Russell Stafford – Page 10

How To Force Bulbs for Winter Cheer

Daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips in winter? For many of us, this would seem the stuff of fantasy, absent a visit to the florist. Yet, with only a modest investment of money, time, and effort, even a beginning gardener can know the joy of bringing these and other spring bulbs into bloom during the coldest and darkest days of the year. Forcing bulbs is that easy.

Flower bulbs are little marvels. Those that grow in cold climates usually leaf and flower in spring, retreating from summer through winter to a tiny condensed underground storage organ known as a true bulb, corm, tuber or rhizome (we’ll just call them all bulbs here). Give them a warm summer followed by 2 or 3 months of chilly temperatures and moist soil, and they’re primed to grow and flower as soon as temperatures turn milder. By providing these cues, along with a nice pot, we can have them up and blooming indoors weeks (even months) before their outdoor kin make their appearances.

Bulb Forcing Pots and Mix

Hyacinth and daffodil bulbs in baskets — Hyacinth and daffodil bulbs can both be forced in winter.

So what does it take to stage this little miracle? Aside from the bulbs themselves (which we’ll get to in a minute), you’ll need a container, some potting soil and a chilly place for the bulbs to cool their heels. Containers of various sorts and sizes will do fine, but wide shallow pots (sometimes known as “bulb pans”) are ideal. Look for something in the 6- to 8-inch-wide and 4- to 5-inch deep range. Clay pots look especially nice and have the added advantage of not tipping as easily as plastic ones.

I recommend a light, well-drained, quality potting mix such as Fafard Professional Potting Mix, which is also perfect for bulbs and contains less added fertilizer. A fertilizer-enriched mix is not necessary unless you’re planning to relocate the bulbs to the garden after they’ve bloomed.
Now for the stars of your planting projects: your plants!

Bulbs for Forcing

Amaryllis by the window — Amaryllis are some of the most common bulbs to be forced.

Many bulbs “force” well. Perhaps the most rewarding are those that smell as nice as they look. Among these are numerous daffodils, including Narcissus tazetta hybrids like ‘Geranium’ and ‘Cragford’, the delightfully double-flowered ‘Cheerfulness’ and ‘Yellow Cheerfulness’ and ‘Sundial’ and other hybrids of N. jonquilla. Netted irises (Iris reticulata and hybrids) also offer beautiful flowers and a heady scent, as do many grape hyacinths and some tulips and crocuses. And of course, there’s the bulb that practically defines floral fragrance – the hyacinth. Other bulbs worth trying include Grecian windflower (Anemone blanda), Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) and fumewort (Corydalis solida).

Assemble all your materials in early to late fall (either on a potting table or just a kitchen counter festooned with newspaper) and you’re ready to go!

How to Force Bulbs

Two amaryllis sprouts in pots — Two amaryllis sprouts in the pots

Start by filling your container with enough slightly moistened potting mix so that the tips of the bulbs will be an inch or so below the container’s rim when set on the soil’s surface (large bulbs such as hybrid daffodils can be planted with their noses above rim level). Then place your bulbs on the soil, spaced closely but not touching. Fill the container to just below the rim with more potting mix, water until the drainage holes begin to drip, then move the container to a dark location where temperatures will remain above freezing but well below the comfort range of shirt-sleeved humans (40 degrees F is just right). An attic or attached garage may be suitable, but keep in mind that bulb-loving critters might be afoot. If no other place is available, the refrigerator will do nicely, as long as the bulbs don’t have overripe fruit as fridge-mates. Refrigerated containers are best kept in paper bags, to retard drying. Water the containers lightly if the top layer of soil dries.

And now you wait. At about 7 or 8 weeks, start checking for signs of root development. When roots are evident at drainage holes, or if bulbs offer significant resistance if gently twisted or tugged, your bulbs are ready to party. (The appearance topside of leaves or fat buds is a further sign that flowers are in the offing.)

So let the show begin: Bring your container into a cool, shady room for a few days, to acclimate the prepped bulbs to “spring.” Then move it to a sunny – but not too warm – niche, and watch the miracle happen. Most bulbs will flower 2-4 weeks after coming into the light. Water when the soil surface dries.

After they bloom, either discard them or plant them in the garden once the soil becomes workable. (If you replant them in your outdoor beds, just be patient: Your transplanted bulbs will likely be bloomless for a year or two in the garden before they flower again.)

What better antidote for winter than a windowsill brimming with brightly blooming bulbs? You might even find yourself in the market for a spare refrigerator.

Enjoying and Growing Pecans

Pecan fruits in their natural form. (photo by Roger Culos)

In many American households, Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pecans. Whether in the shell, or roasted, or lacing the syrupy matrix of that Southern staple, pecan pie, this most American of nuts is a near-must for the holiday table.

About Pecans

The story of pecan’s journey to the Thanksgiving table begins, fittingly, in the forests of North America. Native from the central Midwest to northeastern Mexico, Carya illinoinensis (as pecan is botanically known) is a towering presence in rich lowland forests throughout its range, growing to a lordly 180 feet tall (and supported by a massive trunk that can reach 7 feet in diameter). American Indians prized and often planted the nuts, thereby increasing the species’ abundance and distribution. European settlers followed suit, cultivating Carya illinoinensis not only for food but also for furniture, tools, and firewood.

Pecan-growing went commercial in the nineteenth century after farmers learned to propagate superior varieties from cuttings (rather than growing random plants from seed, as formerly). Today, United States nut-growers from the Southeast to southern California harvest and sell hundreds of millions of pounds of pecans annually, supplying some 80 percent of the world’s crop (with Georgia, Texas, and New Mexico leading the way).

