Michigan Gardener - June 2012

Your guide to Great Lakes gardening a June 2012 a MichiganGardener.com

Please thank our advertisers in this issue

Plant Focus

Lamium perennials Yarrow garden profile Bromeliads feature New Perennials for 2012 how-to Compose a garden photo feature Hardy succulents for Michigan gardens

Summer Color Year after Year

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

June is National Rose Month.

Telly’s has cultivated a reputation for offering the finest collection of high quality roses available anywhere.

We offer a selection of roses that everyone, even the most casual gardener, can grow and enjoy. Telly’s is proud to offer the Easy Elegance Collection. These roses are disease resistant, hardy, low-maintenance plants that bloom all season long.

contents June 2012 To-Do List..................................................................6 Healthy Lawns.........................................................8 Vegetable Patch....................................................10 Ask MG ....................................................................12 Tree Tips ..................................................................14 Perennial Plant of the Year ...............................16 Advertiser Index ...................................................16

Welcome to where Summer always comes up roses.

At Telly’s, Summer is our time to bloom.

From roses to perennials to annuals and beyond, we truly are a summer gardener’s paradise. Come in for a visit and let us make your season really bloom.

June Events Shade Gardening Class

40th Annual Bonsai Show

Troy: Wednesday, June 20, 6:30pm Shelby Twp: Thurs., June 21, 6:30pm Telly’s owner George Papadelis will design a sample shade garden and thoroughly explain the process.

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Visit our Facebook page for our Wild Wednesday Specials the whole month of June.

Books for the Michigan Gardener ................18 Perennial Perspectives.......................................21 Where to pick up Michigan Gardener..........26 Hardy succulents ................................................27 New Perennials for 2012..................................28 Calendar.................................................................. 32 Weather Wrap..................................................... 33 Subscription Form .............................................. 33

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Classified Ads ....................................................... 33

Plant Focus: Lamium ..........................22

Profile: Paul Wingert..........................................34 Places to Grow ..................................................... 37 How-To: Compose a photograph.................38 Janet’s Journal ....................................Back Cover

Horticulture is both an art and a science: the art of combining plants well and the science of growing them properly.

—Sarah Carter Roberts Excerpted from Parks, Plants, and People by Lynden B. Miller

Publisher/Editor Eric Hofley Design & Production Jonathon Hofley Advertising Eric Hofley

Editorial Assistant Carrie MacGillis

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Photo: Eric Hofley/Michigan Gardener

Garden Wisdom

Circulation Jonathon Hofley

TROY 3301 John R–1/4 mile north of 16 Mile

On the cover: Lamium brings both flower and foliage color to the shade garden.

Contributors Karen Bovio Cheryl English Mary Gerstenberger Julia Hofley Rosann Kovalcik Janet Macunovich Steve Martinko Beverly Moss Steven Nikkila George Papadelis Sandie Parrott Jean/Roxanne Riggs Jim Slezinski Lisa Steinkopf Steve Turner Joseph Tychonievich

16291 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 5 Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3327 Phone: 248-594-5563 Fax: 248-594-5564 E-mail: publisher@michigangardener.com Website: www.michigangardener.com Publishing schedule 7 issues per year: April, May, June, July, August, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec. Published the first week of the mo.

Subscriptions (Please make check payable to Michigan Gardener) 1 yr, 7 iss/$15 2 yr, 14 iss/$28 3 yr, 21 iss/$37 Back issues All past issues are available. Please send your request along with a check for $3.00 per issue payable to Michigan Gardener.

Canadian subscriptions 1 yr, 7 iss/$22 US 2 yr, 14 iss/$42 US Copyright © 2012 Michigan Gardener. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or used in any form without the expressed, written permission of the publisher. Neither the advertiser nor the publisher will be responsible for misinformation, typographical errors, omissions, etc. contained herein.

Michigan Gardener is published by Motor City Publishing, Inc.

English salt glazed pot with fuchsia topiary and lobelia

Green tub with phlox, alyssum and salvia

Hazelwood box planter with tomato plant

Aged Planter with lettuce, pansy & sedge

Pick out new pots. Plant some flowers. Try a topiary. Grow some vegetables.

Give a pot of herbs to a friend. Think water in your garden. Find the right bench.

Plan a garden party. Do what’s good for you and yours—make a garden.

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

to-do list Annuals • If some areas of the annual garden aren’t blooming or filling out as well as they have in other years, check how much sun the area receives. Trees may be shading the area more now or an area may be far sunnier than it was before.

• The key to keeping annuals looking great is regular water and fertilizer. Water annuals whenever the soil is dry to the touch about an inch down. Sticking your finger in the soil is the best way to check. Use a water-soluble fertilizer every 10 days to two weeks when watering for great blooms and healthy plants.

Vegetables • For a bountiful harvest, give your vegetable garden regular attention. Vegetables are mostly water, so be sure the garden receives regular, consistent water—either from rain or supplemental methods.

• It’s not too late to add vegetables to beds and borders if there isn’t room in the yard for a separate vegetable garden. Peppers and tomatoes are lovely mixed in with flowers.

• Keep the soil around plants cultivated and remove weeds when they’re young—they will be less competition for fertilizer and water.

• Mulch is also a good way to help keep weeds down, and it helps stop soil compaction as you walk the rows.

Lawns • Regular mowing will keep the grass looking good throughout the month. Be sure to cut off no more than one-third of the grass blades at one time. Trimming too much causes stress.

• If you’re following a four-step fertilizing program, apply the second step early in June.

The early spring has created an early season for weeds. Be alert for any insect or weed breakouts. A healthy lawn is better able to fight them off, but it’s also easier to take care of a problem when it’s small, before it overwhelms the entire yard. Use a liquid weed killer to spot treat any outbreaks.

Roses • Roses need about an inch of water a week.

Watering at the base of the plant instead of overhead will cut down on diseases.

• When pruning roses, be sure to prune down to a set of 5 leaflets pointing out of the bush.

New growth will point in the same direction the leaf does, so having it point out of the shrub will help increase air circulation and cut down on diseases. The rose cane borer can be a problem so seal the cut afterwards.

• June is National Rose Month. It’s a great month for the rose garden. Cooler temperatures encourage larger blooms and more fragrance than hot summer heat.

Trees and Shrubs • It’s been a very unique year for trees and shrubs. The warm weather we experienced during March forced many trees and shrubs to leaf out and bloom early. Never before have we seen this escalated rate of spring blooms.

• We also saw a mid-April killing frost which created lots of damage to Japanese maples in particular. Nurseries around the area were flooded with phone calls about dead and crispy leaves on trees, which looked beautiful just days before. Mother Nature can be unpredictable, but the good news is the trees should recover. An application of fertilizer will help trees set new leaves.

Perennials • Apply an organic fertilizer once a month.

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Feature Task: Using bright color in the garden Color is usually the first decision when selecting plants and flowers. Color determines the visual impact of the garden. Certain plant colors inspire specific emotions. The cool colors—green, blue and purple—are calm, serene and relaxing. Warm colors, such as red, orange and yellow, are the opposite: hot, passionate and exciting.

For a sophisticated look, consider a monochromatic design using a range of shades of a single color. With at least two shades of the same color, you won’t have to worry about colors clashing, but you’ll still have some variation.

When combining two or more colors, keep the color wheel in mind. Colors next to each other on the wheel are considered analogous and mix together well. Think yellow-orange, orange-red, violet-red or blue-violet.

Or consider complimentary colors—those

which helps improve plants even more.

• To keep perennials blooming, be sure to deadhead (remove spent flowers). Flowers produce seeds to make sure the plant species continues. If the plant has gone to seed, it has no reason to continue blooming, so keep your pruners handy.

• June is also National Perennial Garden-

opposite of each other on the color wheel, such as red and green; orange and blue; and yellow and violet. You’ll get a lot of contrast with complimentary colors, and both colors will tend to pop. But be sure to use the same intensity of flower color to create a harmonizing flow.

Another scheme is a triad: using 3 colors spaced equally on the color wheel. Think about the primary colors: yellow, red, and blue; or the secondary colors: orange, violet, and green.

Also be sure to mix in some of the neutral flower colors, like white and silvery foliage to create a gorgeous container or garden space.

Much attention has been given to the 2012 Color of the Year: Tangerine Tango, selected by the Pantone Color Institute. According to the Institute, Tangerine Tango is “a spirited reddish orange that provides the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.” Orange is a

ing month. Perennials fill the gaps left between shrubs and annuals. They bloom year after year, providing color for a specific period of time. There are varieties from one inch tall to some that grow more than six feet tall. If you have a space in the garden in need of something special, be sure to consider a perennial.

great addition to the garden and is used in areas to attract attention, like an entrance or walkway.

We gathered a list of orange and other brightly colored flowers that will add a POP Orange hues • Dahlia Bright Orange • Osteospermum Orange Symphony • Orange-a-Peel Black-eyed Susan annual vine • Margiold • Hibiscus Yellow hues • Superbells Yellow • Sunsatia Lemon • Dahlia Midi Tonga • Dahlia Midi Sumatra • Osteospermum Lemon Symphony • Sedum Lemon Coral

to your outdoor areas. And best of all, they’re annuals. They’ll provide a full season of color, with no long-term commitment. You’ll be able to start with a new color palette next year!

• • • • • •

Bidens Goldilocks Rocks Sunbini Creeping Zinnia Marguerite Daisy Butterfly Lantana Lemon Zest Begonia Yellow Lemon-a-Peel Black-eyed Susan annual vine • Sunflower • Zinnia • Golden Chalice Calla Lily • Marigold • Gazania Daisy • Snapdragons Red • Petunia Surfinia Red • Gerbera Daisy Red

Houseplants • This is a good time of year to re-pot and prune any plants that have outgrown their pots.

This will encourage healthy, strong growth.

