Best Shade Annuals

WHAT ARE THE TOP ANNUALS FOR SHADE GARDENS?

Annuals are one season showstoppers.

Typically native to warmer climates south of zone eight, annuals flourish in the summer months then die back after the fall frost.

Unlike perennials, which survive the winter months reappearing in late spring, annuals quickly establish, then bloom until frost.

New Guinea Impatiens are disease free

The majority of mass produced annuals require full to partial sunlight. 

Choices are  limited for shade gardeners craving some color, but blooms that thrive in full to partial shade are readily available.

1.  Impatiens:  Fabulous, but risky.  The moldy blight overwinters and could take three to five years before it clears out.  Replanting risks a return to the starting block.  If planting make sure the area is well drained.

2.   Begonia:  Does well in dappled shade.  More disease resistant.  Chose a variety with green leaves
as burgundy and brown stems don't show as well. White pops in the shade.  Pink and red blooms are smaller and do not show as well.  In the fall begonia become a mounding beauty, with a spectacular show before the cold sets in.  Die back in late fall is quick.  Removal is easy as roots are minimal.

2.  Coleus.  Fast becoming a favorite, coleus comes in a plethora of beautiful jewel tones.  Great for the border.

3.  Minimulus/Monkey Flower:  The white blooms are small, ringed in soft purples and pinks and resemble tiny monkey faces.    These rascals require little pruning. 

4.  Pansies:   Deep, stunning and vibrant colors, these are hardy annuals.  Die back occurs during the
hottest summer months.  Cut back and move to a shady location for a second bloom in the fall.  Pansies and violas often survive to spring if sheltered or following a mild winter.

Group in drifts or combinations throughout the yard or in pots.

There's a peacefulness in the shade garden that cannot be measured by the sun.

In early spring, fall-planted bubs will naturalize and flourish before trees bloom.

Observing a shaded garden from a sunny outpost, it appears monotonous.  Not much color is needed, but adding a bit beckons the garden visitor to the coolness under the canopy.

Somewhat Shady:

Best Shade Perennials

Turtlehead and other Fall Bloomers

Finding Piet

CREATE YOUR OWN OUDOLF GARDEN

Piet Oudolf transports the magic of the meadow to the heart of the city.

My first exposure to his work was accidental.  Headed to Grant Park from our downtown Chicago hotel, we passed through an inconspicuous gateway into the Lurie Garden.

Oudolf's creation was in full bloom.  Children padded through the trickling stream-like fountains. Tourists cooled their dangling feet--a respite from the scorching pavement.

High Line Park New York City

In August the garden was a riot of purples and red.  The sturdy Lake Michigan winds oscillated the dancing grasses. 

Later, walks along the High Line near the Chelsea district of New York offered another view of Piet's creative work.  An abandoned railway overpass was transformed into a pathway strewn with calming native plants with trees swaying in the Hudson River breeze. Thousands fill the walkways each day.

Soon Detroit will host a natural Oudolf wonder on Belle Isle--capitalizing on the force of the prevailing winds from the Detroit River at the mouth of Lake St. Clair. 

High Line walkway

How to emulate the master? 

The grounds around my home are (loosely) patterned after English gardens both formal and cottage in deference to the style of the home and the heritage of my beloved.  No place for a pasture.  But, like most gardeners, the plots expanded rather than contracted. 

Two years ago a cottage garden replaced a tumble of ground cover at the base of a stone retaining wall.  It was the perfect landing place for orphan plants, but filled out quickly,  The addition of a gravel border path should have sealed the boundary, leaving the ramble weed hillside below untouched.

High Line in summer

Trouble is, gardeners know no borders.  A year later, the scruffy hillside became the host to a newborn Piet-inspired meadow.

Piet Oudolf'design concepts are simple:

1.  Use noninvasive native plants that will reseed freely and provide winter interest.  No cutting back is required.

2.  Follow the 70/30 rule.  Seventy percent of the plants should be "fillers."  Fillers such as grasses provide volume, height and movement.  They are planted to provide the signature "haze" or "blur" that is the trademark of an Oudolf garden.  Thirty percent of the plants should provide seasonal color through blooms or berries.  Favored colors deeper hues of purple, red and gold. 

Winter Interest High Line New York

3.  Plant in drifts and swaths, the opposite of the riot of plants found in a cottage garden.  Frame the edges with the blur of tassels of grass or big-headed blooms like Joe Pye weed. 

4.  Plant in volume. 

5.  Repeat themes. 

6.  Plant in layers.


before

7.  Plant for all seasons but be aware of the sun or shade requirements of sprouts.

At the end of season, vendors at the county farmer's market sell  plants at a deep discount.  The initial inhabitants of a pasture garden need not be pretty, only healthy.  Thus the cranky vendor occupying the last stall nearly smiled at the offer of two dollars each for a couple dozen of astilbes and pampas grasses.