Pecan pie is an expected seasonal treat at the Thanksgiving dessert table. (image by Joe Hakim)

Not all of this pecan poundage is the same, however. Scores of pecan varieties have entered cultivation since the mid-nineteenth century, each differing in various important characteristics such as nut quality, hardiness, climatological preferences, disease and pest resistance, and precocity (i.e., bearing age). Moreover, recommended cultivars for commercial and home use vary markedly from one region to another (most agricultural extension services provide lists of the best cultivars for their respective states).

Pecan Varieties

Southeast gardeners who would like to experience the thrill of growing their own pecans might want to try:

‘Elliott’, noted for its exceptionally flavorful, relatively small pecans, borne on disease-resistant plants.
‘Gloria Grande’, which bears annual (rather than alternate-year) crops of large, thick-shelled nuts.
‘McMillan’, a disease-resistant, precocious, prolific bearer of medium-sized nuts.

Varieties for Southwest and southern California gardens include:

‘Apache’, whose large, thin-shelled nuts are reliably produced each year.
‘Western’ (‘Western Schley’), widely grown for its sweet-fleshed, prolific pecans.
‘Wichita’, an alternate-year bearer of tasty, medium-sized nuts.

Growing Pecans

Whatever the region or cultivar, pecans require ample space, hot summers, and USDA Zone 5b or warmer winters, and grow best in fertile, well-drained, humus-rich soil (sandy or heavy soils can be amended with a rich compost such as Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend). Pecan flowers ripen most of their pollen before or after they’re ready to receive it; consequently, for maximum production plant at least two cultivars with different pollen seasons. Most cultivars begin bearing within several years of planting, their green-husked fruits splitting to disgorge the brown-shelled, sweet-fleshed prizes within.

Pecan aficionados who can’t grow their own – but would like a sampling of named varieties (rather than the anonymous, uniform offerings of their local grocery store) – can shop at mail-order retailers such as Bass Pecan Company and Georgia Pecan Farms. In pecan-growing regions, a few commercial orchards still operate retail stands, where shoppers can browse through piles of freshly harvested pecans in search of the perfect variety for their holiday pies. For cooks who take their Thanksgiving pecans seriously, nothing could be closer to culinary bliss.

Pecan trees are tough, beautiful, and produce lots of pecans once mature. (image by Bruce Marlin)

Annuals for Fantastic Fall Color

Pennisetum 'Rubrum' — Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’ has reddish foliage and grassy plumes that look great until frost. (photo by Jessie Keith)

Many gardens lack for fall color – prompting many gardeners to resort to the ubiquitous fall mum. Often overlooked, however, are the numerous other annuals for autumn display, many of which come into their glory months before chrysanthemum season. Their beauty, longevity, and relative novelty make them a refreshing and often preferable alternative to what has become a fall garden cliché.

Chinese Hound’s Tongue

The dazzling, October-sky-blue flowers of Chinese hound’s tongue (Cynoglossum amabile) give the impression of a tall, out-of-season forget-me-not (Myosotis). In all respects, however, this biennial outshines its spring-blooming cousin, possessing a much longer, summer-to-fall flowering season, as well as attractive, fuzzy, gray-green basal leaves that persist rather than turning to mush. Sown directly in the garden in spring, it will bear a late-summer to frost succession of clustered blooms on upright stems. Plants usually self-sow, but not with the prolific abandon of forget-me-not. Available as seed or occasionally as plants, Chinese hound’s tongue is typically sold in the form of dwarf varieties such as ‘Firmament’, which top out at about 15 inches. It reaches its zenith, however, in full-size forms (including ‘Blue Showers’), which can reach 30 inches tall. This East-Asian native takes well to sunny or partly shaded cottage gardens and mixed borders, partnering beautifully with Japanese anemones, colchicums, and other late-blooming perennials. Dwarf forms do nicely in containers as well as in the open garden.

Woodland Tobacco

Salvia elegans 'Golden Delicious' — Beautiful red flowers and golden leaves make Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’ a great sage for season’s end.

There’s nothing dwarf about woodland tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris), a lordly, bold-leaved, delightfully shaggy plant that holds slender silky-white trumpets on lofty stems that look you in the eye. Blooming alongside (and above) Chinese hound’s tongue from summer to fall, this heat- and sun-loving tender perennial is also a reliable self-sower, with spontaneous seedlings almost always appearing in spring. Debuting in mid to late summer and continuing in abundance until frost, the flowers cast an intense, intoxicating, musky-sweet perfume that peaks at night, drawing pollinating moths. Hummingbirds visit during the day. Plants can be started from seed sown under cover in early spring, or in the garden at tomato-planting time. Seedlings (which are sometimes available from nurseries) should be planted out after the last frost date. Fertile, moist soil is best.

Butter Daisy

For containers and other niches where something more chrysanthemum-like is desired, butter daisy (Melampodium paludosum) is just the ticket. Low, mounded, bushy, and brassy-flowered, it envelops itself with petite golden-yellow daisies for many weeks beginning in summer. Seed catalogs and nurseries sell numerous compact varieties, all of which form tight, 8- to 12-inch hummocks of oval, weakly toothed, mid-green leaves, with flowers appearing about 3 months after sowing. Given a fertile, not overly dry soil, plants will continue blooming profusely until the first heavy frost. Native to Mexico and Central America, this annual can take the heat and will seed itself around in warmer gardens.

