great gardens: summer 2014

41
GREAT GARDENS Ideas for Smart Gardeners WITH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2014 Fresh Ideas for Window Boxes The Best of the New Small Shrubs Grow Your Own Raspberries Make a Homegrown Bouquet

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Read about growing shrubs in pots, fairy gardening, growing raspberries, window boxes and much more.

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Page 1: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

GREAT GARDENSIdeas for Smart Gardeners

WITH MAGAZINE

S U M M E R 2 0 1 4

Fresh Ideas for Window Boxes

The Best of the New Small Shrubs

Grow Your Own Raspberries

Make a Homegrown Bouquet

To order these products or for pricing information call or visit us onlineBrowse our catalog online or download it to the Lee Valley Library app for iPadreg iPodreg iPhonereg or Androidtrade device

1-800-683-8170 wwwleevalleycom

10

14

13

11

12

1

2

6

3

7

4

85

9

Tools to Capture Summerrsquos FlavorsThese tools offer modern-day conveniences of classic no-nonsense accessories to make preserving your harvest relatively effortless without spoiling traditions Whether you are canning pickles jams or sauces yoursquoll savor our wide selection of practical tools for todayrsquos homesteader

1 Kobra V-Slicer EV136 2 Stainless-Steel Kitchen Scale EV145 3 Canning Funnel EV118 4 Apple Peeler EV120 5 Pair of Slanted Pot Spoons EV255 6 European Tomato Press EV101 7 Food Dehydrator EV332 8 Kitchen Tongs EV112 9 Maslin Pan with Lid EV269 10 Set of 6 Spice Jar Measuring Spoons EV110 11 Canning and Cooling Rack 09A0427 12 Set of 6 Lifetime Measuring Cups EV105 13 Epicureanreg Cutting Board 12 times 9 EV181 14 Low-Profile Mortar amp Pestle MP101 15 Herb amp Spice Infuser EM241 Shipping and NY sales tax extra

15

Find us on

10

16

A Good View

Smaller Shrubs

Summer Breeze

20

To order these products or for pricing information call or visit us onlineBrowse our catalog online or download it to the Lee Valley Library app for iPadreg iPodreg iPhonereg or Androidtrade device

1-800-683-8170 wwwleevalleycom

10

14

13

11

12

1

2

6

3

7

4

85

9

Tools to Capture Summerrsquos FlavorsThese tools offer modern-day conveniences of classic no-nonsense accessories to make preserving your harvest relatively effortless without spoiling traditions Whether you are canning pickles jams or sauces yoursquoll savor our wide selection of practical tools for todayrsquos homesteader

1 Kobra V-Slicer EV136 2 Stainless-Steel Kitchen Scale EV145 3 Canning Funnel EV118 4 Apple Peeler EV120 5 Pair of Slanted Pot Spoons EV255 6 European Tomato Press EV101 7 Food Dehydrator EV332 8 Kitchen Tongs EV112 9 Maslin Pan with Lid EV269 10 Set of 6 Spice Jar Measuring Spoons EV110 11 Canning and Cooling Rack 09A0427 12 Set of 6 Lifetime Measuring Cups EV105 13 Epicureanreg Cutting Board 12 times 9 EV181 14 Low-Profile Mortar amp Pestle MP101 15 Herb amp Spice Infuser EM241 Shipping and NY sales tax extra

15

Find us on

| GREAT GARDENS2

04 EDITORrsquoS NOTEDetails Details

06 OUR FAVORITE THINGSGreat Gardening Gear

24 TIME-SAVING TIPSQuick Picks

26 CONTAINER GARDENING Potted Shrubs

29 COMMUNITY GARDENA Wild Community

31 PLANT PROFILES A Flash in the Dark

32 SMALL SPACES Up on the Roof

34 KIDS GARDENThe Magic Touch

36 KITCHEN GARDENINGRaspberries

38 QUOTE OF THE SEASONEdith Wharton

EDITORIAL

edithortmagcom

Community Leader Patty Dunning

Editor Meghan Shinn

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS

Meghan Shinn Kelsea Daulton

DESIGN amp PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director Bethany Rainbolt

Designer Claire Holten

Managing Photographer Ric Deliantoni

Photographer Al Parrish

ADVERTISING

advertisinghortmagcom

VP Sales Dave Davel

Advertising Sales Michelle Kraemer 888-457-2873 x13245

Advertising Sales Coordinator Connie Kostrzewa

F+W MEDIA INC

Chairman amp CEO David Nussbaum

CFO James Ogle

President David Blansfield

SVP Operations Phil Graham

Chief Digital Officer eMedia Chad Phelps

Director IT Jim Kuster

Director of Finance Trent Miller

Events Director Cory Smith

Audience Development Paul Rolnick

Privacy promise Occasionally we make portions of our customer list

available to other companies so they may contact you about products

and services that may be of interest to you If you prefer that we

withhold your name simply send a note with the magazine name to

List Manager F+W Media Inc 10151 Carver Road Suite 200 Blue Ash

OH 45242

| GREAT GARDENS4

Wersquove all heard the saying ldquothe devil

is in the detailsrdquo Sure therersquos truth to

that but I think you can find heaven in the details

toomdashespecially when it comes to gardening The

little flourishes the finishing touches the carefully

chosen colors textures patterns these are

the things that make our gardens personal and

complete

This issue of Great Gardens includes lots of ideas

for mastering some small details in your garden

that can take its design to another level Yoursquoll

learn how to grow shrubs in containers for a

compelling focal point or unique complement

plus yoursquoll discover some small varieties that will

work particularly well This issue also includes

fresh takes on window boxes plants that add eye-

catching movement to your garden tips on creating

a fairy garden with kids gold plants for shade and

much more Enjoy

mdash Meghan Shinn E D I T O R

PRODUCT bull

| GREAT GARDENS6

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| GREAT GARDENS7

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| GREAT GARDENS8

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

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02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

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03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 2: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

To order these products or for pricing information call or visit us onlineBrowse our catalog online or download it to the Lee Valley Library app for iPadreg iPodreg iPhonereg or Androidtrade device

1-800-683-8170 wwwleevalleycom

10

14

13

11

12

1

2

6

3

7

4

85

9

Tools to Capture Summerrsquos FlavorsThese tools offer modern-day conveniences of classic no-nonsense accessories to make preserving your harvest relatively effortless without spoiling traditions Whether you are canning pickles jams or sauces yoursquoll savor our wide selection of practical tools for todayrsquos homesteader

1 Kobra V-Slicer EV136 2 Stainless-Steel Kitchen Scale EV145 3 Canning Funnel EV118 4 Apple Peeler EV120 5 Pair of Slanted Pot Spoons EV255 6 European Tomato Press EV101 7 Food Dehydrator EV332 8 Kitchen Tongs EV112 9 Maslin Pan with Lid EV269 10 Set of 6 Spice Jar Measuring Spoons EV110 11 Canning and Cooling Rack 09A0427 12 Set of 6 Lifetime Measuring Cups EV105 13 Epicureanreg Cutting Board 12 times 9 EV181 14 Low-Profile Mortar amp Pestle MP101 15 Herb amp Spice Infuser EM241 Shipping and NY sales tax extra

