Garden Design Ideas

Hypertufa Class

2012-02-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

PA GARDEN EXPO - Farm Show Complex Harrisburg PA

Making Hypertufa Containers

Sunday February 26 - 12 Noon at the DIY Demo stage.

While you are checking out the landscapes and great vendors at the Garden Expo, stop at the DIY Stage and find out how to make you own Hypertufa containers.

- Presentation Schedule Garden Expo

A Sedum for All Seasons - Angelina

2012-01-13T22:50:00.000-08:00

January at Longwood Gardens

Lets start with the fact that I am a lazy gardener. So when I find a perennial that is easy to care for, grows well in containers, and looks good all year in my zone 6 garden, it gets my attention Sedum Angelina is a garden asset with year long interest. In summer, the low-growing succulent forms spreading mats of yellow-green foliage,and clusters of yellow star-shaped flowers. But it is in winter that Angelina really shines, when those same fleshy leaves turn an incredible, golden orange, with shades of red. The colors are so intense, the ground appears to be on fire. This plant is especially appreciated when everything else is dead or dormant. There are not too many perennial that look this good in the winter

All the Sedum are fairly easy to grow. They thrive in full sun, and tolerate dry, poor soils. Hardy from zones 3 to 9, they tolerate Pennsylvania winters with no problem. Unlike the taller Sedums, pruning is not really required with Angelina, unless you need to cleanup some dead leaves; no other maintenance is needed.

Angelina is well-suited for containers, rock gardens, and in the front of sunny borders. The trailing plants will cascade over walls or the edges of containers or spread on the ground or just spread through your beds.

Angelina Growing in a Hypertufa Container with Dwarf Conifers

Sedum Angelia (left front) has been growing for at least 3 years in this container, with only occasional watering and a little fertilizer. That is a "low maintenance" plant. Any container that has well drained soil will work. Next time you you are selecting plants for a hanging basket consider this sun loving perennial.

2011-10-29T18:54:00.001-07:00

Planting Maples in Your Garden

Japanese Maples are four season plants, the leafs change with the season, making gardening interesting in spring, summer, fall. For many maples the bare branches look good in the winter. What seems to be the most popular is the red leafed "bloodgood" and also growing in popularity is the weeping thin leafed crimson queen maple. The photo below is a Acer palmatum "Tsuma Gaki" or red nails . The leaves on this cultivar look like they have been dipped in red paint.

Acer Tsuma Gaki

Growing Japanese maples
Good soil is a requirement. Idea environment would be rich, moist soil conditions with a few hours of dabbled shade, although many of my maples get all day sun. Unfortunalty clay soil will make your maple very unhappy.
Plant high, dig a big hole and amend the you soil with a coarse textured compost like small bark chips. Then surround the tree with a few inches of aged bark mulch. The mulch will help with the weeds, and becasue Maples have a fibrous root system and the mulch will help keep the root system evenly moist.
Maples vary in size from very small 3x3 to 25 x 15 It is important to know how large the maple you purchased will get. Many weeping maples are not planted with adequate space to groe and then the homeowners are stuck pruning branches to keep the plant in its space.

Not all maples have red leaves. Acer palmatum Shishigashira remains green most of the growing season and then in the late fall changes to a beautiful shade of orange

Acer palmatum Shishigashira
Lionshead

This Lionshead maple planted in my back yard is a very slow grower. The interesting aspect of this maple is the unusual textured leaf shape. Because of it unique leaves and slow growth this maple makes the perfect patio tree, growing about 7-10 ft tall, and 5-8 ft wide

Japanese maple trees are not heavy feeders so it is important not to over fertilize your tree. Be especially careful in using nitrogen fertilizers and fertilizers that have a high percentage of ammonium nitrate. Try to limit the amount of fertilizer.

Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo

This maple is not yet in my garden. This photo was taken at Islei Nursery, Oregon. This maple is also known as 'Floating Cloud' for the heavily variegated leaves that are sometimes completely white. Spring leaves will be a light shade of pink. Avoid too much fertilizer or too much sun, otherwise the leaves could revert to green. Not a big tree , upright in form. Gold and yellow in the fall. One to look for in your garden center.

Little and Lewis Concrete Garden Artist

2011-10-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

This summer I visited the garden of George Little and David Lewis on Brainbridge Island in Washington. Prior to my visit I had only seen photos of their garden on their web site and in their book, "A Garden Gallery". Their work is inspiring for many and often imitated . One of my favorite concrete art pieces is the Gunnera leaf (see below). Their studio is located in this beautiful garden, which is filled with many unique pieces of art and unusual plants. I was lucky to have George give me a tour of their garden and share some of his passion for plants and art.