• Take houseplants outside for the summer and they’ll thrive. Most will do well in a partially shaded location, away from direct sunlight. Fertilize regularly with a balanced

• Wave Petunia Red • Begonia Deep Red • Begonia Scarlet Red Bright Pink • Supertunia Raspberry Blast • Superbena Royale Iced Cherry • Gerbera Daisy Pink • Solenia Begonia Pink • Wave Petunia Pink • Begonia Deep Rose • Geranium Caliente Rose • Snapdragons • Impatiens: Deep Pink, Lipstick or Rose

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

healthy lawns How to topdress your lawn

Topdressing is the application of an amendthe other hand, a scalping cut will rob the turf ment to the lawn’s surface. Many benefits of its energy to push through consistently in a come to mind when topdressing, including timely manner. Next, aerate the lawn in 2 difimproved root zone development and a level ferent directions. surface area. The use of a fertile, nutrient-rich Now, for sandy soils, have 2 materials amendment can do wonders for a soil that is delivered: 1 pile of finely ground organic deprived and starving for attention. That said, compost and 1 pile of sandy loam topsoil. there are many challenges when topdressing.

Thoroughly mix equal parts of each into a They require a firm understanding of the curwheelbarrow. Apply 1 inch of this mixture to rent soil condition, turf grass type, and anticithe lawn. Spreading the soil using a landscape pated activity level on the lawn. rake is best for relatively small areas. HowCustomizing a plan for your lawn begins ever, if you’re attempting a large area, conwith a soil test. You may have heard the messider a machine like a Bobcat or four-wheeler. sage before: “Don’t Guess, Soil Test!” ConTo quickly spread the soil, attach a piece of tact your County Extension service (click on metal chain link fence to the back of the four“Garden Resources” at MichiganGardener. wheeler to evenly do the spreading. Do not com) for the details on how to colwet the soil before spreading it with lect the soil samples, quantity remachines since this could cause soil Steve quired, and the cost. The results Martinko compaction and create a muddy report will be mailed back to you, mess. The soil needs to stay dry to detailing the percentage of organic filter down into the aeration holes. composition, soil pH, and standard Fine-tune with a rake as needed. nutrient levels.

For heavy clay soils, order 1 pile Knowing your soil’s composition of finely ground organic compost is key to understanding what you’ll and 1 pile of sand. Thoroughly mix need to topdress with and knowroughly equal parts of each in a ing the soil’s nutrient levels is vital wheelbarrow until you achieve a to developing the correct plan. For uniform mixture that has air space example, a soil rich in organic nuwithout being too thick with comtrients with high levels of nitrates could easpost. Spread using the same methods disily leach any fertilizer or compost being addcussed above. ed—an important issue as we work to protect Once you have completed these steps, ferMichigan’s water supply. tilize at labeled rates using a 22-0-12 fertilizer analysis and then water until you have penThe steps for clay and sandy soils etrated a 2-inch depth.

Let’s formulate a couple sample plans—one A final additional note: If you’re simply for clay and one for sandy soils. looking to topdress a healthy, existing lawn in For both soil types, start by mowing the order to achieve a level surface, use a topsoil lawn at its regular height. An excessively long mixture with sand. grass could get trapped below your topdressIf this sounds like a lot of work, imagine ing layer, thus smothering new growth. On this project: Michigan State University installed new sod in the summer of 2011 after a U2 concert at Spartan Stadium. They aerated, topdressed, and overseeded every week for 3 weeks straight in order to get the field ready for the impending football season. Before any call games began, they had to ensure the surface “the little gardener area was playable and rigid enough for the that could” extensive abuse turf receives during a football 15 Years Experience game. With a staff of turf grass agronomists, at Botanical Gardens they were able to identify a specific sand parFREE Estimates ticle they needed in order to build a solid soil structure, yet still had excellent drainage. To 586-214-9852 Pat help create a tightly woven root system that Www.agardenspace.com could handle a great deal of abuse, topdressing was a critical step.

Steve Martinko is the owner of Contender’s Tree and Lawn Specialists in Oakland County, MI.

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One of the nicest things about transplants is up from the soil, especially if they are matted that you can take a bare piece of ground and in and running in circles. Spread them out so a short period of time transform it into a patch they will have good contact with your garden of green and growing vegetables. Another soil. Think of it as reducing culture shock. advantage is that it means harvesting sooner, Then don’t forget to water well. since there is none of the extra wait for seeds If your veggie transplants have been grown to sprout and plants to begin growing. But in peat pots, then peat pot and all will go into how well those transplants establish will deyour garden. It’s a good idea to water the peat pend on how healthy the plant is to begin with pot before planting to assist in the pot decomand how the transplanting is done. posing. You may even want to break the pot up When choosing vegetable transa bit. It also would be a good idea to plants, make sure they look healthy. mix some potting soil with the garDo the plants have good color? Are Mary den soil around the plant to encourGerstenberger any leaves beginning to yellow? Are age the roots to grow out into the the plants tall and spindly or short garden and not in a circle in the reand stocky? Any signs of damage to mains of the peat pot. the leaves or stem? Any evidence of One last thing. When transplantinsects? Don’t forget to check if you ing tomatoes, it is a good idea to will need to harden off the plants plant them deeper than they were in before transplanting into full sun. the pot. You can plant them right up While watering plants is best to the first leaves. The stem portion done before the high heat of the day, in the soil will grow additional roots transplanting them is best done afand help support the plant. ter the high heat of the day. It gives the roots Mary Gerstenberger is the Consumer Hora chance to establish in the soil before needticulture Coordinator at the Michigan State ing to pull moisture out of it for the rest of the University Extension in Macomb County, MI. plant. If it’s not possible to plant in the early For gardening information from MSU, visit evening, then wait until an overcast day. www.migarden.msu.edu.

When it’s time to put your plants into the ground, remember that the soil they have Call the toll-free Michigan State University been growing in is different than what is in Lawn and Garden Hotline at 888-678-3464 your garden. When you take the plant out of for answers to your gardening questions. its container, check the roots. Loosen them

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

ask mg Brown, brittle leaves on trees and shrubs Our normally healthy Japanese maple dropped many leaves in early May, mostly from the upper portion of the tree. Many of the leaves are brittle and curling. Same thing on our wisteria. What is the cause? Should we fertilize? What should we do?

A.K., Northville; D.V., South Lyon; T.M., Redford Don’t panic. Your wisteria and Japanese maple are exhibiting “frostbite” damage that occurred in mid and late April, as temperatures dropped to freezing or lower.

The Japanese maple is showing the dried leaves on top as it is a more horizontal branching tree and frost “drops” on the tops of plants. The tree will continue to shed the compromised leaves as it sends energy to the growth tips to make new ones. No need to prune. But as new leaves establish, you can crumble off the stragglers by hand. On a large specimen, the leaves will simply drop off naturally as they are replaced by new.

Because of this need to remake leaves, the tree is using valuable stored energy. Your job is to see it gets consistent water during dry periods. Gently work in a light casting of granular 10-10-10 tree and shrub fertilizer into the root zone out to the drip line. Keep it mulched well to prevent moisture loss as it goes through this process. Fertilize again in July and September. This will help the maple replenish reserves.

If your wisteria is trellised, the top growth always gets nipped first by frost. Keep it watered consistently. Beware of fertilizing. Nitrogen-laced fertilizers produce excessive vegetative growth on this strong vine. This plant does better with simple water and some compost that slowly releases nutrients to the root zone.

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Tour of Gee Farms and their extensive arboretum Thursday, August 16, 2012, 10am The Gee Farms arboretum has been a work in progress for over 12 years. The 8-acre arboretum contains thousands of different and hard-to-find conifers, trees, and perennials, all of which have an identification label. You can see specimens of plants that Gee Farms carries or has carried, as well as plants that they are testing for hardiness and landscape value. Located at 14928 Bunkerhill Road, Stockbridge, MI, 49285.

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Suckers on crabapples How do I prevent suckers from growing up all around my flowering crab tree? G.H., Lansing, MI Flowering crabapples are ornamental trees commonly grafted to produce trees that are appropriately sized for the typical urban residence, but with the spring beauty and color that people covet. That means the trunk is grafted to proven apple rootstock suitable to zones 4, 5 and 6. It can withstand frozen soil.

The best method of prevention is to repeatedly cut off the sprouts from the rootstock at the point they erupt. Do not let the suckers grow, as they deplete energy for the rest of the tree. There are retail products to spray on the cuts to slow re-sprouting, but they can be more detrimental to the overall health of the plant and are not a “silver bullet” to the sucker problem. The best method is to keep cutting the suckers off to prevent the tree from feeding them. You are basically training the tree to ignore the stimulus. Diligence and patience will slow it down.

New cultivars of flowering crabapples are grafted to more sucker-resistant rootstock. If replacing the tree is an option, look for varieties such as ‘Indian Summer,’ ‘Red Splendor,’ and ‘Sugar Tyme,’ which show greater resistance to this problem.

Pruning tomato plants We successfully overwintered a large ‘Cherokee Purple’ heirloom tomato plant under lights. It kept flowering and gave us 4 tomatoes over the winter. We then saved and dried the seeds from one of them and planted those in a heated incubation tray.

All 12 seedlings have come up healthy and are ready to be repotted. Before we put the original large plant outside in mid-June, should we prune it? D.E. “Heirloom” tomatoes such as ‘Cherokee Purple’ are indeterminate plants. That means they grow, produce blossoms and yield fruits throughout the season, unless they are killed by external factors such as frost. By overwintering your tomato indoors, you extended the fresh produce season.

Indeterminate tomatoes are heavily pruned when trellised, moderately pruned when staked, and lightly pruned when caged. Pruning involves removing small shoots where each leaf joins the stem. Properly pruned plants produce larger and earlier fruit than non-pruned plants of the same variety. Remove shoots when they are less than 4 inches long to avoid injuring the plant. Make sure it gets fresh soil and compost as it has depleted the nutrients in that container through the winter.

