Hydrangea Annabelle Finally Coming of Age

I first received this plant in May 2008. It was hard to believe that such a little slip of a plant had the potential of becoming such a beautiful large shrub.

Hydrangea Annabelle Hydrangea arborescens

It has taken three years to get its first blooms. Now, finally, the long awaited moment is upon us. Hydrangea Annabelle’s first blooms. Well, almost. Okay, maybe I'm pushing it just a bit. I feel like this photo is one of those scanner pictures that baby doctors take of expectant mothers. A baby in the womb sort of thing. But I just know its gonna be big, really big. These little buds can get up to 12" across. This thing is, what, maybe 1" across.

First bloom?

Anyway, this plant is pretty rare around Utah. At least to me it is. In all my travels throughout this state I have found but a handful. I was beginning to think it would be too much trouble to get it to grow here, much less get it to bloom.

The shrub is a remnant of a memory from my childhood. My grandmother had one of these proudly displayed in her front yard. I remember walking up the pathway to her front door and this thing just about covered the whole front porch. And the fragrance was heaven. This one is sitting right next to our back deck and I simply cannot wait to get a whiff of it when we are sitting out there eating supper or just relaxing.

I've actually tried growing two other hydrangea at this house and neither made it past the first winter. I'm either getting better at prepping the planting hole or my luck is simply changing. Either way I was ecstatic when  I saw these blooms forming.

Any day now I'm going to look over the deck railing and see this starring back at me:

This photo comes from www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com

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Winter Interest in Cold Climate

It’s days like this that make me miss ANY warm day. I do appreciate seeing snow on the ground. . . on a mountain top. . . off in the distance. . . way far off in the distance.

As children, we loved snow for all the good things it brought to us. Building snowmen, snow angels, snow forts, and especially for that most awesome of bonuses: “Schools are Closed!”

A monochrome landscape can have its appeal, but these days, as a home owner and more importantly a gardener, I am desperate for something green. . . and yellow. . . and blue. . . and red.

What I need are shrubs all dressed up in bright red during the winter. The first ones that come to mind are Cornus sanguinea ‘bloodtwig’, or Cornus sericea ‘redtwig’. Both are dogwoods but I hear they are part of an ongoing identity crisis. Scientifically, they are all called Cornus sericea, although the name Cornus stolonifera is currently in use too. No matter which name the experts finally end up calling them, just ask for the shrubs with the red winter stems and chances are you will be pointed to one of these.

I don’t have any real winter-interest plants in my yard, but I have vowed to change this and so began researching the possibilities. I was not prepared for the variety or all the other considerations. There’s a lot more than just dogwood out there!

There are plants with interesting branching patterns that will make great winter silhouettes. Placing lights under plants can increase their impact. Branches that catch the snow, shrubs with colorful berries that attract birds, or evergreens with varying colors all can be very exciting in winter. Trees and shrubs with bark of silvery gray, white, green, red, smooth, or pocked by a peeling surface are always a plus. Even those common dogwoods can vary from bright red to yellow, purple or green.

One type of plant I crave to find a place for in my yard is ornamental grasses. I never truly considered them for winter-interest but it turns out that’s another bonus for having them. If you don’t cut them down in the fall they can have a huge winter impact. The golden wheat color usually associated with dried up grasses along with tall thin shafts topped with fluffy seed heads can stand out dramatically against a dark evergreen background.

It seems almost every plant in your garden can in some way provide some level of winter interest, but the most promising ones I have found so far are:

TREES: pretty much any tree with some height to it or twisting interlacing branches; look around after a snow storm and notice which ones catch your attention. Notice the contrasting black of the limbs and the bright clean white of the snow. And if those trees have shredding or multi-colored bark, like Paperbark maple, river birch, shagbark hickory, sycamore, lacebark elm, sweetgum, cherry, Japanese tree lilac, then even better.