Fall Salvias

Mexico is also home to several cold-tender, shrubby sages notable for their showy late-season bloom. Among the best are Salvia greggii and its hybrids, which throw numerous spires of richly hued, hummingbird-thronged flowers from late spring until frost. Cultivars include compact ‘Ultra Violet’ , with vibrant rose-purple flowers on 18-inch stems, and the fiery-flowered ‘Furman’s Red’, whose cherry-vermillion wands can reach 3 feet tall. At least a dozen other tender Salvia species are indispensable contributors to the fall (and summer) garden, thriving in any well-drained, reasonably fertile growing medium, preferably in full sun. Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’ is a gold-leaved, red-flowered selection with a, particularly beautiful fall display. Most of the shrubby salvias perform splendidly in containers as well as in the open garden, and a few will survive USDA Zone 6 winters.

Beta vulgaris ssp. cicla 'Ruby Red' — Colorful Swiss chard looks and tastes best in fall.

Red Fountain Grass

The arching, brown-purple leaves of red fountain grass (Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’) make the perfect foil to salvias and other bright summer- and fall bloomers. Tawny, purple-tinged, plumed flower spikes arch above the foliage in summer and fall. Thought to be a hybrid of Pennisetum setaceum (although usually listed as a cultivar of same), ‘Rubrum’ rarely self-sows, unlike its prodigiously fertile parent. At 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, it works wonderfully in large containers or mixed plantings in full sun or light shade. Typically grown as an annual, it’s a hardy perennial in USDA Zones 9 and warmer.

Swiss Chard

The roster of showy-leaved fall annuals also includes several varieties of chard. Sow the seeds in summer for a fall display of large, crinkled, often bronze-suffused leaves, with vividly contrasting ribs and veins. Most named varieties (such as yellow-ribbed ‘Oriole’ and burgundy-ribbed ‘Rhubarb’) feature one contrasting color, but the mix ‘Bright Lights’ contains numerous hues including red, yellow, orange, purple, and creamy white. Chard’s close cousin, the beet, has also given rise to some showy-leaved varieties. Among the most notable is ‘Bull’s Blood’, whose deep maroon leaves make for good eating as well as for good ornament. As with chard, plants mature in fall from a summer sowing. and provide a welcome change of pace from ornamental kale.

Happy Garden Soil is Rich in Microbes

Behind (or rather, below) every happy garden is a thriving population of bacteria (and fungi and other microbes). Every ounce of productive garden soil contains hundreds of millions of these microscopic critters, which are its very life. Feed the soil with organic matter (think compost), and the soil’s micro-life will respond in kind, converting nitrogen-containing compounds and other nutrients into forms available to plants (and humans).

Conversely, a soil without microbes is barren. That sweet juicy ruby-red tomato; those amber waves of grain; the gardens at Versailles; civilization itself – they all owe their existence to these humblest of organisms.

Soil Food Web

The soil food web comprises countless species interacting in a myriad of mind-numbingly complex ways. Fungi often take the lead, feeding on larger, tougher plant debris (such as wood) and breaking it down into smaller particles. Many fungi, in turn, require nutrients (such as amino acids) synthesized by other microbes. Bacteria – the most abundant soil micro-organisms – consume all manner of organic substances including each other. Protozoa roam the soil’s watery pores, gobbling up bacteria and releasing their nutrients. It’s a jungle down there.

Soil in hand — Every ounce of productive soil contains hundreds of millions of these microscopic critters.

Ultimately, this complex bustle of microbial activity feeds the plants that fed it. Bacteria release the nitrogen locked up in organic matter by converting it into nitrates and other inorganic forms required by plants. Beneficial fungi (known as mycorrhizae) thread their way around and into roots, exchanging nutrients from the soil for sugars synthesized in the plants’ leaves. Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing microbes (such as the bacteria that inhabit the roots of beans and other legumes) pluck nitrogen molecules from the air and split them into individual atoms, making them available to their plant partners. And humus – organic matter that’s been fully broken down by the microbial food web – bonds soil particles into fluffy, moist, well-aerated, nutrient-holding clumps, creating that enviable texture known as good tilth. This is the sort of soil that avid gardeners prize.

Soil Organic Matter

Organic matter is the key to a healthy, happy soil microbial community, and to the fertility and good tilth that come with it. For gardens blessed with good soil, annually apply enough compost or other organic matter to compensate for what the garden produces during a growing season. A relatively light, rapidly decaying compost such as Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend is best for short-lived plants (e.g., annuals and vegetables). Trees and shrubs, on the other hand, benefit most from a coarser compost with a higher bark content such as Fafard Ultra Organic Planting Mix.

Heavy, sandy, or sterile soils can use all the organic matter they can get. Top dress as often as possible with suitable materials: leafy mulches for herbaceous plants; more woody mulches for shrubs and trees.

Fertilizing Soil

Fertilizers – especially fast-acting chemical fertilizers – are never a substitute for adequate organic matter and a healthy microbe community. Soils low in organic matter have little nutrient-holding capacity, resulting in rapid fertilizer nutrient loss (and likely runoff into neighboring bodies of water). Additionally, too much nitrogen can reduce the amount of organic matter by stimulating soil microbes to consume more carbon. Likewise, avoid the use of fungicides and other chemicals that are potentially toxic to soil microbes. Their health is critical to your garden’s (and the planet’s) health!

Spectacular Summer Flowering Bulbs

Orienpet Lily 'Pontiac' — The Orienpet Lily ‘Pontiac’ is a subdued stunner. (photo by Jessie Keith)

As perennial favorites, hardy bulbs are unexcelled at providing sudden swaths and splashes of vibrant color, whether in the open garden or in containers. And that goes for summer as well as spring (and fall and winter!).

