prevent them from a life cycle in your lawn. If you deal with them in their larvae stage of life you will have fewer to trap or kill as adults. The eggs are laid in the soil and overwinter as larvae below the frost line. They produce 1 generation per yer. The larvae are called 'grubs' , a white C shaped image that is quite repulsive when you see them. If you have dead brown spots on your lawn, you may have had grubs in there eating the roots as they transformed into the flying beetle adult form. If your lawn peels back like a rug, you should check for grub infestation. Grubs can be controlled thru lawn care at the appropriate time of the season. There are many products out there to apply, but I would suggest you use those that are the most earth and human friendly. GardensAlive is a great place to find information and products you can purchase that are safe for you and your environment. Be aware that these little darlings can fly up to 5 miles to find a choice meal, so if your neighbor has them, you will have them too!

Dealing with the Japanese Beetle as an adult is much more challenging. Pheromone traps are really only useful in finding out when they've arrived, so please don't put one in your garden! You may as well post a sign that says 'Good Food Here!'. I actually do not use the traps. Part of good IPM practice is to visit your garden daily and spot problems early, like the arrival of the Japanese Beetle. I carry along a large open plastic bowl 1/3 full with water and dish soap on top that I drop these little pests into as I find them in the garden. It's quite simple, if you prefer not to 'touch' them (sometimes I just squish em with my fingers), just place the bowl near the area of the plant you've found them in, jiggle the plant and they will fall into the deadly soup. The dish soap keeps them from crawling out and eventually they will drown. I do this early in the morning before they become too active.

Some birds like to eat them, so attract birds to your property with housing, food and water for them. To mention a few: Cardinals, Robins, and Sparrows will feed on the adults, Starlings and Crows will feed on the larvae.

Choosing plants not preferred by the beetle will help if you just can't deal with them. Personally, I'm not willing to give up the beauty of a rose just because of this little critter. Persistence and good garden and lawn practices will help keep them under control and allow you to enjoy your landscape and all it has to offer.

UMASS and USDA have great fact sheets with information on the Popillia japonica pest we all love to hate.

Summer Color in the Garden

"There is no blue without yellow and without orange." --Vincent Van Gogh

and what an orange this Hemerocallis is. This one's name is 'Orange Crush' just like the soda pop you may be enjoying during the hot days of summer. For those of you who dislike the commonly seen naturalized roadside sweeps of orange daylilies this may be the choice for you.

This one is planted next to a Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon) 'Blue Satin'; a striking combination as they bloom at the same time.

July is what I call day lily month, yet you can plant early, mid and late bloomers that get you from June to the end of August quite nicely.

Hemerocallis in Greek means day beauty. Each blossom does only last a single day which is why they are named as such. A good site to take a look at all these beauties is the American Hemerocallis Society website. Each year the list grows as new cultivars are introduced. Anyone can grow a new cultivar and submit it for registration thru the society. It can become quite a pastime er...obsession.

We have a lovely provider of hemerocallis here in Masssachusetts. They actually dig your plant after you've chosen your prize to take home. On my first visit it was quite a surreal experience as I chose to go at peak bloom time, which you can call ahead or visit the website to find out when that is. If you want to know what it feels like to walk thru what seems to be a European masterpiece of art, visit R. Seawright gardens in Carlisle Ma. Bob and Love Seawright are extremely knowledgeable and willing to help you find that perfect day lily!

Be aware of day lily rust and how to recognize it, its a good idea to select cultivars that are resistant to this disease. Cornell has a nice easy to understand description and best practices for dealing with it. I have not had any problems to date with it and I've been growing day lily cultivars in my gardens for over 16 years. Day lilies are a great plant to add color to your garden, they come in just about every color you can imagine, are easy to maintain and in a few years offer clumps large enough to dig and share with others.

Oh and did I mention I often see butterflies visiting day lilies? They twit and flutter from clump to clump while I sit and watch peacefully from my stump :)

Happy 4th of July!

Did you know there is a Rhododendron maximum named Independence? It was discovered and propagated right here in Massachusetts. It flowers late June into early July during the 4 of July, hence the name. You can find out more about it at the Syringa Plus nursery website (where the gentleman involved in propagating this plant can be visited still today!)
http://www.syringaplus.com/independence.htm

Did you know our Statue of Liberty will receive guests at her crown today for the first time since 911. This is a very good day!

I will look for more flags flying at peoples home fronts as I walk and drive today. And there will hopefully be those welcoming patio and entry containers all planted up with red, white and blue blossoming annuals accented with tiny american flags in the center or on each side of the container.

Ah, yes, its the 4th of July! And even with all the rain we've had here in New England these last 2 months, the garden still offers its own fireworks display. Astilbes are standing full and proud like our American soldiers and Stella d'oro's offer their lovely blooms and skirted foliage like the bride waiting for her soldier to return home from his duty at war. The Spireas are now in full bloom without a hint that they've been barraged with heavy rains for several weeks, like our soldiers ships and planes assisting them in battle.

Not that war is something I prefer to talk about, but we are fighting a war, whether I'd choose we do so or not, I do support our troops who are sacrificing so much. I hope you will remember them today and salute our flag in their honor.

You can view our Statue of Liberty via web cam at this link, visit and say hello to lady liberty.
http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/statueofliberty/

Its Independence Day and the sun is shining and I can hear the birds singing again.
The BBQ grill stands waiting for activity later in the day and the patio cushions are drying and the tiki torches are citronella filled, the lawn is ready for games and the cooler ready for some picnic cheer! So get out your blanket and basket and enjoy the Independence this day is all about. Remember our troops everyday but especially today, they are not at the beach having a picnic with loved ones, they are dreaming and hoping that next year they will spend their 4th of July as you have the opportunity to spend yours today.

As you can see, gardening and horticulture is about oh so much more than the dirt and green of it all, its also about things of the spirit, heart and mind. Oh yes we can always talk about plants, but there is alot more to it than that. There is a connection, a network, we use with the language and life of plants, an amazing energy that flows to and from all who listen and watch. Today I give thanks for the opportunity our country offers to all, and I give thanks to those who commit to our military services to keep us safe and strong. So again I say stop and smell the roses, there will always be the 'to do' lists in life, but just remember to keep the ones like these on the list too!

Happy 4th of July America!