SHRUBS: Hydrangeas, sumac (Rhus glabra), summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), firethorn (Pyracantha), button bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa), viburnums, American cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum), red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), rugosa roses, firethorn (Pyracantha), red stem dogwood (Cornus sericea), yellow twig dogwood (Cornus serivea 'Flaviramea'), burning bush (Euonymus alatus), glossy abelia (Abelia x grandflora), boxwood (Buxus species), euonymus (euonymus fortunei), Aaronsbeard St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum), American holly (Ilex opaca), Oregon holly grape (Mahonia aquifolium), sweetspire (Itea virginica), deutzia (Deutzia gracilis ‘Nikko’), Cotoneaster Coral Beauty, Magic Carpet Spiraea, Leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei), Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa), witch-hazel (Hamamelis sp.) and Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia).

PERENNIALS: 'Autumn Joy' sedum, yarrow, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum'), Echinacea, caryopteris, Nandina Dwarf Firepower, winter clematis, (Clematis cirrhosa), Wintercreeper (Euonymous fortunei), Cyclamen coum, Lenton Rose (Hellebores orientalis), Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa atropurpurea), winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum). Leaving perennials uncut over the winter can also provide seeds for the birds and rodents.

GRASSES: Pampas grass (Erianthus ravennae), dwarf maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio'), red switch grass (Panicum virgatum 'Shenadoah'), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea ‘Variegata’), Karl Foerster Grass, Miscanthus Adagio Grass

EVERGREENS & CONIFERS: Spruce, pines, junipers and yews come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. A more unusual evergreen would be Sawara false cypress, Yuccas, Junipers and the burgundy-leaved Loropetalums.

Woody plants with interesting fruit also help feed wildlife: Chokeberry, holly, crabapple, sumac, roses, viburnum, Cotoneaster Coral Beauty, Wintercreeper Purple or wintercreeper euonymus (Euonymus fortunei) , Firethorn (Pyracantha sp.)

Plants with interesting dried flowers: Black alder, catalpa, red bud, honeylocust, sycamore, Japanese pagoda tree, linden.

Look around your neighborhood and then visit your garden center in winter to see what is blooming, anything interesting, write it down and plant it at the best time.

More to come as I find them.

Oh, and if you need any extra encouragement to add some color and texture to your winter garden, just remember that landscaping can add 10 to 40 percent to the value of your home. But hey, we don’t care about money, right? :)    Enjoy.

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Should we fertilize shrubs in the Fall?

The one thing that is constantly on my mind, where gardening is concerned, is feeding. Am I feeding my plants enough, am I over-feeding? Plants can’t tell me when they need to be fed. Oh sure, there are the usual signs that they are not getting enough, such as, drooping, discolored leaves and lackluster flowering. But by the time plants are displaying these dismal cries of starvation they are already stressing.

I want to have a plan that will provide all the nourishment my garden needs without over feeding or waiting for these obvious signs, which also stress me.

While I ponder this seemingly unanswerable problem of achieving the proper balance, I see ads from nurseries promoting fall fertilization. I never considered that anything should be fed this late in the season. Apparently, I have been remiss in my shrubbery duties. Being the skeptic that I am, I can’t help being a little leery of this latest bit of advice from someone who sells things for a living, because I am sure they want to get rid of any overstock they may have before winter sets in. Secretly though, I do believe they don’t want to give out bad advice, it just wouldn’t be in their interest to do so. Skepticism dies hard.

So, after searching for a solution to this constant source of a headache, I have learned that, yes, you should feed woody plants, such as shrubs and trees. But, and there is always a but, right, timing is very important.

Keeping in mind that fertilizing produces new growth, and that tender growth spurting forth just as frost is about to hit us and would therefore threaten the very life of the plant, feeding has to take place at just the right time. Of course, this timing will vary by region, but application of a fertilizer specifically made for shrubs and trees should be applied when three conditions are met: all new growth has ceased, daytime temperatures have begun to moderate and the soil holds adequate moisture. In other words, when plants seem to have given up producing anything new and just want to take a vacation from providing us with their beautiful foliage and flowers, day/night temperatures are staying fairly constant each day and are low enough that you have switched from wearing shorts to wearing long pants and a sweater when out in the garden, and there is no longer competition with the hot sun to evaporate every drop of water you are painstakingly pouring onto your garden. As a rule of thumb, about two to three weeks before your average first frost date, which, in my case, is about four or five weeks into football season.