Summer Lilies

Consider the lilies, for example. The voluptuous, richly hued blossoms of these fleshy-bulbed perennials are just the thing for alleviating the dullness that sometimes descends on the post-spring garden.

Asiatic Lilies

Early summer welcomes the typically flat-faced, upright, freckled blooms of the Asiatic Hybrids, which flower in warm hues of yellow, orange, red, and pink, as well as white. Numerous narrow leaves clothe their sturdy, 1- to 4-foot stems. Hundreds of Asiatics have been introduced over the years, including the famed ‘Enchantment’, whose orange, dark-speckled blooms still frequently appear in bouquets.

Arisaema ciliatum has both fantastic flowers and foliage.

Oriental Lilies

Arriving somewhat later, the Oriental Hybrids carry the delicious fragrance and rosy-or-white, purple-flecked, often gold-emblazoned coloration of their two primary parents, Lilium speciosum and Lilium auratum. The large, waxy, bowl-shaped flowers with slightly backswept petals open on 2- to 4-foot stems, which are rather sparsely set with relatively broad, green to blue-green leaves. Nodding to outfacing flowers are the rule, but some cultivars have semi-erect blooms (including rose-red, white-edged ‘Stargazer’).

Trumpet Hybrid Lilies

Blooming alongside the Oriental lilies (but usually above them, on 4- to 6-foot stems), Trumpet Hybrids are noted and named for their huge, spicy-scented, funnel-shaped blooms. Notable selections include the African Queen Strain, which flowers in various shades of cantaloupe-orange. Prone to toppling because of their colossal proportions, Trumpets often need staking (or a sheltered position) to keep them upright. In recent years, the Trumpets have been interbred with the Oriental Hybrids to create a popular new class of showy-flowered hybrids, the Orienpets, which add to their usefulness by having flop-resistant stems.

Species Lilies

Among the many Lilium species well worth growing are Turk’s cap lily (Lilium martagon) – which has parented some beautiful hybrids of its own – and Eastern North American natives such as Canada lily (Lilium canadense) and wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum).

Lilium 'Ladylike' — The colorful Asiatic lily ‘Ladylike’ is in warm hues of red, gold and pink. (photo by Jessie Keith)

Growing Lilies

Whether species or hybrid, most lilies do best in full to partial sun and a fertile, humus-rich soil. Or grow them in deep containers fortified with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend. Unfortunately, all lilies have two potentially mortal enemies: viruses and the dreaded red lily beetle. Many hybrids and species shrug off viruses, but all are red-lily-beetle-susceptible, and any lily planting in a beetle-infested area will need protection, either by hand-picking or by spraying. Releases of parasitic wasps in Rhode Island have resulted in dramatic local reductions of red lily beetle numbers, so there’s hope that this bête rouge will soon make its exit.
Lovely and varied as they are, lilies are far from the only valuable hardy summer bulbs. Other worthies include the following bulbs for summer.

Crocosmia

Crocosmia hybrids, with long, curving midsummer spikes of dazzling, often fiery-hued blooms that attract hummingbirds. Although hailing from southern Africa, these sun-loving perennials include a few hybrids hardy to USDA Zone 5 (such as the smoldering orange-red ‘Lucifer’). Plant their crocus-like corms in rich soil that doesn’t dry out in summer.

The pale chartreuse-yellow drumsticks of Allium obliquum appear in early summer.

Lycoris

Several species of Lycoris, East Asian bulbs which bear clusters of fragrant amaryllis-like blooms on tall, naked stems that magically arise in mid- to late summer. Far too rarely seen in gardens or catalogs, hardy Lycoris are most often represented by the lilac-pink-flowered Lycoris squamigera. Other showy hardy species include gold-flowered Lycoris chinensis; creamy-yellow Lycoris caldwellii; white Lycoris longituba; and white, rose-striped Lycoris incarnata. All produce strap-shaped leaves in spring, which die back months before the flowers appear. Hardy Lycoris remain almost unknown in American gardens, despite numbering among the most beautiful summer-blooming perennials. Their narcissus-like, fleshy-rooted bulbs store poorly, contributing to their obscurity. Purchase freshly dug or container-grown bulbs, and plant them in good soil in full sun or light shade.

Hardy Arisaema

Numerous East-Asian species of Arisaema, the genus that also includes Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum). Their hooded inflorescences range from bizarre to beautiful, and their spoked or lobed, compound leaves are often equally remarkable, and sometimes gargantuan. Perhaps the queen of the tribe is Arisaema candidissimum, which in early summer sends up a large, ivory-white, green-streaked hood surmounted by an enormous, broadly three-lobed leaf. The flowers cast a faint, sweet scent. These Asian Jacks tend to want more sun than the native, and less winter moisture. Mark the places where you plant their tubers; they may not break ground until late June.

Allium

A host of ornamental onions. In most cases, summer-blooming alliums grow from slender, scallion-like bulbs and have persistent, grassy leaves (unlike the early-dormant spring-blooming species). Lovely but little-known summer alliums abound, including Allium ramosum, a white-flowered beauty which blooms earlier and self-sows much less rampantly than the otherwise similar garlic chives (Allium tuberosum); Allium togashii, an August-blooming pixie with bright lilac-pink heads; and the elfin, blue-flowered Allium sikkimense.

Rock Gardening for Beginners

*Callirhoe involucrata* is a charming, heat tolerant summer bloomer for the rock garden.

Rock garden plants have an elfin, seductive charm all their own. Hailing from windswept, mist-shrouded summits, rocky slopes, craggy coastlines, and other picturesque and often challenging habitats, they somehow embody the mystery and majesty of their native haunts. Make their acquaintance and you will almost certainly yield to their spell.

