Conifer Cones 

Color  in the garden is sometimes found in the oddest  place.  One does not always look at the end of a conifer branch to find beauty.  These three small  cones are perched at the end of the branch of a very small conifer -  Picea abies "Pusch".  The needles of the conifer look like most any conifer, but the cones in the spring are outstanding.  There cones contain the seeds of this plant, brightly colored, but eventually  turning a dry brown. This small drawf growing evergreen is a springtime jewel. While some are looking for blooming bulbs and bright flowering azaelas, I have found interest in this display of red cones.
 Slow growing to about 2'x3', likes well drained soil, and a sunny location. Because it is zone 3 hardy, it will be ok in most climates, and in my zone 6 will do just fine in a container.  I purchased this plant from Bob Fincham's  nursery in Washington -    Coenosium Gardens  

 

 

 

Picea abies 'Pusch'

Picea abies 'Pusch' is a witches broom, found on the parent plant, Picea abies `Acrocona Pusch'. Check it out at  Rich Foxwillow Nursery  and also in close up photo below.
The two photos (top and below) look very similar, (well some kids do look like their parents) however Pusch is a very dwarf  almost basketball sized conifer ( and will stay small), Acrocona is about 6x6 irregular shape, growing larger and more irregular, considered an intermediate conifer.  In comparison the cones on the parent plant (see below) are about 2x the size of Pusch above.  Either plant is a prize to behold in your garden.

I will go into more detail about witches broom in upcoming post, when I can post best photos.  But the short and simple explanation is that the parent plant will begin to grow a branch with a strange twist, or weep or very short growth, like a mutation. When discovered, a branch from the mutation will be removed and grafted to form a new unnamed plant. 

It is not surprising that interesting cones can also be found out in the woods.   The photo of these cones, some type of fir,  were taken  while hiking Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park.

Conifer cones are cool!

Hypertufa Class

 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




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.

 

Hypertufa for Your Garden

Gardening is full of mistakes, you just can't give up

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.

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.

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. The hypertufa contaner above broke when I was putting it back in the mold to cure. The front 1/3 broke off, leaving the back higher. Upset for a day or two, I worked with the problem and planted the pot to fit the defect.



Below is a container that I have planted and replanted over the years. I tried to make it resembel a real horses trough ( just shorter)

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

ECHIVERIA

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