Loropetalum chinese

By Ms Sherry

Continuing our last discussion of plants who hang tough in summer’s heat and drought—Loropetalum chinese handles both of those conditions with grace. Chinese Fringe or Chinese Witch Hazel is, perhaps, not one of the garden’s glamour girls but it is solid and has a lot of positives to offer in the home landscape. Loropetalums, natives of China and Japan, are evergreen shrubs; they can be large, growing from 8 to 15 feet tall and as wide, or they can grow only as big as a large wash tub with sizes in between. They will take full sun but will also perform well in part sun where it is very hot. Although my Loropetalums did well in the summer’s drought, they would appreciate some water now and then. This shrub can have hot pink, deep pink, pink, or white flowers which appear fringed. Leaves can be burgundy tinged or green. Loropetalums prefer acid to neutral soil. They are fast growers; they can make a wonderful screen, do well in mixed shrub borders, or can be a single plant specimen. You can also prune the bottom limbs and turn your Loropetalum into a nice small tree. However, do beware; it can also take over a garden; so make certain you give the larger growing varieties plenty of space. It is probably not the best choice as a foundation planting unless you make certain to choose one the of the lower growing varieties. Growing in my garden are several different varieties of Loropetalums. ‘Chang’s Ruby’ has burgundy tinged leaves with dark pink flowers, but it is huge with limbs stretching over 12 feet in the air. There is also one about 10 feet tall and almost as wide (a variety whose name I do not know); it is beautiful and makes a wonderful screen to hide my chain link fence. I also have three smaller varieties: two dwarf—‘Bill Wallace’ ( with pink flowers), and ‘Carolina Moonlight’ (white flowers), and a compact variety ‘Daruma’ (with red flowers). The smaller ones do not seem quite as tough as their larger siblings. Loropetalums bloom in late winter and early spring. Yes, they are commonly used in our gardens but deserve the place they get as they are a great four season addition to the landscape: the workhorses of a summer garden and the bones of a winter garden.

S. Gregii

By Ms Sherry

Walking through my garden this week I noticed that, while many trees and shrubs were suffering mightily in the summer heat, many were thriving. Future Inquisitive Gardener offerings will feature some of those “survivors”; perhaps you may want to try some of them in your own garden. The first of these tough guys is S. Greggii, or Autumn or Cherry Sage. Although the name implies that this perennial is a fall bloomer, in my garden it begins to bloom in middle/late spring and blooms until frost. It does not die back to the ground during the winter but remains evergreen, although the leaves are tiny. In some areas this sage may lose its leaves. Autumn Sage is native to southwestern Texas and north-central Mexico but does nicely in my zone 7B garden. It may not perform well north of here. It gets about 1 to 4 feet high and grows in full to part sun; this sage is grateful for shade in the hottest climates. The flowers are one fourth to an inch long and grow on 3 to 6 inch stems. The flowers in my garden are cherry red but I have had white and coral colored ones; I have seen dark purplish red and pink ones in the nurseries. Deadhead the stems to keep the plant neat. Before the plants get their big spring growth, prune out any dead wood and shape if needed. I have read in my “Southern Living Garden Book” that this plant should be replaced every 4 to 5 years if it gets too woody. If you brush against the plant while gardening your clothes and body will pick up a very strong sage smell. Some may find it a bit unpleasant but I enjoy it. Although this plant is drought tolerant it does best if it gets some water. S. Greggi is probably an underused plant in area gardens. However, I see it very frequently in nurseries. It deserves a place in all of our gardens.
“The Southern Living Garden Book” was used as a reference in writing this blog.

Gardening Summer 2007

By Ms Sherry

Most of us are probably tired of reading, hearing, and experiencing this summer’s drought. Perhaps my memory is getting shorter, but I can’t remember the double whammy we have had this summer happening before: bone dry days and sizzling heat that just seems never to end. Rain showers tease; it rains a half a mile away, and we gaze longingly at the sky hoping some will make it to our house.  Topics of discussion among gardeners revolve around who got rain and how much; conversations about losses already beginning to show up in our gardens are becoming more frequent. This year has really been tough. First, it was warm when it should have been cold; our winter was fairly dry and then the Easter freeze delivered the harsh blow to trees and shrubs that had already put out their spring growth. Gardeners knew that if the trees and shrubs were healthy, they would survive the mean cold snap that occurred over Easter weekend, testing the mettle of our shrubs. Marginally healthy plants might not make it. Those that were on the line with survival are now really, really struggling. Hydrangeas are reeling under the summer’s conditions.  Japanese maples in my garden have completely defoliated; the few remaining leaves look as if they were scorched in a fire. Flowers usually in full bloom are moping. A recent reporter on Channel 13 out of Birmingham stated that landscape losses may mount to the millions by next year. Many of these deaths will not show up until next spring.  A reader wrote in the Birmingham News that if we can not water a little, the local landscapes would soon be devoid of just about every tree, shrub, and flower.