One of the old time, and still very valid, rules of gardening is that you feed the soil and the plants will fend for themselves. The kingpin in making this rule work is, of course, compost. You can use your favorite designer chemical fertilizer, but compost is the very best way to go. There are many wonderful websites and blogs covering how to make compost, and truly, all of us throw stuff out everyday that could go into making a compost pile, large or small. Once you get one going you will be absolutely surprised at how easy it is to maintain a compost pile.

There is no such thing as bad compost. Except, of course, for toxic or nuclear waste, or if it is really, really so smelly that your neighbors complain about being in the same neighborhood with it. But aside from those easily avoidable situations, compost is king.

In nature, shrubs and trees are constantly nourished by the natural cycle of falling leaves and the soil micro organism activity that this natural compost supports. If you just keep this in mind and try to duplicate it on the very small scale that is your garden, you should do just fine. Shred the leaves from your trees, or talk your neighbors into giving theirs to you by convincing them that using them will help keep the smell down from your compost, and sprinkle them over your garden or, better yet, add them to your compost and sprinkle that over your garden.

So, for one final time of the year, feed your woody shrubs to nourish the root growth that is taking place to store reserves for next years growth. Your shrubs will have better foliar color, larger leaf size, and superior growth next year.

As always, be part of the solution and remember the future.

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Know your plants habits

Getting enough information on plants requires some work. You don’t ever want to purchase a plant based solely on what one source tells you.

Luckily, I have not yet put a plant in my garden that is aggressive enough that I have to give it more attention than anything else in preventing it from taking over its neighbors. Mint is like this. I know mint is an aggressive spreader and therefore it is only grown in containers. If I want to place it in the open garden, I will simply cut a hole in the bottom of the container and plant it, still in the container, in the ground.

I don’t know enough about all plants to know their aggressiveness and potential for crowding out everything around them. I don’t know which plants demand the extra attention required to keep them in bounds.

In researching for vines to cover up my ugly chain link fence, and my neighbors uglier habit of piling junk in his yard, I am learning that it is very difficult to get enough information to make an informed decision. I am not going to name websites that fall short of giving enough information, it is virtually all of them, but when I was gathering information on what vine will fulfill my need, I would find that a flowery description on one site was countered on another site by learning the plant was considered invasive, or poisonous.

I don’t want invasive or poisonous plants in my yard. I don’t want to have to take the extra time to fuss over one plant to keep it in bounds and I don’t want them creating friction with my non-gardening neighbors by giving them something to cut back several times a year.

Maybe it is just the nature of vines and I should learn to have to deal with it, the same goes for shrubs. But I believe that if a site is going to play up the virtues of a given plant, they should also tell you of its bad points, like being on a list of invasive plants. Knowing whether or not the plant is poisonous is a major plus for children and pets.

Here is a prime example of how one site describes Akebia quinata (Chocolate vine) as a beautiful, fast growing vine that produces spicy scented, brownish-purple blossoms that hang like pendants. The vine sounds like exactly what I want. But upon further investigation I learn, from another site, that this woody perennial plant, that can be grown as a twining vine or a groundcover, forms dense growth that crowds out native plants. Now the attractiveness of this vine is beginning to fade. It is reported as invasive in six states. The site lists it as found in 16 eastern U.S. states, while on the original site, where I first found it, I am told it grows in my USDA growing zone. I am in Utah (not an eastern state, for those of you who are geographically challenged). This plant, I am told, naturalizes in warmer climates, like mine. If I were to grow this plant here, I would be contributing to the spread of a highly invasive vine that grows up to 40 feet per growing season! I don’t want that on my conscience.

For a horror story concerning this particular plant see Just Another Pretty Face.

The bottom line is don’t trust everything you read, gather information from several sources and then make an informed decision.

In learning this lesson today, I vow that in the future, when I report any information on any given plant, I will try to present as much information as I can about that plant. I will try to find out if it is considered invasive, or poisonous, or only survives in eastern states. It was very disappointing to think that this plant would grow here and then to find out it is only found in the eastern U.S. and even further disappointing to learn it would have become a full time job trying to control it.

