SEPTEMBER 29, 2012

Sedum spectabile Neon (upright stonecrop)

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

I recently had the pleasure of gardening at a place in Essex which had a beautifully translucent 'Neon' sedum. I couldn't keep my eyes off it.
   This sedum is drought tolerant, easily dividable, adaptable to full sun or part shade, and is the most luminous of all sedums. Natch!

Can you find the Monarch pigging out at the white sedum salad bar?

PHLOX HANGIN' WITH  LILY

 WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

It is time for the Phlood of Phabulous Phlox in Vermont. One of my customer-friends went to Perennial Pleasures Nursery in East Hardwick and brought back a beautiful reddish-pink Phlox, maybe it was Cabot Pink.
The nursery is having it's world famous Phlox Days, complete with a good cup of tea.











   

05/17/1958

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

* Time to harden off some of the annuals and veggies.
For tomatoes, try the hour thang; one hour outside the first day, two hours the second day and so on. Should be okay starting now.

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

Up top you see the Pieris evergreen shrub, which has family ties to Rhododendrons and Azaleas. The ones I care for have either little white dangling bells, or larger dullish pink bells. I hear there are now some Pieris plants with livelier colors.
 This pic was taken near Lake Champlain, probably zone 5 leaning toward zone 5b. If I lived closer to the canadian border, I would mulch heavily in late fall, maybe even put up a wind block. Here are some tips:

* Make sure the Pieris has enough moisture going into winter; it's roots are shallow and can dry out.
* Prune after flowering.
* Fertilize in early spring with Hollytone, Muracid or coffee grounds and compost.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

* To the right is the lovely groundcover, Vinca minor, which has charming little light purple flowers. Today's client uses the Periwinkle as a groundcover under her lilac tree. It's a nice fit.

March 28 , 2012

 

WORKING GARDENER'S JOURNAL

Up above is a fab multi-colored Butterfly Bush, or Buddleia. I am starting to cut back my customer's Buddleias, usually to about a foot from the ground. I've had good luck leaving the branches through the winter, and hard pruning around mid to late March. I remember pruning one Buddleia in late April and the flowers were smaller than usual.
In warmer climates, some gardeners cut the Buddleia to the ground in the fall. Here in the northeast, leaving the wood on until late winter/early spring tends to bolster the plant, along with a covering of mulch.

Here's what I wrote about the Butterfly Bush last August:

What a great time for Butterfly Bush lovers. One of my clients has a beautiful multi-color Buddleia, ordered through a catalog. The lavender, magenta and white flowers are mixed together and look positively stunning - right now. Up top is a pic of a 3-in-1 Butterfly Bush from Spring Hill Nursery.