Shopping

By Ms Sherry

As we close in on Thanksgiving—just a few days away with “Black Friday” and the official start of the holiday shopping season around the corner—please remember to patronize your local garden centers too. This been a difficult growing season not only for us home gardeners but also for garden shops over the last few months. As water restrictions increased and the drought continued, most of us were not visiting the nurseries to plant; but these shops still had to do business–they still had to carry an inventory and to care for it the best they could. I have heard that in some communities the watering bans even extended to the plant stores. Pike’s Nursery has filed for bankruptcy, I have read, due to the effects of the drought. A recent e-mail from a nursery in North Carolina mentioned that one of the locally owned nurseries up there was closing also due to the drought. So my point, as we shop until we drop, is let us do some of that shopping in our garden centers, especially the locally owned and operated ones. I visited a family owned garden center in Birmingham last week; the plants, in spite of the past months, were beautiful; the staff was helpful and smiling. There were many wonderful things to be bought there: amaryllis, narcissus for forcing, glorious houseplants, flower pots, yard ornaments, tools, supplies, and even gift certificates. And yes, the sight of all those beautiful pansies melted my heart; instead of the usual twelve flats that I buy and plant, I came home with one flat and a part of another which I am hoping will be kept watered by some winter rains.

Hopefully, next year the drought will be long past, just a bad memory; water will be plentiful, and the garden centers able to survive ready to please our every wish with a wide variety of irresistible plants.

Pansies

By Ms Sherry

Fall is the perfect time to think about jazzing up the garden for winter and early spring color— the perfect plant is the pansy. In the last 37 years I have planted my share of pansies, from just a few bare-rooted plants, early on, given to me by a friend to, yes, fourteen flats (a very ambitious year when every face spoke to me). With the ongoing drought I am nervous about planting flats and flats of annuals, but at the same time I can’t imagine the months ahead without seeing their happy little faces all over the garden.

The garden pansy that we know and love is Viola x wittrockiana. All pansies are members of the viola species but not all violas are pansies. True violas are perennials, and pansies are grown as annuals. Now available in garden centers, pansies come in every size from the tiniest flowered Johnny- Jump-Up (V. Tricolor) to the large flowered Majestic Giant, and in just about any color and color combination desired. The array of colors and faces is dazzling. Pansies with blotched faces, pansies with clear faces, even black pansies are available to the trade. There is a relatively new offering with ruffled petals. I especially love the ones referred to on their labels as violas (with mid-size flowers). They bloom their hearts out all winter; they sport smaller flowers than a regular pansy (but more flowers per plant and often in colors that often have names that can begin with a word like Sorbet). However, when the spring days begin to reach the high seventies, violas will fade very quickly, whereas the larger blossomed strains may take it easier during the winter and jump into glory once the days start to warm a bit. There is a relatively new strain available called a Panola, a cross between a pansy and a viola, and a joy to add to your collection. Bingo Blotch (with a blotched face) make wonderful garden addition also. Sometimes, to have the most choices, it is necessary to visit a specialty nursery. Buy where the pansies are cared for – deadheaded, watered, and fresh. They will reward you for your efforts. Sometimes those that cost a bit more money to start are worth it because of the extra effort that has gone into taking care of them.

When and wherever you decide to buy, choose good healthy plants; they should be stocky, short and bushy, not leggy and stretched. Leaves should be green and shiny. By the way, when you first enter the pansy section, you may be tempted to buy a six pack of each color and size (as I have done). Don’t! Instead coordinate your colors with your house colors and with any ornamentals such as azaleas and camellias that may bloom with them. I have read that a combination of three pansy colors in the bed is most pleasing to the eye. Check for yellowing leaves and inspect the bottoms of the cell packs to make certain the roots have not gotten badly pot bound.

To perform at their best, pansies should have 4 to 6 hours of sun a day. However, the more sun the plants get in late spring, the faster they will fade. Plant them with a mixture of calcium nitrate (five pounds) and muriate of potash (one and a half pounds). Space them about six inches apart in rich, well-drained, loose soil. Close proximity at planting will help guarantee a mass of blooms. A landscaper told me his secret for beautiful, healthy pansies was to double dig the soil before he planted. (Probably not a bad idea for any plant.) Water the plants in their flats well before you plant, and then water them well after you plant them, being carefully not to plant them too deep or to drown them. They should be planted no deeper than they were in the container–with their crowns at ground level. Mulch them immediately after the first frost. Gently separate the roots when you plant them, so the roots will spread out into the soil instead of growing in circles. Conventional wisdom has been to plant pansies four weeks before the first frost to give the roots time to take hold before the cold; but with our crazy late summer days (when the very warm temperatures and hot sun will cause the pansies to stretch and become leggy – not to mention the many constrictions on watering we all have to face this year)  we might have to throw conventional wisdom out and wait until the days have cooled bit. (Here is an opportunity to collect the bath and shower water before it warms and use it to water your new pansies.) Over the winter you can take that same fertilizer you used to plant them (combining one tablespoon of the mixture to one gallon of water) and water with the liquid when we have a warm spell—give your pansies a little pick me up. Pansies do not seem to fall victim to lots of diseases if they are planted correctly. Slugs, however, love to munch. To rid your garden of slugs, check with your local Extension System Office for some suggestions. To have beautiful pansies, there is one very important task that must be performed; they must be deadheaded. If the spent blossoms are not pinched very regularly the plants will go to seed and use their energy to make seed instead of producing more flowers. Deadheading keeps the plants neat and compact.  Deadheading a bed of pansies on a warm winter day in January (and we have many of those) can be one of the most satisfying of garden tasks. There is probably nothing like picking a bunch of pansy blossoms for a bouquet for your house to banish the winter doldrums. If any of your pansies happen to go to seed, especially the very small ones,  little pansy plants may come up in your garden and neighboring containers. Pansies are a wonderful container and bedding plants. Consider adding some flowering kale and cabbage or parsley to your mix.