This is a case where USDA growing zones and lighting requirements can be misleading. I may have voiced this opinion before but I think it is worth repeating. Growing zone 5 in the western states is not the same as growing zone 5 in the eastern states.

My search for a colorful vine that has berries for the birds and flowers for beneficial insects and hummingbirds and is not invasive continues. Let the buyer beware!

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Winter garden watering

We are currently under a high wind advisory. This is not uncommon here in Utah. Pacific storms can throw a lot of nasty stuff at us. Southern California is experiencing very large amounts of moisture being dumped on them and this heavy rainfall creates a weather pattern that generates high winds across the western Utah and Nevada desert which means high winds for us.

Despite the fact that these high winds are the result of heavy rainfall, by the time we get these little blessings from Mother Nature, the wind is dry.

Too much dry wind can adversely affect plants that are not protected by mulch. Wicking action will dry out a plant pretty quickly, which brought up a question that I don’t know the answer to and probably won’t know until this summer. Do I need to water my outdoor plants in winter?

Everything has been mulched well with a blanket of bark chips and leaves to at least three inches thick. Plus, there is ten inches of snow on them, although this is temporary. Shrubs, however, are taller than the mulch cover so their branches are exposed to these dry, winter winds. Is plant moisture being sucked up away from their roots? I guess I would need to dig them up to know for sure. I doubt that I can do this, frozen ground being the serious obstacle it is to digging.

Beds on the south and west sides of the house, shed and fences are most at risk of drying out because of reflected heat. We get foggy mornings and heavy frost and I am sure they add some moisture, but I worry that it isn’t enough.

I really don’t want to start the spring growing season with stressed out plants. I want to do what I can to put these plants in a more favorable position to handle the dryness and heat that is already in store for them from the coming summer.

It seems really odd to me that there is such a thing as ‘winter drought’, but it is real and my research has shown me that winter drought conditions can lead to root injury or death. The worst part is that it could be happening right now without the plants showing any symptoms. According to my local county extension office I wouldn’t know until next season if the plants are dying. They may leaf out and flower just fine in the spring, relying on stored food reserves. Once that energy supply runs out plants weaken and start dying back. Even if a plant isn’t killed outright, it is made more susceptible to insect and disease attack.

With global warming rearing its ugly head, we can’t rely on receiving enough snow cover to protect our plants so it is becoming increasingly more important to mulch well. Shade trees with shallow root systems are especially susceptible to drying out. This includes Norway maple, silver maple, linden, Colorado blue spruce, Norway spruce, and many other evergreens. Shrubs are also vulnerable to winter drought damage, especially those growing up close to the house or in a warmer location. This includes junipers, Oregon grape-holly, and euonymus.

What I read is not encouraging for this year. Watering is supposed to be done when the air temperature is above 40F (some say 32F) with no snow cover and when the ground isn’t frozen. Yeah, right. Let’s see, that would be last month and two months from now. I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed.

Our clay soil holds water, sometimes a little too well, so this might be a blessing. If you have a more ‘perfect’ soil you should already have watered. Horticulturists used to say it was good practice to insure dormancy by drought stressing plants in the fall and thus decreasing the chance of winter injury. Research since then has indicated that the reverse is true. What you know yesterday may not be true today. Great, another stress point for the gardener.

If the soil can stay slightly moist down to about 12 to 18 inches then plants should fair well despite winter’s drying winds.

Be especially mindful of plants under the eaves of the house. I have noticed a strip about 18 inches wide around the house that is dry after a good rain that I thought was watering everything.

One thing to look for as a sign of moisture loss is cracked soil where roots can become exposed. If you see this condition add some soil to fill in the cracks and add about three inches of mulch and then water, if the temperature is right. You don’t want to water late in the day when night time temperatures could freeze the water directly against the plant base causing more damage. Water early in the day so it has a chance to drain away.

Best methods for watering include: twin-eye or frog-eye sprinkler, deep-root fork or needle, soaker hose or soft spray wand. Give plants a good, deep drink of water letting the water run for 20 to 30 minutes in each area, then move to achieve good overlap. For trees, as a general survival rule, apply 10 gallons of water for each diameter inch of the tree. For example, a two-inch diameter tree, needs 20 gallons per watering.

