Truth and Beauty in the Late August Garden

While we all know that Truth is subjective, and, as Saxon Holt has shown, the camera lies, I want to present the unvarnished truth about the Woodland Garden. My August Bloom Day post gave a misleading impression that all was perfect and beautiful, when that is not the case. The Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) in the above photo are not my idea of attractive. They look particularly pathetic because their shade tree has been cut down. (It was a huge, greedy Cottonwood that was too close to the house.) Its replacement is a baby hybrid Oak (Quercus x bebbiana) that is enjoying the sun. Until it gets large enough to provide the shade these Mayapples need, they will continue to suffer. Even if they had shade, however, Mayapples will eventually look ratty before they die down.

Many plants that have bloomed all summer are tired and just want to lie down with a cold compress to the head (such as this Campanula persicifolia). Or do they?Celadine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

This is standard operating procedure for Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisamea triphyllum). The reward for putting up with this temporary unsightliness is the shot of bright red-orange from the ripening fruit.

Thalictrum thalictroides/Anemonella thalictroides is a Spring Ephemeral, which means that by the end of August, its foliage looks like this:or has disappeared entirely.

The beauty of autumn in the Woodland Garden is first shown in the colorful berries of several plants, before they too fade and disappear.Spikenard (Aralia racemosa)

Smilacina racemosa

Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

But all is not dying down and fading away. There are things just coming into full flower,Tricyrtis 'Gilty Pleasure'

things reviving after the heat of summer,Clematis 'Evipo023' (Cezanne)

and things getting ready to start blooming.Aster species in bud

Actaea simplex 'James Compton'

Hosta species

Anemone x hybrida 'Andrea Atkinson'

With all this going on, plus all the things still blooming (the Lobelias, Phlox and Geranium Rozanne), I can easily over look the less than perfect parts of the garden.

The "Four Ws" of Veggie Gardening

"'To grow healthy vegetables, keep in mind the four Ws: Watering, weeding, and waiting.'
'That's only three,' said Chip.
'Whatever,' said Farmer Chundo.
'Oh,' said Chip. 'Watering, weeding, waiting, and whatever.'"

I learned the four Ws not from any garden book or magazine article. Nope, the quote is from a great kids' picture book from the photographer/Weimarainer lover, William Wegman, "Farm Days." I find myself thinking of the four Ws often at this time of year. I'm waiting for my Bell Peppers to ripen. It seems like I've been waiting for a long time. Growing veggies in a container means more of the first W, watering, than of the second, weeding. But whether the plants are growing in pots or in the ground, there's more of the third W than anything else. (I think the fourth W includes stuff like pest control.) It won't be long now, though. The days are growing shorter and harvest time is nearly here.

Spot the Naked Ladies

From the mind that brought you Winter Games and An Existential Exercise, comes a summertime game. Can you spot the blooms of the Naked Ladies/a/k/a Magic Lilies a/k/a Resurrection Lilies (Lycoris squamigera) here? How about here? No? Neither can I because they aren't there. That's the problem.

While these things are blooming all over the Midwest right now, even at an unoccupied house for sale down the street, not one of mine is blooming. But, you say, how do we know there are any Lycoris there at all. (An excellent existential question. Sartre would be proud.) Okay here's the proof. This was taken in April. This was taken today. I haven't dug them out and they send up leaves every year, so I know they aren't dead. I don't get it. I've tried them in three different places around the property, I even fertilized them, and never a bloom. This has been going on for years. Are these some sort of special Lycoris that never bloom? They were divisions from plants that still bloom reliably every year (at my mom's house). Did someone put a no-Lycoris-bloom curse on me? I'm ready to give up on them.

The Best Virtually Unknown Native Shade Garden Plant*

Because the berries of my Caulophyllum thalictroides won a Bronze Medal in the Garden Olympics, I decided to reward it with a post of its own. I love this plant, whose common name is Blue Cohosh; it grew wild around the house where I grew up. I didn't know its name, only the dark blue berries it developed every summer. When I started planting the Woodland Garden here at Squirrelhaven, this was one of the first things planted. Because this plant is so uncommon and little known, I was fortunate that the local native plant nursery carried it. (It's known mostly through alternative medicine, but that's like knowing Coneflowers only as a cold remedy.) It's in the Barberry family, but I see no relationship there whatsoever. Blue Cohosh grows in moist woods from Canada to Georgia, from the East Coast to Nebraska and Oklahoma, Zones 3-8 (sorry Texas!). With a range like that, you'd think Blue Cohosh would be better known.

