A plant I fancy: Lobelia cardinalis

As it gets colder and rainier, I seem to be kicking into planning mode.  The plant this week is related to the two previous plants I coveted (toad lily and chelone).  All three of these, along with astilbe, some bulbs, and maybe a couple of shrubs, are the makings of my rain garden.



Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden Plantfinder

Conveniently, chelone, toad lily and lobelia (or cardinal flower) are all late summer/fall-flowering.  They will add some interest to my backyard, where there is absolutely nothing going on right now.  They all prefer slightly moist soil and cardinal flower is even recommended for stream banks.


Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden Plantfinder



Scientific name: Lobelia cardinalis

Common name(s): cardinal flower
Height x Width: 2'-4' x 1'-2'

Growth rate: Medium - can be divided and may self-seed.
Hardiness: Zones 3-9
Soil: Rich, medium to wet soil

Light: Full sun to partial shade
Bloom Time - July - September

 

Reasons I like it:

• grows well in shade
• provides late summer/early fall blooms
• is native to the south east
• it's supposedly deer resistant*

Where would I put it?

• In the backyard, in a damp spot that will become a rain garden or anywhere between the understory and the lawn (I'm starting to sound like a broken record!)

Lobelia 'Monet Moment' - Courtesy Perennials.com

* As with the toad lily, I did actually purchase a lobelia last year.  I got Lobelia 'Monet Moment' from Bluestone Perennials.  It's planted in the general area of my future rain garden amidst the pachysandra.  A deer, or something, has really enjoyed chewing on it.  I'm hoping it will come back next year, when I'll be much more diligent about spraying tasty plants.  I'm not really a pink person (although my most recent bloom day would lead you to believe otherwise), but I think this shade would match toad lily, chelone, and astilbe (if there's any overlap) better than red would.  If it doesn't come back, I might also consider Lobelia fulgens 'Queen Victoria' -- I love that dark red foliage!

A plant I fancy: Tricyrtis

I recovered, completely, from my funk last week.  I was a little under the weather on Sunday so I spent the whole day in bed with gardening books and looking at all of the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts.  As a result, it's quite easy to come up with a list of plants I would like for my garden...in fact, the difficulty is deciding on just one to talk about.


Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Scientific name: Tricyrtis

Common name(s): Toad Lily

Height x Width: 1'-3' x 1'-2'

Growth rate: Clumps gradually increase in size, may also self-seed

Hardiness: Zones 4-9
Soil: Prefers rich, moist soil

Light: Prefers partial shade

Bloom Time - Late summer through fall 



Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Reasons I like it:

• grows well in shade
• provides late summer/early fall blooms
• supposedly deer resistant

Where would I put it?

• In the backyard, in a damp spot that will become a rain garden or anywhere between the understory and the lawn

 

Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder


A lot of people have tricyrtis, or Toad Lily, blooming in their gardens right now.  Technically, I should have one as well.  I bought one at the William Paca House plant sale earlier in the year, but it seems like the deer ate it.  Between the chelone I posted about last week and the toad lily this week, I've got quite a few things planned for my non-existent rain garden.

A plant I fancy: Chelone lyonii

 

Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Scientific name: Chelone lyonii

Common name(s): turtlehead
Height x Width: 2'-4' x 1.5'-2.5'

Growth rate: Spreads slowly by rhizomes, may also self-seed
Hardiness: Zones 3-8
Soil: Prefers rich, moist soil

Light: Full sun to partial shade
Bloom Time - July - September

 

Reasons I like it:

• grows well in shade
• provides late summer/early fall blooms
• is native to the south east

Where would I put it?

• In the backyard, in a damp spot that will become a rain garden or anywhere between the understory and the lawn

Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

It has been a while since I posted about new plants.  I just haven't been interested in buying new plants, making new beds, or (honestly) gardening in general, and I'm not sure why.  Maybe I'm just over the normal "spring fever", maybe this blog is causing me to put unnecessary pressure on myself...or maybe I'm still just a little upset over my Mom's illness and passing.  Today marks two months since my Mom passed away and I feel like it's only going to get harder over the next few holiday-filled months.  I've decided to try and "fake it until I make it", so just bear with me in the meantime.

A plant I fancy: Itea Virginica 'Henry's Garnet'

Phew!  What a weekend...I feel like we've packed two days of stuff into the past 12 hours.  We did: gymnastics, a birthday party, and a play date.  Right now, I'm laying exhausted in bed and my three year old is pretending to be a kitten in her bed.  At 9:00pm.

While my daughter and I were running around, my wonderful husband decided to check out our irrigation system.  We were told the house had one when we bought it, but we haven't given it much thought and even with all of the digging we've been doing, we've only run across one sprinkler head.  With the hot weather we've been having lately,  we decided to see if it worked.  I was expecting the worst, but it seems like everything is working, even though it doesn't look like it's been used for over five years or so.  We're going to schedule it to run tonight and see what happens.

