Nominated again! Growing with Plants is again, a Top 10 Garden Blog by Better Homes & Gardens - They've asked that we request our readers to now vote for the best.

I am honored to announce that again, Growing with Plants has been nominated by the editors of Better Homes & Gardens as a Top 10 gardening blog. I think that it's kind-of amazing, but a very flattering fact, especially given that this is my 10th anniversary of posting. So now, for the shameless request for votes. Oh, I really don't care all that much for such things, but of course, it's always a nice thing to actually win, as well.  Hey, I made it this far!

So if you wish, go to the BHG website and vote four your favorite blog (there is one in each of their lifestyle categories, so you will have to click through and vote on others). Of course, I should mention that you can vote once a day ( incase, you have nothing better to do!  You can vote here. 

All of the nominees this year truly deserve to win (I mean really, Erin from Floret Farm? Margaret Roach?  Come on!).  Since most are my friends, we consider ourselves all winners. Maybe I should note that I am the only guy. I wonder what that means?

I'm honestly fine with just being nominated. Voting does result in a 'winner' however ( a prize),  aSo clearly, I will need to bribe you (wait, shamelessly?). Oh Hell, I am competitive, who am I fooling!  I may not have the funny cartoons that Margaret has to share, and I come not even close her excellent prose (but she was the editor of Martha Stewart Living, after all!).  And that gorgeous Erin form Floret Farm? How could I ever compete with her? OK, maybe I was the first lay claim to starting the sweet peas craze, she has acres!). 

Still, to temp you to take the time to vote (ha - every day between now an mid-March, mind you!), I feel that I shall need to bribe you. 

So here is a photo of Daphne's über-cute, 5 week old puppies.

A darling photo to bribe you to vote!

Awwwwwwww.

Back to gardening....

Is it spring? Or mid-February? It's shirtless time in the greenhouse!

February Under Glass Means Chrysanthemum Cuttings

I shan't write about the weather, I promise. But it's been a little crazy around here, with record breaking cold that shattered 100 year old record, and now spring-like warmth which while not record breaking, is still 70 degrees warmer than the previous weekend. In the greenhouse it feels very much like summer, and with nothing more than a t-shirt and jeans, I began rather summer-like chores under glass, which resulted in wet muddy jeans from the watering, and  even a bee sting from one of the honey bees that made its way in through the open vents in the ceiling. 

Here's an interesting observation - there were plenty of opportunities to observe examples of certain tasks which I have read about in those nineteenth century greenhouse and florist books. Take propagation, for example. I saved many of the exhibition and Japanese chrysanthemum 'stools' under the benches, as advised in most every Victorian gardening book, which all advised ..."will begin growth as the days grow longer, requiring one to strike cuttings beginning in February."

Time to crank up the propagation mats. This one contains both chrysanthemum cuttings, and some dahlia tubers, which I m forcing for cuttings - Cafe au Lait, on the right, if you look carefully, you can see the tubers peaking out.

On schedule, the once very dead looking chrysanthemum stools, which had indeed been spending the winter under the benches, began to send out new, healthy growth. I was so pleased to not only see these plants begin doing exactly what they were supposed to do, I was able to take over 150 cuttings, with plenty more to come.  If there is one thing that I am struck by in reading these 150  - 200 year old books, is that most of what I feel is unique or novel in our modern world, isn't really all that new at all. If anything, we have less choice with much of the plant material offered today for greenhouse culture, but I can say that what we can grow in the North under glass, has all been done before. We've just taken about a 120 year break.

Some mums went onto another heating mat, this one with covers, which means that they need to be positioned out of the full sun - only a bit of sunshine late in the day strikes this flat. With rooting hormone and bottom heat, all o these cuttings should root quickly. It's so nice to be thinking about summer already - even though there is still snow outside.

After striking my first round of chrysanthemum cuttings, I divided a few of the nicer varieties of dahlias which I laid out in vermiculite, sand and perlite soil, prepared over heating mats, to force some dahlia cuttings - a practice so common in the old days of greenhouse gardening, but one which I recently discovered is still practiced by dahlia enthusiasts who are eager to propagate some of their finer exhibition varieties. I felt that it was something worth trying, especially as I start to become more invested in exhibition dahlias (most of mine are just cut-flower varieties right now, but I need to practice).

Speaking of dahlias, our first meeting of the newly formed New England Dahlia Society will be held March 5th at our house at noon - if you are interested in joining, send me a private note, and I'll add you to the luncheon guest list. I've started ordering some exhibition varieties this weekend, a little late, I know, but I was able to study the Fab 50 list on the American Dahlia Society website, and finally found some of the varieties I was interested in from the many smaller nurseries listed on the ADS source pages, but I fear I will be running out of room, especially if I still want to raise some vegetables this year! The space war has begun.

The beauty of this modern  'Margaret Davis' camellia, is hard to beat.

I'm sure that I've shown many images of each of these camellias in the past, but what's wrong with sharing a few more. 

Rose form camellias are perfectly symmetrical. This one is 'Mrs. Tingley'

Oh Daphne. I know that you've been locked up indoors most of the winter with a litter of puppies, and that the soft, deep soil is irresistable to dig in, but really? All of my new French tulips? Naughty, naughty, terrier. Naughty.

Some other horticultural events happening in the greenhouse


The South African bulbs are starting to bloom, as they are in many greenhouses in the Northern Hemisphere (I just saw a photo of the same plants blooming in the greenhouses at the Denver Botanic Gardens). The show here usually starts with the ROmulea species, followed by the Babiana, backed up with the Lachenalia - one of my favorite genus - and a genus, I should mention which was terribly popular also in the Victorian era, but just try to find any today, aside from the few new hybrids marketed in the past few years under the brand name 'African Beauty' strain.

Lachenalia 'Rupert', one of the African Beauty Strain of Lachenalia, or Cape Hyacinth. Isn't the foliage beautiful? Look for these easy to grow (without pre-chilling) bulbs in your fall Dutch bulb catalogs. I always get a few each year, for winter color under glass. Can you tell that this is related to the common Dutch Hyacinth?