*Clematis fremontii* is an unusual, attractive species fit for rocky garden spaces.

Just about any garden can accommodate at least a few of these beguiling rock-dwellers. Moreover, their diminutive size and their preference for rocky niches make them some of the best subjects for space-challenged gardens. Tucked into a patio wall, or nestled in a clay pot, or associating in an alpine trough, they excel at bringing character and ornament to garden nooks and crannies. They even work well in urban settings.

Growing Rock Garden Plants

Getting them to grow happily in a domesticated habitat is another matter. To simulate a boulder-strewn mountaintop can be a bit of a trick if you garden in central Manhattan. Fortunately, many popular rock garden plants are relatively undemanding, taking well to most well-drained soils (although varying in other requirements such as exposure and soil acidity). As for the fussier types, most do well in humus-rich, nutrient-poor, gritty soil that stays moist in spring and cool and relatively dry in summer. A little Fafard® Sphagnum Peat Moss makes a fine amendment for gritty soils in need of added organic matter. Of course, almost all rock garden plants do best (and look best) in the company of rocks, which buffer their roots from heat and their stems from cold and dampness.

Building a Rock Garden

If you garden in coastal or upland New England or the Rockies, your unamended back yard may make the perfect rock garden habitat. In less craggy regions, however, some modifications may be necessary. To create a large rock garden habitat on well-drained but stone-free soil, bury large flattish rocks at a slight upward angle with their tips exposed. Place the rocks in such a way that they suggest the edges of an underlying rock ledge. Surface groupings of a few rounded boulders also work well.

Sisyrinchium idahoense flower — *Sisyrinchium idahoense* offers delicate starry flowers over grassy foliage.

Build small rock gardens from scratch by burying rocks in mounded growing medium, or by sandwiching the growing medium between stone retaining walls. A mixture of equal parts topsoil, coarse sand or grit (such as calcined clay), and Fafard compost makes an excellent medium for many rock garden subjects. The same mix can be used to create growing pockets in existing stone walls. For a micro-garden that can reside on your patio or at your doorstep, buy or make an alpine trough – a tub-shaped planter specially designed for alpine plants (see how to build and plant one at this link).

Easy Rock Garden Plants

Among the seven best plants for beginning rock gardeners (or any rock gardeners, for that matter) are:
1. Fan columbine (Aquilegia flabellata) and other dwarf members of the genus Aquilegia. Hummingbirds adore them.
2. Campanulas, including Carpathian harebell (Camanula carpatica) and Dalmatian bellfower (C. portenschlagiana). Both do well in full to partial sun and any not-too-soggy soil.

Dianthus gratianapolitanus 'Grandiflorus' — *Dianthus gratianapolitanus* ‘Grandiflorus’ is an easy charmer for early summer rock gardens. (image by Jessie Keith)

3. Cheddar pink (Dianthus gratianopolitanus), alpine pink (D. alpinus), and others of the Dianthus tribe, featuring grassy leaves and fringed, spicy-scented flowers. Most prefer full sun and alkaline soil.
4. Beardtongues such as hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) and pine-leaf beardtongue (P. pinifolius). Hummingbird favorites, they thrive in sun, acid soil, and low humidity.
5. Lewisia cotyledon and its many beautiful selections and hybrids. This native of Northwest mountains loves cool, gritty, lime-free soil, and an east- or north-facing slope.
6. Phlox stolonifera, P. divaricata, and other low-growing phlox. The two mentioned here are best in partial shade.
7. One of the most beautiful Eastern woodland natives, bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), which occurs in nature in shady, rocky habitats. Double-flowered forms (such as ‘Multiplex) are especially beautiful, and relatively long-blooming.

Sanguinaria canadensis 'Multiplex' — *Sanguinaria canadensis* ‘Multiplex’ is a double-flowered ephemeral ideal for spring rockeries.

Bold, Tropical Colocasias

Giant Colocasia — Thai giant Colocasia is as bold and tropical as it gets! (Photo care of Logee’s (www.logees.com))

Is your garden (or greenhouse) going tropical this summer, with bold leaves and eye-catching hues? Then you’ll doubtless want to accent it with a plant (or three) of Colocasia esculenta. Commonly known as elephant ear, this frost-tender, warm-season perennial produces broad, prominently lobed, heart-shaped leaves that can indeed reach pachydermic proportions, giving it obvious cache for tropical-flavored planting schemes. It also comes in a wide range of colors and sizes, suggesting other design possibilities.

Colocasia 'Illustris' — Colocasia ‘Illustris’ is a classic variety with black-stained leaves. (Photo by Jessie Keith)

Elephant Ears

Its suitability for eating is what first brought Colocasia esculenta into cultivation some 10,000 years ago. Today, it remains a dietary mainstay throughout much of the tropics, represented by hundreds of varieties and nearly as many common names (including taro, dasheen, eddo, and cocoyam). As a comestible, it is prized more for its plump, starchy, underground tubers than for the long-stalked leaves that arise from them (although the leaf blades and petioles are sometimes consumed).

Most ornamental elephant ears, on the other hand, possess little food value, having been selected for looks rather than flavor. Additionally, almost all varieties (culinary and otherwise) require cooking to neutralize the acrid, needlelike molecules that lace their tissues. Uncooked tubers or leaves can cause intense discomfort if ingested. So look; don’t munch!

