Companion planting – a little help from their friends

Combining flowers in vegetable garden looks nice and can benefit plants by deterring insects or attracting pollinators.

Almost every home gardener has heard claims of aromatic plant species repelling insects and that some plant associations are more compatible than others.

By using certain plant-insect relationships, it may be possible to minimize their chances of attack by insect pests.

Some believe that less pest damage will occur in gardens containing a variety of plant types because the multitudes of stimuli produced by mixtures of plants may cause the insect to become disoriented, and disrupt its feeding and breeding cycles.

From a scientific viewpoint, not very much is known about these interactions, although the underlying premise is sound from an ecological perspective.

What is “companion planting”?

Companion planting refers to the interplanting of two or more plant species in close proximity. These may be vegetables, annual flowers, herbs or perennials.

Companion planting attempts to mimic the diversification found in nature, which for the most part, creates a balance of insect and plant populations.

It is commonly thought that there are at least five ways in which one plant can influence a neighboring plant.

• It can attract insect pests away from their target,
• it can repel animal or insect pests,
• it can interfere with the growth of an adjacent plant by out-competiting it for light, nutrients or water,
• it may attract beneficial insects which can control pest insects,
• and it can improve the health (and some say flavor) of nearby plants.

The most familiar concept in companion planting is the use of aromatic plants such as herbs and marigolds. These are interplanted with a specific crop in an effort to offer it some protection from insect pests. For instance:

• summer savory when interplanted with beans is said to deter Mexican bean beetles.

• Hyssop, thyme and members of the mint family reportedly discourage the white cabbage butterfly from laying eggs on broccoli, cabbage and other brassicas.

• Calendulas are thought to repel asparagus beetles and tomato hornworms.

• Horseradish is reputed to be an effective deterrent to Colorado potato beetles

• and probably everyone has heard that certain marigold species can reduce nematode populations. There is even a marigold cultivar called ‘Nemagone’.

Vegetables can also be interplanted with each other.

Planting potatoes next to squash hills is supposed to eliminate squash bugs.

Tomatoes in your asparagus bed are said to foil asparagus beetles and members of the onion family are thought to discourage the carrot rust fly.

Also, during the heat of summer, vegetables that like cooler temperatures, such as lettuce, could be planted in the shade of taller corn or pole beans.

What is “alleleopathy”?

Scientists have also known for years that some plants have alleleopathic abilities. Alleleopathy is the process by which a plant produces certain chemicals that can affect, usually in a negative way, the growth of another plant.

The classic example of this is the black walnut tree that produces the compound juglone. Few plants can grow under a black walnut tree and it is thought that the juglone is largely responsible.

These same types of compounds, however, may render your plants less palatable to hungry insects or animal pests. For example, while no plant is 100 percent immune to deer feeding, they usually stay away from aromatic, silver-leaved plants such as artemesias.

Another facet of companion planting involves the use of plants that attract beneficial insects.

Many of our flowering native wildflowers provide food and shelter for beneficial insects such as:

• parasitic wasps,
• predatory beetles,
• flies
• and mites

Low growing ground covers, for example, provide a home for ground beetles and spiders that feed on slugs, aphids and caterpillars.

Other plants such as fennel, coriander, dill, anise, caraway, lovage and daisies serve as host plants for beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps. These tiny creatures can effectively control the larval stages of various insect pests.

Trial and error

Although scientifically developed guidelines for companion plantings are lacking, this does not mean it is not worth a try. The key to successful companion planting, as with so many other aspects of gardening, appears to be experimentation.

Try pairing some plants and see what the results are.

Also, now that you know more about how plants affect each other, when you are looking into why a plant is failing miserably in a certain area, consider its neighbors, as well as cultural and pest problems.

If you have more questions on companion planting or on other home or garden topics, call toll-free, at (877) 486-6271, and visit our Web site at www.ladybug.uconn.edu Or contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Posted June 20, 2010

Sustainable gardening focus of conference on March 12

The University of Connecticut will sponsor a conference for the home gardener on Friday, March 12 at the UConn campus in Storrs.

Focused on sustainable gardening, this day-long conference will offer educational opportunities for home gardeners at all interest and skill levels, from casual gardeners to certified Master Gardeners.

The program will include five speakers, plant and book sales and opportunities to earn Master Gardener credits.

The keynote speaker Rosalind Creasy is a noted author, photographer and lecturer. She will talk about her concept of edible landscaping, including tips on how to cultivate and cook with produce from “theme gardens.”

Other speakers include:

• Karen Bussolini, garden photographer and author, “Designing with Elegant Silvers”
• Steve Silk, photographer and travel writer,”The Crazy Mixed-Up Border: An Eclectic Approach to using Trees, Shrubs, Annuals, Tropical’s, Edibles and Perennials”
• Heather Crawford, environmental educator, “Gardening with Rain”
• Lois Berg Stack, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Specialist, “Twenty ways to Become a Greener Gardener.”

For more information, visit www. ladybug. uconn. edu/ gardening/2010conferencerelease.htm.

The Garden Conference is sponsored by UConn’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, including the Ornamental Plant Extension and the Home Garden and Education Center.

To register, contact Richard McAvoy at ( 860) 486- 0627 or richard.mcavoy@uconn.edu.

Posted March 11, 2010

A tour of the 2010 CT Flower & Garden Show

StoneBridge Craftsmen Exhibit. All photos © Cheryl Pedemonti.