Wow. This massive specimen of a very large growing dendrobium (orchid) species is my plant of Dendrobium speciosum. It's nearly 6 feet in diameter, and this year, it has 14 flower spike forming. If it was in better condition, I might have bothered  to bring it in as a specimen plant to a Massachusetts Orchid Society meeting for judging, but it has some damaged leaves, and I know how those orchid folk are about perfection! So, I will just leave it in the greenhouse - maybe the dahlia society folks will enjoy it more? It should in be full bloom by the first week in March.

This larger shot should give you a better idea of the scale. It's a little blurry, but it does show the size. I first saw this species at the Tokyo World Orchid Show in 2008, where it was displayed in back of a pick up truck! I then had to find one (Santa Barbara Orchid Estate).

Do you remember back in September when I decided to raise some cold weather annuals for the greenhouse? Well, maybe it was too cold in the greenhouse, but most are still growing, but they are very small. With the lengthening day, I can see changes however, and some, such as this Godetia above are starting to grow larger leaves.

Nemesia seedling can be as challenging as snapdragons, pansies and petunia, if you have ever tried to grow them from seed -just not as easy as one might think, with yellowing leaves, and sometimes just weak, chlorotic growth. Yet, there is a trick, I'll be writing more about these tips later, but it all has to do with soil pH, electrical conductivity (yes), and nutrients - particularly, calcium and magnesium. A little pinching helps too. I plan on these seed raised nemesia to fill this pots by  Easter with loads of colorful blossoms.

Tropaeolum speciosum tricolor covers a little trellis with its thin vines, and tiny, yet colorful blossoms.

Tuberous tropeolum take over the greenhouse.


I know, I can't get enough of these rarer tropeolum, but they are not that difficult, if one can keep them cool (most will sulk and go dormant if daytime temps remain over 65 degrees). These Chilean and Argentinean treasures are lovely, and they are perfect for raising on those little trellises one finds in the gardening decor aisle at discount stores, which typically are useless for most anything else, practically speaking.

A larger view of this tropaeolum tricolor. I should note that the one Tropaeolum azureum which f suffered a decapitation during a greenhouse accident  involving a giant Bay Laurel tree back in December, seems to have survived. I had feared that I had killed it, as it's single stem had separated from its tuber. It seems to have re-rooted (or at least, it is still alive and appears to be growing). I will resist peeking at its roots until it goes dormant in the spring, but since the plant has continued to grow for two months now, I am hopeful that it has survived.

Freesia corms starting to emerge - maybe some fragrant freesias for the Easter Table?

Winter blooming primroses are a must in the cold pit or greenhouse. If only we could find the finest one, Primula sinensis, but it remains lost in culture. Until someone sends me seeds? I shall have to be happy with Primula obconica (but not this year) and Primula malacoides, which is what you are looking at here. It's a bet fragrant in the strong, late winter sunshine.

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THIS GARDEN IS NOT SPECIAL - YOU ASKED FOR HONESTY, HERE IT COMES

White giant calla lilies bloom in a large tub on the gravel walk leading to the greenhouse.

Fragrant white Chinese wisteria tumbles over small shrubs along the long walk. In so many ways, spring in our garden is spectacular - like a Disney movie with smell-a-vision.

In the far back of the property, understory tree and shrubs such as this Sinocalycanthus 'Raulston Wine' bloom profusely as baby chicks and duckling peep and quack over the growls of our neighbors weed wackers - what? Wait a minute.....

Get ready to see what most of my garden really looks like - but be prepared, since closeups and detail shots and those carefully edited hide much of what really goes on around here. I may have been protecting myself as much as your eyes in carefully cropping out the random dog toy or dead spot, but in an effort to be more transparent, I am letting it all show for once.

Many of you have written me telling me to relax a little about the messiness of the garden here, so I am trying to listen to you. And you know what? It's not easy, but the more I visit the other gardens of friends who have full time jobs, I start to get it. While the more I visit garden blogs I get pissed off ( really? So perfect?) Now I think I am starting to see what you are talking about. A gardeners garden is often like an artists house. Messy, imperfect, but perfectly interesting. This garden is a wreck - as you will see, but while some may see only imperfection, others may see curious plants and an interesting life. Take your pick.

Why do we keep buying plants? Maybe it's because we know that in a few weeks, all the good plants - the interesting ones at least, will be gone from the garden centers. There is only a little window of opportunity to grab the choicest plants before they are gone for the summer. Keeping them watered in their small pots is one challenge, but new tubs need to be bought as well as soil and compost sifted before we can pot them - maybe next weekend?

In an effort to help me overcome my obsessive habits such as bitching about having no time ( I mean really, who really does have free time today?), I am going to pull the curtain back a bit, and show you some of the back stage scenes around here. I would imagine that many of you are experiencing the same bits of anxiety and pressures around the volume of tasks that seem to build up over these first few weeks of nice weather - new plants arriving in the mail, and from what seems to be an endless parade of plants from plant sales, nurseries and garden centers. Those seedlings that you started ( really? 65 Zinnias? 35 Dahlias? 128 tomatoes?), plus the pile of mulch that just doesn't seem to be reducing in size, trimming of hedges, containers that need to be planted before all of the good plants are gone from the garden center - it all can seem overwhelming.

Tomatoes and African Foxgloves waiting for me to find room in the garden - today is overcast, and a Monday holiday, so it may be the perfect time to transplant - but I haven't written a post in a week, so blame the blog!

Breath. Relax. Breath, exhale. Oh Elsa, you perhaps had it right - "let it go".  Most of us garden only on the weekends - perhaps an hour after work, but that usually means simply watering the pots and containers. I think I am starting to understand that most garden bloggers try to focus on design - an ideology of perfection, but really, it this 'interior design' approach really what gardening is about? I admit to you all that I get caught up in the image and perception part of the gardening equation as much as those on Design Sponge or Apartment Therapy do. Hey, perfection is nice - we all need inspiration, but sometimes a little dose of reality helps too.