Clearing the area was the most labor intensive part of the project.  The largest and deepest taproot weeds were dug out by hand.  Those with shallow roots required a stirrup or rake.

The plants were arranged,  to best emulate the Oudolf grid.  We planted using our "patented" wedge method.  We finalized the plantings, then generously sprinkled free wood chips to reduce the occurrence of weeds. 

after

Our little pasture is shaded so we chose astilbe and pampas grass for the fillers then catmint (nepeta) and variegated hosta as thrillers.  More plants will be added in the fall as other plots are thinned.



FOUND GARDENS:

FREDERIK MEIJER SCULPTURE GARDEN



LAFAYETTE GREENS DETROIT

 

Hydrangea Die-Back 2018

Winter got me like ..

WILL MY HYDRANGEA COME BACK?

The long cold winter is a not so fond memory. Souvenirs of the protracted cold of 2018 are showing up in the garden

This spring some hardy hydrangea are missing the early vitality of prior years.



In 2018 the Midwest suffered through several days of continuous cold.  Some weeks never saw the thermometer rise above twenty degrees Fahrenheit.

While the seemingly endless snow cover might have offered  insulation for below-ground plants, the living stalks of many hydrangea varietals could not survive the sustained onslaught of icy temps.  Rather than remain dormant, the upper eighty percent of many hydrangea appear lifeless. But that's not fatal for the entire plant.

My lace cap hydrangea hedge, which rounded out above three feet, is only green at the bottom quarter.


Forever and Ever look like lettuce plants.

Annabelle hydrangea, on the other hand, never missed a beat.  It's not yet Memorial Day and these beauties are right on track.  Healthy globes of green.

Annabelles are indigenous to Zones Five and Six.  Many of the newer hydrangea introductions are dubbed "marginally hardy."

For the struggling plant, it's best to stand by.  Don't remove the shrubs so long as they show signs of growth at the base. 

Defer trimming back the brown stalks poking out from the plant base.  But, if the branches were not trimmed back in the fall, cut back by one-third.  Hopefully the remaining stalks will act as plant supports to  new growth.  If they're still protruding by late June, then cut back those that poke out. 

Will there be hydrangea blooms this year?  Yes, but maybe not as robust as past years.

Gardeners are experts in the art of patience.  By next year, if there's fewer troughs of cold, blooms should return to normal.

Annabelle in May

My husband likes to point out how eager I was to pull out a seemingly dead Annabelle hydrangea a few years ago.  Uncharacteristically I agreed to wait.

That Annabelle is a repeat showstopper.


Ignore the funky looking hydrangea until summer is in full swing. 

The vagrancies of nature can be accommodated if anticipated.

More mopheads:

The Incrediball Hydrangea ~ From Annabelle to Forever and Ever

Hydrangea Hedgerows

Garden Gates

GATES ARE THE OPENING ACT

A fence is not required.  Garden gates stand alone, unite hedges or define a pathway. 

The gate can be made of any material, wood, willow, iron or copper.

A gate can be functional, keeping intruders out,
or occupants in.  Or it can be purely decorative.  From simple creations to elaborate works of art.

Gates know no language, they are impervious to cultural or political influences. They can be shabby or grand.  Always charming.

Gates are the cherry on top of a lovely sundae of a garden.

They may creak, or lean, but gates always add an element of interest, whether open or closed.

They  offer mystery and inquiry.  Doorways to the beauty within.





Single or double the message is the same.  While fences create boundaries, gates are an open nvitation.


In my travels, I've paused in front of innumerable entryways, wondering about the gardens they protects, and the gardeners therein.









Sometimes the latch opens easily. 

Curtain's raised!

And the magic begins...

 

Beyond the gates:

The Garden Potting Bench

Cottage Garden Design

How to Make Natural Plant Supports ~~ Branch Trellises

How to make a plant trellis
Internet search hit success depends upon finding the exact word or phrase to describe the indescribable.  In the quest for "rustic wood plant support thingies that kind of look like a teepee," Google images led to trellises with the French term tuteur meaning "guardian."  

How perfect!  The upright guardian of plants, formed by the cast off branches of trees. Poetic, organic and cheap.