Privacy hedge in dappled shade Along a 4-foot high fence (130 feet long), we want to plant a privacy hedge that reaches 8 to 12 feet, but does not exceed 4 feet in width.

This area is under a canopy of mature oak and maple trees, thus does not get sun for the most part. We were considering ‘Techny’ arborvitaes and ‘Hicks’ yews. We would like to be able to locate 6-foot tall, mature plants so we don’t have to wait for growth. Thoughts or suggestions? J., Birmingham Techny arborvitaes (Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’) ultimately reach 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide. They grow quickly, preferring full sun to part shade and are soil tolerant. Successful growth may be significantly reduced

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by the shade created by your oaks and maples. Consider having the deciduous canopy professionally thinned for air circulation and more sunlight to insure success for your new hedge. Techny arbs are easily pruned into hedges for screens or windbreaks. Plan to prune them early every season to ensure new growth for a denser shrub.

Hicks yews (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’) are popular for hedges because they are columnar and extremely dense. Their ascending branches respond well to repeated pruning.

They tolerate shade about as well as ‘Techny,’ but have a coarser texture than the softer arborvitae. They grow more slowly than ‘Techny’ and require regular watering. Hicks yews grow 10 to 12 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.

You can alternate these two evergreens or group them in sets of 3 or 5. You can plant them closer together for an instant green wall and use more plants. But with close living conditions and almost monoculture, the chances escalate for pest and disease development on these relatively care-free shrubs. Also, be aware that both these evergreens are tasty to deer.

Groundcover for full sun I have a 4- by 20-foot area edged on one side by a flagstone patio and on three sides by sod. The area receives full sun from morning until mid-afternoon. I would like to plant a low growing, low maintenance, hardy groundcover that can withstand some light dog traffic. I would like to plant common periwinkle but have reservations about the amount of sun the area gets.

Ideas? E.M., Livonia, MI This space will not only receive full sun but also reflected heat from the patio. The common periwinkle (Vinca minor), also known as myrtle, prefers shade to part-shade rather than being highly exposed to sun and heat.

Consider a combination of creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and creeping succulent sedums. Both can withstand sun and drought conditions. They can withstand light dog traffic, but if this is more of a dog run, then different non-plant materials should be considered.

Thyme is a prostrate subshrub and will take some pedestrian traffic, exuding a light fragrance depending on the variety chosen.

The flowers are small and generally a light pink to purple, produced throughout the season sporadically. Height remains about 2 to 4 inches depending on the cultivar.

The creeping sedums come in many lowgrowing configurations, from tightly compacted to long and trailing. The succulent foliage is highly drought- and heat-tolerant. It will take mild dog traffic. All of them produce flowers

13

during the summer. Although both plants go dormant in winter, they do not “disappear” as many other perennials do. These might prove wiser choices than the periwinkle.

Deer-resistant trees On my half acre lot, I’ve just removed several hollow beech trees from the backyard. I would like to plant trees that deer do not eat, and preferably something that blooms. Advice? M., Farmington Hills There are no guaranteed trees that deer will not eat. If hungry enough and food is scarce, they will try anything. Young deer often sample many different plants as they learn their tastes, leaving snapped off branches and stripped bark in their wake. Trees that are coarse, prickly or smelly are the best deterrents for deer.

Trees such as American holly (Ilex opaca), white spruce (Picea glauca), and red pine (Pinus resinosa) are examples of such prickly plants. Consider doing a combination of conifers and deciduous trees instead of planting another monoculture like the beech trees.

Single species plantings are more vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Possible flowering trees are hawthorns (Crataegus), redbuds (Cercis canadensis), and bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora).

Hawthorns have beautiful white flowers in late spring and produce a red fruit prized by birds.

The thorns on the branches and trunk make it a challenge for deer to damage the tree.

Redbuds bloom in early spring, offering a delicate purple-pink flower that appears on the dark branches before the leaves come out. The bottlebrush buckeye is often considered a large shrub. It produces large cone-shaped flowers in later summer, an alternative to the predominant spring bloomers. The five-fingered palmate leaves are coarse and unappealing to deer.

Know your soil conditions, and amount of sunlight and soil moisture to pick out the best choice for your site. Shop at a reliable nursery whose staff can help you choose plant material appropriate for your site’s conditions.

Answers provided by Beverly Moss, owner of Garden Rhythms.

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tree tips Record high spring heat: What is the effect on our plants?

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The record rainfall of 2011 created optimal environmental conditions for fungal diseases—leaf and needle diseases affected many plants far more than normal. So this season, what will be the impact of the record high March temperatures on our landscapes?

As of mid-May, we have seen lots of frost damage. First, magnolias had their spring display cut short, as most blossoms only lasted a few days before all were killed in late March when freezing weather returned after temperatures in the 80s for a week. Next came the new growth of some yews and arborvitaes, which turned brown shortly after emerging. Then the one that ruffled the feathers of many gardeners: the new spring foliage of their prized Japanese maples turned brown a few weeks after emerging as frost returned again to close out a fairly mild April. Red oaks are showing some damage to new growth as well.

So, how do plants react to the loss of new growth? For most, they need to make a withdrawal from their bank of reserve energy.

The more damage, the more they must draw.

In the case of yews and arbs, the impact will be slight; growth had just started and other buds that were still dorSteve Turner mant have since emerged. The plants’ energy will just shift to those now active buds, with minimal loss. In the case of the magnolias and other flowers that got cut short, the results might actually be a benefit. The energy that would have been spent following flowering to produce seed and fruit from pollinated flowers is now available for roots, growth, and defense, or to store in reserve.

On the other hand, the opposite might be true for crabapples, apples, and pear trees.

Their blooming season tended to go on forever, benefiting from the long cool period after the sudden warm-up. They will most likely end up with more fruit with the extended pollination period. They might benefit from some fruit thinning later in the season if fruit set is abnormally high. With ornamental plants and fruit trees that you are not looking to harvest from, keep in mind that extra fruit means extra energy expended that could be better utilized in other areas. Unfortunately, they were not as lucky Up North, as orchards and vineyards are reporting heavy losses as the fluctuating temperatures have also killed the cherry and grape blossoms. In short, when it comes to flowers, the high temps can be a boon or a bust depending on the plant.

However, for plants that sustain leaf damage or defoliation like Japanese maples it is generally a negative. These plants need to drop the damaged leaves and spend en-

ergy to re-foliate. For most plants that’s not a problem, but stressed or already weak plants might experience dieback if they do not have the reserves necessary to complete the task.

Instead they will only re-grow what they can, or a thinner canopy might be the result.

Either way, if your plant makes a full recovery or not, you are still going to want to monitor it as the season progresses. Keep an eye out for increased insect or disease pressure on the plant and make sure to give it some extra water if we experience drought later this summer. Giving the plant a low nitrogen, organic fertilizer might help in its recovery, but too much or the wrong fertilizer will cause more harm than good to a stressed plant.

Kelp seems to work well in these situations, either applied to the foliage or the soil.

Environmental indicators Trying to predict insect and disease cycles using a calendar this year will be tough. Instead, try using phenological indicators— things that show the relationship between climate, plants, and insects. Since everything is so out of whack, the use of degree days is the most accurate way of tracking development, as insects and disease respond to heat in the same way as plants do and will parallel their emergence accordingly. And like plants, it’s pretty safe to assume that some will benefit from the odd weather and others won’t be as lucky.

Insects respond to cold more like reptiles than mammals: they tend to slow down when cold and speed up when warm. Only those caught in a vulnerable stage of development might be affected by the cold. Most insects overwinter as eggs or buried in the soil and emerge or hatch according to the heat they receive: the greater the heat the faster they respond. If it gets cold they slow back down, so the majority won’t be affected too much.

We will likely see the most variances in fungal diseases. They tend to prosper in cold, wet weather when they can infect a plant’s vulnerable new growth. If it happens to be warm or dry during this window, the disease can’t take hold. We have been up and down and fairly dry this spring compared to last year. It will be difficult to tell which plants escape infection. It surely won’t be as bad as last year when the entire spring was wet and cold, causing fungal diseases to explode. Remember, it takes the plant, the disease, and the right environment all together at the right time for infection to occur.

Steve Turner, Certified Arborist, is from Arboricultural Services in Fenton, MI.

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Get inspired with new ideas & practical tips for your garden.

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Friday, August 3, 2012, 8am-4pm KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Stephanie Cohen: “Cutting Edge Perennials-No Bandages Provided!”

Stephanie Cohen has written several popular books, including Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer, a bestseller. She has expressed her love of herbaceous perennial plants on popular TV shows and has received many prestigious awards for her work. She is full of energy and a barrel of laughs! This nationally-known “perennial diva” tells it like she sees it. Prepare to watch the dirt fly!

Jessica Wright & Val Albright: “Quick Tips and Tricks for Getting Herbs from Garden to Table” Val Albright and Jessica Wright turn up the heat as they teach tips and tricks to get kitchen herbs from the garden to your table.

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Evening Garden Walk & Reception with Stephanie Cohen!

Join Stephanie Cohen, best-selling author and perennial design extraordinaire, for an exclusive tour of the MSU Horticulture Gardens.

She will teach and tell her own special stories about plants and gardening. In this small group setting, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the “Perennial Diva” herself!

Tour Begins at 5pm. Hors d’oeuvres reception to follow in the MSU Garden Conservatory. Fee: $100.00. Space is limited to 25 participants. Register at hrt.msu.edu/garden-day-2012

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The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants & Flowers Editor-in-Chief: Christopher Brickell This book is designed to help readers select plants, plan a border, design a greenhouse, or plant a garden. 8,000 plants are described in this extensive reference guide. The book has two main parts: the plant catalog and a plant dictionary. It begins with a general introduction and explanation of plant names, followed by a section on selecting plants, highlighting plants suitable for particular sites, soils, conditions, and purposes. A catalog of 5,000 illustrated plants is divided into sections: trees, shrubs, roses, climbers, perennials, annuals and biennials, rock plants, bulbs, water plants, and exotic plants.