OK, HERE IT COMES

Yet the more I struggle with lack of time and the realities of gardening,  I realize most people struggle with the same issues. Much of what we do simply is not pretty or perfect.  Sometimes our meals look like fast food. Sometimes our fashion looks like, well, we picked it off of the floor. More often than not, much of what we experience day to day is something else other than perfection. I still beleive that a gardening blog should have more inspiration than reality in it, since who would really want to read, let's say a cooking blog where all they make is fast food - yet who doesn't want to see what Julia Child's kitchen really looked like on the days when they were not shooting in there?

The truth is - gardening is not all white hydrangea hedges and clipped parterres of boxwood. It's not always tidy topiary trees, airplants and mossy letters on brick walls spelling out 'peace'. It's usually more dirty - kind of what a house it really like inside, when company isn't coming.

Dogs can bring both joy and heartbreak to a garden - We love our dogs, but they are ruining most of the garden. I am trying to find a balance between the two hobbies, and it can be difficult when one partner wants dogs, and the other wants Hellebores. This problem area, which used to be my ephemeral garden is struggling under the fierce paws of 6 terriers give or take a few.

 I acknowledge that the designer inside of me really can't help it most of the time- he wants to make it all perfect. I mean, it's just a little tip of the camera, a different angle, crop out that doggie squeaky toy, try not to get that tilted fence post in the shot of the greenhouse which for some reason (laziness) will never transform into a fence. And if that three panel picket fence will never transform into a fence in one years time, how will those 14 panels of lattice leaning on the old fence transform into a fence?

I might bet that some of you still have a mulch pile waiting to be moved to parts of your garden? Please tell me that you still do? I need to get out there today and work on this for a bit, since we are getting a few tons of stone delivered tomorrow.  What was I thinking?

Then, there is the mulch pile - 12 loads a day, and it doesn't seem to get any smaller, still, I have to remind myself that 6 tons of pea stone arrives tomorrow as well, and that is no lighter! Chicks are in the studio under lights, almost ready to move outdoors but the fence needs to be completes in the coops as well - oh, and Joe ordered ducklings that arrive this week as well. Not to mention 7 flats of tomatoes, and far too many annuals that need to find a home in the garden somewhere - what was I thinking?

I am notorious for starting jobs and never finishing them. I actually took some pride in winding up these extension cords so that they could be brought into the cellar. The lawn, a little ( a lot) messy due to a fertilizing error - we never buy lawn fertilizer or even have owned a spreader - but this year, I decided to try one - just because our lawn was looking a little drab and weak. Joe had never used one before, so we ended up with lots of over fertilized spots (I probably would have done the same thing).

Yet why is it that when I visit other plant people's gardens, they are rarely in any better shape than mine is? OK, sure, there are plenty that are far more perfect - such as those that I visited in Michigan two weeks ago on the NARGS tours - but I have to believe that not all gardens are such perfect places. Even ours  sometimes looks nice, such as when we have a garden tour scheduled, but it takes planning and lots of hard work - hired help even, just to get it looking halfway decent. Most of the time, a random visit here will shock one if one expects perfection. Sure, I can choose the best camera angles, but believe me, there are only a few tricks one can do before things start to repeat themselves ( how many times do you really want to see the front of the greenhouse and that martin house?).

The long walk is looking pretty ratty right now. I am considering removing the hornbeam hedge on the left, as it shades much of the path, and it is too tall - not properly pleached (woven), it is trimmed with hedge sheers twice a year, but last year with the death of my father and a summer that seemed to escape me, I missed a years worth of trimming. Now, as I trimmed it on this 3 day weekend, it looks rather weak.

Long rock paths such as ours need frequent weeding ( by hand, on rubber mats so ones knees don't get damaged). Then they will need a refresh of pea stone, not a job for the weak and spindly of us. We try not to use leaf blowers, weed killer or weed wackers around here - so in many ways, we garden as they once did back in the olden days. Not very practical at all, but at least it's a work out, right? It just takes longer, and becomes more of a chore over time. We do this, while our neighbors grind away at their perfect green velvet lawn every Friday with every known electric and gas powered took known to the big box store. No wonder they have time for jet ski's, motor cycles, a pool and parties.

I need to decide if I want to cut out these hornbeams, or if I should just top them off at 8 feet again. Right now, they are too tall to trim without a ladder. Behind them, another fence awaits installation - a project for another weekend ( or summer?). I've tried to plan out every weekend between now and August, and I really can't imagine when we will get this done!

 Yikes! That is one tall hedge of hornbeam! Hard decisions need to be made here, remove it or cut it back? Or, perhaps do nothing for an entire year once again? Which is a reality given the long list of projects that need to be done. Today ( once I get my butt away from this computer) I might continue to wash the windows on the porch - do two more sets, and then try to get some laundry in, then go water the greenhouse and the tomato flats on the deck, try to prepare some beds to get at least a dozen tomatoes in before the end of the day. I might even plant some dahlias which are ready to go in, but which will need extra protection from the dogs. If I do this, I will need to commit to hauling mulch over from two acres away, plus lay down landscape fabric since I will not have the time to week this part of the garden - but the container plants should really be planted as well - as they could die before next weekend. And so it goes, the constant re-prioritization.

And people wonder why we never go to the movies?

Looking forward, I am trying to think about how I could take care of this property as I age. In ten years I will be 65, and if I don't move, I need an easier garden to maintain, as I can barely take care of it now. These birch seedlings are being nurtured to take over the garden. If I could convert much of the garden to native species such as birch, mountain laurel (Kalmia) and other natives, perhaps I can make it more like a woodland.

 I also have to face the realities of aging. I'm not there yet, but I'm pretty certain that many of you alternate those 'outdoor work days' with hot tubs, bath salts and anything to ease those sore muscles. Gardening is hard work. One plan I have is to allow a large part of our property to go natural - but that is a task which is far more difficult than one would imagine, as just ignoring a garden will only allow for weed trees such as Alianthus and other weeds to take over - especially in a city, and where the land has been cultivated for over 100 years. The idea of 'going native' or 'natural' is rather impossible at this point, but I can guide some plants to grow, mimicking our native woodlands, and hopefully, getting to a place where the leaves and annual cycles of leave and needle drop through the seasons, will steer the land back to something that looks more natural.