It starts sprouting very early in spring, about the time when the Snowcrocuses and the Witchazel bloom. This year that was in the middle of March. When it first emerges in spring, it looks like this:It blooms with the Anemonellas, Sanguinaria and Hepatica, with weird flowers:I've seen images on the Web of Blue Cohosh with yellowish green flowers instead. Here's what the plant looks like in bloom.It blooms for about a month, but clearly it is not grown for its flowers.
As the leaves the leaves expand, they become bluegreen, and the berries begin to form. By July, the plant looks like this:It is a graceful foliage plant that sets off finer textured plants, such as ferns, nicely, while providing a good contrast to more coarse textured plants, such as Wild Ginger (Asarum canadensis). But it's main season of interest is late summer and into fall, when its berries turn that intense blue.It's not a flashy plant, but it is a wonderful supporting player in a woodland or shade garden.


*Statement of the author's opinion only and is not meant to be a statement of fact. Not available in all areas. Your results may vary. Do not ingest any part of this plant without doctor's supervision. Not recommended for those with sunny or dry conditions.

A Reblooming Hellebore?

I just don't get it. Either it's very late or it's very early. It started blooming in the middle of April and stopped blooming in the end of May. This morning I noticed that one of the Helleborus x orientalis 'Pink Lady Strain' plants is in bloom. It must have started reblooming at least a few days ago from the look of the flowers. I've had these Hellebores for years and they've never done this before. It has been a relatively cool summer, with no temperatures in the 90's since June which, believe me, is highly unusual.

The Olympics of Gardening

Cue the trumpet fanfare, it's time for the Gardening Olympics. This epic event in the annals of garden blogging is the creation of Idaho Gardener, who will be the sole judge and arbiter of the medals.
The Squirrelhaven team's first entry is in the category of Best Use of Borrowed Foliage.This is that star performer of the Woodland Garden, Geranium 'Rozanne' being supported by her teammate, Polemium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven.' This pair of plants has been training hard all season. While Rozanne was still a small clump of foliage, Stairway was loaded with pale blue blooms. When those faded away, Rozanne sprang into action and sprawled up, over and around the Polemium, giving it truly another season of interest. What a strong showing from these two dependable plants.

Competing in the second event for Bluest Berry is that woodland native Caulophyllum thalictroides, nicknamed "Blue Cohosh."Its berries look outstanding this year, especially considering that its shade tree was cut down a year ago and it is still struggling to adapt to more sunlight until the replacement tree, a young Oak, grows large enough to cast this plant back into the full shade that it so desires. Blue Cohosh has certainly done a tremendous job under less than ideal conditions.

Representating Team Squirrelhaven in the final event is none other than the team captain and gardener herself, making an outstanding showing in Best Deadheading. While she may not be the most talented at design or cultivation of plants, the girl can deadhead. Showcasing her talent is a single example out of half a dozen of Campanula persicifolia, which must be deadheaded daily by cutting off each spent bloom individually. Look at how fresh those flowers and those stems still are in photos taken today.Yes, it's hard to believe that it truly is the middle of August and not the middle of June. If it hadn't been deadheaded so carefully and continuously, there would be nothing but brown stems by now. This plant has been continuously in bloom since June 9 and shows no signs of letting up as long as the gardener keeps up this rigorous regime.I truly think she's going for a personal best here. She's put in the long hours of training, she's given it her all, and now it's up to the judge to decide whether she's captured the Gold.

A Bloom Day Blogaversary

One year ago I started writing this blog. Over 150 posts later, I can clearly see that I had no idea where all this would take me. I've been inspired to name my garden, Squirrelhaven, and I've been inspired to try new plants. I certainly never expected to meet any other garden bloggers, much less travel to Austin to do so. I hadn't imagined I'd be conversing on Plurk with so many other like-minded, wonderful people. In short, I had no idea I'd be part of a blogging community. Had I known that I'd end up being responsible for organizing a garden blogger get together next year, I might have been too daunted to start. But, life's the journey, not the destination, and I'm definitely enjoying this part of the ride. Thanks to everybody who has commented here, left suggestions, or corrected me when I've made a mistake or gotten something wrong. I'd also like to thank everyone who has given me an award that I never did anything about. I appreciate the sentiments and the generousity behind them, I'm just too much of a slug to figure out how to work the widgets and write the posts.