The Connecticut Convention Center was transformed into a spring playground for gardeners during the 29th annual Connecticut Flower and Garden Show in downtown Hartford.

The show, which was held on February 18 to 21, included award-winning landscape exhibits, a standard flower show, gardening seminars and a slew of garden-related vendors.

I look forward to attending the show because it’s a nice break from winter and it gets me thinking about gardening again.

There is something magical about walking into the Convention Center and seeing flowers in bloom on a cold winter day. I think this winter was exceptionally gray and dreary, so attending the flower show was an uplifting experience in more ways than one.

“Spice of Life” Standard Flower Show

"Titillating Tango"

The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc. put a great deal of work into creating horticultural exhibits and floral arrangements. The 2010 theme for the flower show was the “Spice of Life.”

Talented gardeners from garden clubs throughout the state entered their floral arrangements and other horticulture displays.  There was something for everyone, including natural arrangements made from flowers, fruit and fabric.

There were also some rather unusual arrangements, including a pair of mannequin legs covered in black fishnet stockings with bright red flowers. It reminded me of the lamp in the Christmas Story movie. Take a look at that photo!

Award-winning landscape exhibits

Rooftop garden by Prides Corner Nursery

In addition to the flower show provided by the Federated Garden Club, there were amazing landscape exhibits created by local landscape companies.

My favorite part of the flower and garden show are these exhibits.  I give all of the contractors a big thumbs up for the amount of preparation and physical labor that goes into creating these temporary exhibits. No detail is overlooked.

The exhibits included structures, patios, fire pits, water features, retaining walls, specimen trees, flowering shrubs and masses of bulbs forced into bloom for this winter spectacle.

As a landscape designer, I enjoy observing the details that make each landscape exhibit stand out from the next one.

Something for everyone

Supreme Landscapes Exhibit - note the heart-shaped stone insert

Awards are given to the landscape exhibits based on best use of color, texture, plants, stone work, water, structures and other criteria.

Every exhibit included something that caught my eye, such as the heart shaped paver insert in front of the stone fireplace by Supreme Landscapes or the red cushioned chairs in the rooftop garden display by Pride’s Corner Nursery.

Pondering Creations is famous for their stone mosaics and they brought back the amber colored globes from last year that help to light up their water display.

The display by Hillside Nursery included an outdoor bar, complete with granite countertop and television – but it was a pair of mature Swiss Stone Pine trees in their display that captured my heart.

Lawncare, Etc. Exhibit

Lawncare, Etc. had an ambitious exhibit with a hillside planting complete with retaining wall, paver patio, water garden, lush turf and a covered dining area.

As you can see in the photo to the left, there was no shortage of daffodils, tulips and azaleas in full bloom at the Convention Center.

Lights, cameras, action!

Aquascapes of Connecticut fountain with changing colors set to music.

Many visitors at the show were enchanted by the colorful light display coming from the water fountain in one of the exhibits by Aquascapes of Connecticut. The fountain changed colors and was synchronized with music.

I was more intrigued, however, with their exceptional use of landscape lighting against a garden shed and throughout the surrounding garden area that included a picnic pavilion.

Their exhibit included two espaliered Japanese Maple trees that were an excellent use of specimen trees.

Aquascapes of Connecticut exhibit

Aquascapes was an adventurous contractor this year and set up a second exhibit. It was a large circular exhibit with a small sailboat docked on the edge of a pond which included a carved stone waterfall.

A white gazebo stood off to one side and was surrounded by a lush planting of rhododendrons and evergreens. This free-standing exhibit was surrounded by large logs, which added a unique “edging” to the landscape design.

And the award goes to…

My personal choice for the best exhibit this year goes to an Italian-inspired design built by StoneBridge Craftsmen (see the photo at beginning of this column).

They created a fascinating design complete with a stone archway that was draped with red roses.  The archway beckoned you into a pleasing landscape of soft green turf and a smooth sandstone patio with a table set for two.

The backdrop was a stucco house painted white, then aged by applying stain with a brush. The house had a red door and red window boxes that would have made my Italian father-in-law feel like he was back home.

A mix of evergreens and flowering shrubs gave the exhibit a splash of color.  And a circular stone pool repeated the curves that were used throughout the entire design.

In the center of the pool was a fountain with water bubbling out of the top of stacked stones. The sound of splashing water enhanced the peaceful feeling of this landscape.

If it hadn’t been for the signs warning visitors to keep off the display, I could have easily made my way over to the table and chairs to enjoy a glass of vino in this Tuscan village.

Shop ’til you drop

One of the seasonal items for sale at the CT Flower Show held in Hartford's Convention Center

When I had finished admiring the landscape exhibits and horticultural offerings by the garden club, I couldn’t help but “walk the gauntlet” between rows of vendors.  There are hundreds of vendors who fill up the nearly 3 acres of display space within the Convention Center.

I saw garden tools, tractors and a shed to store it all in.

Then, I perused the hats, gloves, T-shirts, birdhouses, wreaths, garden decorations, fences, gazebos and hot tubs.

There was every type of plant available, including flowering houseplants, forced branches of pussy willow and forsythias, orchids and some amazing bonsai specimens.

If you were not interested in the above vendors, you could shop for food, candy, herbs, lotion, soap, jewelry, paintings, photography and everything else gardening-related you could think of.

Starry flowers on Witchhazel

During my adventure through the vendor section, I purchased a garden dibber, a black-red double flowered peony for my garden collection and a glass wall hanging of preserved butterflies in every iridescent color you could imagine (the butterflies died of natural causes and the proceeds were donated to save the rain forest).