Trying to find a balance between woodland, native plantings and a garden that looks as if it was always there. Near our front entrance, this fake river bed with native ferns, wild blueberries and wildflowers mixes with hybrid rhododendrons, low growing birch varieties and dwarf evergreens. Still low maintenance, it looks far better than the lawn which once stood here (see the road in the upper far right?).

Thus I am allowing self seeded white river birch to grow and mature, as well as some white pines - all interplanted with either native kalmia (Mountain Laurel) and some similar (yet imported- genus such as hybrid rhododendrons and magnolias as an understory. Layering like this already has worked in part of our garden, and now I am trying to introduce it to other parts of the property, but the results are more challenging - especially the intermediate period when it just looks like weeds and weed trees are growing.

Garden debris from a harsh winter waits to be dumped in the woods, onto an every growing compost pile which for us, means just a big 'ol pile of branches and leaves in the woods. It provides us with an obscene amount of compost, which to be honest, never seemed special to us as kids, but today, makes for some secret wealth which we rarely complain about.

It seems that on every porch and shady spot there are flats of plants waiting to be planted. Waiting, waiting, waiting. It's a bit like an emergency room - with such little time, and an abundance of patients? Prioritization is necessary. First the bareroot fruit trees, then the most expensive  shrubs, then ladyslippers, everything else comes later. In the gardening world, the class system rules. Lowly calibrachoa and basil get pushed to the end of the line.

Baptisia looks fine in the front, natural garden.

Here is an example of a good crop. This portion of our garden is what I typically would show on this blog. A nice wedding cake dogwood, a flood of Petasites japonicus var. giganteus, beehives and archways....

....but really, it looks like this. Complete with dead spots in the lawn, un-pruned Asian pears, and a lovely stack of lawn furniture arranged in a fire pit.

As I said, it's all in the angles. And in the plants.

So --  if I am going to try and not get too upset over being behind in my chores - the mulching - the planting, then you perhaps can take a breather too.  Enjoy this spring. I mean - who cares if the puppies and the dogs have torn up the entire garden, leaving what amounts to a dust bowl effect just one week  before a garden tour? I'm trying not to care as much. Really. 

GARDEN PROJECTS FOR 2016

Solanum mammosum, or 'Nipple Fruit', an ornamental egg plant, is used in China as one of the plant materials used in the creation of New Years Trees, used because of its auspiciousness ( it's gold color, good for prosperity in the coming year)

Image from Bluebalu - Living in Hong Kong.

Here is a long list of some Garden Projects I am currently exporing as potential candidate for my 2014 growing season. So many of you responded with nice things to say about these prokjects, many of you mentioning that it was your favorite part of my blog, that I want to amp up my explorations. These step-by-step projects are fun to do, yet they require some prep work, so I am sharing this unedited list first to get some responses, and other ideas if you have them.

Note: In the past, here are some other projects I attempted ( projects are in-depth challenges where I may grow as many selections of varieties of a plant, or start a collection, or try something to grow that few of us ever seem to try in our gardens, in an attempt to inspire others).

In the past, I've shared these:

My Sweet Pea Project

The Annual Poppy Project

Globe Artichokes
Exhibition Chrysanthemum Project

Achimenes
1802 Heirloom Melon Project
Beligian Endive, growing and forcing

Exhibition Tuberous Begonias

Japanese Grass Orchids

OCA - Oxalis tuberosa 

I've been more than a little curious about primitive varieties of veggies ( which is why I experimented  with Green Oxacan Corn last year). Today, many are proposing that heirloom and 'lost crops' are worth growing for either nutrition or flavor, so as seed catalogs start to promote more of these heirloom varieties of potatoes and other root crops, I could say I am concerned about healthy alternatives to big, baked potatoes but let's be realistic - I only have nine raised beds, and there is no way that I am going to live off of my garden. OK, honestly, the real reason I want to try this particular crop is because it is a tuberous oxalis and if you have ever visited me, you would know that I am a collector of tuberous oxalis.

 You may have seen Oca in specialty markets ( often at some Whole Foods in the fall in the US), yet in its native country of Peru, the Oca tuber is a staple food product, and in many South American countries, it comes second only to  potatoes.  I am following many of the techniques and advice outlined a blog I found on growing Oca called: Growing Oca by Ian Pearson. You may wish to check out this post too on Oca Testbed, for some sneak peeks on what this crop could look like. I am still gathering information from these sites, but don't worry, I won't be watering mine with diluted urine as he did.  Oca plants are available from Territorial Seed but I am on the look out for other sources of tubers - I would appreciate and sources you may find as I would like to grow a wide variety of selections.

Fermentation Projects -  Kombucha to Kimchi

There is this idea 'fermenting' in my head - call it a 'gut response' (sorry). Pickling with natural fermentation is something that my parents did when I was growing up in the 60's and 70's, something I considered so normal that I thought everyone did it, maybe because many of our neighbors also fermented veggies. This neighborhood that I still live in was once composed primarily of Eastern European immigrants, from Poland, Lithuania and Russia, and pickling was a common as cabbage. I found my grandfathers sauerkraut directions typed on some cards upstairs, and he died at 99 years old back in 1986, apparently while trout fishing ( well, he DID take up smoking at age 90).

Naturally fermented foods and my home here have many connections, and it's time to explore this in depth, which should be easy since we still have all the crocks in the cellar, stored in the 'store room' with the old cork door on it. To be honest, I thought all pickles were vinegar pickles, since I only helped my parents slice cucumbers and onions or shred cabbage rarely paying attention to the details later on in the process.