Newly planted shrubs require more water than established shrubs that have been planted for at least one year. Assuming shrubs are mulched, apply 5 gallons two times per month for a newly planted shrub. Small established shrubs (less than 3 feet tall) should receive 5 gallons monthly. Large established shrubs (more than 6 feet) require 18 gallons on a monthly basis. Decrease amounts to account for precipitation. Water within the dripline of the shrub and around the base. Note: In dry winters, all shrubs benefit from winter watering from October through March.

So, the result of my research on the drying effects of winter winds tells me that it is important to mulch well, water deeply before the ground freezes, and I won’t know if my plants are okay until I see them growing or struggling this spring/summer. Life is full of surprises. Hopefully, this winter will be kind.

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Final fall cleanup?

I decided to try something different this year with my leaves. I have three fruit trees along the west side of the backyard and they drop a prodigious amount of leaves. The pile looks so nice and yellow and thick.

The rest of the yard doesn’t get any leaves on it unless there is a good wind. The last few years I have been raking the leaves onto the perennials beds, beds that I had not yet planted anything in waiting for the compost and mulch to breakdown in preparation for planting.

This year, I decided that since those beds have been planted and will get lots of mulch dumped on them after the ground freezes, I will share the wealth of those fruit tree leaves with the entire yard.

I raked all of the leaves over the entire yard and let them sit for a few days. No special reason for leaving them sit, I just didn’t feel like dragging the mower out until today. The weather gave Utah another beautiful, clear, 55F day and I, in my usual capricious manner, decided that today was the day for mowing. I find that as I get older I do things whenever I feel like it more so than when they have to be done. I am more or less within acceptable bounds as far as the proper timetable, but don’t count on me to do anything by a strict schedule, is all I am saying.

Now that the leaves had rested there a few days and it looked like they weren’t going to be blown away by the wind, I thought today would be a perfect day to follow through with my brilliant plan and put those leaves to work. The grass wasn’t really in need of mowing but that wasn’t why my intention. Besides this way I could run the gas out of the mower to get it ready for winter storage. I love it when I can do two or more things at once, thereby saving time. Ah, if only it would work out that way. If I timed it right the gas would run out at the exact moment when the last leaf was mulched. And if the mower just happened to be at the storage shed door when it happened, all the better. That kind of luck doesn’t usually come about easily so I wasn’t really counting on it.

The lawn looks nice now, all cleaned of leaf clutter. Of course, the next frost or gust of wind that comes along will sever the remaining leaves tenuous hold and another pile will be created. That pile I think will go to my pseudo-compost pile. There is still the apple tree, which hasn’t dropped any leaves yet. I guess it’s because it still has quite a few apples on it. But, I am sure that after all of the leaves have fallen and they are all sitting in their final resting place, only then will all of my fall chores finally be done.

Let’s see, I better double check my to do list...

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Looking for a few good shrubs

I still have some extra space to fill. Conventional wisdom says you should start any landscape with a good solid foundation, in the case of gardening that foundation is trees and shrubs. I have never found convention to pave the ‘sunniest’ path to happiness for me. Aside from the occasional vine, rose bush and raspberry cane, I have not broken through the three foot height barrier that most perennials live in. Now, I find it is time to reach a little higher into the stratosphere with shrubs. I have fruit trees that should satisfy my need for height, but somehow, the fact that they were a part of this landscape before I was does nothing to fulfill my need to grow a tree and a shrub.

I really should use drought tolerance as a major decision factor since we are undoubtedly heading for a warmer drier climate. That being said, I still want lush growth, fruit for the birds and/or flowers that attracts butterflies, hummers and bees and needs to have at least three seasons of color. Is that asking for too much?

The list of drought tolerant shrubs is fairly short and is usually lacking in at least two of what I consider desirable.

The only shrubs that come close are Butterfly Bush, Red-Osier Dogwood, Viburnum, Purple Beautyberry.