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“Dry shade.” The words alone are enough to strike fear in the heart of even the most intrepid gardener. By understanding the problem, and then using techniques to take the edge off drought and poor light, you can garden successfully—even splendidly—in areas that once looked like a lost horticultural cause.

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Nostalgic Farm Tour June 15 Floyd King & the Bushwackers June 23

Yule Love It Lavender Farm • 248-628-7814 • www.yuleloveitlavender.com 960 Yule Road • Leonard, MI 48367 – N of 32 Mile Rd, 1 mi. E of Rochester Rd.

Le Fleur Décor

An eclectic mix for home & garden Specializing in Unique Flowers, Vines, Container Gardens, Herbs & Heirloom Varieties Local Art: Metal • Pottery • Sculpture Garden Art & Fairies

4th of July Festival: July 4th, 10-5 Artists • Antique & Vintage Vendors Live Music • Garden Walks

3442 Hadley Rd • Hadley • 810-797-4745 www.lefleurdecor.com Tuesday-Saturday 10-7 Sunday Noon-5 Like us on

Stone Cottage Gardens Specializing in Hybrid Daylilies

Huge selection of daylilies, hostas, ferns, perennials, grasses, vines, herbs, groundcovers & Felco pruning tools ~ Garden art & accessories ~ Going “Up North” for the weekend?

Check the Michigan Gardener calendar or our website for special events Open May 1 - Oct. 13 Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 9-4 or by chance or appointment

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Westcroft Gardens

MI Gardener 2005_1-4 pg

3/3/05

4:37 PM

Page 1

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perennial perspectives Something old, something new – a comparison of a new cultivar with the tried-and-true Yarrow Yarrow (Achillea), once a staple of the perennial garden, seems to have fallen out of favor with gardeners over the years. Although yarrow is certainly one of the easiest perennials to grow, its somewhat rangy habit and reputation as overly invasive led gardeners to abandon it in search of better-behaved plants. And yet, certain traits keep it on the radar screen: its drought tolerance, insect and disease resistance, long season of bloom, attractiveness to butterflies and pollinators, and low maintenance requirements certainly go into the “plus column” when evaluating yarrow as a garden candidate.

Perhaps the most well-known yarrow cultivar is ‘Moonshine,’ introduced during the 1950s by Blooms of Bressingham. ‘Moonshine’ is clump-forming, not spreading, and boasts beautiful silver filigree foliage.

Its flower Karen color is bright lemon Bovio yellow, not strident gold like the even older and more robustgrowing ‘Coronation Gold.’ In 1993, Blooms of Bressingham introduced ‘Anthea,’ with silver foliage and habit similar to ‘Moonshine’ but bearing pale sulfur yellow flowers, a color that works well in the landscape. These plants are still very popular and widely used when silver foliage and yellow flower color is desired.

Of course, yarrow’s color palette also includes red, pink and many shades thereof, and this is where the trouble begins. In hybrid yarrows, these colors are imparted by the parent Achillea millefolium, known to be a rampant spreader. Common cultivars of the past, such as ‘Paprika,’ ‘Appleblossom,’ and seed-grown strains like ‘Summer Pastels’ and ‘Cerise Queen’ grow quickly to the point of invasiveness, requiring yearly division to keep the clumps in bounds. Some of the older varieties are also prone to lodging, where the stems fall over, giving the plants a disheveled look in the garden. The flowers often fade as they age, which can add a unique multi-tonal look to the planting, but just as often detracts from the overall effect.

We are fortunate that plant breeders didn’t abandon this genus but persisted in working toward minimizing the flaws and accentuating the finer qualities. Indeed, the 2000s have ushered in a resurgence of interest in yarrow, with many new cultivars appearing on the scene.

One of the best is the Seduction Series,

www.PerennialResource.com

‘Moonshine’

www.PerennialResource.com

www.PerennialResource.com

www.PerennialResource.com

‘Saucy Seduction’

‘Strawberry Seduction’

‘Sunny Seduction’

Blooms of Bressingham again being the introducer. This series includes three cultivars, ‘Strawberry Seduction,’ ‘Saucy Seduction,’ and ‘Sunny Seduction’; red, hot pink, and yellow respectively. Plants in this series are compact and well-branched, growing 18 to 24 inches tall, with sturdy stems to hold the larger-than-average flower heads. More profuse-blooming than older cultivars, the

plants cover themselves with a domed canopy of flowers; more refined and less wildflowerlike. The flower colors are bright with far less fading, although ’Strawberry Seduction’ fades attractively through a blend of colors including yellow and beige. The Seduction Series reblooms when deadheaded, providing a mass of color from June through September.

The foliage is green, not silver, but remains

attractive all season. The plants, although vigorous and healthy, do not spread rampantly.

Like all members of the genus, these new yarrows prefer sandy, well-drained soils, a site in full sun, and minimal fertilization for best performance.

Karen Bovio is the owner of Specialty Growers in Howell, MI.

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

plant focus

Lamium Gardeners are often faced with challenges when choosing plants for shade. Wet areas, dry areas. Areas with more sun, areas with less sun, and of course, tree roots are common problems. Does the plant have attractive leaves, attractive flowers, or winter interest?

Deadnettles (Lamium maculatum) are versatile perennial groundcovers that can withstand diverse soils and a broad range of exposures while offering both beautiful leaves George and flowers. Their tolPapadelis erance of a variety of light conditions makes them the ideal plant to use as a transition between sunny and shady sites. Lamium will grow from 6 to 12 inches in height and can spread 12 to 18 inches from a small pot in just one season. The foliage ranges from silver edged in green, to mostly green, to tricolored, to cream and gold. Flowers on the various cultivars range from light pink to dark lavender to white.

Lamium foliage is beautiful during the growing season, but also remains semi-evergreen during winter. The lush, spring leaves give way to its two-lipped flowers in late May and June. There will be additional, sporadic flowering through the summer and an extra burst of color in fall.

Lamium prefers evenly moist, well-drained Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

continued on page 24

‘Aureum’ brightens up shady spots with its yellow foliage and pink flowers.

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

‘White Nancy’ displays crisp white flowers over silver foliage.

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

‘Pink Pewter’ (front) and ‘Orchid Frost’ (back) show the difference in the pink and purple color tones of lamium flowers.

Time To Plant!

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24

Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 22

Lamium

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Lamiums can be used to soften a bed’s boulder edge.

www.perennialresource.com

‘Beacon Silver’

www.perennialresource.com

‘Orchid Frost’

www.perennialresource.com

‘Purple Dragon’

soil. Hard, compacted soil or excessively Botanical name: Lamium maculatum (LAYdry soil can cause bare patches or dieback mee-um) through the winter. But once established, Plant type: Perennial groundcover lamium can withstand dry shade. Slugs Plant size: 6-12 inches tall, 12-18 inches are common pests but this can be alleviwide ated with an early spring application of Habit: Low, spreading Sluggo (iron phosphate). Fortunately, laHardiness: Zone 4 mium is deer- and rabbit-resistant.

Flower color: Pink, purple, lavender, white The most common lamiums have Flower size: 1/2 to 3/4 inches long leaves of silver edged in green. These Bloom period: Late May to June cultivars differ primarily in flower colLeaf color: Various silver and green or. ‘Pink Pewter’ has clear pink flowvariegations, yellow with pale ers that contrast beautifully with the white centers 6-inch tall silver foliage. ‘Beacon Silver’ Leaf size: 1-2 inches long has purple-pink flowers on more vigLight: Part shade to shade orous 9-inch tall plants. ‘White Nancy’ Soil: Moist, well-drained; once sports white flowers on 6-inch tall established will tolerate dry plants and ‘Chequers’ has pale violet soils flowers contrasting with leaves sportUses: Woodlands, moist areas, ing a narrower silver streak. shady beds, plantings under In the perennial garden, these siltrees ver-leaved cultivars look perfect when Companion plants: Dark-leaved perennials like contrasted with dark-leaved perenniblack mondo grass, coral als such as the evergreen black mondo bells, black snakeroot, and grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigresothers. cens’), black snakeroot (Actaea or CimiRemarks: An excellent groundcover for cifuga ramosa ‘Brunette’), and any of the shade and semi-shade. purple- to black-leaved coral bells (Heuchera). They also look great with the bold leaves of hostas and the finer leaves become very popular components in annual of silvery ferns such as Japanese painted fern container plantings. With or without flowers, (Athyrium nipponicum ‘Pictum’). the foliage is outstanding with purples like I have always been a big fan of gold-leaved verbena or purple heart (Setcreasea), blues lamiums. These are equally if not more valulike fan flower (Scaevola) or wishbone flower able when paired with dark-leaved compan(Torenia), and pinks like annual phlox, imions. ‘Aureum’ has pink flowers above creampatiens, and annual geranium (Pelargonium) centered, yellow leaves. ‘Beedham’s White’ has in part shade or shady containers. Lamium’s nearly identical leaves but produces white flowtrailing foliage is well-suited for window boxers. ‘Anne Greenaway’ delivers a triple twist— es, hanging baskets, mixed containers, or all green leaves with white centers and striking by itself in a classic black planter. yellow edges. These gold-leaved lamiums are great companions to blue hostas and the newer George Papadelis is the owner “blue”-leaved astilbes such as ‘Delft Lace.’ of Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, MI. In the last several years, lamiums have

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

‘Anne Greenaway’ has striking, tri-colored leaves—green with white centers and yellow edges.