For the price of a roll of twine, floppy plants and flowering vines can be protected in style:

1. Gather interesting, sturdy detached branches. They don't need to be perfectly straight and uniform. 
2. Precut a length of twine and grab some twist ties.
3. Choose five compatible candidates and form a teepee, joining the branches about one-quarter of the way from the top.
4. Trim the branches so they are even top and bottom.
5. Join them at the top intersection with the twist tie then overwrap the intersection with twine. Trim.
6. Install tuteur into the ground or pot over the baby plant.  Evenly space the bottom of each support.  Plant firmly in the soil. Adjust until even.

As an alternative to twine, use dried vines. 

Went a bit crazy that first year with the tuteur trellises, but they're nearly free, easy and add a rustic flair. 


Save more green:

Free Mulch and a Cuppa Joe

Window Boxes Gone Wild!

Fall Leaves Still on Trees?

Maple Tree Disease
The maple's at it again.  Rather than toss her fiery crimson leaves to the ground after the final frost, the Japanese maple has clung stubbornly to withered brown leaves  through this brutal, snowy winter.

The maple in the front fared about  the same, as did the neighbor's pair of flowering pears. 

I found that reassuring. It's unlikely varied and mature trees would suffer simultaneous disease.

Spring's yet to sprung, but it appears that the shaggy trees are the result of an early cold winter.

In southeast Michigan, the "first widespread frost event" of 2017 was reported on October 26th.  The Old Farmer's Almanac calculated the probable date as October 30th, using 1981 to 2010  average "Climate Normals."

Usually the decrease in daylight along with a gradual freeze
allows a tree to begin the gradual process of discoloration coupled with the tightening of the ring at the base.. of each leaf.  The tree, in her own deliberate way, schluffs off her leaves each fall.

In the fall of 2017  the frost was early and hard,
and many trees simply retired ahead of schedule --becoming dormant before the job was completely done.  What's left are muddy looking leaves.

Not to worry.  In the spring, new leaf buds will finish the job, and toss last year's to the ground.

And you thought you were done with fall clean-up?

Grab the rake!

still hanging on:

Black Spots on Maple Leaves

Colorado Pine Beetle Disease

Fallproof Spring Bulbs

When to plant bulbs?
The only difficulty is finding the time.  Fall garden work carries less of an urgency than spring and summer.  Colorful leaves obscure all defects and the neglected home interior needs some attention before the holidays. 

Still, an hour in the yard can yield so much beauty in the spring.  Break away at half-time. You'll thank yourself in the spring.


Spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocus and grape hyacinth should be planted in the fall or early winter--so long as a spade can pierce the ground.

Bulbs need at least six weeks of winter freeze in order to bloom.

Tools needed:

• Bucket for sorting the bulbs--toss out any mushy corms.
• Rake
• Large shovel or spade.
• Baby or foot powder (to deter squirrels--they hate the taste, but who wouldn't?)

There are only a few steps:

1. Clear the area with a rake.
2. Dig a trench to the recommended depth (typically six inches)
3. Plant the bulbs in double lines, closely together, pointed side upward.
4. Dust with powder (to avoid rodent snacking)
5. Cover with soil.

Then head back into the house for a warm cuppa tea or chocolate.

LIGHT BULBS:

Planting Bulbs ~~ Pay it Forward

Chinese Garlic Mustard ~~ Winter Weeds and Good Deeds

Impatiens Report 2018

Impatiens blight's a concern in 2018

Can I plant impatiens this year?
Impatiens were once the gold (or pink, or red, or lavender) standard for colorful annuals for shady locations.  Their prolific blooming capacity and mounding capabilities made them the top low-maintenance choice.

It appears the impatiens blight has still not run its course.

Early sightings in the greenhouse were not encouraging.  Sickly stems in May can't be revived by tender care.



Still optimistic, 2017 gardeners planted impatiens hoping for the best.  Dry conditions may have postponed the inevitable decay to late summer when busy lizzies typically peak.

Blight took over by August.

In 2018 the prognosis sadly remains the same. 

Plant at one's own peril.  The only known danger imposed by the continued introduction of these diseased plants is prolonging the mildew--as spores can overwinter in the soil.

Long term effects are not yet apparent.



Downy mildew or impatiens blight has now infiltrated the garden for nearly five years.  Hopeful gardeners continue to plant flats of these lovelies only to find sickly stems at a later time, dependent

upon unpredictable moisture conditions.

Early in the infestation, responsible greenhouses and flower peddlers refused to stock and sell impatiens, but customer demand prevailed, Thus, in recent years availablity has increased, but so has the blight.

Consider healthy alternatives such as begonia, coleus and minimulus. 

ALTERNATIVES TO IMPATIENS:

BYE BYE BIZZY LIZZIES ~ WHAT TO PLANT INSTEAD OF IMPATIENS?

BEGONIA ARE THE NEW IMPATIENS

LOSING IMPATIENS IN 2017