Greenwood Nursery & Gardens

Stinky ginkgoes offend delicate noses

2009-11-04T04:51:00.001-08:00

What rhymes with ginkgo? For people in many American cities, the word is STINKO.

The ginkgo tree has a long history, dating back to the Permian era which lasted from 290 to 248 million years ago. As you might guess from that statistic, the ginkgo is recognized for its remarkable hardiness, able to overcome extraordinary adversity. Legend has it that ginkgo trees survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

That hardiness is an asset prized both by private landowners and civic planners. What could be better than a row of trees with attractive foliage that are also exceptionally hardy?

Ah, well…

There is one major drawback, at least in the eyes (and noses) of many people. The ginkgo is one of those trees that is gender specific: they are either male or female. Mature female ginkgoes produce ovules which when fertilized by pollen from the male tree grow into bunches of seeds that look like fuzzy green cherries.

Now here’s the problem, at least from a human point of view. The fleshy coating around the seeds contains butyric acid, the same stuff that gives that distinctive smell to rancid butter. In addition to the rancid butter smell, many people complain that the odor reminds them of vomit, rotten eggs or even doggy-doo.

Not everybody finds the odor offensive. Depending on your olfactory sensibility, you might feel that the smell is really awful or not too bad or just one of those “nature smells.”

But the seasonal smell isn’t the only potential problem. The slimy seed pods can make sidewalks slippery and some municipalities are concerned about the possibility of lawsuits resulting from injuries caused by slipping and falling on pods dropped from city-owned ginkgoes.

As a result, many cities are deciding to plant only male ginkgo trees and/or removing and destroying existing female ginkgoes. Cities as widespread as Lexington, KY, Bloomington, MN and Easton, PA have taken action to limit or remove ginkgoes.

To me, it seems a great pity to destroy trees because some people find the odor offensive for a few weeks each year. At the same time I can appreciate the problem faced by a city that wants to avoid injury to citizens and the subsequent lawsuits.

Should you plant ginkgo trees on your property? That depends! If you don’t mind the odor or if the trees are a fair distance from your house, the smell issue (and probably the slippery sidewalk issue) shouldn’t be a major problem. Alternatively, you can plant only male ginkgo trees. Ginkgoes are very hardy, long-lived and attractive so there definitely are benefits.

But what if you really want trees and shrubs that are pleasantly fragrant? What could you look for? Here are some you can consider:

Mock Orange Philadelphus Innocence x. lemoinei

This is perhaps the most fragrant of the Mock Oranges. Cheryl and I love to inhale the sumptuously intoxicating orange sweetness given up by Mock Orange Philadelphus Innocence's, pure white blossoms. This variety grows to 5 – 8 feet at maturity in USDA zones 5 to 8.
Old Fashion Lilac, Syringa vulgaris

Old Fashion Lilac is perhaps the most popular of all lilacs due to its rich color ranging from purplish red to lilac and purple. Old Fashion Lilac has extremely fragrant with a broad, rounded habit. It is a moderate growing shrub with attractive dark green foliage. It is great for hedges, or screens, and can also be planted as a specimen plant, growing to maybe 20 feet in zones 3 to 7.
Carolina Jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens

A fragrant, early-blooming perennial, the yellow Carolina Jessamine is an attractive semi-evergreen vine that tends to remain bushy and compact when grown in bright sun. When shaded, Jessamine Carolina can climb up and over adjacent shrubs and trees to heights of more than 20 feet. Carolina Jessamine will rapidly cover arbors, tree trunks, trellises, etc. in a season or two. Zones 8 – 10.

And of course there’s honeysuckle and fragrant, low-growing plants such as lavender and rosemary that produce delightful aromas.

So go for ginkoes if you can shrug off the stinko, or select more fragrant plants that bring a smile to your nose.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org

Hydrangeas are failing to bloom

2009-10-28T13:09:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: “I have two hydrangea plants that grow every year in a sunny location, with large bright green leaves. The plants never make flowers, however, even though the woman who gave them to me years ago took the small plants from her garden where she had many flowering specimens.

“At the end of the summer, I have those long spikes which I carefully protect through the frosty winter, but by spring they are dried up and appear dead. As the new leaves start to grow, I lose hope and cut the pale spikes down. Most of the time, the deer eat the tops anyway. Any hope? Should I transplant them?” – Faith Gitlow

ANSWER: Hydrangeas can be tricky. According to the experts at www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com (my favorite hydrangea care site) there are three main reasons why hydrangeas fail to bloom:

A late spring freeze arrives and ruins the developing bloom buds.
Improper pruning.
Planted in wrong zone. If you have had the bad luck to plant a hydrangea that has not bloomed after the first year you planted it, you may finally have to concede that this particular variety is not cold hardy in your area.

If you go to their Web site you can find more information about all kinds of hydrangea problems.

QUESTION: “I have a problem with my blossoming Kwanzan cherry tree. The leaves are turning brown and falling off. Is it dying? I live in the California sierra foothills (elev. 1500ft.). It can get very hot during the summer months. The tree is planted in the middle of my lawn on an island of top soil with 2" of wood mulch on top. The island is about a foot and a half high and less as it spreads out.

“I water about every other day for 20 minutes at 4am. There are plants and flowers around it but not any closer than 2 ft. It also has new growth coming in. I just don't get it! Do you have any ideas?” – Dan Buchholz

ANSWER: Over the past four years or so, flowering cherry (and other varieties including birches) trees have been going dormant earlier and earlier each year where we live here in Tennessee which is zone 7. For the most part, it is attributed to the lack of rainfall (actual drought some of the years).

Around early to mid August, they begin to lose their leaves. Their coloring doesn’t fade to a lovely fall color, just brown. As long as there are no other issues with the tree, I would say it is the same problem. Cheryl and I have been receiving many emails this summer concerning trees doing this.

QUESTION: “For the past three seasons my pin oak trees have lost their leaves in August. The leaves turn translucent first before falling from the tree. I have used an insect treatment that you add to water and pour at the base of the tree for the past three years and it doesn’t seem to help. In the spring and during the summer the trees are full of leaves but in August they turn white and fall off the tree. The trees are 30 to 40 feet tall (I have two of them on the west side of my home).” – Susie Brown

ANSWER: Here is a link to the University of California at Davis Extension site with an article on diagnosing oak tree diseases.
http://ceventura.ucdavis.edu/newsletterfiles/Landscape_Notes11016.pdf
This article will give you a detailed listing to work with, but the most common reasons for early leaf loss with oaks is lack of water or cool wet spring/summer weather which typically causes fungus.

If you can’t figure it out with the article, contact your local agricultural extension agent for their opinion and how to proceed. To find the Extension Service nearest to you, visit this Web site: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/ or go to my Web site www.landsteward.org find this column and click on a direct link. Good luck!

Deer-resistant plants mean less landscape damage

2009-10-21T13:07:00.001-07:00

I think we’d all agree that deer are hungry critters. However much you enjoy wildlife, you can be disheartened, or even outraged, to find your prized shrubs chewed down to the stumps with tell-tale hoof prints in the surrounding soil.

In the previous Plant Man column, I described ways to determine if deer are the real culprits, and I took a look at some deer repellent products, both commercial and home-made. If you missed that column, you can find it at my Web site www.landsteward.org

Today, we’ll take a look at some deer resistant plants. As far as I know, there are no “deer-repellent” plants; the kind that would send deer scurrying away in panic. No such luck. So your best bet, if deer are a potential problem, is to select plants that hold the least possible attraction to deer. Unfortunately, in times of scarcity, deer will eat almost anything green, but you can put the odds in your favor so they will ignore your landscape in search of greener – and tastier – pastures.

Do a little homework and you’ll quickly discover which plants attract deer and which plants they find less desirable. A good place to start is http://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistence/ a Web site hosted by Rutgers University.

That Web site consists of a long chart of alphabetically-listed plant names, color-coded to indicate which are rarely damaged, seldom severely damaged, occasionally severely damaged or frequently severely damaged.

Using the Rutgers chart, you can determine if a plant on your wish list might be better replaced with a less deer-yummy one. Although it’s a long list, I can think of other plants that you could select when deer are a potential problem. Here are some to consider:

Boxwood Wintergreen (Buxus microphylla)
I’ve found that deer don’t particularly care for the taste or aroma of boxwoods under normal circumstances. This popular low growing evergreen shrub is commonly seen as a low hedge or border defining the edges of formal and informal gardens. The Wintergreen Boxwood offers dark green lustrous leaves and creates a striking hedge with year round color, holding its green color all winter long. Suitable for USDA zones 5 – 9.

Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia Goldsturm)
Black Eyed Susans are true perennials, returning larger each year. They are great for mass plantings and provide wonderful contrasting colors when paired with ornamental grasses, Shasta daisies, Russian sage or dianthus. Black Eyed Susan should be deadheaded regularly for continued blooms. They are a native North American wildflower as well as being deer and rabbit resistant yet attracting butterflies. Zones 4 – 9.