Electric Blue Gecko™ is a real beauty with its textured, all black leaves. (Photo care of Logee’s)

If what you’re looking for is something in an extra-large, an elephantine Colocasia may be just the ticket (are 3-foot leaves on 3-to 6-foot stems big enough for your tropical paradise?). Gargantuan cultivars include ‘Fontanesii’, whose dark green leaves have deep purple stems, veins, and margins; ‘Coffee Cups’, with theatrically folded, olive-green, purple-veined leaf blades atop black-purple stems; and ‘Burgundy Stem’, named for its stem color but equally remarkable for its pale green, chalky-veined, purple-suffused leaf blades. (Then, of course, there is the monstrous green-leaved Thai giant (Colocasia gigantea)). Of somewhat smaller size but equally dramatic coloration are numerous other selections such as ‘Illustris’ (black-stained, pale-veined leaves); ‘Black Magic’ (with black staining enveloping the entire leaf); ‘Mojito’ (apple-green, purplish-stemmed blades with black-purple mottling and flecking); and Electric Blue Gecko™ (slender, textured, pure black leaves with a metallic overlay).

The dwarf of the tribe, Colocasia affinis, is also well worth growing for its purple-flushed, 6-inch-long leaf blades. It’s usually represented in cultivation by ‘Jenningsii’, a deep charcoal-colored form with pale green veins and ash-gray midribs.

Black Magic leaves — The soft black leaves of ‘Black Magic’ add depth and interest to beds and borders. (Photo care of Logee’s)

Alocasia

You might also want to take a look at the many species of Alocasia, a genus once included in Colocasia. Members of this elephant-ear clan typically bear large, corrugated, arrowhead-shaped leaves of metallic hue. The foot-long, deep green, heavily puckered leaf blades of Alocasia cuprea have a pewter overlay and sunken, burgundy-purple veins. Alocasia x amazonica brandishes gleaming, wrinkled, almost black-green leaves with silver-white veins and heavily scalloped margins. A few alocasias rival or even surpass the largest colocasias in size, with some selections and hybrids of giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos) producing immense leaves (as well as a trunk-like stem) from massive tubers. Giant taro’s close relatives A. odora and A. portei are of similarly jaw-dropping stature.

Fafard Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed pack — This mix contains Moisture Pro™ water holding crystals, to maintain mix moisture for longer.

Growing Elephant Ears

To grow elephant ears worthy of the name, plant them a few inches deep in ample sun and fertile, humus-rich soil after the ground has warmed (tomato-planting time is ideal). Amend the planting hole with an organic medium such as Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend, liberally so where soils are sandy or heavy. These evergreen to semi-evergreen perennials die back in fall in areas that experience frost, returning in spring if their tubers don’t freeze. Many cultivars will survive USDA Zone 7 winters under a deep leafy mulch. If necessary, plants can spend the winter indoors, either in pots (in a warm sunny niche) or as dormant tubers (stored in dry potting mix in a cool dark well-ventilated room). Or grow them year-round in a sunny warm greenhouse. A moist, fibrous, well-drained growing medium such as Fafard Ultra Container Mix works beautifully.

Colocasias and their kin achieve their greatest grandeur in regions with humid, frost-free climes (think southern Florida). A few varieties will even spread by runners, forming veritable herds of elephant ears. From the steamy Deep South to the wintry Far North, no plants are better at bringing a taste of the tropics to the garden and greenhouse.

Small Trees Fit for Yard & Garden

The American fringetree is a small, shrubby tree that offers a cloud of soft, ivory flowers in spring.

Small trees are useful things. Although lacking the lofty majesty of tulip poplar or silver maple or European beech, they compensate by being a good fit for yard and garden. Majesty is all well and good in a large city park or country estate. More modest properties, however, call for something that can coexist peaceably with nearby landscape elements such as perennials, dwellings, power lines, and neighbors. Happily, many tree species– including some of the best ornamental plants for American gardens – are of just such a size (20 to 30 feet or so).

Euonymus carnosus fruit is colorful in fall. — The fruit of Euonymus carnosus is bright crimson.

Glossy Euonymus

As is true for all ornamental plants, the best small trees offer something at every season. Case in point: glossy euonymus (Euonymus carnosus). This East Asian native starts off spring by bringing forth handsome pale-yellow-tinged leaves. They deepen to lustrous dark green in summer and turn gleaming maroon-red in fall. Flat lacy clusters of creamy white flowers veil the tree in June, followed by plump fleshy seed capsules that ripen to rosy-pink. In late summer, the capsules split wide to reveal bright orange seeds that stand out against the smoky fall foliage. Greenish-gray, silver-grooved bark provides a pleasing winter feature. Unlike some others of its tribe, glossy euonymus appears to produce few volunteer seedlings and is thus not considered an invasive threat. It is well suited to sunny or partly shaded sites in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9.

Chionanthus retusus fruit — Chionanthus retusus bears clusters of berry-like fruits of concord blue later in the season.

Chinese Fringetree

Flowering at about the same time (and hailing from the same region) as Euonymus carnosus, Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) envelops itself in late spring with fleecy white flowers that cast a light sweet fragrance. The best forms of this rather variable species possess a single-trunked, vase-shaped habit and beautiful cherry-like bark that flakes and furrows with age. The dark glossy green leaves turn yellow in fall. Individual trees produce only male or female flowers, with female trees ripening a profusion of deep-blue fruits in fall (if a pollinating male is available). Chinese fringetree’s shrubby American cousin, Chionanthus virginicus, is similarly lovely in flower and fruit. Both make excellent specimens for sunny or lightly shaded gardens from zone 5 (or 4 in the case of Chionanthus virginicus) to 9.