Butterfly Bush-I already have one, and I’m still waiting for the butterflies to come flocking to it. This one is Black Knight.

Red-Osier Dogwood, aka Red twig dogwood- a Utah native, very drought tolerant. The dark red branches make a nice winter accent. There are several varieties of dogwood available that will grow anywhere from 2 to 12 feet high. Beautiful in winter.

Viburnum Aurora-aka Korean Spice, 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, water need is listed as medium, whatever that means. blooms March-April, not much said about winter interest. Attracts birds and butterflies and is fragrant.

Viburnum Red Wing-aka Highbush Cranberry, 8’-10’ tall and wide, good fruiting and flowering

Purple Beautyberry-attracts bees, butterflies, birds, blooms mid0summer, 4’ to 6’ tall and wide, berries in fall, yellow or purplish autumn color.

All of these shrubs have lush growth and attracts wildlife. As far three seasons of color, well, I guess that is asking for too much. These five shrubs are all very nice looking shrubs for my zone 5 conditions and overall I’m pretty pleased with these.

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Never mow again.

Boy, those three words just painted the most wondrous image for me.

Imagine, a beautiful plant-filled ‘yard’ with meandering, shrub and flower-lined stone paths that lead from one welcome view to the next. If you saw the pictures of my backyard you would know I desperately need something to liven it up. It is just so bland and grass-filled right now. The edges are beginning to take shape, but the middle is where the real fun will be.

I have seen so many of everyone else’s yards in your blogs that are filled with plants and paths and I get to longing for my space to look as colorful as those.

I was reading the latest issue of Garden Gate magazine just today and found an article about this very topic. This particular article displays a yard in Colorado, same zone as mine, 5, but on the other side of the Rockies, and it looks like it would be idea for my place. Of course, being on this side of the mountains we tend to get a little drier so that would require a slight adjustment to my available plant options.

In trying to determine just where the paths should be laid out I am using my ‘daily’ trek to the bird feeders as a guide and they should be ‘indirect’ paths, of course.

And of course the path should continue on to the back shed, and then to the raspberry patch, and to the fruit trees lined up on the west side of the yard. and the raised vegetable beds at the very back.

I don’t think there’s a shortage of ideas as to why I ‘need’ a stone path. And then, there is the biggest reason of all. I don’t like to mow my lawn! And I would like the yard to be more…I don’t know, 3 dimensional! Not just north to south and east to west, I want it to go up too.

I envision lots of evergreen shrubs (in several shapes, sizes and shades of green), yarrow, daylilies, dianthus, salvia, lavender, roses, ornamental grasses. Take a breath. My mind is just swimming with possibilities. I’m mapping it out as I’m writing this trying to get as much down as I can.

My back yard covers just under 1,000 square feet so this is not going to happen by next year. I’ll have to figure out how to break it down into stages so it can slowly (and more affordably) get to where I want it.

I love planning and designing. This yard is the first where I have actually been able to put my plans into action. Because of my job, the one I retired from, I could never plan on staying in one place long enough to realize my designs. Finally, I’m going to get to see if those plans will actually come to fruition. So far my wife, family and neighbors like what they see. But it’s so small and new still. I am so exited.

Sometimes I think they all just tolerate my enthusiasm. But, I guess I do believe they like the changes so far.

Let’s see, this is going to require adjusting my irrigation plans. And if I can work out having some fragrant plants near the back deck…oh! See ya.

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Unfinished projects, part one

Here’s an area that really needs work. I choose this area first because this is going to be the most labor intensive to get under control.

This picture, dated September 2006, was taken two years after we moved in. I did not have a clear plan for the space, other than knowing I did not want this tree and all of its suckers.

When we first moved in this plum tree was a ‘huge’ shrub and I had no idea what it was. I asked the neighbors but they didn't know either. The suckers had grown so tall and thick that the trunk wasn’t visible. For size reference, the fence posts are set ten feet apart and this thing covered the fence from one post to the other.

Within a month of moving in I cut everything down except the main tree, the trunks you see here. After clearing it back a bit I began finding tell-tale ‘fruit’ on the ground that looked like plums. They were a 'dusty' purple and not very well developed (see next photo). I attributed the smallish size of the fruit to the tree not being well-cared for. Perhaps this variety just produces fruit smaller than the standard plum.