Barberry Rose Glow (Berberis thunbergii)
This is an eye catching form of Japanese Barberry, emerging with early foliage that is a rosy glowing pink color that turns a crimson burgundy as it matures. Full sun produces the best foliage, looking good as foundation, border or mass planting. Barberry Rose Glow needs a well drained area and can tolerate some drought in zones 4 through 7.

American Holly (Ilex opaca)
You probably wouldn’t relish eating holly and, as a rule, neither do deer. Left untrimmed, American Holly can reach a height of 30 feet or more with a spread of 18 to 30 feet. Bear in mind you will need at least one of each sex to produce berries that will attract birds and butterflies but not deer. Hardy in zones 5 to 9.

Bamboo Sunset Glow (Fargesia rufa)
A favorite of the Giant Panda but not that attractive to deer. This is a clumping (non-running) variety. Growing to 8 feet in height, the orange-red sheaths and deep green leaves will provide a nice hedge or screen at maturity when planted in groups. USDA zones 6 – 9.

Sage, Thyme and Chives
Deer don’t particularly care for these herbs but humans do, so they’re not a bad choice as attractive groundcover and as a great, fresh addition to many home-cooked dishes.

Again, no plant is 100% deer-resistant. But when you select plants that are less attractive to deer and employ some of the deterrents we discussed in the previous column, you should find that deer will generally look elsewhere for their salad buffet.

Dense evergreens make perfect living fence

2009-07-27T10:19:00.001-07:00

Fences make good neighbors, according to the old saying. This can be particularly true for homeowners living on relatively small lots in urban or suburban neighborhoods or in so-called “cluster home” developments.

“Living fences” of fairly dense shrubs and evergreen trees can disguise existing wood or chain-link fences or even replace them altogether. Cheryl and I planted a stand of Thuja Cedar Green Giants several years ago and they are growing by leaps and bounds, robust and healthy, creating a natural perimeter between our lawn and an expanse of wilder woodland.

Cedar Green Giants can be pruned annually to keep them at a manageable height, but left to their own devices, Cedar Green Giants can reach heights of 30 to 50 feet, growing three to five feet a year. Another benefit is that Cedar Green Giants are without serious pest or disease problems, giving them an advantage over Hemlocks and the disease-prone Leyland Cypress. Plant Cedar Green Giants three to five feet apart and you’ll soon have a natural screen for added privacy and as a sound barrier if traffic noise is an issue.

Another fine choice would be the arborvitae “Emerald Green” with its dense foliage and pyramidal shape. Arborvitae Emerald Green has a very bright green color and appears to have a tinge of gold to it if the sun hits it just right. Arborvitae Emerald Green grows to a height of 10 - 15 feet, with a spread of 3 - 4 feet. Emerald Green displays its bright lustrous green color all year and does not discolor in winter, adding a feeling of life to what might be an otherwise barren landscape. Its very compact and tight growth pattern make it an excellent choice for a screen when spaced 2 - 3 feet apart in the row.

Here’s a reader looking for some guidance with her arborvitae.

QUESTION: “We have a row of emerald green arborvitae across the back of our yard. We use it as a screen between our yard and the neighbors’ yard behind us.

“Starting last year six evergreens in a row started to get all brown, mostly on our side, which faces SE. We have a maple tree shading them some that has really started to grow in the last few years.

“We don't know if it's the shade or nutrients or what, but if they can't grow there, do you have a suggestion as to what would thrive there, and not look so out of place because of being something different in the row?” – Elaine

ANSWER: There are a number of reasons why this could happen to your arborvitae. Here are some of the most common:

Dogs urinating on the plants
Spider mites
Not mulching enough
Wind burn
Over fertilizing
Not hardening off before winter

As for the last two potential reasons, bear in mind that you should fertilize only one time during the year (with something such as Hollytone) and spring would be the best time to do it.

Do not water regularly after fall frost. Watering should begin to gradually taper off in late summer (such as late August to September depending on your location) so that the plant can harden off for winter. Arborvitae are not drought tolerant so when tapering off, simply stretch the number of days between watering. Should there be no regular rainfall during that period, supplemental watering will be necessary, just less frequently.

From the photographs you e-mailed to me, most of your plants look fine, just the ones on the inside look somewhat stressed. Take a look at the possible list of causes, above, and taking into account your local weather conditions, you should be able to narrow it down.

If you identify and rectify the problem, there should be no need to replace your arborvitae.

Never too early to plan fall planting

2009-07-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Fall planting? But it’s only just summer! It’s way too early to be thinking about fall planting, isn’t it?

Nope.

This is an excellent time to be thinking ahead to the cooler days of fall and what you can plant to enhance your landscape. What makes “right now” so special?

Right now your landscape is probably at its high point. The foliage on shrubs and trees is full and lush. Many of your late spring and early summer plants are in bloom. Take a look around your landscape. Walk around and see it as if with fresh eyes. This is the best time of year to see where the gaps are. Later in the year, and of course in winter, this is less obvious as deciduous trees have shed their leaves and even evergreens are more dormant.

What do I mean by “gaps” in your landscape? I don’t mean to suggest you should necessarily fill every square foot of soil with plants. But when you look at your landscape, as if for the first time, you’ll see areas that don’t look complete, somehow.

Perhaps there’s an awkward space between plants that looks empty, like a smile with a missing tooth. Maybe a dead plant had been removed and never replaced. Or perhaps an older plant has outgrown its usefulness, dwarfing smaller plants around it and preventing sunlight and rainwater from reaching them.

Not only that, but at this time of year you can look at your landscape and see some of your favorite plants at their best and decide if it would be a good idea to invest in one or two more. At our nursery, it is not unusual for Cheryl and me to hear from customers who bought shrubs from us one or two seasons ago and want to buy more of the same, once they’ve seen how well those plants enhance their particular garden plan.

As a general rule, it makes sense to place low-growing plants at the front of the beds with medium sized plants behind them and the taller shrubs in back. Now is the time to look at your beds and determine if there are some plants that are “out of whack” in your landscape. Instead of waiting until fall or next spring, decide now if any plants need to be retired and replaced, and which ones you’d like to see more of next summer.

Need some idea starters? Here are some plants you can research right now and probably pre-order for fall planting. Let’s start with the low-growers…

Ajuga Black Scallop PW http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/87441
A neat little fast-growing ground cover with deep, dark burgundy leaves and blue blossoms in spring, lingering into summer. I prefer this one to regular Ajuga bronze due to its larger leaves and deeper color.

Creeping Red Thyme http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/13373
(Thymus praecox subsp. Arcticus) This is a fast-growing evergreen ground cover with wonderfully aromatic foliage. If you’d planted it last season, right now you could be enjoying a profusion of lovely red flowers. Easy to grow and good between pavers, too.

Moving back to some medium-height plants…

Heuchera Lime Ricky PPAF http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/87490
This would be superb choice to plant behind the Ajuga Black Scallop (or adjacent to any dark foliage plant such as Black Elephant Ears or Black Mondo grass) because the scalloped leaves are a glowing chartreuse in spring turning lemon-lime in summer, emphasizing the contrast with black Ajuga foliage. Mature height: around 2 feet.

Heuchera villosa Tiramisu PPAF
Imagine these splashes of brick red color spattered around your garden, lightening to chartreuse in summer with a light silver overlay.

And now some taller plants…

Carolina Allspice http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/11681
(Calycanthus floridus) A dense, deciduous shrub that can grow to 5 or 6 feet (or more) at maturity, Carolina Allspice has lustrous dark green foliage and very fragrant, brown to reddish-brown flowers.

Buddleia Bi-Color http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/47058
Easy to grow and extremely fragrant, this variety sports two different colors on the same bloom stalk: rich lavender and butterscotch yellow. It will bloom all summer and attract swarms of colorful butterflies to your garden. Mature height: 5 to 6 feet.

Survey your landscape, plan for improvements and pre-order plants now for fall planting. Let me know if you need some more suggestions.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org

White spots on leaves could be powdery mildew fungus

2009-07-22T11:31:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: “I just planted some salvia in my garden and noticed some white spots on the leaves. Any suggestions?” – Mazzocco

ANSWER: The white spots could be from mineral deposits from watering, fertilizer residue or a fungus known as powdery mildew.

You will need to determine what is causing them before you can take any action. Fortunately, the first two wouldn’t require any action, but if they are caused by a fungus, you might want to apply a fungicide.

Powdery mildew is one of the most common landscape fungus problems. The first sign is often curled and twisted leaves before the white or grey powder is apparent. When the mildew appears, you might see the grey patches gradually enlarge and spread until they cover large areas on one or both sides of the leaf. If you are seeing that, then you have powdery mildew.

Severe infection can result in yellow or dry brown leaves and disfigured shoots. Although powdery mildew is not usually fatal, it can bring on early defoliation and unsightly plants.

Powdery mildew fungi are most likely to produce airborne spores and infect plants when temperatures are moderate and will not be present during hot summer days. When plants are overcrowded and shaded, creating a cool, humid environment, they are at greatest risk for powdery mildew infection.