15

Find us on

10

16

A Good View

Smaller Shrubs

Summer Breeze

20

To order these products or for pricing information call or visit us onlineBrowse our catalog online or download it to the Lee Valley Library app for iPadreg iPodreg iPhonereg or Androidtrade device

1-800-683-8170 wwwleevalleycom

10

14

13

11

12

1

2

6

3

7

4

85

9

Tools to Capture Summerrsquos FlavorsThese tools offer modern-day conveniences of classic no-nonsense accessories to make preserving your harvest relatively effortless without spoiling traditions Whether you are canning pickles jams or sauces yoursquoll savor our wide selection of practical tools for todayrsquos homesteader

1 Kobra V-Slicer EV136 2 Stainless-Steel Kitchen Scale EV145 3 Canning Funnel EV118 4 Apple Peeler EV120 5 Pair of Slanted Pot Spoons EV255 6 European Tomato Press EV101 7 Food Dehydrator EV332 8 Kitchen Tongs EV112 9 Maslin Pan with Lid EV269 10 Set of 6 Spice Jar Measuring Spoons EV110 11 Canning and Cooling Rack 09A0427 12 Set of 6 Lifetime Measuring Cups EV105 13 Epicureanreg Cutting Board 12 times 9 EV181 14 Low-Profile Mortar amp Pestle MP101 15 Herb amp Spice Infuser EM241 Shipping and NY sales tax extra

15

Find us on

| GREAT GARDENS2

04 EDITORrsquoS NOTEDetails Details

06 OUR FAVORITE THINGSGreat Gardening Gear

24 TIME-SAVING TIPSQuick Picks

26 CONTAINER GARDENING Potted Shrubs

29 COMMUNITY GARDENA Wild Community

31 PLANT PROFILES A Flash in the Dark

32 SMALL SPACES Up on the Roof

34 KIDS GARDENThe Magic Touch

36 KITCHEN GARDENINGRaspberries

38 QUOTE OF THE SEASONEdith Wharton

EDITORIAL

edithortmagcom

Community Leader Patty Dunning

Editor Meghan Shinn

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS

Meghan Shinn Kelsea Daulton

DESIGN amp PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director Bethany Rainbolt

Designer Claire Holten

Managing Photographer Ric Deliantoni

Photographer Al Parrish

ADVERTISING

advertisinghortmagcom

VP Sales Dave Davel

Advertising Sales Michelle Kraemer 888-457-2873 x13245

Advertising Sales Coordinator Connie Kostrzewa

F+W MEDIA INC

Chairman amp CEO David Nussbaum

CFO James Ogle

President David Blansfield

SVP Operations Phil Graham

Chief Digital Officer eMedia Chad Phelps

Director IT Jim Kuster

Director of Finance Trent Miller

Events Director Cory Smith

Audience Development Paul Rolnick

Privacy promise Occasionally we make portions of our customer list

available to other companies so they may contact you about products

and services that may be of interest to you If you prefer that we

withhold your name simply send a note with the magazine name to

List Manager F+W Media Inc 10151 Carver Road Suite 200 Blue Ash

OH 45242

| GREAT GARDENS4

Wersquove all heard the saying ldquothe devil

is in the detailsrdquo Sure therersquos truth to

that but I think you can find heaven in the details

toomdashespecially when it comes to gardening The

little flourishes the finishing touches the carefully

chosen colors textures patterns these are

the things that make our gardens personal and

complete

This issue of Great Gardens includes lots of ideas

for mastering some small details in your garden

that can take its design to another level Yoursquoll

learn how to grow shrubs in containers for a

compelling focal point or unique complement

plus yoursquoll discover some small varieties that will

work particularly well This issue also includes

fresh takes on window boxes plants that add eye-

catching movement to your garden tips on creating

a fairy garden with kids gold plants for shade and

much more Enjoy

mdash Meghan Shinn E D I T O R

PRODUCT bull

| GREAT GARDENS6

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| GREAT GARDENS7

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ULTRABRAID BELTED HATZapposcomzapposcom$42

| GREAT GARDENS8

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 3: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

10

16

A Good View

Smaller Shrubs

Summer Breeze

20

To order these products or for pricing information call or visit us onlineBrowse our catalog online or download it to the Lee Valley Library app for iPadreg iPodreg iPhonereg or Androidtrade device

1-800-683-8170 wwwleevalleycom

10

14

13

11

12

1

2

6

3

7

4

85

9

Tools to Capture Summerrsquos FlavorsThese tools offer modern-day conveniences of classic no-nonsense accessories to make preserving your harvest relatively effortless without spoiling traditions Whether you are canning pickles jams or sauces yoursquoll savor our wide selection of practical tools for todayrsquos homesteader

1 Kobra V-Slicer EV136 2 Stainless-Steel Kitchen Scale EV145 3 Canning Funnel EV118 4 Apple Peeler EV120 5 Pair of Slanted Pot Spoons EV255 6 European Tomato Press EV101 7 Food Dehydrator EV332 8 Kitchen Tongs EV112 9 Maslin Pan with Lid EV269 10 Set of 6 Spice Jar Measuring Spoons EV110 11 Canning and Cooling Rack 09A0427 12 Set of 6 Lifetime Measuring Cups EV105 13 Epicureanreg Cutting Board 12 times 9 EV181 14 Low-Profile Mortar amp Pestle MP101 15 Herb amp Spice Infuser EM241 Shipping and NY sales tax extra

15

Find us on

| GREAT GARDENS2

04 EDITORrsquoS NOTEDetails Details

06 OUR FAVORITE THINGSGreat Gardening Gear

24 TIME-SAVING TIPSQuick Picks

26 CONTAINER GARDENING Potted Shrubs

29 COMMUNITY GARDENA Wild Community

31 PLANT PROFILES A Flash in the Dark

32 SMALL SPACES Up on the Roof

34 KIDS GARDENThe Magic Touch

36 KITCHEN GARDENINGRaspberries

38 QUOTE OF THE SEASONEdith Wharton

EDITORIAL

edithortmagcom

Community Leader Patty Dunning

Editor Meghan Shinn

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS

Meghan Shinn Kelsea Daulton

DESIGN amp PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director Bethany Rainbolt

Designer Claire Holten

Managing Photographer Ric Deliantoni

Photographer Al Parrish

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VP Sales Dave Davel

Advertising Sales Michelle Kraemer 888-457-2873 x13245

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Chairman amp CEO David Nussbaum

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Chief Digital Officer eMedia Chad Phelps