Schedule for next year…

If you haven’t seen the CT Flower and Garden Show in the past few years, I would recommend that you put it on your calendar for next winter.  It offers plenty of inspiration for your own garden and it’s a great escape from the cold, gray days of winter. Spring is just weeks away and I am looking forward to getting out into the garden once again!

Posted March 6, 2010

Dietters Water Gardens - A colorful display using plants and ceramic water fountains.

A gardener's survival list for winter

Photo by Cheryl Pedemonti.

Are you a hard core gardener suffering from withdrawal symptoms during the winter months?  Would you rather be digging in your garden instead of shoveling snow? Are you counting down to Groundhog Day when we find out if winter is almost over?

If so, then here are a few ideas to help you survive the long, cold days of winter.

First, make sure your garden offers four seasons of interest.

If your garden was lacking interest during late summer, autumn or winter, you should research plants that will offer color or interesting foliage or shapes during these seasons.

Add these plants to your garden first thing in spring, before you get carried away by all the spring bloomers that will be showcased early on at the garden center.

Concentrate these plantings where they will be viewed outside the window or near entryways.  Choose plants with evergreen foliage, colorful stems or bark, and persistent fruit (i.e. berries).

Ornamental grasses are very important during the winter months. Their wheat colored foliage and wispy seedheads create lots of interest.

A winter planter filled with evergreens and bright red berries

Don’t let your outdoor planters remain empty during the winter.  Fill them with evergreen branches, colorful stems or anything else you find interesting.

For the birds

Colorful birds such as Woodpeckers, Finches, Cardinals and Bluebirds add interest to the winter garden, too.

Some birds prefer eating fruit, while others will eat seeds from bird feeders or suet cakes.

The two most popular shrubs in my garden as a food source for the birds are Winterberry and Viburnum species.  Many birds overwinter in my garden and find shelter in evergreen trees, shrubs or wood nesting boxes.

A bright red male Cardinal

Now is the time to design

Winter is a great time of year to reflect on your garden’s success and failures.

Did you take photos of your garden or make notes in a journal expressing your joys or disappointments?  Take time to review your notes and work up design changes that will be made to your garden in the spring.

Did you try a new cultivar that you really liked? Find empty spots in your garden to add a few more of these plants.

Did you have a problem with pests or diseases in your garden?  Get ready to fight them when new growth appears in spring.  If it was an insect pest, learn all you can about its life cycle.  Eliminate eggs or larvae in the spring to prevent future generations from taking hold in your garden.  If necessary, eliminate the host plant from your garden to prevent the increase in population of the pest.  The tiny red Lily Leaf Beetle has become a menace so I will remove all my asiatic lilies from the garden this spring.

Looking ahead to the flower shows

There’s nothing like a flower show during the winter months to lift your spirits.  The Connecticut Flower and Garden Show will be held Feb. 18-21st at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

“The Spice of Life” is the theme for this year’s show.  Additional information can be found here: http://www.ctflowershow.com/index.html.

2009 CT Flower Show

If one garden show is not enough, you can head to the Boston Flower Show during March 24-28th at the Seaport World Trade Center.

More information can be found here: http://www.masshort.org/Blooms-2010.

If you want to enjoy a flower show outside of New England, you could plan a winter vacation to Pennsylvania and combine the Philadelphia Flower Show (Feb. 28-March 7) with a visit to Longwood Gardens.  This public garden is considered the world’s premier horticultural display garden and is gorgeous to look at any time of year.

For those of you who aren’t afraid of the cold, you can stroll through Longwood’s outdoor garden displays to find ideas for your own winter garden.

Longwood Gardens has 20 indoor gardens contained within four acres of heated greenhouses.  Their winter program, entitled “Orchid Extravaganza”, runs from Jan. 23 to March 31 and includes plant displays, concerts and a Valentine’s dinner.  More information can be found here:  http://www.longwoodgardens.org/default.html.

Elizabeth Park Greenhouse during the spring bulb show.

Visit your local greenhouses

Local commercial greenhouses can be visited in the winter if you need a boost of balmy temperatures.

Logee’s Greenhouse is located in Danielson and it is a pleasant drive to get there as you pass through picturesque towns.

Take advantage of the greenhouses located within botanical gardens or on college campuses.  I enjoyed an interesting guided tour at UConn’s greenhouse where I discovered all types of unusual plant life.

Smith College in Northampton, Mass. offers a spring bulb show in the Lyman Conservatory from March 6-21.  More info can be found at their website: http://www.smith.edu/garden/home.html.

Elizabeth Park in Hartford offers winter gardening lectures, in addition to their own bulb show in the greenhouse in March.  The exact date was not listed on their website but should be posted within the next few weeks.  For info go to their website: http://www.elizabethpark.org/

Wooden folk art can remain in the garden year round

A plethora of catalogs

If you prefer to hibernate inside for the winter, you can feast on a smorgasbord of mail order catalogs for seeds, bulbs and a vast array of plants.

Compile a wish list of all the items you want to include in your spring planting.  If you find an “ordinary” plant that you like in a catalog, I suggest you purchase it from your local garden center in the spring.  You will usually get a larger plant for the same amount of money.

Put in your order now with the garden center and the owner will be sure to have it in stock for you.