Pick up any fallen infected leaves and pick off any severely damaged or dead leaves and destroy them, preferably by burning. If it’s any consolation, powdery mildew generally won’t adversely affect a plant’s overall health, so if it appears to be quite mild, or if you can live with unsightly plants, you could probably ignore it, other than destroying the infected leaves.

However, you can use a fungicide to treat the problem. For best results, begin to spray the plants as soon as the mildew is detected. Repeat the spraying as needed, which is usually during the cooler weather seasons. Not all fungicides are suitable for all plants, so be sure to check on the recommended usage before you spray. Read the package directions!

Here are two very useful sites with photos to help you identify powdery mildew and helpful instructions on how to treat the problem and create an environment that will discourage the fungus from returning. One article is posted by Cornell University’s Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic and the other is from Ohio State University’s Extension Service.

http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/powdery/powdery.htm

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3047.html

You can click on direct links to those sites when you find this column at my Web site, www.landsteward.org

QUESTION: “I have a very steep slope in my back yard leading from a patio down to our lake front. There is a retaining wall at the top and a retaining wall at the bottom. I would guess that the incline is about 45 degrees in some areas. There are trees on one side leaving part of the slope in deep shade, part is dappled shade and a few areas get a
good bit of sun, but the bulk of the area is pretty shady.

“Since it is so steep, we have concerns about erosion control. It's steep enough to be difficult to get out there and weed or do any other normal garden "tending", so it has to be very self sufficient. Can you give any advice on types of plants to use?” – Margaret Wilson

ANSWER: Anything you try to plant will most likely take several years to fill in at best. Vinca, pachysandra, purple wintercreeper and liriope will grow well on sloped shaded areas. Ivy might grow well, too, but may be a bit too invasive for your landscape.

If there is a problem with erosion now, I would recommend putting down erosion netting first and then planting. You can plant right through the netting, just cut an X out where you want to insert each plant. Erosion netting decomposes over 5 or so years allowing the ground cover time to take hold and spread. In the meantime, it does a good job at keeping weeds at bay. I hope this gives you some ideas to build on.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org

Landscape tips for a faster home sale

2009-07-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

If you are hoping to sell your house during these challenging economic times, remember the old saying: you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

When it comes to real estate, that’s always been true. But in a tough economy, there are more houses than usual on the market and fewer buyers. Those buyers that are out there are almost spoiled for choice: a large number of available homes, probably offered at fairly competitive prices.

To make matters worse, slow home sales mean that houses that might have been snapped up quite quickly a couple of years ago and languishing on the market much longer now. If you’ve decided to sell your home, take a look around your neighborhood. You will probably notice quite a number of For Sale signs in the front yards. These homes all share the same basic benefits as yours, such as the same school district, proximity to the same transportation or commuter drive times. They might even have been built by the same builder in a very similar style to yours.

Frankly, you’ve got a lot of competition.

Potential buyers will drive around neighborhoods that interest them. They will glance at a home with a yard sign for perhaps 3 to 5 seconds before moving on. Unless they see a reason to linger. In those few seconds, they have formed opinions as to whether the home meets their personal definition of ‘attractive.’

Is it neat and well-kept? Is the lawn lush and nicely trimmed? Are the shrubs neatly shaped and not obscuring the windows? Is the walkway clean and weed-free? Is the entryway welcoming? Could we live there without having to invest in landscape upgrades? Most of all, they are deciding if this home could provide them with pride of ownership. Would we feel proud to have friends and family visit us here?

And all this in about 3 to 5 seconds… before they pass by your home without ever looking inside and move on down the street!

But there IS good news. You can make your home stand out from the crowd and you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it.

First of all, go out and look at your home from the street, they way a prospective buyer would see it.

If shrubs have grown to the point where they are obscuring the front of the house, trim them back. If necessary, remove them altogether and replace them with fresh, attractive evergreen shrubs, such as Boxwood Winter Gem, Euonymus Manhattan with its colorful fruit or the dense rounded Red Barberry.

Add some annuals to put splashes of bright color in front of the shrubs. Pick up a few bags of dark mulch and carefully layer it around the shrubs and annuals. The contrast will make the colors pop!

How about the lawn? Keep it mowed (no shorter than three inches) and watered (about once or twice a week) so it looks green and lush. Edging the lawn, where it meets the flower beds, is worthwhile as it projects the impression that this house has been well cared for, so the inside should be as neat as the exterior.

Look at the entryway and front porch. Place a couple of containers there and add some economical plants. Pick containers that match the scale of your porch, neither too small and insignificant nor too large and overpowering. Plant some perennials such as geraniums, daylilies and varieties of Achillea including Summer Berries and Moonshine. Add a few annuals for instant color.

Look down at the walkway. Keep it swept and clean. If weeds are growing up through the pavers pull them out or kill them by spraying with vinegar.

Of course, you’ll want to be sure that the area is free of toys, bicycles and any items that distract the eye.

If you feel that some of these tasks are beyond your capabilities, such as mulching and lawn edging, call in a local landscaping service. A one-time service would not be too expensive and would be seen as a real investment when your home sells.

Remember, all you can really do is “put the odds in your favor” by giving your home a slight edge in the eyes of prospective buyers.

If you’re still stumped for ideas, go to my Web site, www.landsteward.org and click on the Slide Show link to see lots of ways to spruce up your home for a faster sale.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org

Never too early to plan fall planting

2009-07-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

Fall planting? But it’s only just summer! It’s way too early to be thinking about fall planting, isn’t it?

Nope.

This is an excellent time to be thinking ahead to the cooler days of fall and what you can plant to enhance your landscape. What makes “right now” so special?

Right now your landscape is probably at its high point. The foliage on shrubs and trees is full and lush. Many of your late spring and early summer plants are in bloom. Take a look around your landscape. Walk around and see it as if with fresh eyes. This is the best time of year to see where the gaps are. Later in the year, and of course in winter, this is less obvious as deciduous trees have shed their leaves and even evergreens are more dormant.

What do I mean by “gaps” in your landscape? I don’t mean to suggest you should necessarily fill every square foot of soil with plants. But when you look at your landscape, as if for the first time, you’ll see areas that don’t look complete, somehow.

Perhaps there’s an awkward space between plants that looks empty, like a smile with a missing tooth. Maybe a dead plant had been removed and never replaced. Or perhaps an older plant has outgrown its usefulness, dwarfing smaller plants around it and preventing sunlight and rainwater from reaching them.

Not only that, but at this time of year you can look at your landscape and see some of your favorite plants at their best and decide if it would be a good idea to invest in one or two more. At our nursery, it is not unusual for Cheryl and me to hear from customers who bought shrubs from us one or two seasons ago and want to buy more of the same, once they’ve seen how well those plants enhance their particular garden plan.

As a general rule, it makes sense to place low-growing plants at the front of the beds with medium sized plants behind them and the taller shrubs in back. Now is the time to look at your beds and determine if there are some plants that are “out of whack” in your landscape. Instead of waiting until fall or next spring, decide now if any plants need to be retired and replaced, and which ones you’d like to see more of next summer.

Need some idea starters? Here are some plants you can research right now and probably pre-order for fall planting. Let’s start with the low-growers…

Ajuga Black Scallop PW

A neat little fast-growing ground cover with deep, dark burgundy leaves and blue blossoms in spring, lingering into summer. I prefer this one to regular Ajuga bronze due to its larger leaves and deeper color.

Creeping Red Thyme

(Thymus praecox subsp. Arcticus) This is a fast-growing evergreen ground cover with wonderfully aromatic foliage. If you’d planted it last season, right now you could be enjoying a profusion of lovely red flowers. Easy to grow and good between pavers, too.

Moving back to some medium-height plants…

Heuchera Lime Ricky PPAF

This would be superb choice to plant behind the Ajuga Black Scallop (or adjacent to any dark foliage plant such as Black Elephant Ears or Black Mondo grass) because the scalloped leaves are a glowing chartreuse in spring turning lemon-lime in summer, emphasizing the contrast with black Ajuga foliage. Mature height: around 2 feet.

Heuchera villosa Tiramisu PPAF

Imagine these splashes of brick red color spattered around your garden, lightening to chartreuse in summer with a light silver overlay.

And now some taller plants…

Carolina Allspice

(Calycanthus floridus) A dense, deciduous shrub that can grow to 5 or 6 feet (or more) at maturity, Carolina Allspice has lustrous dark green foliage and very fragrant, brown to reddish-brown flowers.

Buddleia Bi-Color

Easy to grow and extremely fragrant, this variety sports two different colors on the same bloom stalk: rich lavender and butterscotch yellow. It will bloom all summer and attract swarms of colorful butterflies to your garden. Mature height: 5 to 6 feet.

Survey your landscape, plan for improvements and pre-order plants now for fall planting. Let me know if you need some more suggestions.

Landscape tips for a faster home sale

2009-06-29T10:40:00.001-07:00

If you are hoping to sell your house during these challenging economic times, remember the old saying: you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

When it comes to real estate, that’s always been true. But in a tough economy, there are more houses than usual on the market and fewer buyers. Those buyers that are out there are almost spoiled for choice: a large number of available homes, probably offered at fairly competitive prices.