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

Look for Allen Park ACO Hardware Almont American Tree Ann Arbor H Abbott’s Landscp Nurs Ace Barnes Hardware Downtown Home & Gard H English Gardens HillTop Greenhse & Farms Larry’s Mower Shop Lodi Farms H Matthaei Botanical Gard Nicola’s Books H The Produce Station Turner’s Greenhse/ Gard Ctr Whole Foods Wild Bird Ctr Wild Birds Unltd Auburn Hills ACO Hardware Drake’s Nurs H Haley Stone H Oakland Community College H State Crushing Belleville Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice Hollow’s Landscp Supp Pinter Flowerland Zywicki Greenhse Berkley Garden Central Birmingham ACO Hardware H Blossoms MT Hunter Neighborhood Hardware H Plant Station Tiffany Florist Watch Hill Antiques Bloomfield Hills ACE Hardware Backyard Birds Coastal Outdoor Living Space Brighton H Beauchamp Landscp Supp H Bordine’s H English Gardens H Grasshopper Gardens Main’s Landscp Supp H Meier Flowerland Brownstown Twp Ruhlig Farms & Gard Canton Canton Floral Gardens Clink Landscp & Nurs Crimboli Nurs Keller & Stein Greenhse H Wild Birds Unltd Chelsea H Garden Mill The Potting Shed Clarkston ACE Hardware ACO Hardware H Bordine’s Country Oaks Landscp Supp I Lowrie’s Landscp The Birdfeeder H The Pond Source Weingartz

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Holly H Rice’s Garden Ornaments Howell H Howell Farmer’s Mkt Penrose Nurs H Specialty Growers Imlay City Earthly Arts Lake Orion Lake Orion Lawn Ornaments H Orion Stone Depot H Wojo’s of Lake Orion Livonia ACO Hardware (5 Mi/ Middlebelt) ACO Hardware (6 Mi/ Newburgh) Bushel Mart Superior Growers Supp Macomb ACO Hardware Altermatt’s Greenhse Boyka’s Greenhse H Deneweth’s Gard Ctr Elya’s Village Gard Landscape Source Olejnik Farms H Wiegand’s Nursery Madison Hts Green Carpet Sod Midland H Dow Gardens Milford ACO Hardware Milford Gardens One Stop Landscp Supp H The Pond Place Monroe H The Flower Market New Baltimore Meldrum Bros Nurs Van Thomme’s Greenhses New Boston H Gorham & Sons Nurs Grass Roots Nurs Mums the Word New Hudson H Milarch Nurs North Branch H Campbell’s Greenhses Oldani Landscp Nurs Northville Begonia Bros H Gardenviews Novi ACO Hardware H Dinser’s Glenda’s Gard Ctr Tollgate Education Ctr H Wild Birds Unltd Oak Park Four Seasons Gard Ctr Ortonville Country Oaks Landscp Supp II H Wojo’s Greenhse Owosso H Everlastings in the Wildwood Plymouth Backyard Birds Lucas Nurs H Plymouth Nurs Plymouth Rock & Supp Rock Shoppe H Saxton’s Gard Ctr Sideways Sparr’s Greenhse

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H Eckert’s Greenhse Flower Barn Nurs Prime Landscp Supply Stockbridge Gee Farms Sylvan Lake H AguaFina Gardens Interntl H Detroit Garden Works Taylor H Beautiful Ponds & Gard H D&L Garden Ctr H Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp Tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens Trenton Carefree Lawn Ctr Keck Hardware Troy ACO Hardware Maeder’s West H Telly’s Greenhse Telly’s Greenhse The Home & Gard Shop Tom’s Landscp Nurs H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store Utica Dale’s Landscp Supp Stone City Weingartz Warren H Beste’s Lawn & Patio Young’s Garden Mart Washington Landscape Direct Miller’s Big Red Greenhse Rocks ‘n’ Roots Waterford ACO Hardware Breen’s Landscp Supp Jacobsen’s Flowers Waterford H Merrittscape Wayne Artman’s Nurs West Bloomfield H English Gardens H Planterra Whole Foods Westland ACO Hardware Artman’s Westland Nurs H Barsons Greenhses Bushel Stop Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Panetta’s Landscp Supp White Lake H Bogie Lake Greenhse Mulligan’s Gard Ctr Sunshine Plants Whitmore Lake H Alexander’s Greenhses Williamston H Christian’s Greenhse Wixom Angelo’s Landscp Supp Brainer’s Greenhse Woodhaven Bruce’s Pond Shop Ypsilanti Coleman’s Farm Mkt Lucas Nurs Margolis Nurs Materials Unlimited Schmidt’s Antiques

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Hardy succulents for Michigan gardens S

ucculent plants, with their dramatic, often colorful, architectural foliage, are having their day in the sun. It seems like I can’t open a magazine or read a blog without seeing gorgeous agaves, aeoniums, and aloes strutting their stuff. In warm, dry climates, these succulents are not only gorgeous, but practical and easy, and they conserve water as well.

Many succulent plants, however, are another story here in wet and chilly Michigan—and I’ve been struck with severe succulent envy. Fortunately, to my delight, there are a surprising number of succulents that are perfectly hardy, tough, and easy plants for our climate. You just have to look for them.

the rosettes on the hardy Orostachys spinosa look like a green gerbera daisy.

Hardiness My first foray into the world of hardy succulents was severely hampered by a little place called Denver, Colorado. Denver is the chalky-white leaves on ‘cape blanco’ sedum (Sedum cold (zone 5 in fact), so many nurseries try growing plants there, spathulifolium ‘cape blanco’) blush pink as they age. and then label the ones that survive as zone 5 hardy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read that, gotten all excited, and planthens-and-chicks, are so easy, so lovely, and so cute, everyone ed something in my garden only to watch it turn to mush. should be growing them. The little rosettes look good every The key to hardiness for most succulents isn’t so much cold as single day of the year and will grow anywhere with plenty of it is wet. Kept very dry, many of them can handle extremely low sun and decent drainage. There are literally hundreds of cultitemperatures. However, subject them to the mud of our springs vars—some green, red, various bicolors, smooth, fuzzy, or even and they rot away in no time. When shopping for succulents, be topped with peculiar threads that look like spider webs. You’ll skeptical of hardiness claims from nurseries in the West. Hardy find a few at most garden centers, but the most fun is to visit for them is probably not hardy for us here in soggy Michigan. a nursery with a great collection, and spend some time pickThat said, you can greatly expand the range of succulent ing out the ones you like best. I love planting different forms species you can grow here if you make the extra effort to protogether in mass to form a tapestry of colors and texvide good drainage in a raised bed or rock garden. tures.

But with the right plant choices, you don’t have to.

Joseph I’ve been growing the plants described below in Tychonievich Jovibarba (Jovibarba heuffelii) my regular beds in wet, clay soil in Lansing. Don’t You’d be forgiven for mistaking jovibarba for hensplant them in a bog, but with regular drainage, these and-chicks. They are very similar, but jovibarba is plants will be fine. more than twice as big, making it more dramatic and Many of the hardy succulents are quite small, noticeable in the garden. Jovibarba spreads more which, combined with their extreme drought tolerslowly than does its sempervivum cousins, but is othance, makes them perfect for planting in containerwise just as tough and easy to grow. ers. Unlike a pot of petunias, they won’t mind in the slightest if you miss watering them. Plus, growing Orostachys (Orostachys spinosa) them in a container really helps you get up close and One of my favorite things about the rosettes of tender succuappreciate the details of their beautiful form. lents like Aeonium or Echeveria is how much they look like imTheir drought tolerance also makes them uniquely suitable possibly long-lasting flowers. Well, the perfectly hardy species for non-traditional containers that can’t hold much soil. I’ve Orostachys spinosa takes that concept to another level, producseen hardy succulents look stunning in everything from serving rosettes that look like a green gerbera daisy! Not only beauing platters, to the seat of an old chair, to a boot. Almost any tiful, this species takes cold hardiness to truly extreme levels. knick-knack you can fit a little soil into can become a home for Native to very cold mountain tops, this plant is considered one a tiny garden of hardy succulents. of the most cold-tolerant flowering plants in the world.

Succulents look wonderful in the ground too. Planted in mass, they form a beautiful, drought-proof carpet for a sunny Sedum spot. Their beautiful shapes perfectly contrast with and comThe genus Sedum is huge, and includes some truly lovely and plement the more delicate forms of other garden plants. incredibly tough plants. Two of my favorites are tiny groundThe plants cover species. Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ has the most Hens-and-Chicks (Sempervivum) beautiful, chalky-white leaves that blush pink as they age. It These little plants, with the charming common name of makes a lovely combination with the darker colors, especially the red hens-and-chicks. Sedum hispanicum var. minus ‘Pink Form’ is even tinier, forming a dense mass of miniscule bluePH oto G r a PH s by J os e PH t ycH o n i e vi cH and pink-toned leaves.

the blue leaves of Agave parryi are enveloped by a springblooming chattahoochee phlox.

Hens-and-chicks (left) and Jovibarba (right) look very similar, but Jovibarba is more than twice as big, making it more noticeable in the garden.

Agave (Agave parryi) I’d seen “hardy” agaves for sale before, but I never believed it.

When I saw this Agave parryi, I had to take a chance. Incredible smoky blue foliage topped with elegant black spines—could it really be hardy? For the first few years, I didn’t quite believe it, expecting to find it dead every year, but against all hope, it has lived up to is reputation. The tops of the leaves get damaged a bit in particularly hard winters, but come spring, it always keeps on growing as if nothing happened. This is a dangerous plant, with serious spines, but oh, what a lovely one! The delicate beauty of other flowers look all the more magical when they are contrasted with the sturdy, lethal form of an agave.

Joseph Tychonievich writes the garden blog www.greensparrowgardens.com and gardens in Lansing, MI.

