Photo of the Month - August 2014

Softest foliage ever - Plectranthus argentatus 'Silver Shield'. Grown in several of my containers this year. Just got to love the beauty of each fuzzy leaf up close.

Planter Designs - Plant Combinations That Work

I've been blessed with a job that allows you to play with living colours.

A few principles govern plant placement, but for the most part it's light requirements and colour that dictates what can work.

Rules to follow when buying choices for planters:

1) "Thriller" (generally something with height and colour)
2) "Filler" (fills in gaps and provides interest)
3) "Spiller" (the overflowing growth that softens edges and makes the container blend in with the plants)
4) Contrasting colours

This square planter is quite tall off the ground - nearly 3.5 feet. So height is key, plus a lot of spiller. 

The above container is in part sun with the following:  Canna (centre), African marigolds, lime Coleus and Pennisetum rubrum grass (filler) and blackie and lime ornamental potato vine (spiller).

I find with larger containers, you need more fillers and thrillers to gain interest.

Given that the above planter gets full sun all day, I used 3 Cannas in the centre, African marigolds and Blaze Lantana as filler, with bronze Sweet Caroline and lime ornamental potato vine, purple verbena and wave petunia as spiller.

Not all containers have to have annuals - this one has a mixture of both perennial and annual selections.

More for part shade, the height in the above container is achieved with Rudbeckia goldstrum, fillers are: Angel wing Begonia, Silver Dusty Miller and Astilbe (textural leaves). Both Lamiastrum Jade frost and Lamium Pink Pewter is used as a spiller. In zones 6 and higher, the perennials in this planter will overwinter quite nicely.

Whether you have large scale plantings or small, a really tiny, shallow terracotta pot can still support larger sized plant material. Here I used two shades of Coleus in the background, Angel Wing Begonia as filler and a Lobelia mix for the spiller. Great for a shady spot.

Texture is important too - the grass in the centre give real height and movement in the breeze. Symmetrically placed, the plants really compliment each other.

Plants used: Arundo donax (grass), Ageratum (blue), Lime Potato vine, Red potato vine and balcon geraniums.

Symmetrical and asymmetrical ways are easy to accomplish:

Make sure you give adequate room for growth. Before you design layout - take into consideration if you have all around views or flat sides (up against buildings..etc).

 

Using grasses that have soft plumes help add visual interest from far. (Grass: Pennisetum setaceum)

This asymmetrical design enable the grass not to overtake the rest of the plant material. Depending on the grass, you need to make sure it doesn't smother the others.

Sometimes in shade, it's difficult to find tall thrillers. Add an obelisque and a climber or trailing plant to achieve height in the centre. Here, I wind Lamiastrum Jade Frost in the centre for height.

You can get a lot of colour even without flowers. Mix foliage colours for contrast.

Sometimes, less is more. Sticking to 3 different plants makes a bigger show.

Have fun with all kinds of choices. The garden centres have heaps of plants to choose from!

Overwintering Dusty Miller - Senecio cineraria

Here in zone 5a-6b, by fluke this Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria) over-wintered last year. This time, I prefer to make sure it happens again.

The main reason I believe it overwintered last year was because of the snow coverage we had and the fact that there was a good layer of leaf matter that was never removed. This year it has the added benefit of deep roots and companion plants (coleus) which will be left to die back to the ground. Acting as an insulation barrier.

Both the fern leaf cultivars ('Silverdust')...

...and broad leaf ('New Look') cultivars flower:

Yet, here in Ontario, they don't flower their first season. Only when they develop...

...woody stems (the second year woody growth).

Add lots of leafy matter. Water regularly. Don't let it dry out. Up till heavy frosts. Heap with snow overwinter. Avoid salt.  Next year watch to see new life emerges from the woody stems and trim back to a tidy shape.

Enjoy!

Cold (Frost) Tolerant Annuals

One aspect of gardening that needs to be addressed when planning and using annuals, is furthering annual flower time with the onset of early frost. Mid October and November is really tough. Some days it's so cold outside, you'd think it was December. Other days, it's warm as September.

Outside of blowing huge budgets by replanting your beds with Kale and Chrysanthemums, there are other cold tolerant selections to choose in the spring when designing with annuals. Autumn in the greater Toronto area has rather cold spurts to start off the season, and with these choices, you'll be able to extend that bloom just a bit longer.

