South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping

With a new book (Tag, Toss Run) and campaign (Lawn Games for LIfe) on the way for the spring of 2012, the SafeLawns spring calendar is quickly filling up and taking shape. Please take a look below and note when we’ll be in your area.

The season gets off to an early start this weekend, Jan. 28, at the Eco-Landscape California symposium in Woodland, Ca., just outside of Sacramento. Focusing on business sustainability, the conference features SafeLawns founder Paul Tukey and natural soil expert Jeff Lowenfels as keynote presenters. A screening of the award-winning film, A Chemical Reaction, will cap off the day.

Registration is nearing capacity according to organizers, but anyone interested in attending can click here: http://www.ecolandscape.org/eventsConference.html. The fee is $179.

Here is a look at the SafeLawns calendar (involving Paul Tukey) through early April (note: if you’re interesting in scheduling a talk, film screening, games festival or consultation, email Paul@SafeLawns.org):

Feb. 4 — Potomac, Md. — The Glenstone Foundation (www.glenstone.org) is hosting a private reception for the environmental community to showcase its landscape sustainability initiatives from 9 a.m. to noon. If you’re a member of the environmental community, an anti-pesticide activist or a curious or concerned environmental citizen who lives in that region, email Paul@SafeLawns.org and we can talk about getting you on the guest list. Paul T. will be a guest of honor, along with the University of Maryland professors who are conducting the organic lawn care study on the Glenstone grounds.

March 5 — Philadelphia — Paul Tukey will showcase some of the games from his new book, Tag, Toss Run, at the Philadelphia International Flower Show at 7 p.m. Although the official unveiling of the book doesn’t come until March 11 when co-author Victoria Rowell joins him on stage in Philly, word has it the publisher (Storey) will make books available by that evening. The talk is free with a show admission ticket.

March 10 — Portland, Maine — Paul Tukey will be the Saturday morning kickoff speaker at 10:30 a.m. at the Portland Flower Show, a show he used to run when he lived in Maine. The topic, once again, will be the new book, Tag, Toss Run. If books are available, he’ll do a signing after the talk, which is free with a show admission ticket.

March 11 — Philadelphia — Co-author and actress Victoria Rowell will join Paul Tukey at the Philadelphia International Flower Show for a two-hour presentation beginning at 1 p.m. for the official unveiling of their book, Tag, Toss Run. The event will include on-stage game demonstrations and a book signing. Have you ever played Quoits? It’s a horseshoe-like game played professionally by some folks in the steel towns of Pennsylvania — some of whom will be on hand for an exhibition. This event is going to be a blast! It’s free, too, with a show admission ticket.

March 18 — Boston — Victoria and Paul will be together again at the Boston Flower Show at the World Trade Center beginning at 3:30 p.m. Just like in Philly, there will be games demonstrations and book signings.

March 27 — Ridgefield, Connecticut — The local garden club in this quaint town on the New York border will host Paul Tukey for a discussion of sustainable landscaping. For more information about fees and times, contact Kitsey Snow at kitsey.snow (at) gmail.com.

March 29 — Madison, Wisconsin — A full day of events is planned, all focusing on pesticide reduction and landscape sustainability. In the morning, Paul Tukey will be meeting with several area schools for assemblies. At lunch, he’ll meet with municipal officials. In the afternoon, the Olbrich Botanic Garden will host a three-hour symposium for land care professionals from 1-4 p.m. A homeowner event is also being planned for that evening. Mark your calendars and check back for more details in the coming weeks.

March 30-31 — Chicago — The Chicago Botanic Gardens will host a two-day symposium focused on landscape sustainability. The first day will be geared for professionals; the second day will be more appropriate for homeowners. Here are more details: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/major-american-lawn-landscape-conference-set-for-chicago-in-march/.

March 30-31 — New Haven, Ct. — SafeLawns is proud to co-sponsor the 30th National Pesticide Forum titled Healthy Communities: Green Solutions for Safe Environments with our friends at Beyond Pesticides at Yale University. A dynamic two-days or tours, lectures and panel discussions is planned for what will surely be an overflow crowd. Here are the details: http://www.beyondpesticides.org/forum/index.htm.

April 2-5 — Orlando, Fla. — Walt Disney World will host a week of SafeLawns talks on landscape sustainability and old-fashioned outdoor games presented by Paul Tukey as a part of its annual Epcot Flower Garden Festival. Hour-long talks, followed by book signings, will be held each day at noon and 3 p.m.