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

www.perennialresource.com

Julia Hofley

High Country Gardens

‘Banana Boat’ Sedge

‘Fire Spinner’ Hardy Ice Plant

This broad-leaved form of deciduous sedge (Carex siderosticha ‘Banana Boat’) is a native of Asian woodland mountains and has a bamboo-like look about it. One-inch wide leaves are banana yellow with narrow green margins and stripes. This foliage looks like a beacon of light in a sea of green foliage. Perfect for a low spot in your woodland garden or in a shady rain garden, as consistently moist soil brings out its best. ‘Banana Boat’ slowly creeps by rhizomes to form a dense mat of bold-textured foliage. This attractive new groundcover option is a long-lived, durable sedge that will require supplemental watering during the dog days of summer.

Height: 6-12 inches. Spread: 12-15 inches.

Part shade to full shade.

Discovered in the wilds of South Africa at a 6,000-foot elevation, this shocking color combo represents a dramatic breakthrough for hardy ice plants. Sounds exciting right out of the garden gate! This drought-tolerant groundcover (Delosperma ‘Fire Spinner’) has a tight, evergreen mat of heat-loving succulent foliage. In late spring and into early summer, upturned blooms virtually cover the foliage as sparkling orange petals surround the magenta base and white center of each flower. ‘Fire Spinner’ thrives in poor, well-drained sandy-loam soil, and re-blooms sporadically throughout the summer. It is butterfly friendly as well.

Height: 1-3 inches. Spread: 12-18 inches.

Full sun.

‘Little Goldstar’ Black-eyed Susan

www.perennialresource.com

This compact plant (Rudebeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Little Goldstar’) forms a bushy, short clump of rich green foliage, which is covered with a dome of closely spaced, starburst-shaped, 2- to 2-1/2-inch, golden yellow blossoms held just above the leaves. Wellbranched scapes carry loads of flowers from midsummer through early fall. This plant is propagated from tissue culture so it is more stable than seed-grown varieties. If you are looking for a late summer-blooming powerhouse that is more petite and proportional than the traditional ‘Goldsturm,’ you may have found your flower.

Height: 14-16 inches. Spread: 14-16 inches.

Full to part sun.

www.terranovanurseries.com (2)

‘Sun King’ Aralia Tropical plants that have super-sized leaves always catch my attention and help to create an unexpected surprise when planted in a Michigan border. Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ accomplishes this experience, but it’s a hardy perennial that looks like a tropical plant—and that is added value. This strikingly gold form of aralia has large compound leaves, and makes an outstanding accent plant in part shade. It starts out growing slowly, but once established in a garden with rich, well-drained soil and available moisture during the growing season, it will grow quite fast. ’Sun King’ emerges in midspring with bright gold leaves held on contrasting reddish brown stems. In late summer, small clusters of white flowers form, followed by decorative purple inedible berries. Avoid sit-

ing in windy locations, protect from late spring frosts, and make sure it gets a few hours of sun each day for the leaves to remain bright gold throughout the summer. In heavier shade, the leaves will range from chartreuse to lime green.

Height: 3-6 feet. Spread: 3 feet. Part shade.

NEW PERENNIALS continued on page 30

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1 D&L Garden Center

2 Gorham & Sons Nursery

21980 Ecorse Rd. Taylor, MI 48180 313-292-6760 www.dlgarden.com

19325 Wahrman Rd. Huron Twp., MI 48164 734-753-4481 www.gorhamandsonsnursery.com

May/June hours: Mon-Sat 8-7, Sun 9-4 A family-run, complete garden center since 1978. Premium lawn and garden products including dwarf shrubs and trees, perennials, roses, shade trees, hanging baskets and more.

Excellent selection of Japanese maples. Garden gifts and décor, bulk landscape materials, and power equipment. In Taylor on Ecorse Road, 1/2 mile East of Telegraph.

May/June hours: Mon-Sat 9-6, Sun 9-5 Trees, shrubs, evergreens & ornamental plants.

Specializing in topiaries, Japanese maples & landscape design. Also fruit trees and blueberry, raspberry & blackberry bushes. We are proud of our personal service—bring us your questions & photos of your yard and we will offer advice. Just Southeast of the Sibley Road & I-275 intersection.

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6 Schoedel’s Nursery

27098 Sibley Rd. Romulus, MI 48174 734-941-2081 Find us on facebook

20900 Merriman Rd. Romulus, MI 48174 734-753-4150 www.schoedelsnursery.com

May/June hours: 7 days 9-6, maybe later, please call Huge Selection! Most annual flats only $7.99.

Unique combination baskets and planters with combos you won’t see elsewhere.

Proven Winners Certified Garden Center.

Healthy vegetable plants, herbs and perennials.

Delicious homegrown fresh-picked fruits and vegetables July to November. 1/4 mile East of Inkster Rd.

May/June hrs: Mon-Fri 9-7, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4 A third-generation, family run business since 1949. Our 5-acre nursery has one of the largest selections in the area: ornamental and shade trees, specialty shrubs, broadleaf evergreens, and conifers. From the common to the unusual.

There is something for everyone. 1 mile South of Sibley Rd.

4 Massab Acres Greenhouse & Farm

30705 Sibley Rd. Romulus, MI 48174 734-753-9269 www.schwartzgreenhouse.com

8350 Pardee Rd. Taylor, MI 48180 313-291-4505 www.massabacres.net May/June hours: Open 7 days 9-8 9-acre nursery and garden center. Annuals, hanging baskets, vegetable plants, perennials, hostas, herbs. Area’s largest selection of roses.

Extensive selection of choice, unique conifers and specialty trees and shrubs. Statuary, fountains, garden décor. 1/2 mile East of Telegraph, 1/2 mile South of Ecorse Rd.

5 Panetta’s Landscape Supplies 20200 Goddard Taylor, MI 48180 313-291-3880 www.panettasupply.com May/June hrs: Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 8-5, Sun 10-3 Panetta’s offers a wide variety of both decorative rock & flagstone, as well as an assortment of mulches to meet your landscaping needs. Also available are Unilock & Oaks brick pavers. Be sure to try our RJ’s Potting Mix, a custom blend of soils & soil additives made just right for your garden.

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May hours: Mon-Sat 9-8, Sun 9-6.

June: Call for hours Our specialty is spectacular hanging baskets!

Discover flowers & plants at great prices.

Bedding plants, roses, vegetable plants, herbs, perennials, container gardens, porch planters, and gardening supplies. Over 12 acres of greenhouses and 2 acres of shopping! 1/2 mile West of Middlebelt.

8 Westcroft Gardens 21803 West River Rd. Grosse Ille, MI 48138 734-676-2444 www.westcroftgardens.com May/June hrs: Mon-Fri 8-7, Sat 9-7, Sun 10-5 Visit Michigan’s oldest farm still owned & operated by the same family, established 1776.

Specializing in our own hybrids of azaleas & rhododendrons that grow well in Michigan.

Also trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs & vegetables. Our Greenleaf Compound will acidify & improve your soil. Stroll our botanical garden.

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

Baptisia – Decadence Series This false indigo (Baptisia) series was hybridized here in Michigan. Years of diligent breeding work culminated in a series of uniquely colored flowers with a shorter, more compact habit that is better proportioned for smaller city gardens. They are vigorous growers that are easy to maintain and look good all season, including the ornamental seed pods in the fall. Very long-lived once established, these upright, vase-shaped mounds of bluegreen foliage produce flowers that are butterfly favorites from late spring through early summer.

‘Lemon Meringue’ has dark stems that present lemon yellow flowers in a nice contrast. ‘Blueberry Sundae’ has deep indigo blue flowers that are more vibrant than traditional species (Baptisia australis). ‘Cherries Jubilee’ boasts unique, deep maroon buds that open to bicolor maroon and yellow flowers.

Height: 3 feet. Spread: 2-1/2 to 3 feet.

Full sun.

continued from page 28

www.perennialresource.com (3)

www.terranovanurseries.com

‘Double Stuff’ Variegated Solomon’s Seal This variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum ‘Double Stuff’) has double the white margin compared to the traditional variegated version (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’), bringing some bright vertical elegance to the woodland or shade garden. Each arching red stem carries large leaves with broad white margins and green centers. In springtime, white flowers dangle below the eye-catching leaves, highlighting the textural mix of astilbes, ferns, and hostas in a shady border.

Height: 26 inches. Spread: 16 inches. Part shade to full shade.

‘Citronelle’ Coral Bells This French cultivar (Heuchera ‘Citronelle’) is a sport of the popular ‘Caramel,’ with the same compact habit. It is a hybrid of the Heuchera villosa species, which exhibits an increased tolerance of high heat and humidity compared to other species. The large, citron yellow leaves can grow over 4 inches wide, making quite an impact. Creamy colored flowers appear later, but this plant is grown for its foliage, which also has appealing silver undersides. The leaves will turn a more chartreuse color in heavier shade. Adding this level of brightness along a shady path will get your garden guests asking, “What’s that plant?”

Height: 14 inches. Spread: 18 inches. Part shade to full shade.

www.perennialresource.com

‘Black Sprite’ Centaurea Here is one for gardeners who are fans of black blooms. A mysterious flower when in bud, ‘Black Sprite’ has the look of a tiny stained glass window. This captivating starburst flower emerges into a silky black, spidery bloom that contrasts well with graygreen leaves covered with soft silvery hairs.

This drought-tolerant plant (Centaurea montana ‘Black Sprite’) produces dramatic flowers for cutting.

Height: 14 inches. Spread: 24 inches.

Full sun.

www.skagitgardens.com

www.MichiganGardener.com | June 2012 | Michigan Gardener

31

Locally owned.

Locally grown.

Just north of Ann Arbor, right off the freeway, we’re definitely a destination for gardeners of all genres. We have thousands of homegrown annuals, vegetables, herbs, and perennials.

