Plant Profile: Hosta plantaginea var. japonica

I have the pleasure to garden elsewhere, outside my own little garden. At this time of year, I truly enjoy working at this location:

Hosta plantaginea has to have the most fragrant flowers I've ever come across. At this location, there are about 34 hostas all blooming at once. The fragrance is intense.

The blooms fill the palm of my hand. They are so large. I believe this one is 'Grandiflora'.

Bending over from the rain dew drops, they are just lovely.

Once open, the flowers invite your nose to take a sample of their light citrus scent.

Too boot, I have taken a sample to taste. Really light, fresh taste. Would go great as a salad topper or even for a floral cake design.

On one Hosta, I counted over 23 blooms and buds. They flower for about a month, even longer - depending on the moisture levels.

Due note: because the Hosta plantanginea varieties are thin leaved hostas, please make sure you take measures to control slug and snail infestations. They can be slug bait in the wrong situation.  Planting in a group maximizes their flower fragrance as well as they will attract hummingbirds when there are more flowers to go around.

What's wrong with my Hosta?

I have several hostas in which I acquired through purchasing my home. I decided to leave them, as they were all a lovely size and situated just right.

However, at this time of year, they do this:

Half of the leaves flop in the wind and become unsightly. Losing the great habit that Hostas are known for.

If you already haven't noticed, they are riddled with holes.

Not only are the leaves damaged but the stems.

The leaf stems are weakened from slugs feeding voraciously.

The stems become weak and with the wind, the leaves bend with no strength and make the Hosta look unsightly.

Nearly, at the base of each leave stem, you find a tiny slug. This one made it into my pail of salt water this morning.

I have used: slug bait, beer baits, hair, coffee grounds...you name it. Now resorting to early morning hand picking.

Thankfully, my other slug resistant Hostas are thriving and show no signs of this damage.

If this had occurred before mid July, I would have cut the Hosta back to the ground and let it re-foliate. But given it's mid August, I will remove the worst of the leaves and continue the battle against slugs. :(

Moral of the story:  buy slug resistant Hostas!

Planter Risers

One of the biggest struggles I have in a shaded garden is proper drainage for my planters.

This past June, we had immense rainfall in the GTA. 165mm worth. I never had to water my planters last month. They have holes at the bottom, but sometimes the gap between the ground and the pot doesn't allow for adequate drainage.

In the planter above, I lost one annual from rotting, even though there are 8 drainage holes.

Raising planters and pots off the ground also keep the pots from harbouring slugs and pill bugs. At night, they crawl out from beneath perfect hiding spots and devour foliage.

Having looked online for potted planter "feet", I was shocked on how much they were asking. I tried to find cheaper alternatives.

Below you can see, I used small interlocking stones beneath my larger planters and when the pot is removed, there hid the culprits. This method wasn't working.

Today, I was in my local hardware store, walking down the plumbing isle, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted these:

Perfect!

Don't ask me what they are for. Just some PVC plumbing rings. $17.85 & 28 pieces later, I bought enough for my needs.

One on each corner and within 1 minute of placing them, water flowed through.

For square/rectangular pots, I used one on each corner and for the round, 3; spaced equally.

The PVC ring won't be a sheltered pedestal for these pill bugs or slugs anymore.

My plants have suffered enough.

Bring on the rain. I don't need to worry anymore.

The Trouble With Heucheras

Heucheras have to be one of my favourite perennials. Except when they do this: Heave

My hand can wrap itself around the base of the Heuchera's crown. The crown has heaved that much!

If left like this, the Heuchera begins to fade and become weakened. I planted several cultivars: Caramel, Obsidian, Palace Purple....they all need help this year.

I find, heaving happens to heucheras when the soil they are planted in is not friable and loose. Compacted or sandy soil (like mine) or sometimes heaps of snow on top, cause this heaving and the end result showing in the above photo. It doesn't help that I have dappled shade all day. But there are ways to overcome this.

