September 2017

Fall is a Great Time to Plant, Transplant, and Sink in Some Bulbs!

The third season of our garden is upon us. Summer is coming to a close and fall is opening up the transition for our gardens. Creating a new planting, transplanting shrubs or perennials, and dividing grasses and hostas are perfect this time of year. Now that you have a full vision of your plants' color and maturity sizes, understand it may be time to restructure some of your cherished plantings. Let Keepers of the Garden along with Tellus , your Garden Coach, assist in your next seasonal change decisions.

MAKING ROOM FOR STRUCTURE, TEXTURE AND COLOR

Photo taken at a flower show. Texture and color with flare as a front entrance greeting.

If you are looking for contrast this time of year, think ahead for next year’s vision and what you can change. Why do we go on garden tours? To borrow ideas from other artistic gardeners. Look around at gardens in bloom and take pictures of perennials and annuals that appeal to you this time of year. Also, keep your phone with you when shopping for annuals, look at your phone gallery. Feel free to redesign your borders to make way for new plants.

Rule of Thumb: If you add new shrubs or perennials, discipline yourself to remove outdated plantings!

Are your gardens struggling from lack of structure and texture with the same color small leaf perennials? Look to fill your garden with tropical-looking perennials and annuals.

The large leaves of Hosta that gain a width of 48” to 60” are magnificent. Variegation is a plus. The perennial Rodgersia is a large split leaf plant that takes on space from late July through frost.

Canna plants (left) in burgundy, stripes or green are my favorites. In fall, your Canna will explode in a large patio planter or as structure pieces in your garden. Give these beauties a chance. Repeat the theme of your same color annuals, peppered them in your gardens or in  your patio planters. Fall Clematis (below) is a true winner that trails along fences or on a trellis. This fragrant cream color vine is a proven focal point.

DON’T JUST THINK FLOWERS, THINK FOLIAGE

Here is a list with some photos of variegated foliage in shrubs that also have a bloom. gated foliage in shrubs that also have a bloom. Variegated evergreens give your garden a start toward color throughout the year.

Gold Dust Plant Japanese Euonymus Glossy Abelia Dogwood ”Ivory Halo” Variegated boxwood   Silverberry Fragrant Daphne Fragrant Daphne

Glossy Abelia Dogwood “Ivory Halo”

Here is an additional list of variegated perennials that give visual interest among the solid greens in your garden.   ‘Norah Leigh’ variegated garden pholox Lamium Galeobdolon Varigated iris Loosestrife

"Norah Leigh" Varigated Iris

Lamium Loosestrife

Persicaria which loves the shade.

HOW TO GET A HYDRANGEA TO FLOWER Why aren't my hydrangeas flowering?

There are numerous horticultural theories on why some hydrangeas especially, macrophilia species are not consistent with their blooming periods. Some hydrangeas of this class, bloom great one year and sparse the next.  Since these hydrangeas bloom on old and new wood, any pruning of new or spent flowers is fine. In fact, the more you can prune the new flowers, reduce the weight of the branches; you get a great reward with a fresh bouquet of hydrangea blossoms. In fact, cutting and drying these flowers are ideal for fall or Christmas indoor arrangements. There are some guidelines that could provide some insurance for blooms. Color of blossoms is a separate soil matter than blooms. Since hydrangeas do standout in your garden when they bloom, failure to show blooms is most noticeable in your landscape. A hydrangea not blooming can be frustrating; this is a concern for many gardeners. Pruning and protecting the crown base from winter and spring freezes is key for maximum bud protection. When pruning, cut stem above first set of leaves beneath the spent flower. Fertilize in early spring then again when blooming zone 4 and 5.

LATE SEASON SHOW

Look for textural assets in your fall garden. Upright bloomers with color and movement can add fun and whimsy to your space. After Fourth of July, you can have another fireworks in your garden with end of season explosions with grasses and Joe Pye Weed. These subtleties can add interest to your garden landscape. It is definitely worth giving them a try.

Joe Pye Weed

These grasses can be strategically placed and then you can watch evolving clumps of foliage change into waving colors of brown, bronze, and burgundy. Structurally these plants provide strong border or backdrop textural design, and then the show begins when the plumes put on their show.