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and services that may be of interest to you If you prefer that we

withhold your name simply send a note with the magazine name to

List Manager F+W Media Inc 10151 Carver Road Suite 200 Blue Ash

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| GREAT GARDENS4

Wersquove all heard the saying ldquothe devil

is in the detailsrdquo Sure therersquos truth to

that but I think you can find heaven in the details

toomdashespecially when it comes to gardening The

little flourishes the finishing touches the carefully

chosen colors textures patterns these are

the things that make our gardens personal and

complete

This issue of Great Gardens includes lots of ideas

for mastering some small details in your garden

that can take its design to another level Yoursquoll

learn how to grow shrubs in containers for a

compelling focal point or unique complement

plus yoursquoll discover some small varieties that will

work particularly well This issue also includes

fresh takes on window boxes plants that add eye-

catching movement to your garden tips on creating

a fairy garden with kids gold plants for shade and

much more Enjoy

mdash Meghan Shinn E D I T O R

PRODUCT bull

| GREAT GARDENS6

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| GREAT GARDENS7

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| GREAT GARDENS8

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

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rub

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| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

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| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 4: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS2

04 EDITORrsquoS NOTEDetails Details

06 OUR FAVORITE THINGSGreat Gardening Gear

24 TIME-SAVING TIPSQuick Picks

26 CONTAINER GARDENING Potted Shrubs

29 COMMUNITY GARDENA Wild Community

31 PLANT PROFILES A Flash in the Dark

32 SMALL SPACES Up on the Roof

34 KIDS GARDENThe Magic Touch

36 KITCHEN GARDENINGRaspberries

38 QUOTE OF THE SEASONEdith Wharton

EDITORIAL

edithortmagcom

Community Leader Patty Dunning

Editor Meghan Shinn

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS

Meghan Shinn Kelsea Daulton

DESIGN amp PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director Bethany Rainbolt

Designer Claire Holten

Managing Photographer Ric Deliantoni

Photographer Al Parrish

ADVERTISING

advertisinghortmagcom

VP Sales Dave Davel

Advertising Sales Michelle Kraemer 888-457-2873 x13245

Advertising Sales Coordinator Connie Kostrzewa

F+W MEDIA INC

Chairman amp CEO David Nussbaum

CFO James Ogle

President David Blansfield

SVP Operations Phil Graham

Chief Digital Officer eMedia Chad Phelps

Director IT Jim Kuster

Director of Finance Trent Miller

Events Director Cory Smith

Audience Development Paul Rolnick

Privacy promise Occasionally we make portions of our customer list

available to other companies so they may contact you about products

and services that may be of interest to you If you prefer that we

withhold your name simply send a note with the magazine name to

List Manager F+W Media Inc 10151 Carver Road Suite 200 Blue Ash

OH 45242

| GREAT GARDENS4

Wersquove all heard the saying ldquothe devil

is in the detailsrdquo Sure therersquos truth to

that but I think you can find heaven in the details

toomdashespecially when it comes to gardening The

little flourishes the finishing touches the carefully

chosen colors textures patterns these are

the things that make our gardens personal and

complete

This issue of Great Gardens includes lots of ideas

for mastering some small details in your garden

that can take its design to another level Yoursquoll

learn how to grow shrubs in containers for a

compelling focal point or unique complement

plus yoursquoll discover some small varieties that will

work particularly well This issue also includes

fresh takes on window boxes plants that add eye-

catching movement to your garden tips on creating

a fairy garden with kids gold plants for shade and

much more Enjoy

mdash Meghan Shinn E D I T O R

PRODUCT bull

| GREAT GARDENS6

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| GREAT GARDENS7

See more products we love

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ULTRABRAID BELTED HATZapposcomzapposcom$42

| GREAT GARDENS8

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

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MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

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TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 5: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

EDITORIAL

edithortmagcom

Community Leader Patty Dunning

Editor Meghan Shinn

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS

Meghan Shinn Kelsea Daulton

DESIGN amp PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director Bethany Rainbolt

Designer Claire Holten

Managing Photographer Ric Deliantoni

Photographer Al Parrish

ADVERTISING

advertisinghortmagcom

VP Sales Dave Davel

Advertising Sales Michelle Kraemer 888-457-2873 x13245

Advertising Sales Coordinator Connie Kostrzewa

F+W MEDIA INC

Chairman amp CEO David Nussbaum

CFO James Ogle

President David Blansfield

SVP Operations Phil Graham

Chief Digital Officer eMedia Chad Phelps

Director IT Jim Kuster

Director of Finance Trent Miller

Events Director Cory Smith

Audience Development Paul Rolnick

Privacy promise Occasionally we make portions of our customer list

available to other companies so they may contact you about products

and services that may be of interest to you If you prefer that we

withhold your name simply send a note with the magazine name to

List Manager F+W Media Inc 10151 Carver Road Suite 200 Blue Ash

OH 45242

| GREAT GARDENS4

Wersquove all heard the saying ldquothe devil

is in the detailsrdquo Sure therersquos truth to

that but I think you can find heaven in the details

toomdashespecially when it comes to gardening The

little flourishes the finishing touches the carefully

chosen colors textures patterns these are

the things that make our gardens personal and

complete

This issue of Great Gardens includes lots of ideas

for mastering some small details in your garden

that can take its design to another level Yoursquoll

learn how to grow shrubs in containers for a

compelling focal point or unique complement

plus yoursquoll discover some small varieties that will

work particularly well This issue also includes

fresh takes on window boxes plants that add eye-

catching movement to your garden tips on creating

a fairy garden with kids gold plants for shade and

much more Enjoy

mdash Meghan Shinn E D I T O R

PRODUCT bull

| GREAT GARDENS6

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| GREAT GARDENS7

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| GREAT GARDENS8

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

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hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 6: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS4

Wersquove all heard the saying ldquothe devil

is in the detailsrdquo Sure therersquos truth to

that but I think you can find heaven in the details

toomdashespecially when it comes to gardening The

little flourishes the finishing touches the carefully

chosen colors textures patterns these are

the things that make our gardens personal and

complete

This issue of Great Gardens includes lots of ideas

for mastering some small details in your garden

that can take its design to another level Yoursquoll

learn how to grow shrubs in containers for a

compelling focal point or unique complement

plus yoursquoll discover some small varieties that will

work particularly well This issue also includes

fresh takes on window boxes plants that add eye-

catching movement to your garden tips on creating

a fairy garden with kids gold plants for shade and

much more Enjoy

mdash Meghan Shinn E D I T O R

PRODUCT bull

| GREAT GARDENS6

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| GREAT GARDENS7

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| GREAT GARDENS8

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 7: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

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| GREAT GARDENS6

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| GREAT GARDENS7

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| GREAT GARDENS8

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

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4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

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08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 8: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS7

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monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 9: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS8

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

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oto

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his

sp

rea

d a

nd

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vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