Peking Lilac

Like the best forms of Chinese fringetree, those of Peking lilac (Syringa reticulata ssp. pekinensis) are worth growing for their striking bark alone. The peeling, deep-coppery-tan, silver-dotted trunk and branches are eye-catching year round, but are particularly arresting in winter. Fragrant, frothy white flower clusters in late spring, amber fall color, and a round-crowned, single- or multi-stemmed habit add to Peking lilac’s all-season value, as does its exceptional cold hardiness (zones 3 to 7). It flourishes in full sun and fertile, medium-textured soil.

Magnolia salicifolia has ivory spring flowers that appear before the foliage.

Small Magnolias

Numerous magnolias make excellent subjects for small gardens. Among the best of these is sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), an evergreen to deciduous, often multi-trunked beauty occurring from the Deep South to coastal Massachusetts. Charming in every season thanks to its fresh green leaves and smooth gray bark, it is particularly alluring from late spring through summer, opening a succession of cupped, creamy-white blooms that fill the garden with a heady perfume that hints at lemons and roses. Southern, evergreen forms of the species (known botanically as variety australis) do best in hardiness zones 7 to 9, but a few (including ‘Henry Hicks’) are hardy and evergreen into zone 5. Cultivars (such as ‘Milton’) of sweetbay magnolia’s deciduous northern race are usually hardy through zone 5. All types do well in well-drained, humus-rich soil (I recommend amending soil with Fafard Premium Topsoil and Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss before planting) and full to partial sun. Other worthy small magnolias include umbrella magnolia (M. tripetala), anise magnolia (M. salicifolia), Yulan magnolia (M. denudata), star magnolia (M. kobus var. stellata and its hybrids), and the yellow-flowered ‘Elizabeth’. This list is far from exhaustive.
The above are but a fraction of the small hardy trees that offer multi-season interest. Many more are to be found among the stewartias, dogwoods, maples, buckeyes, mountain ashes, and hornbeams, to name a few. Gardeners with limited space have a nearly limitless variety of suitably sized trees at their disposal.

Corydalis: A Charming Spring Shade Perennial

Large swan-white blooms grace the cheerful *Corydalis malkensis*.

Endearing little sprites that carry flocks of dainty, spurred blooms above clumps of ferny divided leaves, tuberous Corydalis (crested larks) are among the most valuable early-spring “bulbs” for shade. These low-growing perennials have long been known to horticulture: the most familiar of the tribe, Corydalis solida, has been kicking around gardens since at least the sixteenth century. But in the last few decades, a multi-hued array of new species and cultivars has entered cultivation, taking the genus into exciting new territory.

Corydalis come in a veritable rainbow of colors — *Corydalis* come in a veritable rainbow of colors.

Spring Corydalis

The genus Corydalis also has a non-tuberous side, comprising several dozen perennials or annuals that grow from fibrous roots (rather than from swollen underground stems) and that remain in leaf all season (rather than disappearing shortly after bloom). These fibrous-rooted corydali include several species that are well worth a place in the ornamental garden – among them Corydalis lutea (now Pseudofumaria lutea), known for its profusion of yellow blooms and self-sown seedlings; and Corydalis flexuosa, whose luminous blue flowers and notorious heat intolerance have caused much lusting and despair among eastern North American plant enthusiasts. None of them, however, blooms in in early spring in hues ranging from blue to purple to bright red to pale yellow to white. For that, you’ll need Corydalis with tubers – especially Corydalis solida.

Delicate blue flowers grace *Corydalis ornata* in spring.

Native to woodlands from southern Scandinavia to northern Spain to the Ural Mountains to northern Greece, Corydalis solida assumes a dizzying variety of colors and forms across its vast natural range. Until relatively recently, gardeners had to settle for the most common, rather nondescript purple-flowered forms. No longer. A wealth of cultivars in a broad and tantalizing range of hues now populate the pages of bulb catalogs. Among the oldest and most renowned of these new-wave corydali is the brick-red ‘George Baker’, one of a pack of red- and pink-flowered selections hailing from the mountains of Transylvania. (Caveat emptor – bargain-priced tubers sold under Mr. Baker’s name are often imposter seedlings bearing dingy-red blooms.) Other outstanding cultivars from the sunset side of the Corydalis solida color range include deep rose-red ‘Cantata’, rich lilac-pink ‘Sixtus’, and soft creamy-pink ‘Blushing Girl’. At the violet end of the spectrum are pale-lilac ‘Ballade’, denim-blue ‘Compact’, icy bluish-white ‘Evening Dream’, and the aptly named ‘Purple Beauty’. Milky-flowered ‘Snowstorm’ and the floriferous, late-blooming ‘White Knight’ are among the best white-flowered selections.

Corydalis solida 'George Baker' — The bright red flowers of *Corydalis solida* ‘George Baker’ are a real standout.

Most Corydalis solida cultivars readily self-sow (with the assistance of seed-dispersing ants), their seedlings often reverting to the muddy purple floral tones of the wild species. Remove such seedlings to keep them from crowding out their more colorful parents.
The world awaits a yellow-flowered Corydalis solida (reputedly such forms exist in the wild). Crosses with the sulfur-bloomed Siberian native Corydalis bracteata sometimes occur, however, their offspring (known horticulturally as Corydalis × allenii) producing pale creamy-yellow, lilac-brushed blooms and fetching, deeply cleft leaves. Corydalis bracteata and its fellow Siberian Corydalis gracilis also make excellent yellow-flowered garden subjects for areas that have long, cold, snow-locked winters.
Woodland Corydalis are habit-forming. Once you’ve discovered Corydalis solida and its hybrids, you’ll want to have a go at the many other garden-worthy species – perhaps Corydalis malkensis, with its voluptuous, gaping, swan-white blooms; or Corydalis kusnetzovii, which flowers in a beguiling shades of pale pink; or one of the brilliant-blue-flowered East Asian species (such as Corydalis ornata and Corydalis turtschaninovii). All thrive in partial shade and humus-rich soil; amend sandy or heavy soils with a good compost such as Fafard Premium Organic Compost or Fafard Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss.
Real corydalis addicts will also want to explore some of the Central Asian species, which are typified by pink or white, chocolate-nosed flowers, blue-green foliage, and a preference for sunny, gritty-soiled niches that stay relatively dry in summer (such as a rock garden or trough). As with the woodland Corydalis, they present a wealth of delightful possibilities for the early spring garden.