On the other hand, if you see an unusual species that you can’t find locally, you should place your order through the catalog.  Be sure to confirm the size of the plant you are ordering through the catalog as most are smaller sizes.  You don’t want to be disappointed when you open up the carton and find a tiny plant that could take years to grow into something substantial.

Herbs can be grown on a sunny windowsill

Houseplant TLC

Do you crave the feeling of dirt underneath your fingernails?  Winter is a good time to give your houseplants some TLC.  Remove them from their pots, trim their roots if they are twisted and tangled, and then repot them in fresh potting soil.  Wipe the dust off their leaves and give them a dose of fertilizer to bring them back into prime condition.

Herbs can be grown on a sunny window sill and you can enjoy their culinary delight throughout winter when preparing hearty stews or soup.

In another month or so, you can start seeds indoors but they require a great deal of light, so plan on investing in florescent grow lights. Keep the lights turned on for at least 12 hours per day. If seedlings do not receive adequate light, they will be weak and spindly.

Plant bulbs indoors

Do you have spring blooming bulbs that never made it into the ground this fall?  Plant them in pots and store them in a cold, dark area for at least 8 weeks (don’t allow them to freeze).  When green tips begin to appear, bring them into a cool room in your home.

When the flower buds appear, move the pots into a sunny room.  You will enjoy their colorful blooms before you know it.

If forcing bulbs is not your thing, you can purchase bulbs already potted up and ready to bloom.  Another alternative is to purchase flowering houseplants for winter color.

Flowering house plants brighten up the home in winter

Catch up on tool care

Winter is a good time to clean and sharpen your gardening tools, such as hand pruners or loppers.  The same goes for your garden spade and mower blades.

To begin the clean up, use a wire brush to remove dirt. Remove rust with steel wool or light sandpaper.

After cleaning, spray the metal parts with a lubricant oil to discourage rust.

File edges on tools to sharpen them if needed. Be sure to file in one direction only.

Smooth any rough surfaces on wooden tool handles with sandpaper, then apply a coat of linseed oil.  As an alternative, you can paint the handle a bright color to make it easier to find your tools after setting them down in the garden.

And while you are in the cleaning mode, take time to prepare your clay pots for spring.  Scrub them up, dip them in a household bleach solution and store them in a frost-free area.

Take a class

Do you want to learn more about the art of landscaping?  There are numerous sources to fulfill your quest for knowledge, such as horticulture seminars, adult education classes or garden club presentations.

The UConn 2010 Conference for the Home Gardener will be held at the Storrs campus on March 12^t and offers national garden speakers. If you want to learn more about this seminar, check out their website at http://www.hort.uconn.edu/2010garden/.

I hope these suggestions help you to get through the tough winter months of January, February and March.  Before you know it, we will be back into the gardening routine when the early spring sun starts to warm the earth and our spirits!

Persistent fruit on the Winterberry shrub

Fall chores in the perennial garden

As long as more moderate fall weather persists and the soil is still workable, we can continue to tidy up and even forge ahead in the perennial garden. Gone is the more frantic pace at which we must work during the growing season, replaced instead by a more laid back, even philosophical, attitude with time to think and plan and even dream a little about the growing seasons to come.

Start by removing any dead flower heads you missed earlier, especially those of garden phlox. A few of mine are still sending out occasional blooms. They will self-seed mercilessly, their offspring an unappetizing, vigorous, magenta strain and you will find yourself weeding them out most of next year.

Cut back flower stalks of such late blooming beauties as obedient plants, boltonias, asters and mallows after the blossoms have faded. You may want to leave the more attractive seed heads like those found on ornamental grasses, sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, and coneflowers (a moderate self-seeder and good bird food) for winter interest.

Next, remove any diseased foliage. This includes mildewed leaves on asters, phlox and beebalm, botrytis on peonies, and leaf spots on delphiniums and irises. Do not compost any diseased materials unless you have a hot compost pile. Rather, bag them and put them out with the trash.

Most perennials die back to the ground with new growth arising from the crowns come spring. Even if the whole stem has died, however, I like leaving 5 or 6 inches intact for leaves to collect around as a winter mulch.

This is especially important for shallow-rooted perennials like mums and marginally hardy ones such as plumbago and goldenstar. A few perennials including hellebores and epimediums keep their foliage long into the winter and are best left to their own devices except perhaps for a light mulch.

Mulching

Pluck any late germinating or persistent weeds as you go through the garden. If you are using a shredded bark or shredded leaf mulch, replenish it in areas where it has worn thin. Gardens can still be edged as long as the soil is not too wet.

Likewise, if you are planning on expanding, you can remove the sod from new areas to make your job quicker next spring.

Test the soil and work in a slow release source of phosphorus, like bonemeal or rock phosphate, and potassium, such as greensand, if your report comes back deficient in these elements.

Limestone may also be called for as a source of calcium and to raise the pH for perennials that do not grow well in acid soils.

The final mulching for winter protection should not be done until the ground freezes which usually doesn’t occur until December. If put it down too early, voles may take up residence and feast on your perennial plants all winter.

Many plants do just fine with little or no protection, but just in case we have a very cold winter I do put a nice covering of leaves or a few evergreen boughs over my most recently acquired perennials (the ones I got on sale last weekend!) as well as a few marginally hardy double primroses. The winter mulch will help prevent heaving following freeze/thaw cycles.

If you have a few blank spaces in the garden, there is still time to tuck in a few spring flowering bulbs.

Review this season

This is a good opportunity to reflect on your perennial garden’s performance.