Don't be like me last year and wait too long - once the heat came in June, I lost two of my favourite cultivars. Today, it's time to pull them up.

Gently lift them and examine the crown. Like geraniums, they have a real fleshy, stalky crown which will have small mini plantlets which you can divide, as I did.

It's important to take off all the dead leaves. Heucheras are semi evergreen and like hellebores, they need to have many of their overwintering leaves removed to prevent decay of the stem/root mass. Pull them gently off the stem like you would lettuce leaves. Start at the bottom and work your way up. You'll see concentrated new growth and leaves emerging from the centre.

(The one great aspect when digging them up: you get to have more plants!)

Be thorough. With your fingers, remove any callused or flakey bits around the stem - by doing this, you'll reveal tender, fleshy white nodes that will produce new baby plantlets and roots.

Dig a bigger hole, more deeper and add organic matter, like compost or composted manure.  Water thoroughly to remove air pockets and wait a few weeks to see them bounce back.

In a week or two, this Heuchera will bounce back, doubling in size. Richer colour and a more robust habit will allow you to enjoy the plant for many years to come.

In my experience, other plants like Tiarellas and Heucherellas don't heave. But, I can't part with having Heucheras. They brighten and colour the garden like very few shade loving plants. They are the most disease and bug resistant of perennials. They may be a bit more work to take care of, yet totally worth it.

Perennials That Never Fail To Overwinter In Containers

I own a lot of outdoor containers that can withstand the winter months. Instead of hauling them in and out of my garage to keep plants from dieing, I experimented with perennials these past years to see if any survive, regardless of my efforts.

I have found several plants "keep on keeping on", in my containers when spring arrives.

Here is Lamium maculatum "pink pearls". Dead Nettle is the common name. I use it in the corners as a trailer to spill over the container. Quite drought tolerant and has great frost tolerance too.

Here it is again. There are many cultivars are on the market with silver foliage, white, pink, pale purple flowers. Some golden foliage, some variegated. Plenty to choose from.

This is called: Lysimachia nummularia 'aurea' or Golden Creeping Jenny.  In this cast iron urn, both plants have come back for over 4 years. I just replace some of the soil at the top of the container, and top dress with a slow release fertilizer. I water more regularly, simply because of it's small diameter.

This plant in the centre is also a member of the Lamium family. This one is however rather aggressive in the garden, used often as a fast covering ground cover. It's called Jade Frost Lamiastrum (Lamiastrum galeobdolon 'Jade Frost'). Here I planted it with an obelisque. As the plant tendrils reach out, I gather and weave the stems throughout the obelisque. It really works well as a vine. Yellow flowers begin in late April, early May and then larger variegated foliage continue to grow through til frost.

This hosta looks as though it's planted in the garden.

Nope! This hosta fills a spot easily and can be moved to change the garden design when necessary. One great aspect of hostas in containers: less watering than annuals. This is a great choice for those cottage dwellers on weekends. ;)

One key element that needs to be mentioned is drainage. All these pots have good drainage. This is essential. Any perennial that stays soggy and freezes in total water may not survive in a pot. Be sure to notice that the containers drain thoroughly. If you're worried that soil will wash out from the drainage holes, stick a pine-cone or large gravelly stones over the hole. This way water drains, without soil.

With hostas, it's better to group the pots together, insulating them a bit if placed in an exposed area. Sometimes hostas require no garage placement, sometimes they do. If the hostas have outgrown their pots (root bound) some dieback is noticeable overwinter. If you leave them outside in pots, group and situation in an area with just enough protection from the prevailing winds.

What perennials have survived overwinter in your containers?

Update - Decorative Vegetable and Herb Planter

I love demonstrating plants growing. It's been about 2 weeks since we planted this container in our last post: Decorative Vegetable and Herb Planter.

Once this photo was taken, we harvested a bowl full of lettuce, leaving still plenty more for later this week.

Unfortunately, we underestimated the tomatoes growing as fast as they have. It shades a lot of the underplantings. The dwarf dill had to be removed, as it was starting to rot out from lack of sun.