Of all the wonderful sights in the garden to me, there is nothing more delightful than a mass of pansies on a gray day in March. If you have never planted any pansies, head out to the store and bring home several–you will not regret it.

Fall Color

By Ms Sherry

Although the warm days still feel bit like summer, the calendar and the shorter number of daylight hours signal that the seasons have changed. Our summer annuals and perennials have faded. Large bins of Halloween candy sit next to Christmas merchandise. Our local farmers co-op is advertising bales of hay, corn shucks, and mums to make yard decorations. While shopping in the community’s big box stores and local garden centers, I have seen huge displays of chrysanthemums. Available in a large variety of flowers with different petal shapes, colors, and even pot sizes, chrysanthemum are an easy way to brighten up our gardens. Although officially termed a perennial, I have never been able to grow this flower (officially referred to as florists’ mums) to look like the ones newly purchased. Despite all my best efforts to keep them properly pinched and cultivated,  they always get a bit lanky and leggy, usually ending up falling to the ground instead of becoming the stocky, bushy plants found in the trade. Therefore, I have ended up discarding the plants when the blooms played out—replacing the plants each fall. For just a little bit of money you can have quite a wonderful pop of color. Since our fall days can still be quite warm, it is necessary to keep the mums, whether planted in containers or in the ground, well watered as they wilt very easily.

There are about 160 species of chrysanthemums, although florists’ mums are the most well known to us. Among the others frequently found in our gardens as perennials are painted daisies, marguerite daisies, and shasta daisies.  Florists’ mums are officially described as perennials, but in the home garden, are often used for annual color. If you want to try to carry mums over in the garden, choose the ones referred to as “old fashioned florists’ mums”; one of my very favorites is ‘Ryan’s Pink’, growing 1 ½ to 2 feet tall with pale pink petals. ‘Ryan’s Pink’ does not require the care that the “newer” florists’ mums need. Other old fashioned mums to try are ‘Sheffield Pink’, ‘Mrs. Hathaway’ (yellow blooms), and ‘Single Apricot Korean’. Just writing their names inspires me to plant several of each.

In case you are interested in growing your florists’ mums from one year to the next, the following may help.

Like all growing things, florists’ mums prefer well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. Add a complete fertilizer to the soil two to three weeks before planting.  Fertilize your mums two or three times during the growing season and use a low nitrogen fertilizer as your last application, not less than two weeks before the mums bloom. (From THE SOUTHERN LIVING GARDEN BOOK) In our area of Alabama (east central) mums will appreciate some shade from the afternoon sun. Plant young mums in early spring and water as needed. If you water too little, the mums will have woody stems and the lower leaves will fall off;  water too much and the leaves will yellow and fall off.  I have done both. Now . . .  the secret to those big mum blooms in the marketplace – frequent pinching. Start pinching when you plant by removing the plant tip. Keep pinching all summer, removing the top pair of leaves on every shoot that gets 5 inches long. If your plants get too tall and fall over, staking may also be necessary.

Whether you choose to grow your mums as annuals or perennials, these cheerful flowers can provide just the lift our gardens and our spirits need as the summer gardening days wind down. Just walking through your local garden center and noting the wonderful array of colors will brighten your day. Enjoy!

THE SOUTHERN LIVING GARDEN BOOK , pp. 243 - 245 was used a reference in writing this blog.

Indian Hawthorn

By Ms Sherry

For the last few blogs we have been talking about ornamental shrubs and flowers that seem able to withstand the summer heat and lack of water. In my hometown of Jacksonville, a watering ban remains in effect and the results are becoming harder to handle for gardeners who have spent years of collecting, nurturing, and cultivating—not to mention time, effort, and money creating a beautiful home landscape. The phrases depression, sadness, and “tears to my eyes” come up repeatedly in conversations with other gardeners. In my garden the dwarf Japanese Maples are defoliating; the entire wonderful fall show that these diminutive trees put on will be just about non-existent. Not surprisingly, the hydrangeas are just about gone. The anise are in shock and are more wilted than not; the native azaleas that are not in the process of dropping their leaves are bare. A huge Snowflake Viburnum is probably a total loss. Large trees are losing their leaves way before time.