Hundreds of hanging baskets and planters…all designed, planted and grown in our own greenhouses. Plus beautiful roses, ornamental grasses, climbing vines, ground covers, flowering shrubs, and a fine selection of small fruits…including Michigan-hardy figs, grapes, and kiwis.

And, of course, our celebrated 99¢ seed perennials!

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US-23

I love cutting flowers and making arrangements to place around our home, and this plant (Alstromeria ‘Inca Ice’) gives me many opportunities to be creative. These flowers open wide with a soft tropical look about them. Alternating petals of apricot pink and creamy yellow with a smoky burgundy speckling are offset by brushstrokes of Granny Smith green on the larger petals. I saw them up close and personal from cutting so many blooms and enjoying them on my desk for weeks at a time, as they really proved their long-lasting vase life.

Peruvian lily forms a bushy, upright clump of linear, green leaves. The top quarter of the plant becomes totally covered in flowers from mid through late summer here in Michigan. Flower clusters can carry up to 20 or more flowers, which can make one stem a bouquet in itself.

Height: 2-3 feet. Spread: 2 feet. Full to part sun.

Whitmore Lake Rd.

‘Inca Ice’ Peruvian Lily

N. Territorial

Exit 49

Providing dedication and quality since 1978 Corner of N. Territorial and Whitmore Lake Rd.

M-14

6925 Whitmore Lake Rd. • Whitmore Lake, MI 48189

734-741-1064

Oakland County Market 2350 Pontiac Lake Road Waterford, MI 48328 248.858.5495

All-America Selections

www.skagitgardens.com

‘Arizona Apricot’ Blanket Flower

‘Ringsabell Mulberry Rose’ Bellflower

The name blanket flower stems from the manner in which these plants used to blanket North American prairies with their blooms. This butterfly attractor (Gaillardia aristata ‘Arizona Apricot’) complements its kin, ‘Arizona Sun’ and ‘Arizona Red Shades,’ with more subtle shades of yellow tips with a darker orange center. This All-America Selections award winner forms a tidy mound with excellent branching, displaying flowers with multiple rows of petals for a beautifully full appearance. Requires very good drainage.

Height: 12 inches. Spread: 12 inches.

Full sun.

Rose pink bells hang on slender stems and rise above medium green foliage that doesn’t spread like others of its type. The showy blooms of Campanula ‘Ringsabell Mulberry Rose’ appear in late spring into summer. This performer is good for the front of the border in evenly moist soil.

Height: 6 inches (21 inches in flower).

Spread: 15 inches. Part sun to part shade.

Julia Hofley is an avid plant collector, freelance garden writer, lecturer, and independent sales rep (E-mail: julia@juliasbiglife.com).

Hours Farmers Market • 6:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

May through December— Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Year round—Saturday Flea Market • 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Year-round—Sunday DestinationOakland.com

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

calendar June / July / August / September H Denotes Michigan Gardener advertiser Attract Butterflies to Your Garden Tue, Jun 5, 6:30pm, Bloomfield Hills. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland County at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church.www.ButterfliesInTheGarden.com.

Diagnosing Plant Problems Thu, Jun 7, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. At MSU Tollgate Education Center. $20. 248-858-0887, smithlin@oakgov.com.

H African Violet Convention Fri, Jun 8, Fri, 9am-5pm & Sat, 9am-4pm, Detroit. At GM Renaissance Center. Plant sale, show, $5. Mention MG ad for $1 off. www.avsa.org.

Ann Arbor Garden Walk Sat, Jun 9, 10am-4pm, Ann Arbor. By Ann Arbor Farm & Garden at 6 beautiful gardens. $15. www.annarborfarmandgarden.org.

Early Morning Bird Walk Sat, Jun 9, 7:30-9:30am, Ann Arbor. By Huron River Watershed Council at Gallup Park.Bring binoculars, FREE. 419-341-7695, recreation@hrwc.org.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jun 9, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

Stone Covered Church Birdhouse Sat, Jun 9, 10am, Fenton. By Garden Angel Art Works at Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. Register: 810-629-9208, www.GardenAngelArt.com.

H Brick Paving & Retaining Wall Seminar Sat, Jun 9, 11am, Orion. By Unilock at Orion Stone Depot. www.orionstone.com, 248-391-2490.

H Palettes of the Garden Sun, Jun 10, 11am-4pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. Painters & photographers in the gardens, FREE. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com, 810-629-9208.

Troy Garden Walk Mon, Jun 11, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at 6 Troy gardens.

Boutique at Troy Historical Village. www.troygardenclubmi.com 50 Great Before & After Garden Ideas Tue, Jun 12, 5pm, Hale. At Plainfield Township Hall.

Vendors, 6:30 pm-FREE speaker: Janet Macunovich. stemenl@yahoo.com.

Flip This Garden Wed, Jun 13, 10am, Davisburg. By Springfield Garden Club at Springfield Township Civic Center Meeting Room. $3. donna@celadongardensandpar-teas.com Franklin Garden Walk Wed, Jun 13, 10am-4pm & 6-9pm(walk) 9am6pm(market), Franklin. By Franklin Garden Club.

Self-guided walk. $12. Lunch available. www.franklingardenclub.org.

What Tree is Right for Me? Wed, Jun 13, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. At MSU Tollgate Education Center. $20. 248-858-0887, smithlin@oakgov.com.

Registration Deadline Conifer Society Conference Fri, Jun 15, Event: 7/12-7/14. By American Conifer Society at Sheraton Ann Arbor, Hidden Lake Gardens, Gee Farms & Arboretum. Keynote: 7/12-8pm. www.conifersociety. org/cs2/index/php, 336-945-0483.

H Nostalgic Farm Tour Fri, Jun 15, 10am, Leonard. At Yule Love it Lavender. $3. www.yuleloveitlavender.com, 248-628-7814.

Garden City Garden Walk Sat, Jun 16, 10am-3pm, Garden City. By Garden City Garden Club. 6 gardens, $8. detroitsoftball@yahoo.com.

Garden Journey Bus Tour Sat, Jun 16, 8am-6pm, Bloomfield. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland County at Bowers Farm. Visit 6 gardens, lunch, shop. lakess@sbcglobal.net.

Milford Garden Walk & Market Sale Sat, Jun 16, 10am-6pm, Milford. By Milford Garden Club at 6 gardens in Milford area. $12, www.themilfordgardenclub.org.

Northville Garden Walk Sat, Jun 16, 10am-4pm, Northville. By Gardeners of Northville & Novi Garden Club at Northville Art House. 8 gardens, $10. bk32009@gmail.com.

Watergardens & Ponds Sat, Jun 16, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

H Frogs & Salamanders Sat, Jun 16, 6-9pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $12/ adults, $10/children. 517-431-2060, www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

H Rose Show Sat, Jun 16, 11am-8pm, Macomb. At Ray Wiegand’s Nursery. Entries accepted until 11am, judging 11am-1pm, all welcome to enter w/any rose variety. www.wiegandsnursery.com, 586-286-3655.

Grapes, Wine & More!

Tue, Jun 19, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. At MSU Tollgate Education Center. $20. 248-858-0887, smithlin@oakgov.com.

H Shade Gardening Class Wed, Jun 20, 6:30pm, Troy. At Telly’s. Owner will design a sample shade garden & explain process. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735.

Rochester Garden Tour Thu, Jun 21, 11am-7pm, Rochester. By Rochester Garden Club & Rochester Hills Museum. $14, 6 gardens, market, artists, historical farm visit. 1pm: Speaker-Karen Bovio “Cool Plants for the Shade.” Preview party on 6/20-$30.

248-656-4663.

H Cranbrook House Guided Tours Thu, Jun 21, (begins-Thu, Fri & Sat), Bloomfield Hills. At Cranbrook Gardens. 248-645-3149, www.housegardens. cranbrook.edu.

H Shade Gardening Class Thu, Jun 21, 6:30pm, Shelby Twp. At Telly’s. Owner will design a sample shade garden & explain process. www. tellys.com, 248-659-8555.

Cobblestone Bench/Table Class Sat, Jun 23, 10am, Fenton. By Garden Angel Art Works at Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. Register: 810-629-9208, www.GardenAngelArt.com.

Grosse Pointe Garden Tour Sat, Jun 23, 10am-4pm, By Grosse Pointe Garden Center, Inc. 6 gardens, artists, master gardeners, $15. 313-8817511, x206, gpgardenctr@warmemorial.org.

Mt. Clemens Garden Walk Sat, Jun 23, 9am-4pm, Mt. Clemens. At Crocker House Museum. $10, breakfast tickets available also. 586-4652488, www.crockerhousemuseum.com.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jun 23, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

H Bonsai Show Sat, Jun 23, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club at Telly’s. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com, 586-646-3888.

Plymouth Garden Walk Tue, Jun 26, 12-8pm, Plymouth. By Women’s NFGA Trailwood Garden Club. Rain or shine, $10. 734-459-7499.

Outdoor Artists at the Conservatory Thu, Jun 28, 10am-2pm, Taylor. At the Taylor Conservatory. taylorconservatory@sbcglobal.net.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jun 30, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

Livonia Pond Tour Mon, Jul 2, 10am-5pm, Livonia, Garden City & Westland.

By Michigan Koi & Pond Club & The Pond Place. Self guided tour of 10 gardens. $10. 734-646-7607, www.mkpc-se.com.

H 4th of July Festival Wed, Jul 4, 10am-5pm, Hadley. At LeFleur Decor. Artists, vendors, garden walks, more. 810-797-4745, www. lefleurdecor.com.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jul 7, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

H Sunrise in the Garden Sat, Jul 7, sunrise, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Tour, collect plants, propagation tray, $100.517-431-2060, www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

Tea Thyme in the Garden Sun, Jul 8, Lapeer. By Lapeer Master Gardener Association at Display Gardens on Suncrest. 810-667-1994.