Their entrance is marked with this simple sign.

The garden in not large, but it is filed with many tropical plants and beautiful art. The colors used are soft pastels that blend perfectly well with the colors of the plants. Bold leaves real and concrete are positioned purposefully around the garden. Concrete columns washed is colors of blue and aqua mark the entrance to the garden.

A wooden wall is used to display many wonderful pieces of art.

Concrete leaves are painted so perfectly they appear real.

One of the more original pieces is this pomegranate. Little and Lewis opens their garden periodically to garden groups or are also open by appointment.

This gunnera leaf is about 3 ft wide. The plant used for this concrete work of art grows in their back yard. The colors are not the true colors of the leaf, but instead are creatively bold.

This mirror hangs on the wall of the entrance to their home. I am amazed at the detail of the stalks of wheat. This would look good inside or outside.

This green man caught my eye. It is now hanging on a wall in my garden

2011-09-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Conifers in Containers

It is not uncommon to grow conifers in containers. It is rare however to see a collection of plants like this, growing so well, unless you are in Oregon and you are at Iseli Nursery display garden. While attending the American Conifer Society National conference in Oregon this summer, one of the stops on the conference tour was a visit to Iseli Nursery . The display garden has a fantastic collection of full size conifers and a magnificent collection of conifers in containers.

Although the winters in Oregon are a little milder that the winters in Pennsylvania, it is not impossible to keep a container of mini conifers like these in a hypertufa trough outside all winter. Use a potting soil that contains a gritty mixture of ingredients is the first step to keeping the plants happy, and ensure that the roots dont rot in the container during the winter.

Elevating the trough not only looks good, but helps to make sure the soil drains well. If you live in zone 6, then selecting plants that are zone 5 or ensure that the plants survive the winter.
The best part of the visit to Iseli Nursery,was the ability to purchase some mini conifers. Iseli

allowed the ACS tour to purchase the conifers that they usually sell to nurseries. All the attendees came home with a collection of mini plants.

Enjoy the photos - Do not copy without permission

Cement Leaf Birdbath Workshop

2011-06-15T17:33:00.000-07:00

Two day Cement Leaf Birdbath Workshop at Ashcombe's in Mechanicsburg June 21 and 23rd. First day we create the bowl from a large leaf and the second day we will remove the leaf and then create a base to hold the leaf about 12" above the soil. Limited space 717 766 7611

The bottom of the leaf has a place to hold the base in place.

2010-12-31T07:24:00.000-08:00

The Dancing Peacock

The leaves on this Japanese Maple make you wonder if an artist had a hand in creating this tree. Very appropriately named, the leaves are graceful and elegant like a beautiful peacock dancing in the garden. Even in the spring , the thickly dissected green leaves draw attention to this tree. This is how one local garden centers in Camp Hill desribies this tree -

Finding a place for this tree in your yard should not be too difficult. Maybe next to a small patio, or low deck where you can sit in a comfortable chair, sip a beverage, then look up at the leaves, .... and relax.

Keeping It Simple

2010-08-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hypertufa Container

Try making a container with just two plants. This container has just two perennials. Heuchra Midnight Rose and a mini Sedum. The texture of the Heuchra is a nice contast to the fine leaves of the sedum. The hypertufa container which was stained tan makes interesting contrast to the perenials. The key to this combination growing well together is good potting soil. - more on that in the next post.

In My Garden

2010-07-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

Garden Accoutrements

Garden design should not stop with shrubs and perennials. Garden Art, found treasures, created artwork, whatever you call it, consider adding it to your garden. Around my backyard pond, I have included a bench crafted from a log cut long ways, a few hypertufa containers planted with perennials, and a concrete orb painted with pastel colors. When the perennials are done blooming there are still some objects in the garden to catch your eye.

Easy Care Perennial with Standout Foliage

2009-07-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yellow Comfry - Symphytum grandiflorum 'Goldsmith'

"Goldsmith" can be easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Mine grows in average soils, eastern exposure in my zone 6 garden. It is somewhat drought tolerance and can do reasonably well in dryish, shady locations. Many of the comfeys spread by creeping rhizomes however ‘Goldsmith’ remains controlled to one spot. Easily propagated by root cuttings or division. Trim foliage as needed to shape plant. Cutting back stems promptly after flowering may encourage a rebloom. I have seen no serious insect or disease problems. It has been said that slugs and snails may attack the foliage, but they never have visited my plant.