I gained my appreciation for grasses from a dear friend of mine, who marveled at the English country gardens with floribunda and movement. Along with that, he had a passion for grasses. The taller, the better he said. The tall corn stalk variety stood over nine feet; and as his gardeners, we had the daunting task of moving and dividing large masses of grasses to redistribute in open areas of his magnificent garden.

Some top picks come from many garden magazines suggestions and our experiences on installing these as Keepers of the Garden . So through the years, I educated myself on the varieties of grasses and the lovely structural interest they add to a landscape.

Korean Feather

My appreciation has grown significantly and so have the varieties available and how to in cooperate them into a purposeful part of your landscape. The Karl Foerster plumes are brown, where the Korean Feather is 3” wide and the inflorescences color of pink tones flank the plumes.

Red Rocket Bunny Grass

"Red Rocket" 3T x 4W is a fountain grass that is red and a true perennial. It has dark color bottlebrush flowers that peak right before the frost. Deadhead before winter to prevent reseeding . “Maiden Bunny Grass” is a smaller variety that has great staying power for a small space. Can be set in a planter. It can be planted in a small space; it is suitable for a dry site or moist site. It is 3T x 2W and can provide a show of silvery plumes with a faint pink tinge. After the flowers fade, the mass of stems and seeds heads remain in your garden for winter interest. “Graziella” Miscanthius has silver- colored thinner plumes which are upright and a bottom arching foliage. 6T x 4W. When this grass emerges it changes color from bronze to silver. They have sharp edges on the blades that have a thin pin stripe down the middle. These do need dividing every three years if they are among your other plantings in a bed .

Images of Graziella

STOP THE FLOP: The best tip for straightening your grasses is sun and drainage.

Keep grasses in the sun most of the day Well drained lean soil is essential Plant in a raised bed if necessary, to ensure drainage Lean up soil by adding stones with your planting Divide the larger varieties especially every 3 to 4 years When re planting add some sand to lean up soil for drainage

TRELLIS TOOLS

Put your old broken tools to work and help recycle with purpose. After many years of hard work iron rakes and shovels loosen from the wooden handles. As Keepers of the Garden we move through many tools each season and end up with a pile by September. A charming way of re-purposing these tools is to use them as a trellis. Take three old tools with wooden handles, such as rakes, hoes or shovels: tie them up with sturdy twine or brown rope. Lean them into one another and stake in the ground. This is perfect planting for annuals if you want a seasonal change. Try climbing nasturtiums, morning glories, or mixed colors of potato vine.This structure will add whimsy to a spot that needs a lift.

TAKE A LOOK AT BARK

Year round interest takes on a new meaning when you have a colorful trunk exposed and stems in your design. Having unique bark, colorful exfoliation, and a trunk is just as valuable as an ornamental asset, as a flower or a leaf. The art of having more than one element is very exciting when planning a garden. You can elevate your garden from a simple planting to a colorful work of art.  If you think your landscape could use more “bark” and “trunk” exposure then consider some of the following options Acer Griseum- paper bark maple 20x25 full sun to partial shade, my favorite Acer Pensylvanicum – striped maple 15x20 partial shade to full shade Prunus Serrula – paperbark cherry 15x20 sun to partial shade

Pensylvanicum

Acer Griseum   Prunus Serrula – paperbark cherry

These are some ideas to make your garden amazing in late summer early fall; let’s keep the life of a garden alive as long as possible. Snow will be here soon enough!

Here are some tasty treats to try while you are creating! It’s that time of year when our zucchini plants blossom and yield the most spectacular fruits. What to do if you have abundance or your friends and neighbors are sharing their crop. I took these two recipes from the entertaining house. They are my favorite take-along snack foods. Give them try.!

Zucchini Chips Season them with salt and pepper, or jazz them up with cayenne pepper seasoning or paprika or a small amount Parmesan cheese. The options are endless! Slice zucchini with a mandolin Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 min Zucchini Fritters INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, grated 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ( can use brown rice flour or glute free cracker crumbs) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large egg, beaten Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil DIRECTIONS: Place grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Add salt and gently toss to combine; let sit for 10 minutes. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain zucchini completely. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, flour, Parmesan, garlic and egg; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Scoop tablespoons of batter for each fritter, flattening with a spatula, and cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, about 1-2 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

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