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olo

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rub

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| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 10: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS9

monroviacom shop

Incredible Edibles

Monroviarsquos Edible Collection offers dozens of edibles chosen for taste beauty and ease of growing Our stunning fruit trees and shrubs will complement an existing ornamental garden providing a

bounty of fruit and berries Easy care and attractive herbs like Rosemary and Bay Laurel round out the edible garden

Angel Redreg Pomegranate produces seeds that are pleasant to eat and have a juice content much higher than other Pomegranates

Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry named for its lovely blue green winter foliage makes a lovely hedge planting It offers year round

interest ndash dainty white flowers in spring a huge crop of tasty berries in summer and purple fall color

Citrus with its glossy green foliage and fantastic fragrant flowers is always a favorite Our many dwarf varieties do beautifully in containers

making them easy to overwinter

Monrovia High-bred Well-fed Loving-care

w w w m o n r o v i a c o m

plants

beautifullyEDIBLE

Raspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry

Angel Redreg Pomegranate

Peach Sorbettrade BlueberryRaspberry Shortcaketrade Dwarf Thornless Raspberry Bountiful Bluereg Blueberry

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

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02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

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03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

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MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

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twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 11: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

SmallerShrubs

| GREAT GARDENS10

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

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DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 12: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

Shrubs are indispensable components of any garden because they offer multi-season visual interest value to wildlife tolerance of difficult conditions and gen-eral low maintenance (all depending on species of course) Some shrubs particularly older varieties or straight species simply grow too large for the small lots and gardens of today Happily breeders have cut

many old-fashioned shrubs down to size providing versatile plants that need no pruning to stay in place

Try these little varieties in tight spaces perennial beds and containers

by Meghan Shinn

A pair of Creme Fraiche deutzia

| GREAT GARDENS11

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

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74808 019140 4

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US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

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MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

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74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

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TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

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74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 13: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

spiraeaSpiraea have long been popular but they tend to grow too large commanding too much space for the little interest they contribute beyond their early summer flowering The Double Play series of spiraea developed by Proven Winners solves this problem with compact spiraea that lend in-terest in spring summer and in some cases fall For example Double Play Gold bursts forth in spring with vivid chartreuse stems and foliage these later turn a darker lime Itrsquos an improve-ment over other yellow-green selections because it resists scorching in full sun It grows just 16 to 24 inches tall making it easy to incorporate among perennials or site as a low informal hedge along a path or around a bed Oh it serves up the pink flowers expected from spiraea too

deutziaSlender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) has always been a stunner with loose clusters of fragrant white flowers covering its arching stemsmdashfor

Top to bottom Double Play Gold spiraea Chardonnay Pearls deutzia

Ph

oto

s t

his

sp

rea

d a

nd

pre

vio

us

pa

ge

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

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| GREAT GARDENS12

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

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03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 14: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

two weeks of the year Otherwise itrsquos kind of a green blob and a big one at that The cultivar lsquoNikkorsquo however changed this when it was introduced by the US National Arboretum in the late 1980s lsquoNikkorsquo is a dwarf growing just two feet tall it can spread to five feet making it a nice shrubby groundcover Its blooms are typical for the species but its leaves turn a deep burgundy in the fall Yuki Snowflake introduced in 2013 is similar in size and leaf but reportedly blooms more heavily than lsquoNikkorsquo Meanwhile Chardonnay Pearls and Creme Fraiche are other new deutzias with summer-long interest owing to their leaves The three-foot-tall Chardon-nay Pearls boasts bright yellow-green foliage all season Creme Fraiche has medium green leaves edged in white on a two-foot frame

weigelaThere are dozens and dozens of weigela from which to choose with flowers of white yellow pink or red and some of themmdashespecially recent introductionsmdashoffer prolonged interest with their dark or variegated leaves Wine amp Roses weigela has enjoyed great popularity owing to its dark purple foliage which contrast beauti-fully with its pink flowers Spilled Wine is a

similar plant but smaller At under two feet tall and three feet wide itrsquos at most half of the size of a typical weigela recommending it for the front of the border My Monet is also a dwarf but with multicolored leaves of pink green and white

Above left to right Spilled Wine and My Monet weigela

| GREAT GARDENS13

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

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SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

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Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 15: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

hydrangeaTherersquos not much more impressive than a hydran-gea in full bloom be it a bigleaf (macrophylla) type or a panicle (paniculata) variety Unfortunately the former tend to get very large and since they set their flower buds in late summer we have to leave their bare stems standing all winter when they look something like a crashed Sputnik New bigleaf varieties stay small though and some bloom on both old and new wood Try Letrsquos Dance Rhapsody Blue for big bright reliable blossoms on a framework that stays under three feet

Little Quick Fire is a brand-new panicle variety with conical summer flowers from buds formed earlier in the same season They open white but soon ignite into shades of pink It can get relatively bigmdashup to five feetmdashbut thatrsquos still small compared to the tree-like dimensions of older panicles

arborvitaeFor year-round color in a tight space or container try a dwarf arborvitae which offers eye-catching texture too We like lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo for its vividly colored new growth and its narrow shape It will (slowly) get quite tall but its slim silhouette makes it perfect for flanking a doorway or marking the corner of a garden If you need something that stays short and round try lsquoMr Bowling Ballrsquo arbor-vitae instead bull

Clockwise from left Little Quick Fire hydrangea Letrsquos Dance

Rhapsody Blue hydrangea lsquoFiliprsquos Magic Momentrsquo arborvitae

To

p a

nd

le

ft

copyP

rov

en

Win

ne

rs C

olo

r C

ho

ice

Sh

rub

s

Rig

ht

copyM

eg

ha

n S

hin

n

| GREAT GARDENS14

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 16: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS15

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 17: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

summer breezeAdd movement to your garden with plants that bend and sway

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS16

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 18: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

Wind can be a problem in gar-dens in that it can dry out the soil break delicate plants and if fairly constant stunt plantsrsquo growth or produce deformed leaning lopsided shape A gar-den open to frequent breezes

presents a unique advantage however Itrsquos the chance to add motion to the garden by incorporating flexible plants that can cope with wind in a very graceful way

Movement is an important garden element because it calls attention The fluttering or swaying of leaves and stems catch the eye and cause one to focus in on that area of the garden Certain plants add sound as they move too

Flexible plants provide flexibility in placement These tall but wispy plants can be placed toward the front of the bed or border without the fear that theyrsquoll block views of smaller plants behind them In fact this placement adds mystery to the scene as one catches glimpses of other plants as the fore-ground plant moves alternately blocking and revealing the view Indeed many plants that add motion to the garden are also lauded as ldquosee-throughrdquo plants by garden designers

choosing and using plants that sway The best choices will be tall because they can be caught by the wind and they will give the biggest movement Good options typically have tall thin flexible flowering stems ex-tending from a low clump of foliage This low growth gives the plant a sturdy base not affected by the wind