2009-07-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Eleven Plants That Will Not Disappoint Your Garden

Picea pungens 'Globosa Nana'

1.FERNSPRAY FALSE CYPRESS -Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Filicoides'
2. SIBERIAN CYPRESS - Microbiota decussate
3. HINOKI FALSE CYPRESS - Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Kosteri'
4. CENTER GLOW NINEBARK -Physocarpus opulifolius 'Center Glow'
5. HELMOND PILLAR BARBERRY -Berberis thunbergii 'Helmond Pillar'
6. KNOCK OUT® ROSE -Rosa x 'Radyod'
7. SNOW QUEEN OAKLEAF HYDRANGEA -Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen'
8. WEIGELIA - Weigela x 'My Monet'
9. HYDRANGEA Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight‘
10. DWARF GLOBE BLUE SPRUCE - Picea pungens 'Globosa'
11. ABELIA - Abelia 'Rose Creek' Abelia

Plant Combinations

2008-11-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

Getting the right plants together in you landscape is not easy. Right amount of sun, right soil conditions, and the hardest part " looking good together". Japanese Maples are easy to grow in full sun as long as you keep them watered during dry spells in the summer. This is Acer palmatum "Shaina" a smaller cultivar that holds the red color all summer. Under planted is Iris pallida "Variegata" which also does well in full sun. Late in the spring the Iris will bloom a grape soda flower that last for a few weeks. But even after the blooms are gone these plants look great together.

Making The Cut - Pruning Trees

2007-11-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Pruning the trees in your yard does not have to be a difficult process. However bad pruning is done regularly by some professionals and many unknowing homeowners. Following a these few simple steps will keep your trees healthy and growing strong for a very long time.

Timing - For deciduous trees like the maple in the picture above (ones that drop their leaves), it is usually best to prune them during the dormant season, - late fall to early spring. If you have a flowering tree, timing is also important. Dogwood trees for example bloom in the spring and should be pruned right after they are done blooming (late spring). These trees form their flowers on "old wood" or on the growth of the previous season. So pruning them too late in the year, like in July, will remove the flower buds for next year. Other examples of plants that should not be pruned after July are Crab apples, Fringe tree, Flowering cherry and Hawthorn. Trees that bloom in the summer, like Crape Myrtle should be pruned in the early spring, because they will form their buds on the new spring growth .

Tools - Sharp clean tools are very important. A great tool for branches up t0 2 inches thick, is the folding hand saw. The blades are specially designed to cut fast and because of their design, they do not clog. They weigh only 5 ounces, which is much easier and safer to handle than a chain saw.
Smaller braches, 1/2" - 3/4" can be easily prunned with sharp hand prunners.

Technique - Do not be in a hurry. Start off by looking at the entire branch and try to imagine what the tree will look like once you have cut it off. Remember once you cut the branch, you can not reattach it.

Removing a branch is a 3 step process.

When removing a branch with a saw, first cut about 1" into the branch on the underside about a foot from the area where the final cut will be made. The 2nd cut should be made a few inches above the first. This cut should remove the branch. Finally, cut the remaining stub off cleanly about 1/2" near the main trunk at the branch collar.
Pruning in this fashion will prevent the bark from tearing due to the weight of the branch, and will result in the smallest possible pruning wound.

It is best to limit you pruning to removal of a few branches. Remove no more than 1/3 of the branches. More branches gone means more leaves gone and leaves are what produces the food for the tree to grow - Photosynthesis. Also trees should never be topped. Topping is the radical removal of branches at the top of the tree, sometimes done to reduce the size of an overgrown tree. Topping is not healthy for the tree. Excessive removal of branches will result in excessive growth near the cut part of the branch. This new growth is weak, resulting in new branches that can easily break, or need pruned again next year.

Cut the branch at the collar.

Do not cut the branch too close to the trunk. And do not cut the branch and leave a long stump. So where is the right place to cut off a branch and does it really matter? If you cut the branch about 1/2" -3/4" from the trunk, just on the other side of a small collar of bark, the tree will heal the cut all by itself. However if you leave a long stump, the stump will decay and it will take a longer time to heal, or worse, it will rot and insects will invade the cut. Similarly if you cut too close to the trunk, the branch will not heal properly. The tree probably won't die, but it will effect the overall health of the tree.

In the past we were taught , all cuts should be covered with a black pruning seal. More recent studies have revealed that this practice is no longer necessary. It was thought that sealing the cut would help the branch heal better, however if you cut the branch properly the branch will heal naturally.