To make matters worse, slow home sales mean that houses that might have been snapped up quite quickly a couple of years ago and languishing on the market much longer now. If you’ve decided to sell your home, take a look around your neighborhood. You will probably notice quite a number of For Sale signs in the front yards. These homes all share the same basic benefits as yours, such as the same school district, proximity to the same transportation or commuter drive times. They might even have been built by the same builder in a very similar style to yours.

Frankly, you’ve got a lot of competition.

Potential buyers will drive around neighborhoods that interest them. They will glance at a home with a yard sign for perhaps 3 to 5 seconds before moving on. Unless they see a reason to linger. In those few seconds, they have formed opinions as to whether the home meets their personal definition of ‘attractive.’

Is it neat and well-kept? Is the lawn lush and nicely trimmed? Are the shrubs neatly shaped and not obscuring the windows? Is the walkway clean and weed-free? Is the entryway welcoming? Could we live there without having to invest in landscape upgrades? Most of all, they are deciding if this home could provide them with pride of ownership. Would we feel proud to have friends and family visit us here?

And all this in about 3 to 5 seconds… before they pass by your home without ever looking inside and move on down the street!

But there IS good news. You can make your home stand out from the crowd and you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it.

First of all, go out and look at your home from the street, they way a prospective buyer would see it.

If shrubs have grown to the point where they are obscuring the front of the house, trim them back. If necessary, remove them altogether and replace them with fresh, attractive evergreen shrubs, such as Boxwood Winter Gem, Euonymus Manhattan with its colorful fruit or the dense rounded Red Barberry.

Add some annuals to put splashes of bright color in front of the shrubs. Pick up a few bags of dark mulch and carefully layer it around the shrubs and annuals. The contrast will make the colors pop!

How about the lawn? Keep it mowed (no shorter than three inches) and watered (about once or twice a week) so it looks green and lush. Edging the lawn, where it meets the flower beds, is worthwhile as it projects the impression that this house has been well cared for, so the inside should be as neat as the exterior.

Look at the entryway and front porch. Place a couple of containers there and add some economical plants. Pick containers that match the scale of your porch, neither too small and insignificant nor too large and overpowering. Plant some perennials such as geraniums, daylilies and varieties of Achillea including Summer Berries and Moonshine. Add a few annuals for instant color.

Look down at the walkway. Keep it swept and clean. If weeds are growing up through the pavers pull them out or kill them by spraying with vinegar.

Of course, you’ll want to be sure that the area is free of toys, bicycles and any items that distract the eye.

If you feel that some of these tasks are beyond your capabilities, such as mulching and lawn edging, call in a local landscaping service. A one-time service would not be too expensive and would be seen as a real investment when your home sells.

Remember, all you can really do is “put the odds in your favor” by giving your home a slight edge in the eyes of prospective buyers.

If you’re still stumped for ideas, go to my Web site, www.landsteward.org and click on the Slide Show link to see lots of ways to spruce up your home for a faster sale.

Ivy alert! It can be a wall killer

2009-06-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Ivy is a beautiful plant that creates mental images of both dignified, established structures and cozy old homes. Think Ivy League Universities on one hand and Hollywood’s idea of a quaint English cottage on the other hand. But ivy can cause big problems and you need to exercise great caution if you are thinking of adding it to your landscape, as I point out to this reader:

QUESTION: “We have some sort of non flowering vine that is growing on our brick
building. Will the plant damage the brick & mortar?” – Dawn Borg

ANSWER: Although, a vine (such as ivy) growing on buildings creates an attractive look, it can damage the brick and mortar by hiding insects, including termites, and other sneaky critters, as well as concealing cracks in the brick or mortar and wood rot damage around the doors and windows. The vines gradually work their way into the mortar causing cracks and loosening the bricks. However, usually you cannot see the damage until it is too late because it is hidden by the dense foliage of the vines.

QUESTION: “I have ten Kwanzan Cherry Trees that I planted about two years ago. They have been doing well and now are about 7 to 8 feet tall. Two weeks ago I noticed that two trees have a problem the leaves are turning brown and falling off. The branches are still pliable, right now anyway. Now it is happening to a third tree. The leaves look like they are starting to wilt. What could the problem be? I want to save these trees if possible.” – Carmine Sarno

ANSWER: My first consideration would be the possibility of either over watering or under watering, assuming there is no evidence of root damage from outside forces such as moles.

If your area has had a lot of rainfall, over watering could be the issue. On the other hand, if your area is lacking rainfall, the trees may be stressed. Plants will exhibit the same characteristics whether they are suffering from not enough water or too much water. Also, consider if it is possible that they could have been sprayed accidentally from an herbicide or lawn fertilizer. Hopefully, it is a “water” issue, from which the trees should recover if that problem is not of a long duration.

QUESTION: “I think my Burning Bushes are being eaten by rabbits. Piles of small pellets are around where the bush is disappearing. What can we do to stop it? Will the bushes survive?” – Vicky

ANSWER: Burning Bush plants are a favorite for bunnies and mice. To try to limit rabbits from nibbling on trees and shrubs, you have to work to remove their habitats. They live in areas where they are protected (much like mice) such as grassy fields, rock/stone, wood, and brush piles. As long as they have a place to live, they will be around and they will require food.

To keep them from nibbling on the trunks of the plants, loosely wrap hardware cloth around the trunks extending several inches into the ground, covering back with soil for security. This is about the safest way to handle the problem.

As long as the critters haven’t done extreme damage to the plants, wrapping them should allow them time to heal.

Cheryl and I are getting quite a bit of feedback from readers about the slide show at our Web site www.landsteward.org The slide show – which we add to regularly – features photos of lots of different garden projects along with descriptions so you can understand what you’re looking at. After years of answering readers’ questions we believe you’ll find this a useful (and free) resource when you’re looking for landscape solutions. Go take a look!

Waterlogged landscape creates special problems

2009-05-11T09:24:00.001-07:00

An area of landscape that is saturated with water on a fairly regular basis can be a real problem for homeowners. Similarly, sloping terrain can be a daunting challenge when it comes to lawn care and choosing suitable plants.

Put those two challenges together in one spot – damp conditions and sloping ground – and you’ve got the potential for major headaches! If that’s a problem you’re dealing with, you can sympathize with the reader who sent me this question, and hopefully my answer will give you some inspiration too.

QUESTION: “My family is moving to a new house soon in zone 6. Although very little of the property is landscaped, I'm lucky in that the previous owners clearly prepared much of the ground so it's in great shape for planting. That said, there are some tricky areas, and I'm not sure how to proceed.

On one side of the house, the ground is consistently damp. It's a combination of being mostly shaded and being on the "downstream" side of a long slope. While we don't get puddles, it's pretty soggy. There's virtually no grass there, and I can't imagine trying. I'd like to plant perennials and/or shrubs that will "sop up" some of the moisture and prevent erosion, and of course survive in the process. It doesn't have to be drop dead gorgeous, because it's not an area that's very visible, but of course I'd like it to be reasonably attractive. I'd love to know what options I have. I'm thinking various ferns, but what else?
At the top of our driveway, there's a short but fairly steep slope (the driveway goes up the side of the house, and the backyard lawn is elevated above the driveway). I'd say it's about four feet from the base to the top. This area gets a few good hours of sun, but also some shade. It's very visible from the street, so I'd like it to be attractive as well as functional.
In the front of our house are some huge broad leaf evergreens. The areas underneath and around them are very bare. The front yard slopes gradually but visibly down towards the street. What can I plant there?” – Marcy Rosen

ANSWER: As a rule, grass doesn’t usually grow well in wet, shaded areas. You might consider putting in a dry creek bed to try to move some of the dampness to another part of the yard. There are plants that will grow in wet areas, but they will only absorb the amount of moisture that they need and no more. The only way to reduce the dampness is to divert the water (from wherever it comes) to another area of the yard.

Having said that, there are plants that grow well in damp areas. There is an excellent article, titled “Qualifiers for Quagmires: Landscape Plants for Wet Sites” posted online by the Extension Service of NC State University. You can find it at: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-646.html and you can click on a link from this column at my Web site www.landsteward.org

That article includes a comprehensive list of damp-tolerant trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials, including those species have been known to tolerate flooded conditions for extended periods of time. Well worth checking out if you’re a victim of wet landscape.

Concerning the sloped area at the top of your driveway, you might want to look at junipers, evergreen euonymus (such as manhattan), hydrangeas, bamboo and nandinas.

On planting something underneath your broadleaf evergreen trees, it kind of depends on what the trees are, how dense they are in the front yard and how much space there is before the first branching. It is often difficult to get shrubs or perennials to grow in heavily shaded areas such as that. There are a number of groundcovers that can perform well in situations such as yours. Consider planting vinca, pachysandra and wintercreeper. Groundcovers are a very viable and attractive alternative to both grass and shrubs in conditions such as you describe.