Article source: http://www.safelawns.org/blog/index.php/2012/01/first-stop-sacramento-safelawns-spring-tour-rounding-into-focus/

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Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias ‘Glacier Blue’)

Gloves, hat, scarf–I brought none of these things when I went wandering the Garden during lunch yesterday. The climate was just so perfectly suited to a stroll. And the greatest benefit of working at the NYBG is that–no matter the climate–there’s something out on the grounds worth visiting. It’s true there’s no luck of a permanent spring with buds and blooms sprouting up from corner to corner, but winter has its own subtle and touching charm.

This season’s odd patterns of sun and darkness make for confusing daytime walkabouts; I hadn’t expected to step out of the office at 3 p.m. only to find dusk creeping along at the edges of the afternoon. Adjusting to this kind of Norse winter is a slow process. (Being a southerner, anything north of Georgia is practically Norway to me.) But I decided that I was already out and about, and despite the settling dark I was going to soak up as much enjoyment as I could from the remains of the day.

Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)

From the Library Building I struck out toward the nearby Home Gardening Center, though much of it was already buckled down for the season. Still, the winter jasmine’s yellow blooms stood out like small sparks in the bramble; the simple, minuscule flowers make for an endearing contrast. You can expect the bright inflorescence of Jasminum nudiflorum to stick around until March in our neck of the woods, assuming our weather doesn’t choose to take an even more bizarre turn.

I then moved on toward the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, but with the Holiday Train Show still in swing through the 16th, I figured I would leave our visitors to their fun and keep to the quiet outdoors. In any case, two of our most peaceful gardens were right nearby.

I found the lolling flowers of the snowdrops peppering the ground in the Perennial Garden. These shy, bulb-grown blooms have a penchant for creating a carpet of untouched white and green clusters when propagated, though our Galanthus are just beginning to pop up here and there. In the right conditions, we’ll be able to enjoy them through March as well.

Snowdrop (Galanthus)

Next door is the Ladies’ Border. Tucked in alongside the Conservatory with a berm opposite, the crevice of flowers and small trees always seems to boast a few perky flowers and fascinating plants. It helps that it’s just a smidgen warmer than almost any other outdoor space in The New York Botanical Garden.

A bright pink speck bobbed at the end of the path, so I decided to investigate. There I found the last few blossoms of the ‘Spring’s Promise’ camellia toughing out the steadily dropping temperatures. Even as they begin to wilt, the flashy fuchsias and yellows of this Camellia japonica cultivar suck in most of the folks who wander down the pathway.

Camellia ‘Spring’s Promise’ (Camellia japonica)

Immediately underneath the camellia stood a rigid grouping of Euphorbia characias ‘Glacier Blue’, a cultivar of the evergreen Mediterranean Spurge with sturdy green and cream-edged leaves. Their stems jut up around one another like frilled spears.

Having no particular plan after this point, I left the Ladies’ Border and wandered off toward the Azalea Garden. And I know what you’re thinking–there are surely no azaleas blooming in this cold. You’d be right. But if you happen to visit over the next month or two, you might come to understand my personal fascination.

Dormant flowers leave behind a mesh of pathways winding between and around natural rock faces, jutting up out of the ground and making for sudden elevation changes. The barren trees add to the overall effect of a zen-like, introspective space. And if the Fordham bells happen to be tolling at that moment (they were) it makes the scene all the more surreal. But quoting Edgar Allan Poe at this point would be pushing my luck.

The moral of this story? Go outside, take in the weather, and make the most of the fact that there’s nothing frozen and miserable falling from the sky. It’s sunny! Let yourself enjoy it for once.

Tags: Azalea Garden, Camellia, Ladies’ Border, New York Botanical Garden, NYBG, Perennial Garden, snowdrop, What’s Beautiful Now, winter jasmine

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Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/01/around-the-garden/whats-beautiful-now/whats-beautiful-now-winter-strolls/

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Spirea ‘Gold Flame’

Barberry ‘Rosy Glow’

The first two shrubs I would like to mention are Spirea and Barberry.  These deciduous shrubs display a colorful array of foliage and blooms (spirea) and are deer resistant.  Each cultivar comes in a variety of sizes including Barberry ‘Royal Burgundy’ (smaller 2-3′), Barberry ‘Rosy Glow’ (larger 5-6′), Spirea ’Gold Flame’ (2-3′), Spirea ‘Limemound’(2-3′) , and Spirea ‘Little Princess’ (1-2′) among others.  These plants are also drought tolerant once established.