When adding movement to your garden with plants use only one or two kinds in an area especially when placing them in front of shorter plants Otherwise they may com-pete for visual attention or make the garden look cluttered and tangled If possible leave your swaying plants standing through the fall and winter so they can continue to add inter-est and motion throughout those seasons

Turn the page for a few favorite plants for breezy spots

| GREAT GARDENS17

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

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hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 19: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

New York IronweedNative to much of eastern North America this species of iron-weed (Vernonia noveboracen-sis) can grow up to seven feet tall In gardens a size of four to six feet is typical It grows as a clump of stems lined with long narrow leaves and topped with clusters of tiny vivid purple flowers in late summer Though the stems are thick and sturdy theyrsquoll sway in the wind New York ironweed grows in moist thickets marshes and stream-banks in the wild so allow it plenty of water Full sun USDA Zones 5ndash8

BeardstongueThe genus Penstemon includes dozens of species native to var-ious parts of North America as well as numerous selections bred for gardens For the most part theyrsquore drought-tolerant perennials with many hailing from the western United States Beardstongues as theyrsquore also called form a basal rosette of leaves from which rise tall hol-low stems bearing tubular flow-ers Sizes vary but tall species include P palmeri (3 to 6 feet) P parryi (3 to 4 feet) and P spec-tabilis (4 to 5 feet) Hardiness varies too but a penstemon can be found for nearly every zone Good drainage is a must

Ornamental GrassesOrnamental grasses make up a huge category of garden plants with species and cultivars to suit any site Grasses are often lauded for their ease of care fine texture upright or mounded habit fall color and winter interest Add graceful motion to that list Tall varieties are particularly useful in breezy spots where they can bend and rustle Shown above lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo feather reed grass (Calamagrostis timesacutiflora lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) the 2014 Perennial Plant of the Year is one option or try a native like switch grass (Panicum virgatum)

| GREAT GARDENS18

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 20: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

Lindheimerrsquos BeeblossomAlso called white gaura and but-terfly gaura Gaura lindheimeri is a perennial wildflower na-tive to prairies pond edges and pinelands of Louisiana and Tex-as It forms a basal rosette of foliage from which come tall thin stems of delicate flowers There are a number of named cultivars of this graceful peren-nial including lsquoWhirling But-terfliesrsquo lsquoSiskiyou Pinkrsquo lsquoThe Bridersquo lsquoPink Cloudrsquo and lsquoSum-mer Breezersquo one of the tallest (four feet) Generally they all like lean soil good drainage and sun and can take winters as cold as Zone 5 or 6

Angelrsquos Fishing Rod If ever there was a plant with a perfectly descriptive common name itrsquos the genus Dierama also known as angelrsquos fishing rod and fairy wand flower These grassy plants from South Africa bear bell-shaped pink flowers that dangle from stems as tall as four to five feet Dieramas needs good drainage and full sun Har-dy to Zone 7 In colder areas you can grow them in pots (they grow from bulb-like structures called corms) let them go dor-mant in fall and winter them in a cool dry indoor space

False Indigo Because of its substantial size and shape false indigo (Bapti-sia australis) seems more like a shrub than a perennialmdashat least in summer since by win-ter it has mostly died back to the ground Itrsquos bulky growth habit may make it a surprising choice for a breezy spot too but it really will move with the air and its lovely clean blue-green leaves will flutter Its black seed pods make a rattling noise when shook This eastern-US native takes full sun or part shade and puts up with drought once es-tablished Zones 3ndash9 bull

| GREAT GARDENS19

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 21: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

good viewa

| GREAT GARDENS20

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

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01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 22: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

Peek-a-view Mounding or trailing plants are popular choices for window boxes but you can build a more dynamic display by including upright plants too Here the tall stems of the poppies add a vertical element to a mix of mounding violas and verbena without obscuring the view from indoors

A gardenerrsquos home is not complete without window boxes They add charm and color to any style of house and unique plant

combinations stress that a gardener lives within

Just a few simple guidelines will help you win at window boxes First wheth-er you buy boxes or build your own make sure they are rot resistant that they have drainage holes and that theyrsquoll stand up to the combined weight of soil plants and water (same goes for their brackets) Use brackets slightly longer than the window box to leave some space between the box and the house so that water wonrsquot get trapped where they meet Mount the brackets so the top of the box will sit a few inches below the window sillmdashespecially important if your windows open outward

The best wood window boxes are made of treated redwood or cedar They are sturdy and nice looking but they can be costly Fiberglass boxes hold up even better and look gorgeous Plastic win-dow boxes are the least expensive but can look it too Happily you can always hide them with trailing plants

Containers dry out quickly so you may need to water your window boxes every day particularly in hot dry or windy weather Keep in mind that eaves and gutters may prevent rainfall from reaching your window boxes

Making the most of window boxes

by Meghan Shinn

| GREAT GARDENS21

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 23: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

Draw the curtain A climber like this black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) can create an outdoor curtain that provides shade to the interior Itrsquos paired with mounding purple geraniums Intricate blooms or foliage and flowers that attract pollinators are also great choices for window boxes which give a closeup view of nature

See the long view Window boxes can be changed up seasonally but you can avoid this by planting a mix of plants that will bloom continually or successively Here the blue and white lobelias will bloom through most of summer If very hot weather slows them down the pink impatiens will take over In late summer and fall the central sedum will come into bloom

| GREAT GARDENS22

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 24: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

Think outside the box A shelf mounted below the window can hold many individual pots Here the pots all contain geraniums for a uniform simple look but you could mix up the contents This would allow you to grow plants that need different soil fertilizer and moisture levels at the same window

Take a cue Take advantage of architectural details to show off your window boxes It could be a deep sill that begs for a simple planter such as this one of pink and orange monkey flower (Mimulus cvs) Or your house may have decorative trim or colorful shutters that you could tie into your window boxes

Window dressing Whether the window is your only outdoor gardening space or you just want to maximize its use you can use additional boxes plus hanging baskets supported by brackets or even shutters Just be sure you can access the plants for maintenance from within the house or below the window bull

| GREAT GARDENS23

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 25: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS24

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Quick PicksHow to get the most out of

your fresh-cut flowers

IF YOU HAVE AN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN you most likely have a ready supply of materials for fresh arrangements to place in your own home or share with friends (Add a cutting garden and veg-etable plot to your yard and the options skyrocket but most ldquotypi-calrdquo beds or borders will provide just fine) Homegrown homemade bouquets are special because they reflect the local season and they can contain elements not commonly seen in the floristrsquos window Follow these tips for easy quick gathering of bouquets that will last