Planting for privacy and peace of mind

2009-05-04T07:59:00.001-07:00

QUESTION: “I am wanting to plant something around one end of my pool for privacy. My only concern is that the plants should not have a very big root system due to it being around 2 – 3 feet from my cement. I also need something that will grow 10 – 12 feet high. I do not need total privacy, just something that will break up the view of my pool.” – Ronnie Holloway

ANSWER: Tall growing ornamental grasses work beautifully in pool areas as do clumping bamboo (which I would recommend planting in large pots for extra height). Most shrubs or low growing trees are going to produce root systems that may bump up against the concrete. Another thought is to berm the area so that shrubs such as junipers or cypress (evergreens) can be planted with root space.

Since space may be limited, landscaping with large pots or containers is a gorgeous way to bring in tall growing plants (depending on where you live, of course). Bamboo, grasses, holly, other broadleaf evergreens with a blending of seasonal color (perennials) can create a most interesting setting and provides needed privacy.

I hope this gives you some ideas to build on.

QUESTION: “We bought a home in the woods. We have a lot behind us that is approximately one-half acre and narrow. The lot was sold and all the beautiful 200 year old pine trees were taken down. They built a home on stilts and proceeded to put a dog pen attached to the home in the back. I planted a few Thuga trees in anticipation of this but we have many deer and they have feasted on them this winter. The house is placed directly behind us, giving us about 30 feet between the two homes. Help! What can I do?” – Carole

ANSWER: That does sound terrible. Step one would be to install panels (you know, like the lattice type or fencing panels) so that they are more tall than wide. This will at least give you immediate privacy and peace of mind. Then you can work (gradually if necessary) on providing landscaping to fill in with the fencing.

If you choose the lattice panels, plant some type of ivy or Carolina Jessamine to grow up and fill that in.

As you begin to fill in with landscaping keep in mind to layer plants. Larger (or taller) plants especially evergreens planted in the back half of the area coming forward with shorter deciduous, ornamental grasses and other evergreen plants finishing off with colorful perennials in front.

Cheryl and I have put together a slideshow that you access via our Web site www.landsteward.org It should give you a few ideas on layering plants in the landscape. Look for the link on the right of the home page that says Ideas Slide Show.

The next question comes from a reader who brings up a very good point about being careful about what can be planted in proximity to blackberry plants.

QUESTION: “I have 18 blackberry plants. My question is how far from the blackberries can I plant tomatoes? My blackberry plants have been in the ground approximately 12 months.” – Harold Daniels

ANSWER: Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant carry root rot called verticillium which can harm blackberry and raspberry plants. Berry plants should not be planted in soil where these vegetables have grown within the past 4 years. 30 to 50 feet away might be a good distance. The biggest thing you will want to look for is drainage. When it rains or you water the tomatoes or other vegetables, you do not want the water draining down towards your berry plants.

As I mentioned above, Cheryl and I have put together a slide show of color photos and descriptions, and readers are writing to tell us they are getting some good ideas from them. You are welcome to go to our Web site and “slide” through the pics!

Five ways to keep it simple in your garden

2009-04-27T12:49:00.001-07:00

“Simplify, simplify!” said Henry David Thoreau. But you don’t have to live in an isolated cabin at Walden Pond to enjoy the benefits of simplification, particularly when it relates to your garden and landscape.

Life today makes so many demands on our time, particularly with work and family-related issues, that the garden gets pushed further and further down the priority list. As a result, we put off doing anything because we have more important matters to deal with, or we start a major landscape project and realize we’ve bitten off more than we can comfortably chew.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Just let Thoreau’s famous quote be your guideline and simplify. Here are some ways that you can K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple… Sweetie!

Take smaller bites.
You’re not building the Hoover Dam in your backyard (I hope) so you don’t need to regard your landscape improvements as a single huge project. Certainly, have an overall plan for the way you want the finished result to be, but don’t set yourself the task of completing it all in one season.

Pick one of two smaller areas that will be part of the whole. Select the trees and shrubs for those areas, prepare the soil and plant them. Throughout their first season, you can concentrate on tending to their needs. This “smaller bite” will consume less of your time and energy than attempting a full-court makeover, and as the year progresses, what you see emerging may modify your original master plan, allowing your creativity to grow along with the plants. Spread your project into manageable “bite sized” segments and simply work on one at a time.

Go low-maintenance
As you plan your landscape, make a point to look for low-maintenance plants. Ideally, a low-maintenance plant will be have a fairly slow to moderate growth habit, is resistant to pests and diseases, and doesn’t shed a lot of bits and pieces requiring constant clean-up. There’s no such thing as a perfect plant, but seek out those with the fewest potential maintenance problems.

For example, if you have Dogwoods in your plan, look for varieties such as the gorgeous Dogwood Appalachian Spring that is highly resistant to dogwood anthracnose, the fungal disease that has killed off millions of trees.

If you need a maintenance-free ornamental grass that can even do well in spots that stay damp, look for a variety named Grass Acorus gramineus Ogon.

Go for quality
Buying the cheapest plants is not usually a good investment, particularly if your time is worth anything to you. If plants look limp, tired and spindly at the garden center, you could be buying trouble, including the introduction of plant disease to your garden. Weak, unhealthy plants require a lot of care and are more likely to fail, which means buying more plants later to replace them.

Invest in healthy plants and you’ll spend less time caring for them and less money replacing them. For example, if you’re planning on evergreens such as the deer-resistant Juniper Blue Point, choose those that are larger and further along in their growth cycle by the time you buy them, probably shipped in gallon containers.

Do it right the first time
Follow the planting instructions precisely. If the instructions tell you to dig a hole of a particular dimension and add some organic matter, then that’s what you need to do if you want the plant to do well without a whole lot of attention from you.

Cut (out) the grass
If you hate spending a lot of your valuable time mowing your lawn, or it local conditions make it difficult to grow and maintain good sod, reduce the size of your lawn and replace with low-maintenance ground cover.

Here are some easy-care ground covers that could replace a lot of lawn:

Pennsylvania Sedge (grows well under trees)
Ajuga Black Scallop PW
Mazus Reptans Purple Creeping
Nandina Dwarf Harbor

If you need some specific answers to garden problems, drop me an e-mail at steve@landsteward.org Meanwhile, keep it simple so your garden is a joy not a chore.

The five transplant trees make for easier, more successful planting

2009-04-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Quite often Im asked a variation on the same question. Sometimes the question is asked by visitors to my nursery; other times I find the question in my e-mail from a reader of this column. And sometimes the question remains unasked by someone who doesnt want to appear dumb.

This is the question:

How easy is it to plant a tree?

That is most certainly not a dumb question. But often its only half a question. Why? Because when most people ask the question, they really want to know how easy it is to plant trees successfully so that they thrive and grow to maturity.

Another point to remember is that some trees are easier to grow than others, regardless of your level of expertise. Ill have some suggestions for you in this column. But first, lets think about the absolute basics of introducing the tree into your landscape.

Different varieties of trees have different needs, but a non-profit web site operated by American Forests has some excellent general tree-planting tips, including the following:

Select a site with enough room for roots and branches to reach full size. Avoid overhead and

underground utilities.

Prepare a planting area as deep as the root ball and three to five times its diameter by loosening the soil.

Dig a hole in the middle of the area and set the root ball even with the ground level.

Use water to settle soil and remove air pockets in planting area.

Stake the tree to flex with the wind only if tree is unable to stand up to wind.

Spread a two to three inch layer of mulch on entire area, but not within six inches of tree trunk.

You can find the entire article, along with some helpful diagrams here: http://www.americanforests.org/resources/howtoplanttrees/ and there is a direct link from this column at my web site. Go to www.landsteward.org then find this column under The Plant Man heading.

There are ways you can put the odds in your favor when it comes to planting trees that are more likely to thrive and grow successfully. Heres a word I want you to remember: Transplants.

Transplants are hardier, huskier, and more allaround balanced plants than seedlings. When planted in your landscape, the transplant has a greater chance of survival since it has already survived the shock of being transplanted once at the nursery.

With spring in the air, lets think about some beautiful flowering trees that work very well (and are much easier to grow) as transplants.

White Flowering Cherry (Prunus yedoensis). This is also known as Yoshino Cherry and is a rapidly growing tree that is extraordinarily beautiful in Spring when it is covered with white blossoms that resemble cotton candy. These trees can eventually reach 40 ft. and make excellent street trees.

Kwanzan Cherry. Id say this is the showiest of all Japanese trees. I love the awesome bundles of large pink blossoms that last longer than those of other flowering cherries.

Cleveland Select Flowering Pear. If you like to see a lot of blooms, the Cleveland Select seems to have more than other varieties of flowering pear. This variety is hardy, deciduous, disease-resistant and grows more upright than the Bradford to around 30 - 40 ft high.

Forest Pansy Redbud. Something a little out of the ordinary, but well worth planting if you can find it! It is a beautiful ornamental tree that perfect for the small garden as well as more ambitious landscaping projects. Unlike the native Redbud (cercis Canadensis), the Forest Pansy has blooms of a deep maroon color.

Dogwood Kousa (Cornus kousa). Also known as a Japanese flowering dogwood, the Kousa is not as susceptible to disease as the white dogwood, and that’s a major benefit. Great as a specimen, in groupings or near a patio, it blooms later, around June with a softer petal flower.