To be honest, this natural pickle project is a response to recent writings and talks that I have heard about gut flora and microbiota cultures inside of us, all thanks to author Michael Pollan; and this landmark article published in the New York Times earlier this year. This article has him still making appearances on NPR and heath programs, speaking about gut biomes and bacteria communities, and how essential they really are for good human health. He also promotes  the Human Micro Biome Project, and the Human Food Project, (visit their site) and their American Gut project - which is attempting to sequence the gut communities of thousands of Americans. Another related topic I may cover as elegantly as I can.

I admit that I am heavily swayed by this particular selection called 'Chatter's Doubles" available from the German seed company, Jelitto. Swoon worthy Hollyhocks in chestnut, chamois, peach and cinnamon. 

A  Hollyhock Project 

Join me as I rediscover the joy of old fashioned Hollyhocks on this two year journey, which may include a few other biennials like Foxgloves and campanula, not always the easiest to raise from seed. We rarely see the stately Hollyhock anymore. So I think it's time that we rediscover this fine, tall biennial - a classic in New England cottage gardens, old English cottages, fairy tale cottages and in the front gardens in those paintings of candle-lit cottages by Thomas Kincaid  . I am often asked about cottage gardens, and since biennials are key components of the more iconic cottage garden scheme, I think I should start with more projects involving the culture of true biennials, as I know that they are challenging for many people to master, so this might be a good step-by-step topic to cover.

Biennials are rarely seen today because of a very simple fact - in order to grow them well, they must be planted (sown) during the previous year, then wintered over and then allowed to grow to blooming size in their second growing season.  If one is lucky, they will set seed, and resow where they really want to grow. It is because of this very habit, that we rarely find them available at garden centers. You may find plants in-bud, and one may assume that some well intended nurseryman did all of the hard work for you, but these pot grown specimens are always a shadow of what they could have been.

This also could change, since I really was excited about hollyhocks two weeks ago when I began this post, but now, in mid-February......meh. I still need to find one flower where I can grow ALL of the selections available, and for some reason, I keep going back to old fashioned nasturtiums. So common, and yet, when do we ever see all of them arranged side-by-side in a comparison study?

A collection of Lithops grown by Tony Phan

A Lithops Collection

I have a friend who boasts about having the world's second largest collection of conophytum. I also have a friend who boasts about having a serious collection of most every species of Haworthia. The same goes for a collection of Dykia that I know.  These collections are amazing when arranged together for viewing, and I have been envious everytime I see them in local Cactus and Succulent Society shows. There is something about seeing a collection of like species or species within a genus arranged side by side, so that one can study and appreciate the nuances between them all.

I am seriously thinking about starting a collection of lithops, and Conophytum species ( all grouped as living stones), which will need to be sown by seed so that I can collect most of the species available, but a few can be purchased.  I plan on collecting as many of the Living Stones, or Lithops (and related genus/species) starting with 2014. I imagine this collection as more of a botanic collection than an ornamental one, displaying the seed raised containers in tidy rows, with lables showing proper identification. I have at least 65 named selections ordered, and I may order some prestarted species to fill in gaps. I feel the urge to add another serious collection to the greenhouse.

Dahlia Trials part 2

Yes, I plan to try dahlias again this year, as it has been 5 years since I last attempted a trial of dahlias. In that year, the results were spectacular, as I composed a palette of violet, purple, magenta and lavender dahlias.This year I think I am ready to try more, but I just need to find the right place to grow them as they require sun, high fertilizer and lots of water.  I was planning on growing another trial of Chrysanthemums ( the exhibition type) but one of the country's only sources Kings Mums, has had a tragic and catastrophic disaster, with plant losses causing them to shut down for one year. So Dahlias ( or tuberous begonias?) it is.

The High Alpine Rock Garden Project - Crevice to Scree

I have a few rock garden projects planned for this year. First, I will be continuing our crevice garden planting near the main entrance to the studio, a project I started five years ago when we had a few influential rock garden enthusiasts stay with us while touring the country on speaking tours ( Josef Halda among them). It's time to continue with my long term planting scheme, and add another 200 sq feet of rock, placed vertically, end upon end, in this newly introduced (from the Czech Republic) style for creating a rock/alpine garden. Halda shared some secrets with us which I would like to share, and with my growing passion for alpine and high elevation plants, I feel the need to build more rock gardens around the  property once again.

A formal garden planting - maybe culinary herbs 

I admit that have been thinking about designing a formal culinary herb garden,  perhaps planted behind the house where our golf putting green used to be ( I know- so snooty - a"golf green". right? But yes, there was a bent grass putting green in our garden for at least 70 years - a long story for another post).  I have allowed the lawn to grow out, and I am still deciding what to plant there. Maybe a boxwood parterre, maybe a formal peony garden, or even a Fletcher Steele inspired garden ( see below). Or a rock garden. I need to address this issue soon, so here I go with some ideas.

I do grow many herbs, but they are placed throughout the garden, in spare spaces in the perennial borders, along walks or planted en mass in the vegetable gardens, usually in rows, which is the most practical way to grow herbs, as I can feel free to harvest large bunches as needed. In veg garden, I have both annual and perennial herbs: annual seeded herbs such as 3 of 4 dill varieties ( some grown for seed heads for flavoring pickling spices, and other as fresh green dill for salads, egg dishes and most everything else one needs dill added to. I also grow a wide selection of Basils, summer savory for summer squash dishes and sages, but I always wanted a culinary, or even a more traditional New England style cottage herb garden - the sort one would have seen in the 17th century, with a selection of essential kitchen herbs as well as medicinal herbs.



A Fletcher Steel Inspired Border
This summer I will be presenting a couple of talks about my experiences as a gardener at a Fletcher Steele garden ( the Stoddard Garden) once again. I've been surprised by the interest in this subject, and I am just beginning to realize or appreciate the gift that experience gave me back in the late 1970's and early 1980's when in college. I remember so much, exactly what was planted in each border, the exacting detail required for proper maintenance of everything from a planted tufa rock wall with a large collection of encrusted silver saxifrages, to how to maintain a collection of gentians. I really want to recreate a few of the perennial plantings that I remember so well, and I think that this may be the year, as even scholars who study this most well known of American landscape architects, have lost many of his planting schemes, those very schemes which exist in my brain. I think it's time that I exercise some of that knowledge.