I still see some plants, which rightly have earned the description “bulletproof” in landscapes around the county, still looking quite good despite this summer’s harsh conditions.  One of these is Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepsis indica). The Indian Hawthorn, a member of the rose family, is a native of China. Friend and gardener Hayes Jackson told me once that this plant could survive in parking lots. I guess that is how I killed mine–way too much water and not enough sun. They can develop a fungal leaf spot disease in areas with high humidity, but there are selections which are less susceptible to the disease. 
Indian Hawthorns love hot sun and thrive on little water. With just partial sun, the plants will have a less compact form and will bloom less. They only get 4 to 5 feet high and about 5 to 6 feet wide. With a little bit of tip pruning these plants make a good foundation planting or a good low hedge. Hawthorns are evergreen and have shiny leathery leaves. Bloom time can come late winter to early spring; hawthorn blooms are very small but there are lots of them; flowers range in color from white to pink to rose depending on the selection chosen. The flowers are not show stopping but make a nice display when in bloom

Indian Hawthorns are probably not as widely used as they should be, but they are easy to locate in area nurseries. After this summer, many of us will be seeking plants like this one so that we can count our survivors instead of our daily losses.

Camellias

By Ms Sherry

As I strolled through my garden over the last few days it appears that my camellias, both the sasanquas and the japonicas, are thriving despite the summer’s heat and drought and our continuing watering ban. Camellia japonica ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ is already blooming and others have put on buds for a show later this fall and winter. The camellia, the state flower of Alabama, can be drought tolerant once it is well-established in the landscape. Sasanquas begin to bloom in early September (or even late August) continuing to bloom through December with their smaller but more numerous blooms. ‘Yuletide’, with its bright red flowers, is a Christmas-time bloomer. Japonicas (the Common Camellia) begin to bloom later in the year than sasanquas and bloom through early Spring and have much larger (but fewer) flowers.  Camellias, whether early or late blooming are evergreens. They can be a wonderful foundation planting (provided the right size is chosen), an accent plant or a screen. The mature sizes of camellias can vary from the petite such as ‘Shishi Gashira’ (a late fall blooming sasanqua with rose colored blossoms) to ‘Leslie Ann’ (another sasanqua) with its pink tinged white flowers growing to about eight feet tall and five feet in diameter. One of my favorites, ‘R. L. Wheeler’, has tremendous rose colored flowers. Camellias come in colors from yellow to white to deep red. Varieties with variegated flowers make a special addition to the garden. Although I have not grown it myself, Camellia sinesis (The Tea Plant) is another good one for our area. It is a commercial source for tea in Asia but not in our country. I have some experience with camellias that are supposedly more winter hardy–I have had them for years in my garden and as yet they have not begun to bloom reliably, although they are beautiful healthy plants. 

Just a few hints for helping camellias thrive in the garden. Camellias do best with high shade. Too much direct sun can cause the leaves to get sunburned. They grow best in acid, well-drained, good soil. They like to be protected from wind and frost. Like all plants that are drought tolerant, camellias are not drought tolerant the first or second year but, once established in your home garden, do remarkably well when there isn’t a lot of water provided for them. The surest way to kill a camellia is to plant it too deep. Plant it high just as you would an azalea, with the root ball about a half an inch above ground and draw the soil to the root ball. If you dig a hole deeper than the root ball and than back fill, the plant will settle and will be planted too deep. Camellias are best left to grow in their natural state, without a lot of pruning, and, with so many sizes to choose from, it is easy to pick one that will not outgrow its spot. I have read about some of them growing to 30 feet tall, so it is best to do a little research to make certain you pick the right camellia for your place. Camellias are not susceptible to a lot of diseases; I have had problems with flower blight where the petals turn brown. Picking up the spent blossoms helps prevent this disease and, additionally, there are different chemicals that can be used. Your local Extension Office is a good source of information on those. I have also had problems with camellia die back, where the plant dies a twig at a time. I have lost several beautiful plants to this disease. Tea scale, caused by a scale insect, can also be a problem for camellias. According to the Extension Series Publication ANR-202 on camellias “Tea scale is the most damaging insect. Yellow splotches appear on the upper side of the leaves, while the underside is covered with a cottony mass.” I have used dormant oil sprays to protect my plants from tea scale. Again, check with your local Extension Office for suggestions of chemical means to deal with these problems. The biggest enemy for my camellias has been Mother Nature–an early frost or a late spring cold snap can turn the most beautiful flower to mush.

In late August when most of my ornamental shrubs have given up, ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ provides a beautiful splash of color. In mid winter ‘L. A. Peppermint’, with it pink and white striped blossoms, is an absolute sight to behold. Camellias blend in beautifully in the home landscape and, with the huge variety available on the market, every home should have one—if not several. The ideal planting months are soon to be with us–November through February–plant one! You won’t regret it.