So, if youre looking for an easier and more foolproof way of planting healthy successful trees without a lot of worry or risk, remember to look for transplants!

Let me know if I can help you with your specific tree planting challenges. Note that some of the information here appeared in an earlier Plant Man column published in April 2003 and included here by reader request.

Herbs: the finishing touch for your human habitat

2009-03-18T04:44:00.001-07:00

Ornamental grasses add tranquility to human habitat

2009-03-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

Your garden can be a human habitat

2009-03-04T06:42:00.001-08:00

When landscapers use the word ‘habitat’ it’s almost always preceded by the word ‘wildlife’. Nothing wrong with that, to be sure. But what about you? What about a human habitat?

Landscape designers can create environments that make birds and other wildlife feel right at home. They feel safe and relaxed and they are likely to spend more time there.

If you are like many homeowners, your backyard doesn’t seem to be beckoning you outside, inviting you to kick back, relax and become one with nature.

Sound familiar? If so, stay tuned because I have a few suggestions that will help you create a delightful human habitat that can adapt to any budget and any skill level.

When Cheryl and I create a new garden, we focus on elements that allow us to be enveloped by nature, to enjoy the peace and tranquility that nature provides. (If you’d like to see some photos, see the note below.) A human habitat garden should resonate with the five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.

The sight of foliage in different shapes and sizes and shades of green and other colors; the sight of flowers as the progress from tiny green buds to full blooms, then to the gold and copper of fall.
The undulating sound of leaves rustling together as the breeze wafts through the tree canopy above.
The smell of roses and other fragrant perennials and the burst of aroma released when fresh herbs are rubbed between your fingers.
The touch of different textures from the rough bark of a tree to the velvety-smooth feel of a petal.
And yes, taste too, from the herbs that go from your garden to your kitchen pots.

For us, nothing beats taking a cup of coffee out to our garden first thing in the morning and letting the sights, sounds and smells of nature give us both peace and energy. Twenty minutes like that and we’re ready to deal with whatever life can dish out for the rest of the day! Nature, yes; but nature to which we’ve lent a helping hand.

If you’re feeling that you could do with some of that right now, here’s how you can start.

Don’t plan anything too grand. It can become overwhelming and you are likely to give up in frustration. Remember, this is your own personal human habitat. It doesn’t have to be big or take up your entire yard. Start with a small area. You can expand later if you wish.

Think ‘scale’. You’re not Gulliver. You don’t want to be dwarfed by trees that will, in the course of time, soar into the sky on trunks wider than an oil drum. Nor do you want everything in your habitat to be so miniscule and close to the ground that it is little more than a lawn. Think different plant sizes that complement each other (and you) without overwhelming.

Evergreens. Plan on including some evergreens so you have some greenery in your habitat year round. There will be warmish days in early spring and late fall that will tempt you outside and the evergreens will be there to welcome you.

Yarrows. They’re easy to grow and are some of the most popular plants as a result. Look for Achillea Moonshine with its canary-yellow flowers and silver-green foliage that goes with just about everything. Add in some Achillea Paprika or Achillea Terra Cotta for an eye-pleasing mix of colors.

Ornamental shrubs. Yes, they’re ornaments but living ornaments. Think about Carolina Allspice with their aromatic leaves and fruits that have almost a strawberry fragrance. Check out Fragrant Honeysuckle with its heady perfume and delicate pink and white flowers. Don’t forget Spirea Gold Mound with its clusters of tiny, light-pink flowers on reddish-hued foliage.

Hardscape. A wooden bench where you can sit and enjoy your habitat. A pergola or even a gazebo can be found ready-made or in kit form if you’re not skilled in carpentry. Find paving options at hardware stores and garden centers.

Yes, there’s much more and we’ll pick it up in the next Plant Man column, with a focus on herbs and grasses to make your yard a true human habitat.

If you’d like to see some examples of gardens that Cheryl and I have created over the years, send an e-mail request to steve@landsteward.org and we’ll e-mail you some pics.

More human habitat tips next time!

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Your garden can be a human habitat

2009-03-04T06:42:00.000-08:00

When landscapers use the word ‘habitat’ it’s almost always preceded by the word ‘wildlife’. Nothing wrong with that, to be sure. But what about you? What about a human habitat?

Landscape designers can create environments that make birds and other wildlife feel right at home. They feel safe and relaxed and they are likely to spend more time there.

If you are like many homeowners, your backyard doesn’t seem to be beckoning you outside, inviting you to kick back, relax and become one with nature.

Sound familiar? If so, stay tuned because I have a few suggestions that will help you create a delightful human habitat that can adapt to any budget and any skill level.

The sight of foliage in different shapes and sizes and shades of green and other colors; the sight of flowers as the progress from tiny green buds to full blooms, then to the gold and copper of fall.
The undulating sound of leaves rustling together as the breeze wafts through the tree canopy above.
The smell of roses and other fragrant perennials and the burst of aroma released when fresh herbs are rubbed between your fingers.
The touch of different textures from the rough bark of a tree to the velvety-smooth feel of a petal.
And yes, taste too, from the herbs that go from your garden to your kitchen pots.

If you’re feeling that you could do with some of that right now, here’s how you can start.

Yes, there’s much more and we’ll pick it up in the next Plant Man column, with a focus on herbs and grasses to make your yard a true human habitat.

If you’d like to see some examples of gardens that Cheryl and I have created over the years, send an e-mail request to steve@landsteward.org and we’ll e-mail you some pics.

More human habitat tips next time!

Keeping dogs away from tender plants

2009-02-25T10:24:00.001-08:00

Having your pet dog join you for some outdoor fun is one of life’s pleasures. But when Fido decides to hone his digging and chewing skills on your tender plants, man’s best friend can find himself in the dog house!

Here’s a reader who needs help with a dog-gnawed magnolia.

QUESTION: “Last spring I planted a magnolia Jane and crape myrtle in my garden and they were doing very well until my two dogs got inside the garden and chewed the magnolia down to 5 inches with several small branches attached and chewed the myrtle. I managed to prune the myrtle back to beauty but the magnolia didn't fare so well. Is there any hope in saving the magnolia? ” -- Juan Luciano

ANSWER: Pets can be harsh on new plants in the landscape. You may have to try several different things before you find the one thing that will encourage the dogs to leave the plants alone.

A few things that come to mind are putting wire cages (chicken wire or stronger) around the trees for the first few years until they can fend for themselves. Sprinkling cayenne pepper around the area of the plant can sometimes keep the dogs at bay as their nose/tongue will burn (nothing violent!) for a few hours. As the trees grow, if the dogs continue to chew on the bark, loosely wrap the trunk with hardware cloth. It is a woven wire type cloth that dogs or wildlife such as rabbits and mice can’t gnaw through.

I don’t know if the magnolia will come out from the damage. It will pretty much be a wait and see. Give it some protection and if it begins to leaf out, build a sturdy cage around it so the dogs can’t get near it.

Another option, until the magnolia is a little larger, is to relocate it to a large (tall) garden pot. I had to do this last year after my dogs decided to dig up the two new crape myrtles that I used to replace two oriental maples that had died over the harsh Easter weekend two years ago. They had never done anything so drastic before, but after they dug up the second set of myrtles planted, we decided to put the plants in some tall garden pots and they didn’t bother them anymore.

QUESTION: “I just recently purchased a home. The lawn is something to question, but anyway I was planning to rake and apply fertilizer with weed control. One person recommended that I use lime as well. Could you explain the benefits or why should I use lime in addition to my fertilizer treatment? Also, I have a hearty hibiscus. Do they return yearly? Can I just plant the seeds that they bore before fall/winter?” -- Daniel Felicien

ANSWER: The first thing you should do is have your soil tested. Too often, many chemicals are added to soil haphazardly without testing the soil to make certain that is what is needed, even fertilizer. You can obtain soil testing information through your local Conservation District Office (also known as NRCS), Soil Conservation Service or contact your local Department of Agriculture.

Here is a link to the NRCS. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov You can find your nearest office by going to that site and clicking on ‘Find a Service Center.’

Fertilizers are only used to bring soil into a neutral level (pH) while chemicals are used to combat specific problems. They do not make the soil healthier, which is where soil should be. Amendments such as organic applications, aged compost, aged manure mix, etc will build up the soil with nutrients making it healthy and less susceptible to weeds and pests. Weed seeds have a difficult time growing in healthy soil.

If the hibiscus in your landscape is a temperate variety (usually a hard bark shrub) and not a tropical variety, it is only dormant and will leaf out in mid/late spring. Temperate varieties of hibiscus (also known as althea and Rose of Sharon) are generally propagated through cuttings. Any seed produced by the plant may not come back true to the parent plant.

Five new books to fascinate armchair gardeners

2009-02-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

With spring fast approaching, this is a good time to catch up on some practical and fun how-to advice from garden experts. Here’s my look at five new garden books.

Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love

Julie Moir Messervy (Taunton Press)

As the author notes, most of us have the confidence to improve the inside of our homes with a fresh coat of paint, new rugs, furniture and fixtures. But when it comes to the outside of our most prized possession, we don’t know where to start.