Another Fletcher Steele idea which I have been eager to visualize is a shrub border composed of primarily golden leaved shrubs. That may be more realistic.

Pansies on display at the Chelsea Flower Show, where growers showcase a display of as many varieties as possible in massive, tiered displays. I am still thinking of what I could grow this year - ideas are welcome. Zinnia? Nasturtium? Marigold? Gladiolus? Tuberous Begonia's again?

A Floral Audit  Collection like Chelsea
OK, in the past, I grew every variety of sweet peas that I could find, I covered how to grow annula poppies growing all of the Shirley poppy varieties available, or Japanese Chrysanthemums - and then documenting the process with images. I admit that I am influenced by the displays in the growers tents at the Chelsea Flower Show, were one can view a selection of  varieties, side-by-side, but I am not sure yet what flower I will grow this year.  I am open to ideas. I've been playing around with more common annuals, like nasturtiums or marigolds, as we rarely see these all grown together, and displayed in ways that would make us want to grow them in our own gardens.

Please share thoughts on what I might grow as my Chelsea Floral Audit this year.

Greenhouse Cucumbers and Tomatoes
Another project that I have been wanting to do for a while.  A few years ago, I grew heirloom and gourmet melons in the greenhouse, when I realized that all of that space was going to waste during the summer. This year, I am exploring growing English and Asian cucumbers, and a few tomatoes ( even a crop of Chinese Yard Long Beans, all possible crops for a summer greenhouse.

Tuberoses
I failed in growing a crop of tuberoses last year ( inspired by a few of my 18th and 19th century books), but I am learning, and will try again. So my Tuberose project continues once again.Especially as some breeders have introduced colored selections of tuberoses.

A Cutting Garden of Woody Plants
Another project that I keep pushing out, but maybe this is the year. I imagine a cutting garden for shrubs and small trees. Each winter and spring, I want to cut many branches to force. quince, plum, forsythia and other force-frendly shrubs so that I will not damage specimens near the house. It makes sense to plant such a luxury, as indeed, it is a luxury, but I have the space and the means, so why not? I also would like to plant lilacs, as they are horrible garden specimens, as maybe a few rows of cut flower perennials like peonies and roses. A serious, long term cutting garden, planted way out back where my mother had her cutting garden of peonies and poppies in the 1950's and 1960's.

Auspicous Asian Plants

I continue to be curious about the many traditional, and very ancient flower festivals and celebratory elements about plants in much of Asia, in particular, China and Japan. In China, for instance, plants are used which they believe have auspicious meaning to them, often due to their gold color or associated value, and how that may contribute to good luck and prosperity throughout the coming year. Take for example the plant we now are starting to see sold as a rare heirloom eggplant here in the states often called 'Nipple Fruit'. In China Solanum mammosum is used to create New Years trees ( more typically created with oranges). 

Then there is the Ground Cherry or Japanese Lantern plant, a weed in many of our gardens, as rampant as many species of Lysimachia, in Japan, its used in a festival called Hozuki ichi, the Ground Cherry Festival held in July. Whenever I am in Asia, I discover something new. The Aoi Matsuri or Japanese Hollyhock Festival in Kyoto is a good example. One may think that this festival is another floral one, similar to the Umi Plum Festival or the Cherry Blossom Festival we are all familiar with, but in reality, it only celebrates the leaves of the Hollyhock, as they are believed to ward off natural disasters. So interesting.

Hops

I thought about growing hops and then making my own beer, but I think I will hold off on this project until next year. I may give in, if I can figure out where to grow them, but then I should grow barley too, right?

Also on my radar.... Fuchsia? Geraniums/Pelargoniums? Streptocarpus? Gloxinia? True Lilies, Trillium, a traditional English Cottage Garden, Heirloom Winter Squash, Sunflowers... Ugh, I need to stop.

Oh, and thanks guys for telling me that my side bar links are all screwed up! Now, at least, I have something to work on at night next week while babysitting my dad while Joe is in NYC at Westminster where our Irish Terrier is competing ( I know, I feel like an Olympic parent at home).

Revisiting, Revising and Editing Those Lists

I need to audit my tomato collection. It's time to balance our how many heirlooms to grow, and how many hybrids. Am I the only one who thinks that the heirloom tomato is over-rated a bit? Just a tiny bit?

While there is still plenty of snow on the ground (at least here in the North Eastern US), I am taking some time to look through the many 'To-Do' lists, and 'Must Get' lists which I have made over the past year, as well as taking some time on a cold Saturday night to look through photos in iPhoto - I find this a great way to revisit plants that I want to order, or remind me about plants I want to remove or edit-out to the garden, and sometimes a better way to remind me about some plants not to continue growing at all.  Here is what I found.

Click below for more:


1. Audit That Heirloom Tomato list

I think that I really need to revisit my heirloom tomato variety list, as many are oh-so-pretty, but either tasteless ( yeah, some are….sorry), too small or just not productive enough. Don't get me wrong, I love their looks, all colorful and yummy looking, and indeed - many do have sensational flavor compared to some hybrids, but many have their faults.  I've found that I cant' depend on a garden populated by mere heirlooms alone. I need some good, healthy normal tomatoes too. Ones that I can put-up and can, some that I can process into sauce and salsa, and then plenty to eat fresh. So, it's time for a blend of both choice heirlooms and super strong hybrids.

This white flowered abutilon, or flowering maple  is still young, being trained as a standard, but there are plenty of plants that can still be added to my container collation for summer color.

 2. Revisit Summer Tubs and Specimen Plants

I think that you can tell from the many photos on my site, that I keep large pots of specimen plants everywhere, but often the case is, not all plants are deemed worthy enough for the title 'specimen' plant. Some, under-perform, and need either a development opportunity, or need to be terminated. More so, I feel that new blood is often in order, and each year I add new pots to the collection - - younger, more vigorous plants, mew varieties, hard-to-find species, or some that will grow into beautiful, old specimen plants ( sub tropical trees, South African bulbs,  tropical shrubs, the plant could fall into most any category), the only rule is that they must raise the bar on what I am growing right now.