All in all, the growth has been so satisfying. We've not used any fertilizers. The weather has co-operated and we are enjoying the harvest!

Decorative Vegetable and Herb Planter

I love planting in containers, because you can place them where ever a situation needs colour, or to maximize sunny areas in the garden.

Why plant just flowers? This year, instead of planting the usual annual assortment, we decided to fill this decorative container brimming with veggies and herbs.

36 inch concrete trough
First, we removed about a third of last year's soil and...

replenished it by adding 1/2 of composted sheep manure and....

 1/2 of black earth. Mixed thoroughly with the existing soil that had perlite. It's necessary to have vermiculite or perlite; this encourages proper drainage and root development. Otherwise the soil becomes hard and roots struggle.

We started by planting the tomatoes and their supports. These are heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes. The supports are somewhat unsightly at first, but once tomatoes arrive, the tomato foliage will camouflage the stakes.

Our desire was mainly for culinary purposes, but colour and texture was also considered.
#1  Dwarf Dill (12-20" tall)
#2  Variegated Oregano (trailer)

#3 Curly Red Lettuce
#4 Bright Lights Swiss Chard
#5 Dark Little Leaf Lettuce
(repeated on the left side)

We didn't over plant - spaced for adequate growth. However, there is still enough room, if one wishes to plant some annuals, in case one misses summer blooms. ;)

Will update on the growth and colouration. Can't wait to harvest too!

Our desire is to harvest every plant from this container, so it benefits the kitchen, our tummies and it'll have less waste going into the compost come autumn.

Update: here

Outdoor Winter Container Designs

The first couple of frost hits is the sign to prepare for winter containers.

Some folks empty out their containers - soil and all to prepare for Christmas decorating. No, no.... I just snip off the tops of my annuals and the leggy stem bits that are left after a good frost. The soil with roots, as long as it's not frozen and not too woody, is an ideal medium to sustain evergreen boughs and cut stems for decorating.  If the soil has become frozen, bring it indoors overnight to thaw, or drench with boiling water to thaw out. The roots of your annuals help stabilize cut stems in place, when arranging.

 

Like the above demonstration class; if you're starting from scratch and you don't want to fill an entire urn or container, (or you can't keep a ceramic pot with soil overwinter) just use a smaller insert pot and fill with sand. In the above photo, we used 6-9inch fibre liners. When filled with sand, the sheer weight of sand will help to prop up the insert and will also freeze like an ice cube when in your decorative outer pot. Two great aspects regarding a smaller container: 1) the smaller the pot, the less materials needed and 2) the tighter the stems will be to withstand strong winter weather.

Materials needed:

• Pair of sharp pruners

• Comfortable pair of gloves that allow you to design with good tactile ability

• If you are working indoors, wear a bib or apron to avoid sap from coming in contact with your clothes

• At least 2-3 selections of evergreen boughs. (my preference is white pine, western cedar and boxwood, although you can use any kind).  For a 6 inch pot, 3 bundles will do.

• Leafy stems (magnolia, eucalyptus, boxwood, oregonia, holly, euonymus). 2 bundles ea.

• Colourful branches (dogwood, red willow, pussy-willow, birch stems, alder stems) 20 stems.

• Accent pieces: (cones, pomegranates, osage oranges, rose-hips, sumac pods, outdoor ornaments...etc). Minimum 7-10 pieces

•  If you are working with an insert, use sand and dampen it well enough to make sure it stays firm and holds moisture for the stems

To begin, decide on how decorative you want the urn. Sometimes, simpler is more attractive. Too much material and it becomes an eyesore. Here in the photo below, it seemed fitting to have a simple design given the ravine backdrop.

Here, I only used 3 items (white pine, red dogwood and some ivy).

Next, decide on the shape, height and position of your insert/container design. One trick to lessen the material used, is to design a flat sided container. These are great for containers that are propped up against a wall or backing on to something else. Accents and more expensive materials only need to be displayed at the front of these designs. You will need almost triple the amount of accents if you want a 360, all around arrangement.