And now, the blooms.
August is when the front fauxprairie or miniprairie finally reaches its season of interest. Along with the Ruellia humilis that has been blooming for over a month, the show now includes the natives Echinacea purpurea, Allium cernuum, Prairie Dropseed (Sporabolis heterolepis) and Liatris spicata. I finally got my act together this year and staked the Liatris early. They are the kind of plants for which Blanche Dubois staking (relying on the kindness of strangers) just doesn't work. They're too thin and there's nothing to catch on other plants to hold them upright. In addition to these strictly natives are the quasi-native Phlox paniculata 'David' and 'David's Lavender.'


The Woodland Garden is starting to look a little tattered and worn down. Thank goodness for such stellar performers as Phlox paniculata 'Laura,' Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac,' Geranium 'Rozanne,' and the Lobelias, 'Monet Moment' and the native species syphilitica. Still churning out the blooms are the Campanulas, persicifolia 'Alba' and 'Telham Blue,' 'Sarastro,' and this Campanula, 'Samantha.' For sheer wow, there's the combination of 'Black Beauty' Lilies and Lobelia 'Sparkle DeVine.' While Hostas aren't usually grown for their flowers, Hosta plantaginea is an exception with it's strongly fragrant trumpets. It's also hard to ignore the flower power of Hostas 'June' and 'Halcyon.' Nearby these Hostas, the Astilbe pumila is in full bloom. More subtle are the flowers of the Toad Lily, Tricyrtis 'Tojen,' which has been aptly described as a Toad Lily on steroids.
The Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (trying saying that five times fast), has just started blooming.I like it best when the foliage turns red while it's still blooming. The big native star of the August shade garden is Actaea/Cimicifuga racemosa a/k/a Bugbane.Another native August bloomer is Eurybia divaricata/Aster divaricata, seen here with the foliage of Actaea simplex 'Hillside Black Beauty.'Here's another Aster, but this one isn't a native.I got it from the late great Heronswood Nursery. I have lost the name and, naturally, the one Heronswood catalogue that I accidentally recycled is the one I ordered it from. If anyone can identify this plant, I'd be very grateful.


August also brings blooms to two shrubs, the Japanese Beetle magnet Hibiscus syriacus 'Red Heart,' and Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice.'The jury's still out on Clethra. It leafs out so late in the year and looks so spindly, I'm tempted to shovel prune it. But then it has scented blooms in August and yellow fall foliage, so it does have some redeeming qualities.
The best performing Clematis at Squirrelhaven is 'Betty Corning.'This amazing plant has been continuously in bloom since the beginning of June. Two other Clematises are also in bloom now, the continuing blooming of 'Madame Julia Correvon' and the reblooming of 'Crystal Fountain.'

Other plants in bloom: Calycanthus floridus 'Athens,' Dicentra 'Zestful,' Heucheras 'Hollywood'and 'Raspberry Ice' (both reblooming) and 'Palace Purple,' Hosta 'Krossa Regal,' Hosta 'Winfield Gold,' Hydrangea 'Endless Summer,' Malva 'Zebrina,' Phlox 'Nicky,' Phlox maculata, Verbena hastata and, as always, Lamium maculatum.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is brought to you, as it is every month, by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

Cracked Up

First, I want to make very clear that Chicagoland is not in a drought this year. I repeat, there is no drought. I also want to emphasize that I mulched the garden. The good covering of mulch is what delayed my discovery of the problem. My first clue that something was amiss was when a previous healthy Columbine started wilting. When I moved the mulch, I found a bunch of big, deep cracks in the soil. To try to determine how deep the cracks went, I stuck my Japanese type weeder, affectionately known as my "Hari Kari" kife, into the crack.It's 6 1/2 inches from the tip of the blade to the hilt. I'm shocked that the three Campanula 'Dickson's Gold' haven't started dying.I don't know why my soil does this, but every year it develops these big cracks. I just keep filling them with compost and hoping for the best. Guess I'd better start watering the garden again.