Then, an article in the Birmingham News this past week contained the forecast that this drought may persist through next spring. Pretty soon our water supply is going to need to have a dose of Prozac along with the fluoride. In my hometown, Jacksonville, Alabama, there is a complete outdoor watering ban and a surcharge if you use more that an amount allocated to each household. Each day I walk through the garden checking on the conditions of my plants and look at the skies, hoping that we will receive some of those promised scattered showers. Eagerly, and often hourly, we tune in to the Weather Channel and local weather forecasters to see if anything is headed our way. Advice about gardening in drought conditions is good but doesn’t seem to take into account 100 plus degree days, no rain, and a watering ban on top of that.  A good layer of mulch will help keep the top layer from drying out–but not too deep as the little water we may see can not penetrate the layers. Working the soil really well prior to planting can certainly help make better use of what water there is. We may have to take lessons from our friends on the other coast where xeriscape gardening is the only way to go. There, many folks always run the water into buckets in the shower or bath while waiting for the water to heat up;  they then use the water in their gardens. Out west some area local governments have been paying homeowners to take up grass and plant cactus and add rocks instead.

In Alabama we pride ourselves on our lush golf-course like lawns, our mophead hydrangeas, our stately dogwoods, and colorful azaleas; our landscape may adopt a whole new look with seasons like the ones we have had recently. Gardeners, by their very nature, are eternal optimists as we plant the tiniest seed or sprig or brown corm, knowing something beautiful will grow; we will continue using our wits and our skills to deal with whatever Mother Nature hands our way.

Hummingbirds

By Ms Sherry

There is a battle raging under our kitchen window. A small group of hummingbirds seem to be waging a war to have dibs on the feeder. I have read that hummingbirds are a bit territorial and can be aggressive with each other when it comes to sharing the feeder. For many years for that very reason we had multiple hummingbird feeders. This year we did not; therefore, each day we watch the world’s tiniest birds jockey to be first in line. The yard, of course, is full of other feeding stops for this marvelous little creature; lantanas, ginger lilies, pentas, and butterfly bushes are some favorites. To encourage visits to the garden there are just a few things to remember. Hummingbirds are especially attracted to flowers with tubular blossoms. Although they may be partial to red or orange, they are not particular and will visit just about any flower.  Be careful with chemicals in the garden and use them very sparingly if at all. Place a hummingbird feeder in your yard. Keep it filled with a solution of four parts water to one part sugar. Simply mix white sugar (not honey or brown sugar) and water; bring the mixture to a boil (but don’t boil it until it becomes a syrup)and store in the refrigerator. Keep the feeder clean and change it every couple of days in summer’s heat. My husband washes ours each time we change the liquid, every couple of days. Our feeder is outside the front kitchen window so we can watch the birds closely–what a treat while you are washing the dishes. I don’t use any red food dye to color the water, although I see products sold in the stores that turn red when you mix the syrup. A red mixture does not necessarily attract the hummingbird.  I have actually read that red food dye is not good for the hummingbirds. If ants invade the feeder try coating the stake which holds the feeder with Vaseline. A feeder with a small moat filled with water (to keep the ants from climbing into the holes where the hummingbirds drink the sugar/water mixture) can be helpful in the efforts to keep the ants out. We put our feeder out around the end of April and leave it out until almost Thanksgiving so that hummingbirds making the trip South can stop for a little nourishment.

Our hummingbirds have become so used to me in the garden that they come right past me to eat. Attracting hummingbirds to your garden is very simple; the rewards are great.

Lexington, Kentucky

By Ms Sherry

This past weekend I attended a wedding in Lexington, Kentucky. As we drove north through Alabama, Tennessee, and then into Kentucky we had an opportunity to observe the scenery up close and personal. As most travelers do, we enjoyed the mountains and changing terrain. But as a gardener there are always additional features which catch my eye. Even though the south has been experiencing this summer’s drought, from the highway the foliage on the hills and mountain sides appeared to be bright green. As we traveled through Lexington we drove on a street with a wide median, not unlike Quintard Avenue in Anniston, that was lined with beautiful healthy trees and a carefully kept lawn with sign bearing the name Tree City. The homes along this thoroughfare were beautifully landscaped; the median added so much to our drive through this busy city. We went from a bustling down town city scape to horse country where we saw the “Blue Grass of Kentucky” first hand. Although it appeared quite lush, one of the locals said the grasses were in bad shape from the summer’s conditions. The farms were immaculately maintained; huge pastures were carefully mowed; miles and miles of fences had also been manicured with a weed eater.

Downtown Lexington had several wonderful water features. On Saturday morning I decided to get my morning exercise by walking around the downtown area. What a wonderful surprise to find a farmer’s market taking place on the neighboring streets. For several blocks there were beautiful displays of fresh vegetables, so artistically displayed that the scene resembled a painting.  The sidewalks were crowded with buyers visiting and talking to the sellers. Someone told me it was the second biggest market in the state. Vendors were selling everything from goat cheese to baked goods. Huge bins of fresh corn were for sale. There were tomatoes in just about every color from orange to green to pink. Street musicians were playing the guitar. I purchased a sack of fresh dug potatoes that one seller told me had been raised by an Amish family and a bag of tomatoes in a variety of hues from another farmer. One vendor had a variety of garlic for sale, with different strengths available. As in all farmer’s markets, the farmers themselves were doing the selling and were proud of their product and eager to discuss their crops. This is a fine way to learn more about the community one is visiting.

As communities try to market themselves as places to live and work, the influence planned and maintained landscapes can have on visitors can not be underestimated. Beautiful green spaces add much to the quality of life for the residents and visitors to every town. A farmer’s market such as Lexington’s also has immense value for even those who do not make this community their home.