Are you happy with the color scheme or would you like it to be more monochromatic or diverse?

Are some plants particularly prone to disease problems? Consider not growing those species affected or seeking out disease-resistance cultivars.

Are there too many plants in need of constant division? Perhaps they should be replaced with better behaved sorts.

Make some notes of what changes you’d like to make. Over the winter, use the soon-to-be-released 2010 plant and seed catalogs, along with some gardening books to guide you in selecting just the right combinations of plants for your perennial garden.

If you need help with perennial selection or have questions on any other home and garden topic, call the UConn Home & Garden Education Center (toll-free) at (877) 486-6271, visit www.ladybug.uconn.edu, or get in touch with your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Posted Nov. 8, 2009

Ornamental Grasses: Beauty and Movement in the Garden

The main attraction in the autumn garden belongs to the magnificent world of ornamental grasses.  There is a variety of ornamental grasses that you can find in the nursery center today now that they have grown in popularity.  You will quickly see that they come in many different sizes, foliage colors, and bloom times. You should have no problem finding something that will fit into your garden perfectly.  Make sure you leave a space in your landscape for these power players of the autumn and winter season.

Dwarf Fountain Grass

Low Maintenance Versatile Grasses

You will find there is an ornamental grass for every garden type whether you have moist shade or a dry sunny site.  These are low maintenance plants for every level of expertise. The only care they need is to cut back the foliage to the ground each spring when the spring blooming bulbs appear.  Taller grasses may need to be staked and tied to prevent them from flopping open in the center.

Attractive Seed Heads on Northern Sea Oats

Something For Your Senses

Many of the grass species have persistent foliage and seed heads that fade to a wheat color in winter.  The tall grasses swish and sway in the wind so you can experience them both visually and by their sound.  They provide cover and food for birds and small wildlife, too.

Multiple Uses In The Landscape

Blue Oat Grass mixed with perennial flowers

I like to use the short clump growers in the front of the border and mix them in with my perennial flowers.  The taller species are good as a privacy screen and mingle well with evergreen and deciduous shrubs.  The tall species will also add height and foliage interest to the perennial flower border. Remember that the size of the grass will increase in height as it takes three years in the garden for the plant to reach it’s mature size.  Clump growers will continue to spread in size but at a reasonable pace.

Beware Of Aggressive Spreaders

There are a few aggressive spreaders which should be used in areas where they can naturalize.  Ribbon Grass (Phalaris arundinacea ‘Picta’) is prized for its beautiful green and white variegated foliage but it will quickly take over your garden.  It’s great for tough areas such as a sunny hillside if you want something to cover the entire embankment.  Be sure to read the plant label on the ornamental grass you choose so you will be informed of its cultural needs and growth habits.

Try Out One Of These Reliable Species

Here is a list of the most popular species that are readily available in the garden center. Take time to visit the garden center in the fall and choose a grass that fits your needs.

Feather Reed Grass

Calamagrostis x acutiflora (Feather Reed Grass) adds an upright accent to the garden with its pronounced vertical stems and panicles.  I think they look best when in groups of three or more.  They are early to bloom, usually in June, but the panicles will persist right into the winter months.  The bloom will have a golden brown tint and fades to wheat with the cold temperatures.  ‘Overdam’ offers variegated foliage.  ‘Karl Foerster’ is very popular and was voted the 2001 Perennial Plant of the Year. It grows 4-5′ tall when mature.

Gold Fountain Sedge

Carex species (Sedge) is a wonderful edging plant due to the short height of the grass blades.  With over 2,000 species of sedge, you can find a variety of colors including green, gold, white/green, gold/green, blue, and bronze.  Some are clump growers and some spread such as ‘Ice Dance’.  Most sedge prefer part shade and moist soil but they are tolerant of sun and drier conditions depending on cultivar.  My favorite one is C. dolichostachya ‘Kaga Nishiki’ which means “Gold Fountain”.

Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) is a native grass that can be naturalized or mixed with perennial flowers.  The sturdy 3′ tall stems have bright green foliage similar to bamboo but it is a well-behaved clump grower.  The truly outstanding feature is the showy panicles that resemble oats.  They dangle in the wind on delicate, drooping stems.  The seed heads are popular for dried arrangements and they will persist into the winter months.  The foliage changes to a coppery yellow color in fall until it bleaches to a wheat color in winter.

Hakone Grass with Impatiens

Hakonechloa macra (Hakone Grass or Japanese Forest Grass) is one of the best grasses for shade gardens or moist gardens.  It has an attractive thick blade of grass that grows into a graceful, weeping, clump of grass.  It is slow to spread but I wish it was quicker because it becomes more beautiful with each passing year.  ‘Aureola’ is a favorite cultivar with bright gold and white variegated foliage.  It looks elegant when planted near water features.  This one reaches 18-24″ tall.

Helictotrichon sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass) is my favorite low grower and known for its spiky blue foliage that grows 18″ tall.  It performs best in well drained soil and full sun.  It’s a natural for rock or alpine gardens but easily fits in with perennial flowers.  I like the way it looks with ‘Moonbeam’ Threadleaf Coreopsis. The tall wiry flower stalks grow 3′ tall and have oat-like flowers that dangle from the tips.  You can cut off the flowers if you don’t want the added height in your garden but they are wispy so background plants will show through the stems. ‘Sapphire’ is a named cultivar and considered the best blue form.