Yesterday I spent most of the day dividing Agapanthus in the greenhouse ( I know, it's absolutely the wrong time of year to do this, but it's about the only time that worked for me - I may forfeit blooms in this coming year, but waiting another year until July didn't make much sense either.). I will admit that I am somewhat bored with the manyAgapanthus I have, yet when they bloom, they do add necessary color to the landscape in mid-July through mid-August, and as I am fortunate to be able to winter them over in a greenhouse, it is more than a luxury few in New England have, so I really shouldn't complain.

Agapanthus make spectacular tubbed plants for norrtern gardeners, but they quickly can become root bound, and then, bloom poorly. 

Then there are the wish list plants that I want to add ( like those acacia tree seeds I planted this week for example - obviously a longer-term plan for the greenhouse just in case I win the lottery.). This week, I've  also ordered a large collection of rosemary varieties ( at least 12), as I am curious to see the differences between them all, and the best way to do this, is to grow every one together, in sort-of what the British  gardeners call a 'trial', where they grow every named variety together in one garden, so that one can evaluate them effectively.

Even when not in bloom, Agapanthus in tubs provide texture which is also mobile in the garden.

On that note. I'm also considered more trials this year ( I won't do them all, but my trial list does keep evolving). How about adding a collection of potted exhibition Fuchsia's ( the upright forms), or scented geraniums ( pelargonium selections), but I still haven't made my mind up yet. They are all potted collections, and I do have the space and means, but perhaps not the time for them all. Ugh, Oh Martha, if I had your time, money and farm, what I could do! I would quite the MSLO and focus on what passions - if only, but bills need to be paid, and life can be a time-suck, and I have to admit, I'm not doing all that bad when it comes to doing what I love, I know I am fortunate as it is, even though I can only work in the garden a few hours each weekend.

This photo of a very dark-eyed daylily that I took at a local flower show, reminded me that I need to order it. This one is called 'Gillian', and it is only $12 at Champion Daylilies. Forget about Stella!

3. Order varieties of Daylilies and Siberian Iris that I saw this summer in other gardens and shows.

Color photos on websites and in catalogs are fine, but sometimes seeing a plant in person makes all the difference in the world. It happens to me all the time -- I see plants in other peoples garden or in private collections, and especially at botanical gardens and plant society flower shows, and I take note, usually with my camera, as i have it handy all the time, or I write it down. I try to take a photo of the name tag too, which helps me later ( like…in the middle of winter) when I am placing orders.

Last summer I spotted some must-have day lilies at the Massachsetts Daylily Society show, the some down facing lilies at the Lily Society show, and many Iris at the garden of Iris breeders Jan Sacks and Marty Schafer ( oh, there were SO many there that I wanted!).  Pop over to their site now to see what I mean at Joe Pye Weed's Garden. This is the ideal time to order may of these plants, I would have forgotten which ones I wanted if I didn't document them somehow (iPhoto).





For some ideas for great new Daylilies, check out the website for the American Hemerocallis Society. Join the society and get a great four color journal too with lots of ideas ( hey, it's the same journal plant buyers from the big Dutch growers look through, to see what varieties they want to micropropigate, field test and introduce ten years from now with a fancier brand name attached, but you can get ahead of the curve, by ordering a plant that you  like directly from the breeder. Often it is cheeper, and you can get plants that will never make it to market. Like a four foot tall pink daylily that branches, that could be over-looked by a buyer because it's too tall while in bud for nursery truck shelves.

A visit to a Daylily farm, especially if it is run by a daylily breeder, is one of the best placed to make selections for next years' garden.

Most of these varieties will take years before they reach the local garden center, as they will need to pass many tests that retail plants must face if they are ever to be carried in the mass market. More often than not, we, the gardener miss out on some of the finest plant material, simply because they are too tall ( I love tall), or they don't drop their blossoms, or they won't bloom while in a nursery container. I refuse to let that all stop me from owning a plant.

There are so many Siberian Iris varieties that I want to order from Jan and Marty, after my visit there this past summer, that I will need to spend sometime on their site now making a long list. These must be ordered now for spring planting, and believe me, you are NOT going to find colors like these, let along any Siberian Iris introduced in the past 20 years at a garden center. 

Jan Sacks and Marty Schafer took me through their breeding fields last summer, asking me questions like " what mustard color yellow Siberian Iris stands out to you?" I would say, "oh, this one is so incredible", and they would say, "Really? You don't think that it is too tall? How about one with a larger brown eye?" "Or one with more olive tones in it?"  Really - when there were SO many to choose from, it's difficult to make a decision. The only place to get all of these variations is directly from a plant breeder, as they may only grow a few plants to divide, before they move on to another generation. Each seed pod can produce a wide variety of progeny, all with similar characteristics, but sometimes, it just comes down to personal taste. Why let some buyer from McPlants, choose what pink iris they think you ( and about a million other people) would want ten years from now? When you can pick out exactly the one you want? 

Roscoea are in the ginger family, but the are hardy, and add a great structure to late summer plantings, as is seen here in this Toronto garden.

3. Roscoea - I gotta, gotta, gotta  get as many as I can.

I first saw the genus Roscoea at Kew Gardens a few years ago. They had a collection growing in pots, which intrigued me then, but for some reason, when I returned home, photos in catalogs never seemed to do them justice. Flash forward to this past September while visiting friends in Toronto, I saw these plants in a friends garden, and I instantly added them to my no long "don't forget to order nest year" list.