Before cutting anything stand back and take in the whole garden and surrounding landscape See whatrsquos at its peak and what will make an interesting combo The elements may be grow-ing far apart so take the wide view

by Meghan Shinn

| GARDENERS ON THE GO 30

TIME-SAVING TIPS bull

Contain Your Enthusiasm

5 low-effort ways to keep potted plants happy all summer

CONTAINERS OF PLANTS MAKE FABULOUS ADDITIONS TO IN-GROUND GARDENS providing accents and focal points They can also make a garden in and of themselvesmdashon balconies patios or other landless space Plants in pots can be a lot of work but they donrsquot have to be Just follow these easy tips

Be aware of water needs Soil in pots dries out faster than the ground sometimes needing wa-ter twice a day Choose non-porous material (think plastic or glazed stoneware instead of terra-cotta) to slow wa-ter loss or pick unthirsty plants like succulents

by Meghan Shinn

hortmagcomM A R C H A P R I L 2 0 1 3

SPRING PLANTING IDEAS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2V

yAFDUYswEMTAuNA

I4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

04

US $599

Display until May 6 2013

VINES THAT MIND

THEIR MANNERS

LOW-WATER GARDEN

SUPERSTARS PENSTEMONS

EXPERT ADVICE

ON HELLEBORES

BEST CHOICES

FOR BLUE FLOWERS

hortmagcomM AY J U N E 2 0 1 3

THE edibles ISSUE

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaW

NhdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc

2lvbikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErLzAE

MTAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwO

DAxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140

4

06

Display until July 8 2013

CAN $799

FRUITFUL FLOWERING SHRUBS

PERMACULTURE PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK

UNUSUAL VEGGIES FOR ADVENTUROUS

GARDENERS

PLUS LESSONS FROM A ROOFTOP GARDENER

SPRING PLANNING

GUIDEGET EVERY ISSUE OF HORTICULTURErsquoS PRINT MAGAZINE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR

With more than 100 years of smart gardening articles available to our editors along with the best garden writers working today as contributors Horticulture is a must-have for your resource library

hortmagcomJ U LYA U G U S T 2 0 1 3

3 AMAZING GARDEN VISITS

FnL1 04 0120

01 JUYrVyBQdWJsaWN

hdGlvbnMsIEluYyAo

02 SW9sYSBkaXZpc2lv

bikPR3JlZ29yeSBL

03 cnVlZ2VyAFErL1wEM

TAuNAI4MAExBVVQ

04 Qy1BDDA3NDgwOD

AxOTE0NAA=

74808 019140 4

08

Display until September 9 2013

US $599

BEST BUTTERFLY PLANTS

PERENNIALS FOR EXTREME DROUGHT

EASY-CARE HEDGE SHRUBS

DESIGNING WITH BOLD PLANTS

httptinyurlcomcohortsub

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 26: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS25

Short on flowers or hesi-tant to remove a lot from your garden scene Pick just a few choice blos-soms and frame them with large interesting leaves Think hostas heucheras ferns el-ephant ears and the like

Cut flowers in the cool-est times of the daymdashmorning or evening Cut the stems longer than yoursquoll need and place them immediately in a water pail Just a few inches of water is fine any deeper only adds weight

Carry several pails for dif-ferent elements or keep each type bundled sepa-rately in one large pail With the ingredients segregated building your bouquet will be easier

For long-lasting bouquets trim the stems and remove any foliage that would be under water in the vase Add floral preservative and change the water at least every other day Make your own preserva-tive 2 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp sugar + 14 tsp bleach + 1 qt water

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 27: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS26

CONTAINER GARDENING

GARDENERS HAVE taken heed to the many ben-efits of various shrubsmdashtheir few maintenance needs their multiple seasons of interest the habi-tat and food they provide for birds the food they provide for humans their versatility in garden de-sign Breeders have developed smaller varieties of classic shrubs that fit into smaller spaces and need no pruning These small varieties are also a natural fit for container gardening Paired with the right shrub a pot can create a long-lasting even year-round focal point It can make a simple but strong statement within a gar-den or mark transition points If itrsquos not huge it

Potted ShrubsShrubs and containers each offer delightful advantages

Why not bring them together

by Meghan Shinn

can be a movable detail In a small garden potted shrubs can act as dividers and privacy screens In patios courtyards or balconies where all the plants are in pots shrubs introduce diversity and scale and provide a natural backdrop for perenni-als and annuals Pots expand the planting possibilities regardless of some local conditions too Want to try a shrub not hardy in your zone Plant it in a pot that you can move under cover in winter Itching to grow blueberries camellias or other acid lovers but yoursquore on alkaline soil Try them in a pot of tailor-made growing mix

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 28: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS27

Considerations plants and potsWhen choosing a shrub to grow in a container go for a species thatrsquos naturally small or a variety thatrsquos been selected for its compact habit Alternatively you could choose a shrub that will ultimately grow quite large if you plan to later transplant it to a permanent in-ground location The container you choose should be two to three times the size of the pot in which you purchase the shrub As for growing requirements there are two key factors at which to look The first is its winter hardi-ness Choose something rated to two USDA zones colder than your own climate If yoursquore in Zone 6 the shrub should be able to withstand winters in Zone 4 (Of course you can always move more tender shrubs into a shed garage or other cold but sheltered space for the winter) The container should be frost-proof so that it wonrsquot crack or break as temperatures fluctuate Unglazed terra-cotta typically breaks but most other materials hold up The second key consideration is the shrubrsquos moisture needs Soil in containers dries out much more quickly than ground soil You can choose a shrub that loves damp earth but be prepared to water it perhaps twice a day Even drought-tolerant potted shrubs will likely need to be watered two or

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 29: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

three times a week in hot weather (Always remember that ldquodrought tolerantrdquo is usually qualified by ldquoonce establishedrdquo Any new planting will require watching and watering in dry spells) Make sure the container has several drainage holes

Planting and careIf yoursquove chosen a large container and shrub their com-bined weight could be significant Put the container in its final position before you add the soil and shrub Use a well-draining soil that addresses any special require-ments (like an acidic mix for rhodies and such) Set the shrub so that it sits at the same level as it did in its previous container Water it in well and top off the soil with mulch to conserve moisture The soil will eventually become exhausted from the shrub drawing on it and from water washing through it Rather than repot the shrub every year you can top dress itmdashgently remove the top few inches of soil and replace it with fresh soil or compost Repot the plant entirely every three years or so at which point you may want to move it into a larger container prune away some of the roots or shift it into the ground and start fresh with a different choice bull

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 30: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS29

A GARDEN SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE and its admirers is in the works on the lands near the Great Bay of New Hampshire A Community Wild-life Garden is being developed in Stratham along the Squamscott River and it is due to officially launch on Earth Day 2015 The Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is creating this as a place for all members of the community to enjoy

A wildlife garden is specifically designed to at-tract and protect several species of wildlife In or-der for a garden to be considered wildlife friendly it must be a habitat that provides four essentials food water cover and a place to raise young