In “Home Outside” landscape designer Messervy provides an intuitive, easy-to-follow guide that demystifies the art and practice of landscape design. Divided into sections such as Comfort Zones, Making It Flow, Placing the Pieces and Sensory Pleasures, the book combines no-nonsense text, excellent color photos and diagrams and plans.

Messervy says that she wants to get people back outside onto their land by helping them realize the pleasure that’s involved in being out of doors.

If you gaze at your yard and wish it looked better but don’t know where to start, “Home Outside” could be the book to get you off the dime and fired up with ideas from the modest to the grandiose. Have a pad of those sticky yellow notes handy. You’ll probably want to bookmark a lot of pages in this, one of the year’s best landscape design books for both homeowners and design pro’s.

Deer-Resistant Landscaping

Neil Soderstrom (Rodale Books)

If you’re one of the thousands of homeowners in the depths of despair and depression due to finding your lovingly cared-for plants reduced to stubble by hungry deer, this is a must-have book for you.

Suburban sprawl has created an ideal habitat for wildlife, free from most natural predators and off-limits to hunters. For lovers of wildlife, this can be a joy, but the joy can be short lived when deer see your landscape as an all-they-can-eat buffet.

In this book, Soderstrom tells you what works, what doesn’t and why, based on the latest scientific research, advice of landscape and wildlife-control professionals, all without resorting to poisons or firearms.

Not just deer, by the way, but also twenty other “pesky” mammals from bears, beavers and chipmunks to moles, mice, rabbits and voles.

Perhaps best of all, Soderstom lists, describes and depicts more than 1,000 plants that are resistant to deer and other wildlife.

Understanding Perennials

William Cullina (HMH)

Cullina has created a visually beautiful guide to working with perennials and, most importantly, helping them flourish. Rather than coming up with yet another plant encyclopedia, Cullina offers what he describes as the “psychology” of perennials: their needs, wants and potentials.

Starting with the basics, such as the difference between bulbs, corms and tubers, the book literally takes perennials from the ground up, with sections on roots, leaves, stems, flowers and seeds. There’s also a handy reference section on pests and diseases that attack perennials and how to control them.

Perennials are the basis of virtually every garden and Cullina’s book deserves a place on the shelf of every gardener wishing to bring out the best in their plants.

Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening

Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley et al (Rodale Books)

Unlike Cullina’s book, this one really IS an encyclopedia, and at around two inches thick, quite a hefty one! This edition, newly revised and updated for 2009, must be the most up-to-date and complete resource on the subject of organic gardening.

After 50 years it is still the go-to reference for both novices and seasoned organic gardeners. If you’re intrigued by the idea of applying organic methods to fruit and vegetable crops, herbs, trees and shrubs, perennials, annuals and lawns, here’s where you’ll find in-depth information on earth-friendly techniques, using water wisely, managing invasive plants and more.

Kitchen Garden Box: Save and Sow Seeds of Your Favorite Vegetables

Mike McGrath (Quirk)

Organized on cards in a sturdy flip-top box, this fun little package shows gardeners how to collect, store, use and replant seeds of their favorite tried-and-true veggies.

In addition to handy cards with step-by-step instructions, growing tips and recipes, the kit includes ten seed storage envelopes and coupons for two free seed packets. A fun gift for a friend or for yourself, Kitchen Garden Box is scheduled for publication in April 2009.

Landscape for privacy and sound barrier around new home

2009-02-12T13:39:00.001-08:00

Moving to a new home, particularly if it’s your first, is an exciting venture. But deciding what to do about your new landscape can seem overwhelming. That was the problem faced by these new homeowners whose question was answered by my wife Cheryl, below.

QUESTION: “My husband and I are in the process of purchasing a property.
Temperatures are usually warm and the backyard is small with a fair amount of sunlight. We'd like to keep the landscaping cohesive with the style of this Spanish Cottage, but more importantly, we need it to do several things.

“First, we need it to build privacy since two story buildings can see into our yard. We also would like to reduce sound. My husband is a musician and frequently has "jam sessions" in the garage, but we don't want to disturb neighbors. What types of trees
and plants do you suggest for this?

“Finally, if we'd like to grow some light ivy over the house to give it that "cottage" feel, how would we do this? The front of the home faces south. Thank you so much.” – The Schlarbs

ANSWER: Planting trees and shrubs in fairly close proximity and then pruning them to form a hedge is a time-honored way to create a feeling of privacy and at the same time muffle sound, both incoming and outgoing.

But for you’re thinking of something a little less formal, here’s a link to a very informative article from the L.A. Times in praise of what the author calls “hedges without edges.”
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/feb/23/home/hm-hedges23

You can always use bamboo, but there are other plant varieties out there that may be more of what you would prefer. Layering different types of plants can help create privacy, such as a dense hedge that may only grow 5 to 8 feet tall but give you the sound block you desire with a tall growing bamboo or other plant variety to block the view from the taller buildings.

Concerning growing ivy on your house, this isn't something that I would recommend. Ivy, like many other vines, will attach itself to the structure eventually causing serious damage. However, if you like the idea of ivy, remember that it will grow on a chicken wire frame, lattice or arbor where it would be less invasive and easier to control. The latter, an arbor, would help to give you privacy in your back yard area.

I have e-mailed you some specific links to pages at Sunset Magazine’s Web site. Sunset Magazine always has some wonderful ideas for landscaping, particularly southwestern landscaping. Sunset Magazine is one of my favorite all-around magazines because they always give such great tips. What I am trying to do with these links is to show you how color and plants can liven up a home and give you the cottage feel that you are looking for.

For other readers who are interested in this subject, your best bet is simply to go to http://www.sunset.com/garden/ and then click on the menu items such as “Landscaping and Design,” “Earth Friendly,” etc.

Some colorful plants that you may want to include in your landscape are: roses, lantana, hibiscus, fuchsia, camellia, and bougainvillea. Many of these plants also offer climbing varieties that could be considered for the arbor instead of the ivy.

This is a lot of info to take in, but I hope it gives you some ideas of your own to build on.
Good luck on your project!

A few days later, this follow-up note was in our in-box:

I can't thank you enough for such a helpful email! My family and I will certainly be thinking of your kindness as we work on landscaping for our yard. Being that this could be our first home, we are very excited , but felt overwhelmed at the thought of sorting this out on our own. When we finally get around to it, I'll be sure to send you photos. Many thanks! Warm regards, Adriana Schlarb & Family.

Roses: the language of love lasts long after Valentine’s Day

2009-02-05T07:49:00.001-08:00

Roses. Ask almost anyone what roses symbolize and they’ll tell you, “Love.” In February, our thoughts turn to love, thanks to St. Valentine, Cupid’s little arrows and, of course, roses.

If you’re thinking of treating your Special Sweetie to roses on February 14, I say, “Good for you!” But I have an idea that will put a unique tweak on your gift that will show your love lasts longer than just Valentine’s Day. Doesn’t that sound good?

But first, before you rush out and plunk down your hard-earned cash for a bunch of blooms, take a minute to think about the language of flowers; what the color of the rose says about you and your feelings.

Yes, strange as it might seem, flowers really do have a language, a code if you will, that legend says originated in 15th century Persia, coming to Europe over the next three hundred years. By the 19th century, people in Europe and America were using this floral code to send wordless messages to each other. Because each flower, color, and even number of flowers and how they were arranged in the bouquet had special meanings, lovers could converse secretly without ever exchanging a word.

Roses are the flowers most associated with the emotions, particularly love. But are you sure those roses you’re about to grab at the supermarket express exactly the feelings you wish to convey? For a start, there are many shades of red rose, each expressing slightly different emotions. Consider this:

Mid red roses: romantic love and respect
Amaranth red: long standing desire
Cardinal red: sublime desire
Carmine red: deceitful desire
Fiery red: flames of passion

It doesn’t stop with red, of course. Other colors have special meanings that you might want to consider, depending on the message you wish to convey:

Lavender/purple: grace, gentility, refinement
Peach: sociability, friendship
Pink: appreciation, gratitude
Red and white together: unity
Red and yellow together: happiness, gaiety, fun
Yellow: joy, celebration

So lavender roses might be perfect for grandma or your inlaws, perhaps. Peach roses could be could be a nice choice for your best friend, and pink roses to say thank you to a co-worker. Yellow roses are often seen at wedding showers and receptions, but be careful! In Islamic tradition, yellow roses symbolize treachery or deceit, in Mexico they are associated with death and to the French they imply infidelity!

Well, here’s my “unique tweak” to make this Valentine’s Day the most memorable ever. Give your Honey a rose bush rather than a bouquet. Why? A bouquet will fade and wither in a few days, but a live, growing rose bush, planted where she or he will see it everyday, year after year, speaks of a love that is perennial!

I strongly recommend Knockout Roses because they are relatively easy to care for and produce an amazing amount of gorgeous, fragrant blooms, often twice as many as other varieties. Look for:

Rose Knockout Red

This is an excellent choice for a low-maintenance, disease resistant rose. Fluorescent, fire-engine red in cooler temperatures turning deep, dense pink in the heat of summer.