Ok - now onto the plant:

Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Scientific name: Itea Virginica 'Henry's Garnet'
Common name(s): Virginia Sweetspire
Height x Width: 3-4' x 4-6'
Growth rate: unknown
Hardiness: Zones 5-9
Soil: Prefers well-drained soil, medium to wet, but can tolerate a range of soil conditions
Light: Full sun to partial shade

Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

After the past few weeks,  where I've been talking about sun perennials and exotic plants, I'm back to my old standard: shade tolerant native plants.  Virginia sweetspire is a native shrub with a lot going on.  It blooms in the early summer and then the foliage turns a deep burgundy red in the fall.  The variety 'Henry's Garnet' is known for superior flowers and autumn foliage.

Reasons I like it:

• Attractive, rounded habit
• Multi-season interest
• Deer resistant

Where would I put it?

• Side bed?
• Backyard understory
• Possibly even front island, if I wanted to add shrubs out there

The only drawback I've seen about all Itea Virginica cultivars is that they tend to send up a lot of suckers.  In all of the spots I'm considering for this plant, it wouldn't be a big deal.  In some spots, naturalization would even be welcome (side bed - I'm looking at you).

The big draw for this shrub is the fall foliage, obviously, but I also like the fact it is an early summer bloomer.  My ultimate dream is to have a perfectly timed landscape, with items of interest  popping up across the garden as the season goes on.  With the bazillion varieties of azaleas we have, Spring is covered, but Summer and Fall could use a little attention.  I think 'Henry's Garnet' fits the bill perfectly.

Do you take "timing" into account when you buy a plant?  If so - how do you keep track of when everything blooms/gets interesting?

A plant I fancy: Origanum 'Kent Beauty'

Scientific name: Origanum 'Kent Beauty'
Common name(s): Oregano, marjoram (?)
Height x Width: 6-12" x 9-12"
Growth rate: Grows well, but not invasive
Hardiness: Zones 6-9, may not winter over in cooler zones
Soil: Prefers well-drained soil, do not over water
Light: Full sun to partial shade



Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder



This ornamental oregano is a hybrid of O. rotundifolium x O. scabrum.  It is not suitable for culinary use, rather it is grown for its cascading foliage and long-lasting bracts which change from green to lavender to pink.

 

Reasons I like it:

• I love the trailing habit of this plant
• It's fairly unique - the bracts are different and I haven't seen it all over the place
• It should be deer resistant...that's becoming more of a necessity

Where would I put it?

• On the deck in a planter or hanging basket
• In the mailbox or driveway bed
• (My options for sun are pretty limited)

I've had my eye on 'Kent Beauty' for a couple of years now.  I should have gotten it while I lived at the old house -- the yard there was much better suited for a plant that needs full sun and well drained soil.

I guess I've had my fill of shade plants for now, because I've decided to give this plant a try.  Some of the reviews online claimed it did not do well in areas with high humidity and others claimed it did not overwinter in cooler climates.  I look forward to trying it out and reporting back.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

A plant I fancy: Hakonechloa macra

'Aureloa' habit - Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Scientific name: Hakonechloa macra
Common name(s): Japanese Forest Grass
Height x Width: 24" x 24"
Growth rate: Seems to be slow growing, although may differ depending on variety/conditions
Hardiness: Zones 5-9
Soil: Prefers moist, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter
Light: Partial shade

'Aureloa' detail - Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Reasons I like it:

• Does well in the shade
• Has a selection of varieties with different color options and variegation, everything from white to gold to pink
• Fairly unique - I haven't seen it all over the place

Where would I put it?

• On the west side of the house (Chimney Bed)
• On a slope in the woods
• On the slope under red maple

'Stripe it Rich' detail - Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

I'm not a grass lover.  I always skip that section in catalogs and really have never paid much attention to it in the garden.  However, I'm willing to give Hakonechloa macra a try.  It seems to have a long season and be fairly low maintenance and it really seems like more of a foliage plant than a grass.

The variety 'Aureola' was the perennial plant of the year for 2009 and the publicity sheet (can you believe a plant has a publicity sheet?) mentions quite a few shade plants that combine well with Hakonechloa macra.  These plants include: hosta, heuchera (especially those with purple foliage), tiarella, astible, epimedium, wild ginger, bleeding heart and ladies mantle.

Do you have any Japanese Forest grass?  Would you recommend it for a shady slope?

A plant I fancy: Oxydendrum arboreum

*Updated to ensure pictures are properly credited
Scientific name: Oxydendrum arboreum
Common name(s): Sourwood, sorrel tree
Height x Width: 25-30' x 20'
Growth rate: slow
Hardiness: Zones 5-9
Soil: Prefers acidic, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter
Light: Full sun to partial shade



Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

 Reasons I like it:

• It's a native plant and although it normally appears in more mountainous areas, sourwood is local to Maryland
• It provides multi-season interest with flowers midsummer, bright red foliage in the fall, and interesting fruit capsules and bark during winter
• It has a fairly narrow canopy



Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

 Where would I put it?
In the front yard, either in the island or along the left property line


Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

I've been considering a combination of serviceberries and a redbud for the front yard island bed, but now I'm leaning towards a sourwood instead of the redbud.  It's a more slow-growing tree, so it probably wouldn't outgrow the space any time soon.  Furthermore, it has a much more narrow canopy, so it wouldn't shade out all of the grass my husband is working so diligently to grow.  Finally, it's a little more unique and a little less showy than a redbud. 