Rachel Stevens is the stewardship coordinator

A Wild CommunityPlanting for animals and people

COMMUNITY GARDEN SPOTLIGHT bull

by Kelsea Daulton

at the Great Bay NERR The garden will be ldquoaes-thetically pleasing from a gardening perspective but also provide food cover and nesting opportu-nities for wildliferdquo she says The 16-acre garden is part of a 12-acre plot already being used as a wildlife-viewing platform overlooking a salt marsh and an osprey nest that was established in the early rsquo90s The wildlife garden project focuses on com-munity outreach because over 80 percent of land acres in New Hampshire is privately owned ldquoIf we donrsquot let people know that [what they] do affects wildlife we wonrsquot do our job thoroughlyrdquo Stevens explains ldquoItrsquos an opportunity to show how to cre-ate a wildlife-friendly fun and beautiful backyardrdquo

The educational elements of the garden will

STRATHAM

New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 31: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS30

accommodate people according to their interests There will be group tours covering a variety of topics There will undoubtedly be garden tours focusing on plants and school groups focusing on wildlife and phenology (the study of the life cycle of plants and animals and their relationship to changing seasons and climate) Stevens says the approach to education is casual and will include themed programs

The garden has been in the works since 2011 University of New Hampshire Professor John Hartrsquos landscape design students drew up individ-ual plans for the site in 2012 The best ideas were selected to be used by a landscape architect The design is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible and it features trails a rain garden an arbor replicating Thoreaursquos cabin and a pond and waterfall powered by the sun The cabin the exact dimensions of Thoreaursquos will be constructed of timber reclaimed from 18th-century houses

The inspiration for Thoreaursquos cabin replica came from the legacy he left behind

ldquoThoreau was a real originator of the natural conservation movement in Americardquo says Stevens Another defining feature of the garden is its ldquono-mowrdquo lawn Creeping thyme and other low-growing greens will be planted instead of tradi-tional grass so the lawn wonrsquot have to be continu-ously mowed Grape vines will grow up the cabin to provide food for wildlife Buttonbush and beach plums will provide nesting sites for birds differ-ent species of milkweed will assist all stages of the Monarch butterflyrsquos life and strawberries and sun-flowers will also be planted The rain garden will feature cardinal flower butterfly weed inkberry sweet pepperbush American cranberry red osier dogwoods high- and low-bush blueberries joe-pye weed and spicebush To track the progress of the Community Wild-life Garden follow their page on Facebook bull

The plan for the Community Wildlife Gardenrsquos rain garden was finalized using ideas from landscape-design students at the University of New Hampshire

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 32: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS31

PLANT PROFILES bull

lsquoAUGUST MOONrsquo HOSTA can spread to nearly four feet wide

with thick leaves that hold their color all summer With more sun theyrsquoll be

bright gold in deeper shade theyrsquoll verge on lime Zones 3ndash9

BOWLES GOLDEN SEDGE (Carex elata lsquoBowles Goldenrsquo) is a small upright ornamental grass for damp shady spots It will grow in shallow water or constantly wet soil Zones 5ndash8

CITRONELLE CORAL BELLS(Heuchera lsquoCitronellersquo) offers bright yellow leaves that stand up to heat and humidity because itrsquos a hybrid of H villosa a Southeastern native This variety grows just 12 inches tall and wide Zones 4ndash9

A Flash in the DarkBright foliage for shaded spaces

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

Ba

ll H

ort

icu

ltu

ral

Pe

ren

nia

lRe

so

urc

ec

om

GOLDEN GLOW BUGLEWEED(Ajuga reptans lsquoGolden Glowrsquo) a

new selection has ground-covering leaves of pale green and yellow

Blue spring flowers are just a bonus USDA Zones 3ndash9

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 33: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS32

SMALL SPACES

Up on the RoofA garden designer packs edibles and ornamentals into a

poolside roof garden

Waterfront Park Place is an 18-floor condominium building in Louisville Ky overlooking the Ohio River Several years ago I was challenged to create a garden for its sixth-floor out-door pool deck All residents would share the garden which needed dining nooks and loung-ing areas and it would be highly visible from the 12 floors above The predominantly southwest-ern exposure offered gorgeous views but also fierce and un-relenting sunlight Two small utility buildings created some

difficult angles and cried out for a vegetative covering to soften their stark concrete-block walls

The first thing a visitor sees is the wall of one of these utility buildings I used four rows of wall-mounted planters to offer a greeting from a wide array of edibles and ornamentals These narrow planters filled with a green-roof growing medium and outfitted with drip irriga-tion lines provide sharp drain-age The buildingrsquos residents are welcome to snip and enjoy the shallow-rooted fruits herbs and

by Tracey Williams

vegetables that are also mixed into the wall planters each year

A narrow walkway leads past the shed to the lounging and dining area this I edged with a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum lsquoHeavy Metalrsquo) In the spacersquos dining area native and well-adapted plants explode from massive interlocking planters that separate this deck from an adjoining private condominium and balcony Yew (Taxus hicksii) forms a tall evergreen backdrop for the mix of perennials herbs vegetables and flowers

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 34: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS33

Planters around the pool frame views of the city and river Large square pots house native service-berry shrubs (Amelanchier arbo-rea) which offer early spring blooms and autumn fruit and colored foliage Six large rect-angular planters sit on wheels making it easy to arrange and rearrange areas for the residents to sit and sun Large low-main-tenance colorful Itea lsquoHenryrsquos Garnetrsquo and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis lsquoKarl Foersterrsquo) fill these planters with space leftover for annuals

In this urban exposed en-vironment one canrsquot help but marvel at the resiliency of plants to survive But one notices most of all the ability of a spot of green to attract visitors human and otherwise Mockingbirds venture above the six stories to steal a berry The drip irriga-tion draws thirsty birds while delivering the moisture the plants need to bear the heatmdashjust enough no more The scent of recently harvested herbs per-meates the air the grass plumes gracefully obscure the parking lot nearby One can easily forget this is a garden up high bull

The rooftop containers at Waterfront Park Place arenrsquot merely ornamentalmdashthey also offer fresh eating to building residents plus birds and beneficial insects

Shallow narrow wall planters include strawberries culinary sage rosemary salad burnet thyme parsley and many other herbs plus a wide variety of lettuces and other seasonal greens These plantsrsquo shallow roots and appreciation for sharp drainage make them good candidates for green-wall systems

In larger containers catmints coneflowers and salvias serve up a feast to pollinating insects Edibles cleverly disguise themselves as ornamentals in these mixed plantings Broccoli swiss chard lacinato kale cilantro parsley and Asian greens make seasonal appearances to the delight of the condo dwellers

mdashTW

The Edible Roof

Far left Native

shrubs fill movable

planters by the

pool Left Hicksrsquos

yew backs a mix of

tender and hardy

perennials in one

sitting area Below

The walls of a

utility shed serve

as growing space

for edible and

ornamental plants

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 35: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS34

KIDS GARDENING

The Magic Touch

by Meghan Shinn

A fairy garden is a great place for young gardeners to start

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 36: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS35