Branch Collar

Trees are important to a healthy environment, and also create a beautiful landscape. Take a few moments to find out how to prune them properly and they will last a very long time.

Picea orientalis 'Skylands'

2007-10-12T08:58:00.001-07:00

Oriental Spruce

The Oriental Spruce is a conifer that makes the average garden look great. In most cases conifers are evergreens, however there are a few exceptions . As winter approaches and leaves drop, the visual interest in the garden is directed towards evergreens. The oriental spruce in one such plant. There are a variety of shapes and sizes, however the cultivar, Skylands, is one of my favorites

Before selecting any plant for you yard it is important to know the mature size and the plants cultural requirements. Too many times we buy plants with limited knowledge about the plant and then plant the tree or shrub in a location that has building or overhead limitations. Most conifers including this one enjoy full sun. My recommendation is to grow this in a location that gets about 6 -7 hours of sun with a little afternoon shade. I have found that 10 or more hours of sun may cause the needles to brown a little. Something that is not uncommon with yellow needled conifers. This spruce is planted in a bed that is mounded with 3-6 inches of soil. I do this because mounding the soil allows for better drainage. The soil does not have to be rich top soil any soil free from clay will work. Also a planting bed that has a slight mound has more visual interest. This tree is classified as a zone 5. This is a slow growing conifer that will reach 10 feet x 4 feet in ten years. Its ultimate mature height is 35 feet x 12 feet. This tree is a good choice as a specimen, or for smaller gardens where a tall conifer is wanted without giving over too much horizontal space.

You are not limited to the cultivar "Skylands". Some of the other cultivars you may find in a nursery or garden center are Picea orientalis Nana, Aurea, Connecticut Turnpike, Bergman Gem, Acrocona .

Fall Viburnum

2007-10-12T08:55:00.001-07:00

Viburnum

2007-10-12T08:54:00.001-07:00

Viburnums - Three seasons of Interest. Viburnum dilitatum is one of the several viburnums in my garden. It is an outstanding shrub that blooms vigorously and then produces an outstanding display of berries. For 10 plus years I had been calling this viburnum "wrightii" in error. Not until I met Michael Dirr and provided him with a branch did I find that I had been sold a mislabeled plant. An all too common error in the nursery trade. However no dismay - whatever the name - this viburnum is a keeper. Sun, occasional fertilizer, and occasional pruning (to keep 6-7ft tall) is all that is required. Located right outside of my kitchen it produces berries that will eventually attract many birds ( usually after the winter past). There are two plants side by side which is the reason for the great berries. Sort of like two friends working together to fertilize each others not to fragrant flowers. Along with the berries the leaves turn to a wonderful red color in the fall. From a landscape point of view - this is a great plant for a screen, foundation for a tall house or just out in the yard in a small group planting.
No yard should be without a viburnum.

Hypertufa for Your Garden

2007-10-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for new ways to display plants in my garden. I also am a fanatic about conifers and a long time member of the American Conifer Society. At a ACS conference in Portland Oregon, I visited several large nurseries, and saw for the first time containers that looked like stone but were made by hand. Full of small conifers and alpine perennials. It did not take long before my garden had a collection of these "Hypertufa" containers or troughs.

Recipes are all over the web, and in most garden magazines. The key to creating nice containers is patience and the willing to accept failure.

I have screwed up as many as I have made. Some of my nicest looking pots were by accident. Gardening is full of mistakes, you just can't give up.

Hypetufa is a way to be creative without having much artistic talent. Portland cement, potting soil, and perlite - mix with water until you form a thick oatmeal lump. Get your favorite plastic container, I use a low planting bowl, spray the inside with cooking spray ( my best advise), and apply the tufa mix. Keep in a plastic bag for a day or two and remove from the mold - rough up the sides to your liking. Then a few weeks in a plactic bag - and your are done.

I have lots of fun making these containers - and more fun teaching people how to make their own. Try it --

ECHIVERIA

2007-10-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

Echiveria is a plant that has found a home in my garden. It is not a hardy plant in my zone 6 garden, so it requires that I dig it up in the fall and bring inside. But it is worth the extra work. I started with three small plants and now have 40. The best part is that it is very easy to grow , requiring only sun and ocassional watering. Each spring when the temps reach 50 degrees F I bring them outside. I found that they do best if they are planted in the ground in beds right next to my perennials or annuals. A bonus is that it will eventually display a small pink flower in late summer. It is easy to propagate, growing small pups - baby plants along the base of the parent. It is also great for containers. They also do well planted in Hypertufa containers. Hypertufa --next post