I Ranted, Now I Rave

I didn't mean to give the impression that I think all commercial planting is bad. Quite the contrary, I get annoyed at bad commercial planting because the potential is there to do so much better. Here is a good example of making the most of a difficult space.This bed is a narrow strip between the sidewalk and the parking lot. This is just a portion of a long bed, all planted with the same things. It has color, contrasting form and textures and multiseason interest. All of these plants are low maintenance and can withstand the high heat of the surrounding asphalt and the pollution from automobile exhaust.
Across the street is this planting, which uses the same grass.This brings harmony to the area, yet its use of different companions, Daylilies and Spirea, prevents monotony. Nearby is another long narrow bed between the sidewalk and a parking lot.Here, the shrubs are well tended, not sheared into cubes or meatballs. There's even a Hydrangea in there for seasonal interest. In spite of the unaesthetic warning signs, I like the planting of the Pennesetum with the Coneflowers, with their similar colors and contrasting forms.

These are just a couple of examples that happen to be within walking distance of my house. They are merely representative of the good, creative planting that is possible in commercial spaces. I'm sure there are many more around, many undoubtedly even better than these. There are alternatives to the Stella-ghettos, and I hope to see even more of them.

Why I Hate American Topiary & the Abuse of Stella

It's rant time again. The first has been brewing in my brain since Spring Fling, when I was riding around with MSS of Zanthan Gardens, Bill of Prairie Point, and Dee of Red Dirt Ramblings. Someone commented on the lame attempt at topiary in the median of the road. We all agreed that we hated topiary unless it was whimsical (e.g., animals or question marks). After reading quite a few posts from British bloggers, I realized that I don't hate all topiary. I just hate most American topiary, as it is badly done and in an inappropriate setting. Way back in June, Zoe from Garden Hopping asked why I think topiary doesn't work in American gardens. Finally, here's the answer for which you all have been waiting:

first, are the green meatballs and gumdrops.And here are some examples in context. These are all just drive-by shootings, taken at random on my way around town running errands, merely a representative sample of the foliar follies. At least with this example, an attempt has been made to avoid the meatball. As these photos (hopefully) demonstrate, most of the attempts at topiary, even without the meatballs, just don't work with the casual style of house and garden in which they find themselves.
Commercial attempts are even worse:
I believe that used to be a Crabapple. I've even seen Magnolias getting this treatment. What were they thinking?


Although all these photos were taken in the same strip mall in Lake Zurich, Illinois, they could have been taken anywhere in America, land of Lollipop trees and green meatballs.


The last photo brings me to a related rant, the abuse of poor Hemerocallis 'Stella D'Oro.' Several British bloggers can't understand how most American bloggers hate Stella. This is a carefree plant that repeat blooms throughout the summer. While I believe there are no banal plants, there is such a thing as the banal use of plants, and no plant has suffered such misuse and abuse as Stella. In parking lots across America, Stellas are grown by the thousands. Most are segregated into Stella-ghettos, in raised medians between parking rows. Most are never deadheaded, but are left to form unattractive seed heads, instead of continuing to bloom. After being forced to see this plant so mistreated at the grocery store,
at the gas station, at restaurants, is it any wonder that we have no desire to see it at home, no matter how well we would care for it?

If you have any examples of truly terrible topiary or cruel and unusual Stella abuse, leave me a message and a link. I'd love to see them.


edit. 8/7/08 Several comments have indicated that the above photos do not depict actual topiary, merely truly terrible pruning. I apologize for the slander of topiary in general and American topiary in particular. I hope this clears up any confusion.

Gimme Shelter!

After this morning's storms, I was walking in the garden when I thought I noticed something under the Hostas. A closer inspection revealed this critter. While toads are inhabitants of the garden, frogs are rare visitors. I had never seen such a large one in the garden. The frog sat there under the shelter of a Hosta leaf and appeared to be posing, waiting for me to take a photo. This must be the one the kids complain keeps them up at night. It doesn't bother me at all, and I hope it sticks around for a while and snags a few slugs for a snack, or at least a mosquito or two.

August

The sprinkler twirls.
The summer wanes.
The pavement wears
Popsicle stains.

The playground grass
Is worn to dust.
The weary swings
Creak, creak with rust.

The trees are bored
With being green.
Some people leave
The local scene

And go to seaside
Bungalows
And take off nearly
All their clothes.

John Updike

I can't add anything to that, as it sums up my sick-of-summer attitude. For all the entries in this month's Garden Bloggers' Muse Day, go to Sweet Home & Garden Chicago, where Carolyn Gail is the host.