I began tossing lawn clippings on the area thinking the decomposition of it would help loosen up the heavy clay soil.

Here is what it looked like in April of this year, before the suckers and bindweed have come up.



I’m still putting grass clippings on it, along with composted steer manure and digging it in. I had come up with a plan to replace the tree with a couple of tall and wide Viburnum. I ordered the Viburnum, one 'Aurora' (white) and a 'Red Wing' thinking they would be tall enough and wide enough to cover this section of fence by next Spring. At that time I would cut down the plum tree and all of its suckers.

Viburnum 'Aurora' before...









and after...









and what it would have looked like if it had survived my ineptitude.








Viburnum 'Red Wing' before...










and after...









and what it would have looked like. Ah well, they would have been beautiful.









I think the lesson here is that just because they are considered 'hardy' shrubs for my area, doesn't mean they don't need to be protected from the hot sun. I did expose them to the sun gradually, following the typical transplanting routine, i.e., a few hours of sun the first day and increasing sun exposure each day for a week before putting them into their permanent place. And I did water them a lot, although on reflection, maybe not often enough.

Another lesson is to pay a little extra to buy larger shrubs that would probably have had a better chance of getting established.

I will buy two more viburnum, the same ones again, and this time they will make it and my plan will have to be adjusted. Such is a gardeners lot.

In the mean time, there are two Lilac's maturing here until they get big enough to move somewhere a little more permanent.



And two squash 'Hybrid Gentry' crook-necked.





And one more plant, Spirea 'Little Princess'.



The open space in the above photo is as of today. I still need to figure out what will look good in front of two large Viburnum. This is the most difficult yet most fun part of gardening, is trying to decide what to plant.

Good garden design says I need to repeat what I already have planted, but there is so much more out there to plant that I just can't bring myself to be limited by what I already have. And I have to consider bloom times so I can have color during every season.

Maybe some Chrysanthemums, Geraniums, Bee Balm, Lilac....

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Preparing for Fall blooms.

Finally found time to go through the new Park Seed catalog, Fall Planting 2007, today. Boy was that exciting! Now that my garden is beginning to establish, minus the few that did not make it, I now have a better idea of the areas that need to be filled in.

Going through plant catalogs is always a pleasure/pain thing. On the first pass, I let myself pick out all the plants I want whether I have space for them or not and then whittle the list down to a more manageable list and then whittle it down again to something a little more reasonable and again to something I can actually budget for.

I purchased a few shrubs on Monday from Wasatch Shadows Nursery to replace those shrubs that did not make it. I suppose I can place the blame on the heat since it has been so hot lately (maybe no one will question my involvement in their demise) but, deep inside, I know it was more due to my lack of experience in caring for new plants in this hot, dry heat. You see, my experience involves starting vegetables from seed and transplanting them in cooler temperatures.

Anyway, I bought two Spirea, one ‘Little Princess’ (the first photo) and one ‘Neon Flash’. These photos are what they have the potential to become. I can only care for them as best I can and pray to the patron saint of plants that I don't mess these up too.





The above Spirea are replacing the Viburnum ‘Aurora’ (next photo) and the Viburnum ‘Red Wing’ that so ungraciously turned into thin, brown, crispy sticks, may they rest in peace. These photos are what they could have become, I don't have the heart to show photos of what they did become.





I also bought a Buddleia ‘Black Knight’ (Butterfly Bush) to replace one of the two Buddleia that didn’t survive my pruning shears earlier this spring. I planted them last year and they were the only plants in the 260 sq ft bed. Actually, they shared the bed with a bunch of bindweed. They took off and looked so beautiful with all of their deep purple blooming spikes. I was afraid they would over-grow their bounds and had I read that they can be pruned to the ground each spring to control their size and shape. I pruned them way back thinking that since they grew so quickly they would come back in no time. I thought for sure I read the instructions correctly but evidently my inexperience once again sent some plants to an early meeting with the compost pile.