Showy Flower Tassels on 'Gracillimus' Maiden Grass

Miscanthus sinensis (Maiden Grass) has many different cultivars for every size garden! A four season garden would not be complete without one of these amazing ornamental grasses. ‘Gracillimus’ is a tall (5-6′) upright, arching grass with narrow green blades and a small white inner margin. The tassel-like flowers are a beautiful shade of maroon when they first appear. ‘Strictus’ (also known as Porcupine Grass) has stiff, upright green leaves with gold horizontal bands across the leaf blade. ‘Morning Light’ has arching green leaves with a narrow white margin that makes the grass appear silver in the landscape.  It fits in nicely with perennial flowers and really brightens up the garden.

'Yaku Jima' Miscanthus

‘Yaku Jima’ Miscanthus is one of my favorites and always gets a lot of comments from visitors to my garden.  It has a shorter, stocky habit (4-5′ tall) with golden tassels that glow in the late August afternoon sun. ‘Huron Sunrise’ is considered the most profuse blooming Miscanthus with masses of burgundy plumes.  It grows 5-6′ tall and is considered a very hardy cultivar. ‘Variegatus’ is one of the oldest Miscanthus cultivars with thick blades of white and green variegated grass.  It really is a show stopper in the garden.  It has a tendency to open up in the center when the grass plumes emerge so I recommend a corset of stakes and string around the plant before it has a chance to flop.

'Heavy Metal' Switch Grass showing it's autumn color

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ (Blue Switch Grass) grows 3-4′ tall, has blue upright foliage and wispy panicles that remind me of pearls. The blue foliage will turn red at the tips as the season progresses until it turns a copper color in the fall and eventually bleaching to wheat color in winter.  There are many other cultivars to choose from with green foliage but I’m always looking for something with a different color to stand out in the garden.  Switch Grass is a bit late to emerge in the spring so be patient with it.

'Moudry' Fountain Grass

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ (Fountain Grass) is a favorite grass of both adults and children because the flower panicles are very soft to the touch and resemble a “fox tail”. The thin green leaves arch over creating a soft fountain about 24″ tall. Fountain grass is early to bloom, usually in late July, but the seed heads will last into the winter months.  The seeds are eaten by birds and small wildlife in the winter so they make a nice addition to wildlife certified gardens. If you are looking for something dramatic, try ‘Moudry’ with brownish-black flowers and a later bloom time of September.  It looks fantastic with ‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum!  Most of the Fountain Grass with burgundy foliage and reddish-pink flowers are annuals for our area but don’t let that stop you from planting them in your garden.  They look nice in planters and create an upright center piece for your annual pots and urns.

Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment With Something New

Let this article be your starting point for experimenting with ornamental grasses in your garden.  The above mentioned species are all easy to grow and maintain so you should have excellent results.  When researching other grasses to add to your landscape, be aware of their hardiness zones.  Not all grasses will survive our harsh winters but you can still enjoy them as an annual plant to beautify your garden.  When spring arrives, you can replace them with something new.  Happy Gardening!

Variegated Maiden Grass

You can create glorious Autumn days in the garden

This and all photos in this column are copyright by Cheryl Pedemonti

Most people think of autumn as a season when the garden begins to shut down, but this is not true in a “Four Seasons” garden.

With the right plant choices, your garden will continue to offer something of interest right into winter.

Perennials that bloom in late summer and fall include colors of purple, red, orange, and gold that echo the fall color on deciduous trees and shrubs. These flower colors look great against the evergreen foliage of junipers, false cypress, pines and spruce trees.

Variegated foliage continues to brighten up the shady areas and plants with burgundy, gold, blue, and gray foliage continue to add emphasis to the garden.

The real “stars” of the fall garden are the ornamental grasses with their glorious plumes that create movement in the garden with the slightest breeze! If you have not experimented with one of the ornamental grasses in your garden, then you are missing something BIG right now. (I will talk about these magnificent grasses in my next article because there is so much information to share with you.)

For now, I offer you a sampling of low maintenance shrubs and perennial flowers for fall and winter interest that should be included in your four-season garden.

Colorful Autumn Foliage

Cutleaf Japanese Maple - photo @ Cheryl Pedemonti

For vivid fall color from an ornamental tree or shrub, I would recommend two of my favorite four-season plants:

Acer palmatum dissectum (Cutleaf Japanese Maple) has brilliant fall colors of red or orange depending on the cultivar.

‘Crimson Queen’ is a popular cultivar with burgundy foliage that turns a brilliant red color in fall. Its weeping branch pattern can be enhanced by installing a landscape spotlight underneath the tree so its branches will be “up lighted” for a dramatic evening look.

Enkianthus campanulatus (Redvein Enkianthus) is a little known shrub but it’s worth searching for it in the garden center.  Spring and summer foliage is a blue-green color, then the cool autumn temperature will change it into a kaleidoscope mix of orange, red and gold. Clusters of creamy white, bell-shaped flowers with a red vein dangle from the delicate stems in late spring.

The shrub grows 8-10′ tall and has a narrow upright habit.  It does best in part shade, but will tolerate sun if given plenty of moisture.

Does Your Garden Need A WOW Factor?

Japanese Beautyberry - @ Cheryl Pedemonti

If you are looking for fruit that adds color to the garden, you might want to look for Callicarpa dichotomas (Purple Beautyberry). This delicate shrub becomes a conversation piece due to the clusters of shocking purple berries lining the stems!