Begin with the tallest boughs at the back, working and cutting your bough branches down slightly in size as you come to the front of the container. Be sure to make a fresh cut on ALL your bough branches. This allows the boughs to draw up whatever moisture they can during the winter - keeping them green.

With all around designs, you need to start with the tallest material (usually your stems, like dogwood) in the center. Working your way around the stems with filler - evergreen boughs. Once you get a sort of triangular shape, begin adding your accents to bulk up the design.

Pretty easy.

Water your urn inserts and or planters once every week. It may seem odd to water them in the winter, but it just maintains the green and keeps them looking fresh.

Here is a design from last year.

Check out these other designs

More here and here!

Winter Care for Perennial Planter

Ok, my perennial planter is looking rather sad. October's cooler nights and shorter days have taken its toll already. It's time to put my planter to "bed".

Depending upon where you live (zonally), there are ways of winterizing your perennial containers. Folks that have winters in zone's higher than 6 (7,8,9) - you are blessed. Those of us that hover over the mid 5 zonal range or lower (4,3,2), our winters are generally too tough to overwinter perennials in containers.

With my perennial planters, I have a few choices here near the Greater Toronto Area. Depending how close you are to Lake Ontario, (our 5b, 6a zonal situation) and how a severe or mild winter we will have - the overwintering results will vary.

One thing to make sure first before trying to overwinter any pot outdoors is to make sure it's a winter tolerant pot/container. Terra-cotta, some concrete and porous materials will bust from frost expansion. 

To Overwinter:

1.  Place your containers on a south facing brick wall and line them up close to each other. This helps to insulate them and allows for a solid freeze when they are touching each other. The brick wall will radiate heat and keep them slightly warmer than a cold corner. Be sure to keep them well watered.

2. Place your perennial filled containers in the garage. I have placed mine on the side of the garage which butts up against the house. This is the warmest wall and the most safe for overwintering. I usually raise them off the floor with upside down buckets or rubbermaid containers. This just keeps them off of the cold floor and gives them a chance to be well drained before going dormant. I don't water them as often. Only when they are bone dry. Reason: they can rot otherwise.

3. Group several containers together. Water these containers if they remain outside. Most containers freeze and thaw several times before winter arrives. This causes whatever plants are left to desiccate and also the soil left to dry out. I usually soak my containers well before switching the outside water off completely.  I also in a pinch, take snow (without salt) and heap it over my containers when I see they are dry.

4. This is my method this year: I dissemble the perennials and plant them back in the garden to overwinter. I usually do this in late September for sensitive perennials, like some astilbe's. This just prevents certain loss if you are unsure. Come spring you can transplant them back in your pot, knowing they have overwintered well in your garden beds.

Here's how:

Here, I just cut back all the bulky, dry stems from the Rudbeckia and Astilbe. This makes it easier to seperate.

I made 3 sharp cuts into the pot with my trowel and this Astilbe popped out with ease.

These are the 4 perennials I wish to overwinter in my garden. Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum', Hosta 'Hideout', Hosta sieboldii and Astilbe chin. 'Visions in Pink'.

 The finished container:

 I plan on adding a pumpkin in the back and some gourds in the front, but it's still too early. I transplanted the Dusty Miller and Victoria Blue Salvia (making sure I had enough roots and soil so they would move well) and placed them in the back, while planting two Kale I had growing in my backyard from seed in the foreground.  At least this will carry some more colour until we get some major frosts - until I make an Outdoor Winter Decoration.

The 4 perennials, I tucked back into areas of my backyard and watered them well. They will pop back up in spring to either be part of my perennial planter again, or moved to their new home elsewhere.

One sure perennial that seems to winter over, no matter how severe the winter - is my Lamium. They are tough as nails. I will leave both types of Lamium in my container and I am sure I will see their return in the spring again.

Until then....