We have so many other flowering shrubs in the front yard, a redbud that flowers pinkish purple at the exact same time wouldn't make as much of an impact as a tree that blooms when everything has finished and then has really brilliant fall color.  Since it has similar soil preferences to azaleas, it should do well in a bed with them.  I've also see the suggestion to plant it with pieris japonica and lily of the valley which would echo the delicate urn-shaped flowers. 

Although it is a native tree, I can't remember ever seeing it and I'm not even sure it's available in the local nurseries.  Have you ever see a sourwood tree?  How do you think it holds up against a redbud?

A plant I fancy: Astilbe

*Updated to ensure pictures are properly credited


'Red Sentinel'
Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder



Scientific name: Astilbe japonica, Astilbe chinensis, Astilbe thunbergii, others and hybrids

Common name(s): False spirea
Height x Width: 12-36" (though some ultra-dwarf varieties, like astilbe crispa 'lilliput' can be as short as 6-8")
Growth rate: Unknown
Hardiness: Zones 4-8
Soil: Can grow in average soil, but prefers moist organically rich soils
Light: Partial shade to full shade



'Rheinland'
Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

 Reasons I like it:

• grows well in shade
• provides late spring/early summer color, right now it seems as if everything will be done blooming by early summer
• is drought tolerant once established
• fresh green fern-like foliage remains crisp all season and can act as a groundcover
• as leaves emerge in the spring, they can hide the dying foliage of daffodils and other spring bulbs

Where would I put it?

• In the backyard, in a damp spot that will become a rain garden or anywhere between the understory and the lawn
• I would put 'Rheinland' or 'Deutschland' in a bed with toad lily and a purple lobelia
• I would put 'Red Sentinel' in a bed with red lobelia and foamflower
• I would put either 'Sprite' or 'Lilliput' in a bed with hostas and annual impatiens

'Deutschland'
Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Astilbe, or false spirea, seems to be a requirement for every shade garden.  I've tried to grow it before, but the spot was a little sunny and could have been too dry, so the plant didn't do much over the course of two years.  Everything I had read about woodland gardens recommends them, so I'm going to try again, even if they're not a native plant.

Have you tried astilbe?  What is your favorite variety?

A plant I fancy: Amelanchier canadensis

*Updated to ensure pictures are properly credited



Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder



Scientific name: Amelanchier canadensis

Common name(s): serviceberry, juneberry, shadblow
Height x Width: 25-30' x 15-20'
Growth rate: Unknown
Hardiness: Zones 4-8
Soil: Tolerant of a wide-range of soils
Light: Full sun to partial shade



Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder



Reasons I like it:
 - Flowering tree
 - Native
 - Attracts birds
 - Showy, edible fruit
 - Has fall color
 - Multi-stemmed trunks provide winter interest 

Where would I put it?
 - In the front island

Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

I admit it - I've fallen for all of the latest gardening trends like native plants, edible landscaping, and winter interest.  The serviceberry covers all of these in one fell swoop. 

The species that I'm interested in, Amelanchier canadensis, is native to Maryland and is really more of a multi-stemmed shrub.  It produces delicate white flowers in early spring, which eventually turn into small berries very similar to blueberries in the early summer.  The serviceberry is known for its bright fall foliage, which seems to span a range of colors from gold to red.  In the winter time, the multi stemmed trunks and smooth bark provide some interest and structure in the garden.

Do you think that serviceberries and other native plants will seem dated one day?

A plant I fancy: Actaea simplex 'Hillside Black Beauty'

*Updated to reflect new botanical name and to ensure pictures are properly credited

After the past three entries, I need to post something a little less "scrolly".  One of the things I hoped to use this blog for was to keep track of plants that catch my eye.

 Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Scientific name: Cimicfuga Racemosa Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) 'Hillside Black Beauty'
Common name(s): Black cohosh, bugbane, fairy candles
Height x Width: 4-7 ' x 2-3'
Growth rate: Moderate to slow
Hardiness: Zones 3-7
Soil: Moist, acidic
Light: Shade to partial shade

Reasons I like it:
 - Deer resistant
 - Native*
 - Attracts butterflies
 - Distinctive purple foliage
 - Late-blooming
 - Seed heads could provide winter interest

Where would I put it?
 - In the understory between the lawn and the woods, between smaller perennials and bushes
 - Possibly along the path in the woods
 - Next to plants with contrasting foliage

What do you think? Do you have any cimicfuga in your garden?

* If you're in the Maryland area and are interested in Native Plants, there's a sale at Adkins Arboretum on the Eastern Shore this weekend.