Roscoea are not easy to find, these hardy relatives of the Ginger, are said to be hardy to USDA zone 5b, mostly hardy in Zone 7, so they are worth a try in my zone 6/5b garden. Finding them is the challenge, it seems most need to be imported from the UK ( like from Paul Christian Rare Plants here). Still, I am on the hunt. The foliage is somewhat tropical looking, and they flowers, which often occur in late summer or autumn look like nothing else in the plant world. Apparently, they are great for stumping plant geeks too, which is what serious plant catalog plant descriptions always say when they really want to make something irresistible.

A red flowered Roscoea in September.

In the same Toronto garden as above, I saw clematis vines growing in mixed shrub and perennial borders, trained on cedar posts and rebar posts. I think I need to do this.

4. Clematis on a stick.

I've seen clematis grown like this in the UK, and again, in this garden in Toronto. I don't know about you, but I always have a problem finding the right plant to grow clematis. I'm not one to train them to my lamp post, and I don't want them growing on the greenhouse, or tumbling over every shrub ( the way they are supposed to grow, as they grow this way in nature). But training clematis vine to a sturdy 10 foot cedar post, which they will cover within a year, and then equally engulf in blossoms the following year, will allow me to make focal points in the border, and in mixed shrub plantings, where I may not want ever shrub covered in a clematis vine. Now, to narrow down my selections!

These watercolors from the V&A museum, London, Beatrix Potter collections, show some of her early watercolor studies, and the potted fuchsias. They remind me of the ones we used to raise at the Stoddard Estate, where I used to work as a teenager as a gardener. I want to revisit this classic way of raising fuchsias, as today, most people only think of the big, flouncy flowered forms in hanging baskets that rarely do well.

5.  Potted Fuchsia's  For that Beatrix Potter English look.

It's true, I am spending more time on the Fuchsia web sites than I should, like Earthworks, where they have hundreds of fuchsias. I refuse to buy steroided, growth-hormone drenched fuchsias that I see every spring sold at my local garden centers, I will just kill those within weeks, or when I forget to water them just once, but there are wonderful fuchsias, both for the serious collector and for the average home gardener who might want something different as a potted plant for the terrace in the summer.

I prefer upright forms, and yes, those with pendant flowers are a fav, but I will add others to my order. Trained as standards, fuchsias make elegant statement points, especially if planted in a nice, clay pot which you will need, as the can become top heavy. Tied to a bamboo cane, and allowed to reach a certain height, and then pinched out, a standard trained tree fuchsia can live for years, as long as you can provide a cool, dark room, like a cellar for their winter dormancy.

Down facing lilies look like lanterns in the garden, they provide a form that balances out spiky plants, airy plants and shrubby ones. Pendant blossoms can make a garden feel fairy tale like. 

6. Lilies by the dozen, or 'en masse' - I need to do this more.

When I say 'lilies' I personally prefer all of the down-facing types, as they are my favorite for some reason, as the up facing Asiatics feel un-natural to me, and the up facing trumpets feel practically alien. Tall, six foot of more, stems of fragrant trumpet lilies are artistic expression points in a garden, and four or five foot tall stems of down-facing Asiatics, makes a garden feel as if I just stepped into an old painting from a fairy tale, with the pendant blossoms looks a bit like little lanterns dangling from whorled branches. Both are as if Mother Nature had plans to, at some time in her future, provide illumination in the evening garden, and don't get me started on fragrance.

'Ariadne' is a noce down facing Asiatic lily, that looks great when planted in mixed border plantings in large numbers.
They also get better with each passing year, as the bulbs get larger.

And when I mean 'en masse" I mean - planted not individually, but in a group, perhaps a foot apart from each other, so when they bloom, they appear as if one plant, or colony has formed from a mother plant which may have dropped her seed pod. This is the proper way true lilies should be grown ( by 'true lilies' I mean lilies that essentially arise from a scaled bulb, not dayliies, which botanically are Hemerocallis species, a completely different genus). Lilies planted en masse, in a perennial border, or in a mixed shrub foundation planting, are incredibly effective, and captivating, far more than any hydrangea could be. Costly? Well, if you consider that you might pay $30 -$60 for a dozen, it can seem so, but then again,  that's what one would pay for a good ( or half-way good) shrub.  It's easy to justify the cost when one thinks of it in that way.

Joe and I at the New England lily Society Show, now be honest, what lilies would you want in your garden….the uprights in the foreground, or the pendant ones in the rear? Maybe it's just personal taste, but I like down-facing pendant forms best, in the garden.

My rule this year is to order at least 12 of one variety, or not order it at all. As with daylilies, a visit to your local lily society show would help you make up your mind. There was this colonial home up the street from us, built in 1766, and along it's east side it had a border or trumpet lilies. I still think of it. I go weak at the knees for lilies that tower taller than I am, and trumpets are the finest for this because they have blossoms that tip downwards. Planted outside our living room window where they can listen to the Batchelor drifting out through the screens on summery nights as June bugs buzz against the window screens - now, that's livin'.

Joseph Tychonievich with some of Dan Jaffe's trillium selections at the New England Wild Flower Society's Garden in the Woods, in Framingham, MA.

 7. Create more 'botanically important' plant collections

OK, a bit odd to add this to this post, since I have common fuchsias and begonias listed too, but at the same time, I feel that I should ( must) start some serious collections, or start a more in-depth breeding/propagation program. I did begin a collection of Podophyllum last year, which I will continue to grow, inspired by my friend Darrell Probst, but this June, after a visit from Joseph Tychonievich where we took a side trip to the New England Wild Flower Society's Garden in the Woods, nearby in Framingham, MA, where we saw the breeding/propagating/selection program of botanist Dan Jaffe, I was convinced that Trillium might be the perfect genus to dabble with, as our soil and woodland is similar to Garden in the Woods.




 8. Grow more veggies that I can't buy at the store

Yes, I grow all of the regular, stand-by summer veggies, but I also need to remind myself to raise things that I cannot find at the store, even at our fanciest Whole Foods. Sorrel perhaps, to make some of David Chang's Sorrel Pesto, or pea tendrils. I will decide at the last minute, as my list is long, but there is nothing like being able to pick ones own fresh amaranth leaves in June. Crops like this make a home veg garden special, if not extra special.