The pretty Corydalis x allenii 'Enno' is a subdued but attractive variety for the spring garden. — The pretty *Corydalis* x *allenii* ‘Enno’ is a subdued but attractive variety for the spring garden.

Indoor Bloomers for Midwinter Cheer

Streptocarpus 'Party Pinafore' — Streptocarpus ‘Party Pinafore’

Most of us in the Frozen North could really use a hit of spring about now. How about flowers, for instance? Or better yet, how about a lush plant in full bloom, providing a colorful (and therapeutic) dose of midwinter cheer?
That won’t be happening in most of our gardens for a few weeks yet (although here in southern New England the early witch-hazels often open their spidery blooms before February is out). On the other hand, any number of plants will provide a bevy of winter blooms in a sun room or kitchen or any suitable indoor space, given a modest investment of care. Furthermore, some of them double their display with equally showy foliage.

Purple-leaved Oxalis

One sure sign of spring’s approach is the mass arrival of purple-leaved oxalis (Oxalis triangularis) in supermarkets and department stores, in anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day. This handsome and easy-to-grow perennial is much more than a one-holiday wonder, however. Although the deep-maroon, three-lobed, shamrock-like leaves give it obvious St. Patty’s Day caché, they are perhaps even more appealing in winter, especially when punctuated with the pale pink, funnel-shaped flowers that this South American native produces year-round. Plants can also be purchased as “bulbs”, which are actually scaly, caterpillar-like underground stems (rhizomes) that should be planted horizontally an inch or two below the soil surface in Fafard® Professional Potting Mix. Full to partial sun, almost any potting mix, and anything but total neglect will keep this tough perennial happy. It is also remarkably cold-hardy, functioning well as a foliage accent in mixed borders and other perennial plantings from Washington DC into the South.

Calatheas

Calatheas, like purple-leaved oxalis, are typically known and grown for their showy foliage. Yet, a few surprise us with blossoms that stand clear of the foliage in an arresting and anything-but-drab display – rather than cowering blandly near the bases of the leaves. Among the best of these showy-flowered peacock plants are a series of hybrids developed in Indonesia in the early 2000s. And none is better than the cultivar ‘Holiday’, whose striking blooms – with rose-pink, pale-eyed petals tipped with olive-green – open sporadically throughout the year. When not in flower, ‘Holiday’ provides ample ornament with its broadly oval, bright green leaves marked by purple-black chevrons and silvery, purple-edged margins. Other ever-blooming calathea hybrids include ‘Constellation’, ‘Jungle Cat’, ‘Maria’, and ‘Royal Standard.’ (Their flowery parent, Calathea loeseneri, also makes a wonderful subject for a shady indoor nook.) All calatheas prosper in full to partial shade, warm humid conditions (although they’ll tolerate less), and a coarse humus-rich potting medium. Fafard African Violet Potting Mix is a good fit. Repot and divide plants yearly or once every two years.

Orchids

Terrestrial to semi-terrestrial orchids of many types bloom beautifully in the winter months. Most notably are Cymbidium, Paphiopedilum, and Phaius species, grexes, and cultivars. All provide bright, long-lasting floral color and thrive in Fafard’s Premium Orchid Mix, which offers a perfect blend of fir bark, chopped coir and perlite.

Spiral Ginger

For sheer nonstop flower power and ease of care, few plants can match spiral ginger (Chamaecostus cuspidatus, formerly Costus cuspidatus). The golden-orange, ruffle-edged, blooms look almost orchid-like and appear year-round on cane-like, 2-foot-tall stems clothed with glossy, dark-green, broadly lance-shaped leaves. Flowering is most abundant in summer, but blooms continue to open throughout fall and winter, particularly in warm humid niches. Give it bright shade, a fertile compost-rich growing medium, such as Fafard® Organic Potting Mix, and moderate watering for maximum display. Other members of the costus tribe, like dwarf cone ginger (Costus woodsonii) and crepe ginger (Cheilocostus speciosus), thrive in similar conditions, and are also well worth seeking out.

Oxalis triangularis 'Francis' — Oxalis triangularis ‘Francis’

Streptocarpus

No discussion of winter-blooming (and ever-blooming) houseplants would be complete without mention of cape primroses. Members of the southern African genus Streptocarpus, and close relatives of African violets, these little evergreen perennials perch easily on a modest windowsill (fitting happily in a 4-inch pot), where they bloom their heads off year-round, the funnel-shaped flowers smiling from atop wiry, 4- to 8-inch stems. Hybrids abound in all manner of luscious exotic colors and patterns, with the flowers’ two rounded, ear-like upper lobes typically differing in hue from the three lower ones, and their throats often bearing dramatic contrasting streaks. Partial shade, Fafard African Violet Potting Mix, mild humid summers, and coolish somewhat drier winters will result in nearly constant blooms, and loads of midwinter cheer.

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