Initially the branches will be lined with clusters of delicate pale pink flowers.  The flowers quickly mature into green berries, which then transform into these brilliant purple berries.  Each one is small but as a whole, it packs a wallop of color and interest in your garden.

Persistent Fruit Takes Your Garden Into Winter

Viburnum fruit - Photo @ Cheryl Pedemonti

My three favorite shrubs with persistent red fruit include the following:

Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) is a tall shrub  that takes a back seat in the garden display until September, when the branches will be lined with deep red berries.

When the leaves drop in October, you will be able to appreciate the glossy black stems that complement the red berries perfectly.

The Viburnum family is diverse but the two best species for persistent fruit are listed here. Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’ (Dwarf European Cranberrybush) and Viburnum wrightii ‘Cardinal Candy’ (Wright Viburnum) both have abundant red fruit from fall and into winter. The fruit will be green on the shrub all summer, until it ripens to a brilliant red color in late summer and autumn.

Cranberry Cotoneaster - Photo @ Cheryl Pedemonti

Cotoneaster apiculatus (Cranberry Cotoneaster) has bright red fruit along its low spreading branches.  This is a perfect shrub if you are looking for a creeping woody groundcover.

The slender branches twist and turn to create an interesting winter pattern.  Rosy pink flowers can be enjoyed in late spring and the red fruit will last from August to early winter.

Leaf removal in spring can be a bit tricky due to the branching pattern.  I use my hand to pull most of the leaves out, then I wait for the shrub to leaf out to hide anything remaining.  Remember, leaf litter is nature’s compost and that’s a good thing!

Evergreen Shrubs Provide The Backdrop

All of this colorful autumn display will be nicely shown off by using a fence or evergreen shrubs for a backdrop.

I like the colorful evergreens, as they create a nice contrast to the bright autumn colors.

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracillis’ (Dwarf Hinoki False Cypress) is one of my favorite small evergreens. The frond-like foliage is dark green with white markings underneath and offers a “rippled” texture. It blends effortlessly with anything in the garden.

Its cousin, Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’ (Gold Threadleaf False Cypress), offers gold color to break up the rest of your green plants. Prune this shrub tightly for best results.

Picea pungens ‘Montgomery’ (Dwarf Blue Spruce) has excellent silvery blue foliage and can mature at 6′ tall and 6′ wide after many years.

An interesting evergreen subshrub with late summer blooms would be Calluna vulgaris (Scotch Heather).  It has small delicate foliage that is green or gold in the summer and will change to silver, red, or dark green in the color months.  Bloom time depending on cultivar is from July to September.

Perennials for Late Summer and Autumn

Japanese Anemone - Photo @ Cheryl Pedemonti

Anemone japonica ‘Prince Henry’ (Japanese Anemone) is just one of many cultivars available in the anemone family.

Pearl-like buds sit atop long, wiry, purple stems and open into pink or white flowers depending on the cultivar.

‘Prince Henry’ is a semi-double flower on 36″-tall stems.  This perennial can be aggressive in the garden and spreads by underground roots.  Control its root system by planting it in a bottomless container sunk into the soil or plant it a large area to spread out and naturalize.

Japanese Anemone, also known as Windflower, grows in sun or part shade.

Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Brunette’ (Bugbane) has lacy burgundy colored foliage and 48″ tall wiry spikes of honey scented white flowers.  The foliage is similar looking to Astilbe and there are cultivars with green foliage.  This perennial does best in part shade and moist soil.

Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’ (Variegated Lilyturf) has grass-like green leaves with gold margins and purple spiky flowers produced in September-October. It makes a great groundcover in sun or shade.

Rudbeckia and Russian Sage - photo @ Cheryl Pedemonti

Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) is a strong, semi-woody perennial with grayish green scented foliage and hazy purple flower spikes on tall silver stems that add color from late summer into fall. I like to pair it with the next two flowers.

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum’ (Black Eyed Susan) cannot be beat for late season color in the garden. It is low maintenance and a sturdy reliable perennial from year-to-year.  The bloom starts in mid July and will continue beyond the first frost. The brown cone-shaped seedhead will persist into the winter months.

Four Season Grouping - photo @ Cheryl Pedemonti

Hylotelephium x ‘Autumn Joy’ (Sedum or Stonecrop) also offers a long season of bloom as the flower color changes from green to pale pink to deep russet red.

Don’t cut the flowers back until spring, as it will carry the garden through winter.  I love how this all purpose perennial complements anything you plant it with.

If you are looking for something unusual, look no further than Trycirtus hirta (Toad Lily); it will certainly get a mention in your garden.

Small orchid-like flowers bloom in late summer to early fall in shades of white, purple and mauve. Many cultivars have spots on the flowers and some have variegated foliage.

Turtlehead - Photo @ Cheryl Pedemonti

Chelone obliqua (Turtlehead) is a native flower well suited for moist, shaded gardens.  It has pale pink flower clusters that resemble a turtle’s head.  It grows 2-3′ tall and blooms from August to September.

Seedheads Create Interest, Too

A variety of summer blooming perennials will carry over to autumn with their interesting seedheads, so remember this before you deadhead the spent flowers.

Some examples include the seed pods on Siberian Iris and Daylilies.  Coneflower seeds are a major source of food for Goldfinch and other small birds.  I also keep the spent flowers on Astilbe, as their seedheads will last right through winter until you cut them back in early spring. They look a bit brown after the bloom is finished, but be patient and you will be rewarded with late season interest.