Buddleia ‘davidii’

Our next candidate for a “deer resistant” garden is Buddleia or Butterfly Bush.  A deciduous shrub, Buddleia davidii is hardy to zone 5 and produces prolific purple blooms throughout mid to late summer. There is also now a new dwarf variety ‘Lo and Behold’.

Coreopsis ‘Zagreb’

On the ‘deer resistant” perennials list is coreopsis.  Coreopsis or ‘Tick seed’ displays beautiful daisy-like flowers throughout the entire summer and is drought tolerant once established.  It is hardy in USDA zones 4-8.

Nepeta ‘Little Titch’

Nepeta ‘Walkers Low’ is another favorite long blooming perennial that deer do not forage on.  It comes in a variety of different heights ranging from ‘Mussinii’ which is taller to ‘Little Titch’ which is a dwarf form.

Astilbe ‘Sprite’

If you have a shaded area with deer try Astilbe.  Astilbe is a popular perennial that comes in a variety of sizes and colors and thrives in low light.  There are many varieties of Astilbe ranging from white to pink to red and salmon.  The one shown here is Astilbe ‘Sprite’ which is hardy in USDA zones 4-8.

Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’

Peony are another favorite of many a gardener, displaying magnificent large blooms in early spring.  Put them onto your list.  They are not desired by deer and our four legged friends usually pass this one by.  Peony are hardy in USDA zones 2-8.


Dwarf Fountain Grass ‘Little Bunny’

If you enjoy having ornamental grasses in your garden they are also “deer resistant”.  There are many varieties of grasses to choose from including the well-known Fountain Grasses Pennisetum Alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ or ‘Little Bunny’ as well as the Maiden Grasses Miscanthus Sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ or ‘Morning Light’ among others.

Crape Myrtle ‘Sioux’

Crape Myrtle, a favorite tree in the landscape also happens to be on the deer do not eat list.  Crape Myrtle once more popular in the Carolina’s is now also popular in the northeast and is hardy in USDA zones 7-9.  Crape Myrtle come in a variety of colors and sizes.  Shown here is Crape Myrtle ‘Sioux’.

Chamaecyparis ‘Gold Mop’

There are various evergreens that are that can also be grown in the “deer resistant” garden.  The one shown here is Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gold Mop’.  Gold Mop Cypress is a lovely golden evergreen that retains its color all year long, grows 2-3 feet in height and is hardy in zones 4-8.

Deodara Cedar ‘Aurea’

Deodara Cedar is also unfavored by deer and is a beautiful focal point in the landscape.  Deodara Cedar is a large pyramidal evergreen with graceful cascading branches and golden needles hardy to USDA zone 6.

Cryptomeria japonica

A beautiful evergreen for a privacy screening that is “deer resistant” is Cryptomeria japonica. Shown here in the backdrop, Cryptomeria is known for its soft delicate foliage and golden-green color on new growth. Cryptomeria is hardy to USDA zone 5.

Ilex ‘Nellie Stevens’

Next on the list are Ilex or the hollies.  For the most part deer do not prefer most hollies. I have seen cases where the deer are hungry enough that they will nibble on the new spring growth of  the plant but will not touch the more mature inner growth.  The more jagged the leaf on the variety of holly you choose the better.

Vibernum ‘Carlcephalum’

Another lovely plant, the vibernum displays white flowers in early spring and is a nice addition to the woodland garden.  Vibernum are hardy to USDA zones 4-8 and come in a variety of types and sizes.

As mentioned in the beginning of this article, no plant is completely deer resistant.   If the deer are hungry enough they will tend to nibble on plants in the landscape but there are some plants that are much less attractive to deer due to either their taste, aroma or foliage.  The species of plants I have mentioned in this article are the plants I have found to be most successful in the garden over my past fifteen years as a designer.  I hope you find this list to be helpful and informative. As Always, Happy Gardening.

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Knock Out Rose Double Pink

There is a new addition to my gardens this year-the Knock Out Rose.  Developed by Wisconsin rose breeder William Radler in 2000, Knock Out Rose is hardy to USDA zone 5 and has a bloom cycle that starts in spring and lasts well into frost. 