Here is a few examples in my photo collection:

Sweet William

Snapdragons

Dusty Miller

Licorice Vine

Trailing Vinca

Geraniums

Nasturtium

Ageratum

Dragon Winged Begonia

Many choices:

• Helichrysum petiolare - Licorice Vine
• Bidens ferulifolia - Gold Spark Bidens
• Ageratum houstonianum - Ageratum
• Pelargoniums - All annual Geraniums
• Senecio cineraria - Dusty Miller
• Salvia farinacea 'victoria blue' - Victoria Blue Salvia
• Dianthus barbatus - Sweet William
• Tagetes patula - Marigolds
• Salvia splendens - Red Salvias
• Viola x wittrockiana - Icicle Pansy
• Antirrhinum majus - Snap dragons
• Tropaeolum majus - Nasturtium
• Vinca major -Trailing Vinca
• Calendula officinalis - Field or pot Marigold
• Gazania longiscapa - Treasure Flower
• Lobularia maritima -Sweet Allysum 
• Begonia x dragon wing - Dragon Wing Begonia

Plant Profile: Datura inoxia "Downy Thorn Apple"

Every time I see one of these flowers unfurl, I think it's a miracle. From bud to full flower, it amazes me.

From this sized bud....seeing its progression makes me see creation at its best. It's such a beauty.
Purple tinged, fussy stems. Love it!

Great contrast against yellow foliage

This one self seeded from a neighbouring house down the street.  One day we saw it poking out from behind some shrubs. Isn't that great?!

Related to the Brugmansia x candida (Angel's Trumpet), the Datura inoxia grows about 3 feet tall, acting more like a ground cover. Benefits from having some sort of support if you want the plant to stay tall.

Even in the drought of this past summer, this Datura has managed to flourish with little effort on our behalf.

Here is its fruit, and why it's been given the name Downy Thorn Apple. 
A pod full of black/brown seeds for next year.

Warning: Pleased be advised that this plant is very toxic - all parts of the plant when ingested can: as per  the 'Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System' website info.

Plant Profile: Dragon Wing Begonia Red

I find this Begonia hybrida "Dragon Wing Red" to be one of the most underutilized annuals.You'd be hard pressed to find it at any old garden centre. Not sure why, as I am so pleased with its performance over the few years I've used it.

Here, I've placed only one plant (1 of 4 in a cell pack). It's now late August and it still flowers endlessly, providing great colour.

I don't dead-head. I water every 3 days or so. I fed the hanging planter twice (once at planting and once in July) with bone meal.

Flowers are simple, held in clusters.

Their glossy foliage is quite noticeable and stems are sturdy - it's a plant both useful in bedding situations or in hanging/planters.

I have some in full sun out front and in deep shade out back. It's a full light spectrum plant - which is rare when it comes to annuals.

No bugs seem to bother it; it tolerates drying out occasionally, and it continues to flower with no effort on my behalf.

Try it yourself!

Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer'

Lovely sunsets, cooler evenings and Black Eyed Susan's are some of my fondest delights of summer.

Rudbeckia flowers hold a special spot in my heart. There are several cultivars, but my favourite has to be one from the hirta series. Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer'.

Here, the flowers in my garden stand out like nothing else -  to bid me good morning each time I peak outside while I eat my breakfast. 

Flowers span out to 4 inches, once completely unfurled.

This is the 2nd year for my Indian Summer plants, and each have about 8-10 flowers.  I'm sure I would have more if it were not for my dense shade. They stand about 20 inches and just perform with ease, even in low light conditions.

Here in zone 5b, they are treated as a biennial, although, I've seen the same plants last 3-4 years. Self seeding year after year, offering seedlings in case the parent plant dies off.

Even when flowers unfurl, the range of colour is just amazing.

Look for them both in the perennial and annual sections of your local garden centre (they can be sold as an annual bedding plant). Or try them from seed. They are wonderful!

Extending Dianthus x barbatus chinensis Bloom

Photo from Ball Seed Company

I love Dianthus x barbatus (chinensis). It is usually grown and sold as an annual form of Dianthus, but it has perennial (biennial) longevity with proper care.

In its first season, you enjoy endless bloom from planting til frost is common. Overwintering is typical, with a robust bloom in early summer. Yet, once June rolls around - they look spent like this:


Gather the spent flower stalks and cut back about 2-3 inches off the top, leaving about 4-5 inches of green growth.

This removes the seed heads and stalks, forcing new growth from the leafy area beneath.

Hedge hog hair-cut!

This cut will initiate new growth, which will bear new flowers in a couple of weeks. I used an all purpose water soluble fertilizer, just to give it that extra boost.


