Every Shade Garden needs a ‘Little Honey.’
December 31, 2008
With its red tinted stems, and stand out chartreuse tinted oak shaped leaves, there is nothing understated or demure about Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey,’ other than its diminutive size, topping off at three feet in height!
As with most of the oak leaved species, its flowers are held in cone shaped panicles that persist well into late fall, some managing to hang on until the snow falls! I am hard pressed to say which of its two magnificent foliage colors I appreciate more – its golden new growth, or the warm ruby and purple colour that tranforms this charmer in late fall. It appreciates humus, rich, well drained soil with dappled shade, allowing for two or three hours of indirect sunlight per day. Slightly less hardy than the species, it also appreciates a heavy mulch of bark or pine branches over the winter months. Let ‘Little Honey’ spread some light and warmth in your garden this coming year!
Tickled pink with Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’
December 31, 2008
Disanthus cercidifolius… a rare and choice selection!
December 31, 2008
Plantsman Michael Dirr pontificates that this is one of his favourite smaller trees, renowned for its wonderful deep shades of red, burgundy and purple in the fall! Alas, there are many plants that are in need of further pontification to ensure their visibility in the garden.
Disanthus cercidifolius is a smaller tree with a wonderfully open habit, making it a wonderful candidate for the edge of a woodland, or in my case, as a centrepiece for a relatively narrow garden. Related to the ‘Katsura,’ (Cercidiphyllum japonica) its large heart shaped leaves provide a wonderful contrast when placed amongst smaller leaved plants. Appreciative of acidic, humus rich, well draining soil, it will happily soar to heights of ten feet, with a spread closer to six when happy. While not suggested, it will take to annual pruning to keep a desired shape, but for now I have let mine grow as it wishes. I long for the day when this magnificent beauty towers above my head as I check the smaller groupings of plants around its base! Patience is a gardener’s virtue!
Fall Colours….. (Part One)
December 31, 2008
Shady Characters…. Adding Trees and Shrubs to a Small Shade Garden
December 31, 2008
For those of us with limited space, the idea of adding trees and shrubs to the garden is often a daunting task! Having reclaimed space between two houses, I have limited space, both for height and width requirements. I have also learned that even the smallest shrub with time will spread not only above but beneath ground as well, and have heard of gardeners discovering cracks in their foundation because they planted something too close to the house.
While I have added a few striking shrubs and hope to add a few smaller trees, it hasn’t stopped me from dreaming of one day possessing this wonderfully bright winter witch hazel, Corylopsis spicata, which may grow to six feet tall with a spread of similar dimensions. There is nothing more heart warming than seeing the wonderful yellow racemes of fragrant blossoms adorning an otherwise bare branched shrub in early spring. As the weather warms, wonderfully bright leaves emerge, on some species they start off a burnished purple or bronze and age through yellow to a blue green shade. Its open and airy appearance make it a prime candidate for the edge of a woodland garden as it does not encumber one from seeing plantings behind it.
From blowsy to dainty, there’s an Anemone for every gardener!
December 31, 2008
There are over 100 species within the genus Anemone, ranging from big and blowzy (Anemone x hybrida ‘Party Dress) to the small and striking (A. rivularis) guaranteeing that every gardener will find at least one to place in their garden. This is a genus where plant must be matched to its habitat; light and moisture levels being the most important factors.
I have grown many from this genus, ranging from the taller specimens (4 feet or more in height) to the wondrous clump formers that range between 30-50cm in height, and which are the likeliest to be labelled as ‘persistent.’ I have included photos of three of my persona favourites:
- Anemone x hybrida ‘Party Dress’ - the tallest and showiest in my garden with towering stems that are between three and four feet in height, covered in late summer and early fall with true double flowered mid-pink blossoms. So abundant are the blooms, that I have taken to using an obelisk to ensure that the stems do not break off or droop on the ground, so wondrous are these shaggy beauties
- Anemone rivularis – originating in the Himalayas and China, its flowers are essentially white, but in choice forms each flower possesses a steely blue colored reverse to each petal. This species wants relatively damp placement, with some filtered light, and is known to seed around when happy.
- Anemone sylvestris ‘Grandiflora‘ – ignore that irksome label, use the gentler ‘persistent’ instead! Its true that this is one of the more prolific spreaders in the genus, but it is also one of the most endearing, with its pristine white cup shaped flowers atop wonderfully divided foliage in early springtime. Because it spreads by root buds, a little has the potential to go a long way, but is a wonderful ground cover in a woodland area with little competition. I have inserted a root barrier to see if I can better maintain its progress!
A Victorian Delight
December 31, 2008
Within the genus Athyrium is this Victorian-era favourite, A.victoriae, a wonderful specimen with cruciate (crossed-over) fronds that some have compared to intricate lacy lattice workings. A close derivative commonly found in cultivation is A. ‘Dre’s Daggers‘ which possesses the same wonderful cruciate foliage. I was hesitant about adding this spectacular woodland oddity to the garden for fear that it would over-power other less glamorous plantings in its vicinity. Looking back, this was the added star power that drew the eye downwards to the plethora vertically challenged plant materials, all of which were struggling to be seen!
As with many ferns, they are best cultivated in a humus rich soil that will maintain adequate moisture throughout the summer months. Most of this genus are deciduous. Patience is required to allow for this Victorian beauty to achieve its full splendor, with long stems spreading out in all directions. Use this wonderful fern as a contrast to other larger, palmate leaved perennials. A definite eye catcher!
You can call me Ginger…
December 31, 2008
The Genus Uvularia ( "Merrybells")
December 31, 2008
You Don’t Know ‘Jack’
December 30, 2008
Arisaema candiddissimum
Perhaps one of the strangest and most exotic looking of perennials, these wonderful plants, commonly known as ‘jack-in-the-pulpits’ belong to the genus Arisaema. These plants have no ‘flower’ to speak of, instead they have a spathe which looks like a long tube coming out of the ground, culminating as a hood-like protuberance, which in turn is usually the most colourful part of the plant. In some cases this hood fold down over the mouth of the plant, ending in a long spur! Inside the tube is a pencil like spadix, along which the berries will grow as the season progresses.
In many instances the spathe is vertically striped green, purplish brown, or white. The leaves emerge before the flower – rarely before mid spring, but in some instances not until June or July. Leaves are held above the flowers and range between trifoliate, digitate,pedate or whorled. These wonderful plants do not take much space but do require careful placement as they do not like to be too wet during their dormancy. Therefore heavy soils may be problematic in the long run. Many gardeners prefer to create a raised bed in part shade, allowing for a deep root run which maintains moisture but is also well drained during the winter months. Plants should be planted as much as 20cm beneath the surface in order to protect the corm from extreme cold, which deters their emergence in spring.
The two species included here are two of the most popular. A. candidissimum is a beguiling beauty with wondrously pink tinted spathes, and it has been quoted that these are somewhat aromatic. These are later to emerge in the year, so ensure that they are well marked during their dormancy.
A. fargessii is an exotic beauty whose overall size is larger than most. Its trifoliate leaf can reach 2 feet in width, and heights of 60cm is not uncommon. This species has a wonderful added attraction of turning yellow as they die back. The dark almost black spathe has brilliant white striping, ensuring that it will be a definitive eye catcher in the shaded garden.