IN MY EXPERIENCE as a mother of two children now ages four and nearly two Irsquove found the best way to get them interested in anything is to play to their imaginations Whether Irsquom herding them into shoes and coats putting a new food on their plates refereeing a ldquoThatrsquos minerdquo moment or announcing that itrsquos clean-up time a little ldquoHey letrsquos pretend thatrdquo really ups their focus and cooperation Irsquove found that it helps in the garden too

Donrsquot get me wrong my kids are excited about gardening without my encouragement The magic of seeds the beauty of flowers the bumblebees and butterflies and inchwormsmdashnot to mention that certain allure of watering cans and hose nozzlesmdashall of it appeals to young minds The challenge in gardening with children isnrsquot getting them excited but finding ways to harness that excitement and set them up for success so that their enthusiasm will remain My approach start small and use their imaginations Fairy gardening perfectly fits the bill

A fairy garden is simply a garden in miniature You can create one in the ground but doing it in a container works especially well for kids The container clearly defines the space as theirs and it confines the project to a very manageable amount of space You can also easily elevate the container by placing it on an outdoor table plant stand bench or wallmdashthereby bringing it closer to eye-level for your little gardener Finally by working in a container you can provide the plants with good quality well-draining potting mix and easily create new scenes by switching out plants season-ally or annually or even moving the container to sun or shade to suit different new plants

Look for a container thatrsquos wide because it will accommodate plants plus furniture and other ac-cessories It can be shallow particularly if yoursquoll be growing annuals which usually need only a six-inch depth Make sure it has drainage holes

Small plants with small leaves and flowers work best for a fairy garden because they fit the scale Pair them with tiny accessories and they take on the look of right-sized shrubs Fairy or miniature gardening has become a true genre in recent years with many garden centers devoting space to plants and fairy accoutrements If your favorite nursery doesnrsquot stock mini plants try using pieces of small-leaved groundcovers annuals that you can shear back if needed and slow-growing alpine perennials

The container itself may limit the growth of the plants anyway Cacti and other succulents grow very slowly and offer many shapes colors and forms for great interest You can buy fairy garden or dollhouse furniture but you can also create your own from natural materials or repurpose items from the house My four-year-old proudly came up with the idea to use a plastic bottle cap as a fairy kiddie pool We made

a hut out of sticks and scraps of an old coir pot liner (opposite page) Wersquove made another garden (above) using a kit by Fairy Gardening Inc that comes with container drainage tray soil mix and furniture My kids love both the homemade stuff and the store-bought version Irsquom told the fairies do too bull

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 37: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS36

KITCHEN GARDENING bull

NOTHING SAYS SUMMER like a colorful bounty of berries Raspberries can also be enjoyed throughout fall depending on the plant variety All verieties are self-fruiting perennials though their individual canes are bi-ennial Raspberries are over-whelmingly associated with the color red though they also occur in yellow red purple and black (also called blackcaps)

Red and yellow berries are known to be the hardiest and sweetest while blackcaps are the least resilient to disease Purple raspberries a hybrid of

A juicy bite of summer

Raspberries provide vitamins A and C minerals and ellagic acid which has shown evidence of being a cancer-preventing compound

Raspberry Sauce

I N G R E D I E N T S1 pint raspberries

1 cup cold water

frac14 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons cornstarch

D I R E C T I O N S1 Whisk the cornstarch into the water until it is smooth Add this to a saucepan along with the rasp-berries orange juice and sugar Bring to a boil

2 Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly or until the desired thickness is reached

3 Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree it until smooth then strain it through a fine sieve Serve warm or cold on ice cream short-cake or the dish of your choosing

Raspberriesby Kelsea Daulton

black and red fall in the middle of this scale While there are several varieties there are two main types with different fruit-bearing habits and growing re-quirements Summer-bearers yield one crop per year in the summertime ever-bearers yield two crops per year one in summer and one in fall Most canes wonrsquot bear fruit their first year when theyrsquore called primocanes When they pro-

duce fruit the following year they are known as floricanes Each year new canes are pro-duced from the crown and the bases of old canes Red rasp-berries are able to grow new canes from the roots

The most well-known rasp-berries are red summer-bear-ing cultivars The plants fruit around mid-June to mid-July Ever-bearing varieties fruit in June or July on the lower flo-

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 38: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

| GREAT GARDENS37

Get your Smart Gardening eNewsletter from Horticulturersquos editors every Wednesday delivered right to your Inbox Every eNewsletter is packed with

bull plants we love and that yoursquoll want to grow

bull tips on how to care for plant selections

bull news about upcoming events special offers and competitions

bull ideas and inspiration to help you better enjoy your garden

bull and much more

SMART GARDENING TIPS FREE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY AT

hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

ricanes and from August to the first frost on the top of the pri-mocanes For ever-bearers their first crop usually proves lower in both quality and quantity They yield the best harvest when only allowed to bear fruit in the fall

Raspberries need one inch of water per week and should be planted in fertile well-drained soil with a pH of 55 to 65 to thrive Raspberries shouldnrsquot be planted in soil where bram-ble berries tomatoes potatoes peppers eggplants or roses once grew because these plants can infect the soil with diseases that will attack raspberries Remove all weeds the year before plant-

ing to get a jump on weed con-trol Mulches of straw sawdust or like materials are useful in controlling weeds Raspberry plants need six to eight hours of full sun and normally grow in USDA Zones 2 through 7 Plant early in the spring in hedge-rows or use the hill system The method of planting should de-pend on the plant variety

Prune summer-bearing red raspberries in the spring and right after harvest During the spring pruning remove any weak or diseased canes plus any that produced fruit the previ-ous year Prune ever-bearing red raspberries once or twice a year

following the same guidelines Alternatively cut all the canes of the ever-bearing types to the ground in early spring to make the plants fruit only in the fall Prune black and purple raspber-ries three times a year spring summer and after harvest

Many different varieties are available The recently intro-duced lsquoRaspberry Shortcakersquo is notable because itrsquos a thornless dwarf that can thrive in a large pot making homegrown rasp-berries a possibility for those with limited gardening space

Learn more about planting and pruning raspberries in this instructional video bull

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

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next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

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go live And in the meantime join us on

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  • SPRING14 GG COVER
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Page 39: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

The visible world is a daily miracle for those who have eyes and earsmdashEDITH WHARTON AMERICAN WRITER (1862ndash1937)

next issue

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd
Page 40: Great Gardens: Summer 2014

next issue

Look for our fall issue in October

2014 at issuucomhorticulture or

sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter

at hortmagcomsubscribeenewsletter

so we can let you know when new issues

go live And in the meantime join us on

social media

facebookcom HorticultureMagazine

pinterestcomhortmag

twittercomCoHorts

  • SPRING14 GG COVER
  • 1-9
  • 10-23
  • 24-39indd