It may look severe, but it will extend the bloom until frost.

I have overwintered Dianthus x barbatus for up to 4 years by doing this each year. After that amount of time, it generally fizzles out and I replant a new lot.

Edible Ornamentals

My garden is too small to have a separate veg patch. Last year I decided to add my veggies in between my ornamental plants and I was happy how they blended in with my perennials. I'm tired of plants only looking good. In the last couple of years, I'm quite glad to see garden design trends here in Canada including plant material that have edible benefits, outside of a solitary vegetable patch hidden in the corner.

Strawberries in bloom, great ground cover.

If you're interested in adding edible ornamental alternatives that come back each year, here are many perennials and woody shrubs that I could think of here for my zone (5b, 6a). Offering visual interest and edible benefits for any front or back garden borders:


Hardy overwintering edibles:

• Blueberries - fruit and wonderful fall colour

• Gooseberries - fruit bearing in a leafy shrub border

• Red and Black Currant - great bush for borders or informal hedging

Few more weeks....then....mmmm. :)

• Allium - chives with tall texture and lovely purple flower tops

• Strawberries - ever-bearing white flowers with red leaves in fall - great ground cover

• Serviceberry Trees - white flowers, lovely edible berries and great fall leaf colour

• Garlic Chives - white flowers and edible leaves
  

• Asparagus - ferny foliage, spring harvest

• Quince - beautiful flowers, great fruit

• Elderberry - flowers and berries useful for cordials and sauces

• Violets - flowers are edible, great for salad

• Rose species (Rugosa and Villosa), rose hips for canning or tea

• Mahonia - Oregon Grape, yellow flowers, glossy foliage and blue-black edible fruit

• Lavender - herb uses 

• Thyme - great ground cover

Here are some annual (non hardy) plants that add visual interest while providing edible qualities:

• Carrots  - ferny foliage, great in clumps instead of rows

• Nasturtium - flowers are edible, great for salad

• Purple Ruffles Basil - great contrast colour and useful in cooking

• Parsley - coarse ferny leaves

• Cilantro - coarse ferny leaves

• Red Russian Kale - leafy texture and attractive colour

• Bright Light Swiss Chard - leafy texture with brilliant stems

• Sweet Pea - sugar snaps, lovely flowers and great vine

• Red-leafed lettuce - contrasting red foliage

• Oregano - ground cover, purple pink flowers
  

• Rosemary - rigid growth which look similar to lavender
  

I decided on more containers this year and will be adding nasturtium, sweet peas, cilantro, russian kale, swiss chard, red-leafed lettuce into my annual displays.  Their unique foliage colour, texture and growth habit camouflage the fact they are actually edible. At least this way you enjoy your garden more with fruitful yields, adding visual interest as well.

Cilantro (Coriander) from grocer....planted on.

Having had a craving for Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls today,  I stopped at my local supermarket on the way home to pick up some fresh cilantro. A fresh batch was just set out and I was delighted to see healthy, crisp roots still attached. Then my green fingers thought - these are perfect planting specimens!

Not only did I get the cilantro I needed for my dinner, but I now have an edge on getting a batch started for the summer.

I never start plants by seed, since I only have one full sunny window. Sniff, sniff, as I wish I could.

I just end up buying plant-lets at the garden centre which can be costly. Since this spring season has been so unusual temperature wise, I've been hastily waiting. I'm glad I didn't buy any cilantro. Instead, now I have plants and herb bliss in the making today!

First I took a good look at the bundle and separated the good bunches from the not so good ones. Then I rinsed them with cold water.

I then took each plant and took off the outer bulky stalks that are perfect for my recipe but too much bulk for my starter idea.  I left 2 to 3 stems of the new growth in the middle (having to remove the outer stalks sometimes by scissors, if the centre was thin).

I found one of my herb pots and filled it with 1 part compost and 1 part potting soil (leaving 2 inches from the rim). I poked holes with my finger and then gently wedged the cilantro roots down. 





Any leafy bits that looked wilted or that looked weak, I cut back.  This reduces stress on the planted roots. You've got to remember, this cilantro had a lengthy travel from the where it was grown to my kitchen. Many leaves and stems would of been bruised or damaged.



I didn't firmly pack down the soil, I watered it well until I found the soil settled nicely, making each stalk stand rigid.

I managed to get about 12 stalks in this 8 inch pot. Not bad for having paid $1.49 for the entire bundle. Hopefully in a few weeks, I can pick more fresh Cilantro!