Don’t be afraid to experiment in your garden.  If you decide you don’t like something, you can cut it back.  Give it a try and see what your garden offers for autumn and winter interest.  Happy Gardening!

The fine art of weeding

A rogue weed amongst the Threadleaf Coreopsis ('Zagreb' C. verticillata). Photo © by Cheryl Pedemonti for HTNP.com ----------

May is such a glorious month to be in the garden. The leaves start to unfurl on the trees and deciduous shrubs create interesting patterns. Lawn grass turns emerald green. The birds welcome the morning with a variety of songs. Pastel blooms look cheery even on those rainy spring days.

Aside from all the splendor happening in the garden right now, there is something lurking there that will become a monster, if not put into its place. We are talking about weeds!

Weed Now, Play Later

If you overlook the weeds now while enjoying the bountiful blooms in your garden, you will have double the work trying to remove the weeds from your garden at a later date.

The longer you wait to pull out the weeds, the deeper the roots will dive into the soil. Instead of the slight tug on the stem it takes now to remove the weed, you will be digging out the roots with a trowel later.

And take advantage of the rainy spring days that we are experiencing, because weeds are much easier to pull out when the soil is moist.

Dandelion seeds.

The other reason to pull out weeds during their spring season infancy is to prevent the weed from making flowers that will then produce seeds. Once the weed has set seeds, it has increased its presence in the garden 100 times or more! Think of those wispy dandelion puff balls that we blew upon as kids – and as they wafted away on the breeze, they scattered their seeds far and wide.

Please know that I don’t enjoy pulling weeds in my garden any more than other gardeners, but there is no way I want the weeds to get the upper hand and multiply in my garden.

Pre-Emergent Herbicides

If you really want to prevent weeds from sprouting in your garden, you should apply what’s called a pre-emergent weed preventative – and the rule of thumb for when to do this is  before forsythia flowers drop from the shrubs.

Weeding tools, such as this knife, gardening gloves and a kneeling pad make the task a little easier. Photo courtesy of The Country Gardener.

Preen is a popular name brand that you may have seen in the garden center. This herbicide will not eliminate existing weeds in the garden, but it will prevent any new weed seeds from germinating.

Keep in mind that a pre-emergent herbicide will also prevent all other seeds from germinating where it is applied.  So, you should not apply it to your garden if you have self-sowing annual flowers that you want to keep coming up in your garden from year to year.

The same is true if you have biennial flowers such as foxglove and hollyhock, which return to the garden every other year by sowing new seedlings.

And do not use pre-emergent herbicide when starting a new lawn by seed.

Post-Emergent Herbicides

So what do you do if you didn’t use a pre-emergent herbicide? You’ve got to get down on your hands and knees and start pulling the weeds out by hand, unless you favor the use of post-emergent herbicides.

But be careful when using herbicides to kill weeds because the chemicals may also harm your ornamental plants. Read the label carefully to see if any of the ornamental plants in your garden will be affected by the herbicide.

A variety of weeds you may have spotted in your lawn. Photo courtesy of Western College.

Beware non-selective herbicides such as Round-Up, because they will kill any green plant matter that the spray touches.  “Non-selective” means it will kill grass, flowers and weeds. In other words, it doesn’t have a chemical preparation to selectively kill weeds only.

You can look for herbicides that can be used on the lawn that are formulated to kill broadleaf weeds only, but it becomes a bit trickier when using these herbicides in the flower bed or mixed border. The term “broadleaf weeds” may include some of your prized flowers!

Weeding the Old-Fashioned Way

I practice organic methods in my garden, which means I pull weeds the old-fashioned way. I like to go out to the garden and pull weeds after a tough day of work.

Even though weeding is not my favorite chore in the garden, I have to admit it has a therapeutic side effect. If you are angry or tired, go pull weeds for an hour or two and see how calm you feel afterwards.

Get yourself a padded cushion to kneel on to protect your knees. If you have a problem kneeling in the garden, you can invest in one of the small garden scooters that roll around on wheels.

Have a small trowel in hand so you can loosen the deep roots of dandelions or other persistent weeds.

Watch for tiny seedlings of flowers that may have self-sowed in your garden. Only pull them if they have sprouted in an area where they are unwanted.

Keep Out the Grass

Be especially vigilant to keep creeping grass roots out of the flower beds. If you let grass overtake a garden, it will become very difficult to clean up around the flowers.

If you did not stay on top of removing grass from your flower beds for the past few years and the bed is now overtaken by the grass, you will need to lift the clumps of flowers from the bed. Then remove all grass roots that have tangled up between the stems and roots of the desired plant. Remove any remaining grass and roots from the garden bed before replanting the cleaned up flowers.

Make sure you edge the beds on a yearly basis to prevent the grass roots from creeping into the flower beds.

Preventive Measures

Keep in mind that weeds need sunlight to germinate. If you apply a thin layer of mulch to the soil, it will help to suppress the weeds. Mulch can consist of shredded hardwood or composted (and shredded) leaves or pine needles.

If you keep your garden tightly planted with desirable ornamental plants, this will also help to shade the ground and suppress the growth of weeds.

So get out there now and start pulling those baby weeds before they grow into big bad monsters that want to take over the flower bed!

[Editor's note: Cheryl's upcoming columns will feature plant profiles so you can get out to the garden center and start looking for new and unusual shrubs, ornamental grasses and flowers.  If you have questions for Cheryl, please post a comment on this story.]