Rose Knockout Double Red

Ooh, the passion! This one has deep iridescent burgundy red. You’ll find 5 or 6 blooms per stem giving a luscious, luxurious display.

Rose Knockout Double Pink

The Double Pink is a little more dense and compact than some other Knockouts, reaching about 3 to 4 feet high with those eye-popping, blushing-pink double blooms.

Rose Knockout Rainbow

This is one of my favorites, blooming from spring to fall with blooms that open orange from coral-pink buds, and then quickly turn soft coral-pink shading to gold at the base, surrounding a yellow center.

Look for knockout roses in one gallon containers as they’ll be further along in their growth cycle and more likely to thrive once planted.

Knockout roses will bring a perennial display of passionate color and heady fragrance to your loved one’s garden. What better way to say “I love you” on Valentine’s Day and every day for years to come?

Feel free to send me an e-mail if you want more information on Knockout roses or need some buying information.

Plant Man column celebrates seventh year

2009-01-29T13:31:00.001-08:00

'The Plant Man,' the self-syndicated gardening column by Steve Jones, marks its seventh year of continuous publication in February 2009.

The weekly column, currently published by 85 newspapers in 33 states across America, focuses on trees, shrubs and groundcover that even 'green-thumb-challenged' readers can plant and care for with relative ease.

"Attractive landscaping doesn't have to be expensive or difficult to maintain," insists Jones. "And in the current economic climate, some neat, attractive planting in the front yard adds curb-appeal and dramatically enhances the perceived value when you're ready to sell."

Each week, 'The Plant Man' offers helpful tips and planting suggestions. Quite often, the column includes reader questions that Steve answers in print. "I also make a point of e-mailing back a personal reply," says Jones, "Because often a reader has a problem that needs a solution right away!"

Steve Jones also hosts a non-profit Web site, www.landsteward.org that includes archived columns as well as other articles and helpful links. Jones has traveled to African nations with the USDA investigating ways to enhance plant production for food, fuel and other uses.

“It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years,” says Jones. The best part? “Hearing from all those readers who have questions or comments about how much they enjoy reading the column!”

Steve says he plans to keep writing ‘The Plant Man” for many years to come. He can be reached at steve@landsteward.org

Heucheras: easy-grow perennials in “gourmet” varieties

2009-01-21T09:48:00.000-08:00

As regular readers know, Cheryl and I are strong advocates of native plants because they are less inclined to come with the potential problems sometimes associated with exotic imports.

However, native definitely doesn’t mean dull! In this, the third column on perennials that will give your landscape a unique, colorful sparkle, we’ll take a look at some of our favorite heucheras.

The original, wild heucheras have been found growing for centuries all across the continent from New England to Western Canada and even as far south as Mexico. Most wild heucheras aren’t particularly colorful, but some recently-developed hybrids are spectacular while retaining the sturdy attitude of their wild cousins.

Cheryl and I cannot get enough of the heucheras. With all the new heucheras being developed we seem to be putting clusters of the new introductions in threes all around the garden. If you want easy no-fuss plants, these are the ones. Both novices and seasoned gardeners get hooked on heucheras.

Here are some of our favorites, with appropriately appetizing names…

Heuchera Peach Flambe PPAF

As the name implies, Peach Flambe glows in spring with eye-popping peach-colored leaves with red overtones. The leaves turn a beautiful deep purple with cooler fall weather. Creamy white flowers on 16 inch spikes emerge to give a great summer contrast. Like all heucheras, Peach Flambe is easy to plant and easy to grow. It is great for the low-maintenance landscape, borders, or patio additions.

Heuchera Lime Ricky PPAF

From peaches to limes… This one makes a nice color contrast with Black Elephant ears, Black mondo grass, or any other dark foliage plant. The scalloped leaves have a chartreuse glow in spring, turning lemon-lime in summer and forming a sturdy evergreen mound. The taller sprays of ivory flowers appear in late spring. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden.

Heuchera Plum Pudding

I love the evocative names horticulturists come up with! I think this is one of the finest heucheras, The plum-colored, evergreen foliage is outstanding and holds its color well even in full shade. This little perennial is worth growing just for its foliage alone, although the white flowers are striking on the dark plum stems. I should say that Cheryl and I remove the stems and use them for cut flowers, as we consider the flowers detract from the plant, so for us, Plum Pudding does double duty. The plant is more compact than most heucheras and is excellent for use around trees and shrubs.

Heuchera villosa Tiramisu PPAF

The foliage is mainly chartreuse with a brick red coloring originating from the inside and radiating outward. During the summer, the leaves lighten to chartreuse with a light silver overlay. Tiramisu grows 10 inches in height with a spread about 12 to 15 inches, making it useful as a colorful ground cover displaying white blooms in summer. You will want to plant with 3 plants per mass (triangle form) for best display.

Heuchera Sparkling Burgundy

From fruit to puddings to wine! This is a heuchera with beautiful mounds of glowing foliage that deepens to a warm burgundy, hence the name. Its giant six-inch leaves glow all spring and summer. Multi-seasonal interest begins with bright rose burgundy spring foliage and clean white flowers followed by leaf colors that become orange and white veiled as the season progresses to a final summer color of veiled burgundy and olive tones. The evergreen leaves darken in winter to a rich wine-red.

Heucheras are easy perennials to grow and fit nicely in the front of any border, rock garden, or container. They grow most vigorously and have the strongest colors when grown in partial shade (preferably afternoon shade). By the way, heucheras can be grown under Black Walnut trees because they are resistant to the toxin Juglone which the trees emit from their roots.

If you missed the two previous columns with ideas for easy, colorful perennial gardens, you can find them at my Web site, www.landsteward.org

Achillea: Perennial favorite for easy, colorful gardens

2009-01-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

You probably know certain people who are just so easy to get along with. They are popular, colorful characters. They’re great at parties because everyone likes them and they can fit in with just about any company. In fact, they’re very much like Achilleas.

Achillea is one of the easiest perennials to grow and I think it’s a good choice for beginners. Pretty much all it needs is full sun and well-drained soil. It thrives in average to poor soil and is drought tolerant once established. Once the flowers have faded, you can cut the plant back by half and this will probably stimulate a second flush of blooms in late summer.

Here are some Achillea varieties to look out for:

Achillea Moonshine

This is still one of the most popular garden plants today, and for good reason. Achillea 'Moonshine' is a good landscape investment because it combines well with almost everything. The bright, canary-yellow blooms are terrific foil for many other colors in your garden including purple, blue and pink.

This is a clump-forming selection that blooms over a long period beginning in early summer. Plants will rebloom if they are cut back after the first round of flowering.

Achillea Paprika

If paprika makes you think spicy and red, you’re on the right track. This Galaxy hybrid selection is known for its large clusters of bright red flowers, and each individual flower in the cluster also has a distinctive yellow eye, kind of like a tiny reverse bullseye.
Plant it where sun gives way to afternoon shade and you’ll slow its natural tendency to fade a bit.

Adding to its good looks is the fern-like deep green foliage. Paprika’s blooms just keep on coming all season long if you deadhead the spent flowers. It does its best in a perennial border where it can enjoy enriched soil and regular watering. It is irresistible to butterflies, too.

Achillea Summer Berries

This Achillea variety is another easy-to-grow perennial favorite and is quite often first year flowering. Summer Berries creates an eye-pleasing mix of fruity colors: salmon-apricot/yellow, cherry-red/apricot, white-pink/cream, two-tone pink, and more. It is a good choice for the border and as a cut flower, fresh or dried, keeping colors bright for months when dried.

Again, you’ll attract a host of butterflies and bees to the garden with this hardy perennial that grows to a height of 28 inches and a spread of about 20 inches. Space the plants about a foot apart in a sunny garden and between June and September you’ll see an unbroken swirl of multiple colors.

Unlike most other Achilleas, the blooms on Summer Berries refuse to fade, even in punishing heat and sunlight.

Achillea millefolium Terra Cotta

Terra Cotta was introduced by the world-famous German horticulturist and perennial breeder Ernst Pagel, so you know it has an admirable pedigree. It is an upright, clumping perennial reaching a mature height of around thirty inches spreading to nearly two feet. It likes full sun and can even do well with very little water in sandy soil with good drainage. You don’t need to fertilize; in fact they have a tendency to become droopy if over fed.

Terra Cotta blooms with multicolored flower heads that range from salmon-peach to pale yellow-orange to terra cotta, all appearing at the same time. It will flower all summer if dead-headed often. The foliage is silvery in color. As an added benefit, they are deer resistant.

You can plant them about two feet apart and they will fill in the first year. You might even want to use it as ground cover and simply mow it off in the fall.

Achilleas are the ideal plants for the gardener with limited experience who might be faced with less-than-perfect soil and daily hours of bright sunlight. But, newbie or expert, it’s hard to go wrong with this perennial favorite.

In future columns, I’ll take a look at more perennials that can make even the most “green thumb challenged” look like master gardeners!