My long range plans for this plot calls for creeping thyme around the stepping stones and since the nursery had some Thyme 'Pink Chintz' on sale I bought a flat. Gotta save money where you can, right? Here is what they look like. They only get 3"-4" tall and when you step on them they emit a fragrance of some sort. Sounds good, anyway.




My wife has been after me to fill in the two beds at the front of the house and I found some Scabiosa Pincushion ‘Blue Giant’ plants on sale. I bought two thinking they would add a little height between the roses and the Dianthus and Pansies.




I was concerned about planting in this heat (especially given my luck) but the nurseryman gave me some instruction on how to help them get established. He said to water them deeply 3 times a day for two days, then skip one day and water them deeply again and then wait a few more days and spread the days between watering until they get watered only when the tops start to droop.

Now the two things I have to worry about most are mis-interpreting a 'droop' and drowning the roots from over-watering.

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Watering in the rain

It has been raining the last few days, which is really great, but today I realized the rain has been coming from the North and while this in itself is no big deal the foundation beds on the South side of the house are bone dry! I assumed everything was getting a good soaking and I could relax with the watering duties.
I had put a few new shrubs in this area last week just before it rained and had watered them a couple of days but stopped when the rains came. I can only hope the roots have not dried up while getting acclimated to their new locations.

So, just to make sure they get their fair share of water, I stood out in the rain with the hose trained on this dry area. I'll bet I'll get some ribbing from the neighbors for this one.
But, a gardener has got to do what a gardeners has got to do!

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More plants arriving

Received three Dianthus 'Zing rose' (3) and Echinacea 'Magnus' (3).

The Dianthus worries me a bit. I think that this hot dry climate might prove to be a bit too much for these delicate plants. I have seen them in containers around the neighborhood, but I'm putting them in one of the perennial beds in the front yard. Hopefully, with the improved soil texture they will keep watered well enough.

The Echinacea can take dry spells quite easily so it will go where I took the Rose 'Honey Perfume' from in the back yard by the shed.

The Forsythia is blooming! Beautiful yellow leaves on long arching branches.

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Planting pansies

This has become one of my most anticipated Spring 'chores'. It has been, the last two years, my first trip to the nursery after the long winter months. I go, ostensibly, to purchase Pansies. But the real reason is to be able to walk among all of the beautiful greenery and colorful flowers that provide the proof I need that Spring has indeed arrived. Nothing rejuvenates me more. I think my wife is in on this little guilty pleasure of mine because she lets me go by myself so I am not 'pressured' with the need to hurry. I get lost in all of the choices of everything there is to offer. I haven't yet ventured into anything other than Pansies but I am certain that, in the future, after all of my plots are finally up to snuff and able to provide the support these plants need, I will be tempted to bring home something I had not gone to the nursery planning to buy.

Oh happy day when I can finally place that crabapple tree and the crepe myrtle I have been eying. The Hydrangea will certainly be one of the first shrubs to go into the perfect spot I have picked out for the perennial bed in the back yard next to the deck.

For now I have to be satisfied with the few beds that are already growing plants.

You see, I have been building up three perennial beds in the back yard and two in the front yard for two years (2007 is the third year) and have a few plants here and there as 'testers'. Sort of the 'canary in the coal mine' if you will.

I'm not sure if I have put enough compost into these plots to over come the clay. I have been frightened by the horror stories of how water-logged clay soil kills plants. I have been keeping careful records of how much compost I have added to these plots to combat the clay and if these plants survive then I will feel more confident in buying more expensive plants.

Last winter I bit the bullet and bought a starter Butterfly garden from Bluestone Perennials. Every plant I have purchased from them in the past has survived and arrived looking healthy enough that I feel confident I can plant the 51 plants that will arrive next month.

I must admit that I am a bit apprehensive and nervous about having to put that many plants in at one time, but I have at least gotten to the point to where I believe I have a reasonable chance to make it work.

The soil was really easy to dig in this Spring in the few plots I have been building up so I added a little more just to be certain.

So, with Pansies and trowel at the ready, I come home to plant that one perfect 'welcome mat' to what will most assuredly be the best gardening season ever.

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