Knock Out Roses grow to 3-4 feet high by wide and should be grown in full sun in a well-drained soil.   Knock Out Rose do not require any special care but can be pruned in early spring after the threat of frost is gone to keep them full.  They do not require deadheading but if desired you can remove spent blooms to encourage more blooms. They are the most disease resistant roses on the market and are not susceptible to black-spot fungal disease.  They are virtually “care-free”.

Knock Out Rose Double Red

I have always loved roses and have wanted roses in my garden for years but did not want the maintenance of a regular rose.  These are wonderful and I am already getting so much enjoyment from them.  If you want a rose that is carefree, disease-resistant and that blooms all summer then this is the beauty for you!  There is an added plus-it is also deer-resistant. 

After 20 years in the making the first introduction of Knock Out Rose was the Red Knock Out in 2000.  After that in 2004, Blushing (light pink) and Pink (deep pink) were introduced.  In 2005 Double Red Knock Out came about and then in 2007, Rainbow Knock Out (pink/yellow center) and Sunny Knock Out (yellow) were brought into the market. 

I introduced three double pink Knock-Outs into my gardens in Mid-May and just added three Double Reds.   They are in full bloom and are the first shrub I go to when walking out into the garden.  Each day there are more and more blooms to look forward to.  I am already looking for a place to put the yellow variety.   These are truly a winner and after all these years there are finally roses in this designer’s garden.

Happy Gardening!

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As the East Coast deals with another round of rain, wind and general gloom, the scheduled show in the garden continues, just as Mother Nature intended. Besides the fuzzy flower buds of magnolia blossoms, there are fat rosettes of tall sedums pushing out of the soggy ground and sturdy peony stems doing their best red asparagus impersonation. My eye is drawn to the flowering crabapple (Malus ‘Bob White’). While it is not yet in bloom, its fresh green leaves are aglow against a gray sky—bringing joy to my heart. With a soon-to-follow prolific show of delicate soft pink flowers, this is THE star of my spring garden.

What is your garden’s star this spring?

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Salvia nemerosa  ‘May Night’

Perennial sages are a beautiful addition to any summer garden and come in a variety of cultivars ranging from 18-24 inches to 2-3 feet in height. One of my all-time favorites for long bloom time and vibrant color is Salvia nemerosa ‘May Night’.  This lovely perennial is drought tolerant, deer resistant and is attractive to both butterflies and hummingbirds.   It was also voted as Perennial Plant of the Year in 1997!   
 

Salvia ‘Maynight’ New Spring Growth

Salvia is easy to propagate through stem cuttings or division of a mature plant.  The best time to divide is in early spring before new foliage starts to appear.

Companion perennials for Salvia ‘May Night’ include  Stella D Oro Daylily, Coreopsis ‘Zagreb’ or Sedum ‘Brilliant’ for a vibrant display of color.  Try out this perennial for a lovely addition to your landscape!  Happy Gardening!

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Author: Kay

Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 4:37 pm (GMT 0)

Last week, I worked along with my fellow employees to create our display for an annual Home and Garden show. It focuses on outdoor living and drums up business for us every spring. We spend many hours getting ready. The boys set up an outdoor fireplace, with a paver block patio in front of it.

outdoor fireplace display ( photo / image / picture from Kay’s Garden )

They also made a flagstone walkway and left the mulched area for me to fill in with plants. I had to buy the plants from our wholesale nursery, but there was not a lot to choose from as it is quite early days yet here in Nebraska. We won’t be planting much before May. So, I chose an upright White Pine, a Mugo Pine, and a giant Pussy willow for the backbones, and used a Blue Star Juniper, Red twig Dogwoods, Ornamental Grasses, a new variety of Lilac called "Bloomerang", Heucheras,and Hostas. i found some blue Columbine in bloom as well as my favorite spring annual, Pansies for some color.

my display at the show ( photo / image / picture from Kay’s Garden )

my display at the show ( photo / image / picture from Kay’s Garden )

Columbine in bloom ( photo / image / picture from Kay’s Garden )

The Lilacs were blooming too, and oh, did they ever smell great!

I did a lot of talking to people who came out to the show to see what’s new this season, and anxious to get outdoors again. So, 30 some hours later, the show was over and we had a few days of good weather to actually work.

I supervise the crews that do maintenance and mulching. It keeps me on my toes, especially in the spring!

Now, I am sitting indoors, and it is snowing for the second day. The columbines are sitting in my garage and will be mine to plant in my garden, someday soon.

I sure have to be patient in the spring!

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Did you hear?

Cut-leaf Toothwort is out in full force

It’s Bloom Day and Garden Bloggers all over the known bloggasphere are celebrating the blooms in their garden. You can see more gardens then you can imagine in one day if you stop by hostess extraordinaire Carol of May Dreams Gardens to take the Mr Linky magic carpet ride to adventure.

Tommies are still in bloom

Just about everything that’s in bloom is low to the ground and you know what that means don’t you!

Spring Beauty has a long bloom time

It’s time to limbo at Clay and Limestone! As if! No, it’s macro-time!

Seriously, the flowers look so much better in their dramatic closeup!

Wallflower’s second bloom~the first was last fall

What do you think?

Royal Heritage

Speaking of strains! I love Helleborus ‘Royal Heritage Strain’ and the variation that each plant brings to a garden and the variation each of the offspring also bring.

Gorgeous but, unknown daff

Adorably small and also unknown narcissus. edit: Identified by Entangled as ‘Minnow’!

and, because you cannot stop by to see my March Blooms without at least one look at Hedge, The Beautiful and Overbearing.


Thanks for stopping by! I hope spring is starting in your part of the garden!
xxoogail

This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for my blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2011.This work protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

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Neither rain, nor cold, or even more rain, can stop the delightful harbingers of springtime that are blooming all over Clay and Limestone. The delicate white or pinkish flowers of ephemerals bloom early in spring, set seed, then disappear until the next spring. I love them all~But, please, don’t ask me to choose which one is my favorite. No way, not now, not ever, would I be able to choose.

Could you?

Claytonia virginica or Spring Beauty

Would you choose the candy striped Spring Beauty? Claytonia virginica’s flowers are about the size of a dime with five petals that spread wide as the sun warms them. From a distance, the flowers appear white, but, each petal is suffused with a delicate network of pastel pink veins. Those pink veins are nectar guides. Spring Beauties are pollinated by over 100 species of insects. That’s a lot of bees, flies and other winged creatures relying on nectar and pollen. That makes them an important early food source.

Hepatica acutiloba or Sharp lobed hepatica

Does your taste run to hepaticas? Another, small and delightful white flower that leans toward pink. It appears to emerge leafless from the soil, but, if you look closely you’ll see last summer’s deep purple brown, heart shaped leaf nearby. Be careful when you’re cleaning them up each fall~those leaves are an important food source for the plant all winter. Small bees collect pollen, while Syrphid flies and other flies feed on the pollen. Bee visitors include honeybees, Small Carpenter bees, Andrenid bees, and Halictid bees.

Dentaria laciniata or Cut-leaved toothwort

Perhaps, you would choose the perfumed flowers of Cut-leaved toothwort! This is a common plant in Middle Tennessee, but that would never detract from its charm. If you have one plant, you will soon have more. It spreads by rhizome and seed~But, don’t be afraid…It’s an ephemeral and will disappear after setting seed. Look for honey bees, bumblebees, Mason bees, Cuckoo bees, Miner bees, Halictid bees, and Andrenid bees.

Isopyrum/Enemion biternatum or False rue anemone

False rue anemone is a lovely ground cover with columbine like leaves and the sweetest delicate white flower that is often confused with Rue anemones ( Thalictrum thalictroides). This is another little spring flower that makes pollen, but, no nectar. Small bees and flies visit to collect or feed on the pollen.

Erigenia bulbosa or Harbinger-of-Spring

Harbinger-of-Spring is the earliest and smallest of the spring flowers to bloom in my garden. The pure white flowers and chocolate colored anthers contrast beautifully and, are surely, the reason for one of the common names, “Pepper and Salt”. Little Carpenter bees, Mason bees, and flower flies visit for nectar. It grows in rich moist woodlands.

What do you think is emerging!

So, tell me my friends~Could you choose a favorite among these pretties?

xxoogail

This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for my blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2011.This work protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

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Posted by PFZimmerman

Planting bare root roses is an annual rite of spring. To help you we’ve put together a video with tips to get your roses off to a great start. And hopefully finally lay to rest the question; should you bury the bud union.

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