Clematis Care, Culture & Companions Mon, Jul 9, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. At MSU Tollgate Education Center. $20. 248-858-0887, smithlin@oakgov.com.

H Fenton Garden Tours Tue, Jul 10, 11am-1pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. 1 hour tour, lunch, discounts, $26.75. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com, 810-629-9208.

Clarkston Garden Walk Wed, Jul 11, 12-7pm, Clarkston. By Clarkston Farm & Garden Club. $18. www.clarkstongardenclub.org.

Northville Garden Walk Wed, Jul 11, 9am-4pm, Northville. By Country Garden Club of Northville at Mill Race Village & 6 gardens. $10. www.cgnv.org.

H Music in the Gardens Thu, Jul 12, evening, Bloomfield Hills. At Cranbrook Gardens. 248-645-3149, www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jul 14, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

Shelby Garden Walk Sat, Jul 14, 10am-4pm, Shelby Twp. By Shelby Gardeners Club. Rain or shine, $10. www.shelbytwp.org/shelby_gardeners_club.jsp.

H Daylily Dig & Garden Party Sat, Jul 14, 9am-6pm, Waterford. At Merrittscape. You pick ‘em, we dig ‘em. 248-681-7955, www.michmerrittscape.com Fenton/Holly Garden Tour Sun, Jul 15, 10am-5pm, Fenton/Holly. By Open Gate Garden Club at 7 area gardens. www.opengategardentour2012.com.

Stone Covered Projects for Yard & Garden Sun, Jul 15, 11am, Highland. By Garden Angel Art Works at Colasanti’s Market & Greenhouse. Register: 248-8870012, www.GardenAngelArt.com Traverse City Garden Walk Thu, Jul 19, noon-8pm, Traverse City. By Friendly Garden Club of Traverse City. 989-995-0282.

Lapeer Garden Tour Sat, Jul 21, 9am-5pm, Lapeer. By Lapeer County Master Gardener Association at N of I-69, between M-15 & M-24.

10 gardens, including 2 public, $10. 810-664-8317.

Master Gardener Garden Tour Sat, Jul 21, 9am-5pm, Swartz Creek. By Genesee County Master Gardeners at gardens in Swartz Creek area. $10/ adults, $2/children. www.GCgardentour.weebly.com.

Watergardens & Ponds Sat, Jul 21, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

H Daylily Dig & Garden Party Sat, Jul 21, 9am-6pm, Waterford. At Merrittscape. You pick ‘em, we dig ‘em. 248-681-7955, www.michmerrittscape.com H Frogs & Salamanders Sat, Jul 21, 6-9pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $12/ adults, $10/children. 517-431-2060, www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

What You Need to Know About Invasives Tue, Jul 24, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. By MSU Extension Oakland County at MSU Tollgate Education Center. www. oakgov.com/msu, 248-858-0887.

Detroit Garden Tour Sat, Jul 28, 10am-4pm, Detroit. By Grandmont Community Association Garden Club at Douglas Ramsey Playground. Rain or shine, $10. 313-585-2499.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jul 28, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

For inFormation about Public Gardens, please visit MichiganGardener.com.

Click on "Resources" then "Public Gardens."

H Daylily Dig & Garden Party Sat, Jul 28, 9am-6pm, Waterford. At Merrittscape. You pick ‘em, we dig ‘em. 248-681-7955, www.michmerrittscape.com Bonsai Workshop Sun, Jul 29, 2pm, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club of MI at Telly’s Greenhouse. Beginners & experienced welcome. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com.

Insect ID Thu, Aug 2, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. By MSU Extension Oakland County at MSU Tollgate Education Center. www. oakgov.com/msu, 248-858-0887.

H Garden Day Fri, Aug 3, 8am-4pm, East Lansing. At MSU Horticulture Gardens & Veterinary Medical Center. $85 by 7/22, workshops, keynotes, lunch, materials, marketplace, plant sale, more. www.hrt.msu.edu/garden-day-2012, 517-3555191, x1339.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Aug 4, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

H Sunrise in the Garden Sat, Aug 4, sunrise, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Tour, collect plants, propagation tray, $100.517-431-2060, www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Aug 11, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

H Gee Farms Tour Thu, Aug 16, 10am, Stockbridge. By Association of Professional Gardeners at Gee Farms. 8-acre arboretum, thousands of plants, $5. www.associationofprofessionalgardeners.org, 248-727-2978.

Cobblestone Bench/Table Class Sat, Aug 18, 10am, Davison. By Garden Angel Art Works at Wojo’s Splendors Greenhouse. Register: 248-6589221, www.GardenAngelArt.com Watergardens & Ponds Sat, Aug 18, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

Eating Fresh from the Garden Mon, Aug 20, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. By MSU Extension Oakland County at MSU Tollgate Education Center. www. oakgov.com/msu, 248-858-0887.

H Owl Prowl Tue, Aug 21, 7:30-9:30pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $12/adults, $10/children. 517-431-2060, www. hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Aug 25, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

H Summer Herb Faire Sat, Aug 25, Sat, 10am-5pm & Sun, 11am-5pm, Fenton.

At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. Lunch, Q&A, greenhouse, artisans, for all ages, $1. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm. com, 810-629-9208.

Bonsai Auction Sun, Aug 26, 2pm, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club of MI at Telly’s Greenhouse. Plants, pots, tools, lunch. www. fourseasonsbonsai.com.

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Website: Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Garden Event Calendar” E-Mail: calendar@michigangardener.com Upcoming Issues & Deadlines: Issue

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www.MichiganGardener.com | June 2012 | Michigan Gardener

Dahlia Conference Sat, Sep 1, Sat, 12-5pm & Sun, 10am-4pm, Ann Arbor. By Michigan Dahlia Association at Morris Lawrence Building.

Sale: Sun, 3pm. 734-753-5336.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Sep 1, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

Bromeliad/Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale Sat, Sep 8, 10:30am-4pm, Ann Arbor. By SE MI Bromeliad Society & MI Cactus & Succulent Society at Matthaei Botanical Gardens Greenhouse 3. 248-380-7359, pgoff@ wideopenwest.com.

Dahlia Society Show Sat, Sep 8, 11am-5pm & Sun, 12-4pm, West Bloomfield.

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By Southeastern Michigan Dahlia Society at Orchard Mall.

Displays, Q&A, FREE. hye3@att.net.

Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Sep 8, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com.

Rhubarb Leaf Concrete Bowl with optional Fountain Class Sat, Sep 8, 10am, Ortonville. By Garden Angel Art Works at Wojo’s Greenhouse. Register: 248-627-6498, www.

GardenAngelArt.com

WE MAKE PET HOUSE CALLS – No need to struggle bringing your pets into the vet’s office. Dr. Andrea Smirnes, DVM at Woodward Veterinary Home Care comes to you! Serving south Oakland Cty over 20 yrs. Evening appts avail. 248-288-1554, www.woodwardvet.com

Attract Butterflies to Your Garden Tue, Sep 11, 7:30pm, Milford. By Huron Valley Audubon Society at Kensington Park Nature Center. www.ButterfliesInTheGarden.com.

GOOD EARTH LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE – 248-620-7188 Seminars/Lectures/ Installation. Native Plant Installation. www. goodearthlandscapeinstitute.com.

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HALLSON GARDENS is your hosta and perennial destination. We grow 100s of hostas plus a nice selection of perennials and flowering shrubs. Visit us from May 11th into Oct, 7 days a week from 9 to 9 at 17680 US-127, Cement City, MI, 17 miles south of I-94 (Jackson), 1/2 mile north of US-12. Can’t make the drive? Order online at www.perennialnursery.com (866) 568-1474.

MICHIGAN WILDFLOWERS & NATIVE PLANTS at American Roots in Ortonville.

Butterfly Host Plants, Woodland, Wetland, & Prairie Wildflowers, Grasses & Sedges, Ferns & Shrubs for your garden, backyard or lake edge.

Open Saturdays 11-4 in May/June. Also open Mothers Day! www.AmericanRootsWildflowers. com. 248-627-8525.

NEED A HAND? Call “The little gardener that could.” 15 yrs experience at Botanical Gardens. FREE Estimates. Pat: 586-214-9852, agardenspace.com.

LIGHTSCAPE DESIGN - Landscape Lighting 15 + years. Repair, Maintenance, Free Design Consultation. Call Mike 810-629-4466.

MICHIGAN GARDENER E-NEWSLETTER Sign up for our free e-newsletter! Go to Michigan Gardener.com and simply enter your e-mail address.

WALKER FARMS & GREENHOUSE Specializing for over 50 years in “Quality” Seeds, Flowers, Plants and Produce. 810-743-0260. www.walkersfarm.com.

ENGLISH STADDLE STONE FOR SALE. Very choice. 30” tall, cap 24”. $1100.

Call 248-334-9190.

HYBRID DAYLILIES – Thousands of varieties, all colors, sizes, shapes. On M-15 2 miles north of Goodrich. Call for hours 810-444-9333.

POISON IVY – We get rid of it! That’s all we do. Call us—we are experts at identifying and removing poison ivy from your property, from single homes to large parks. Licensed and Insured.

Poison Ivy Control of Michigan. 248-842-8095. www.poisonivycontrolofmichigan.com.

Need help? Have help to give? Big event coming up? Have some items to sell? Need a costeffective way to promote your business? Use Michigan Gardener Classified Advertising to let readers know! Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Classified Advertising.” Deadline for the July 2012 issue is June 21.

The print edition of Michigan Gardener is still your exclusive source for gardener profiles, features, how-to articles, Plant Focus and much more.

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

Right: silver vase or urn plant (Aechmea fasciata) was one of Wingert’s first purchases. it is still a favorite and is readily available if you want to try a bromeliad. Below: Paul Wingert has been growing a wide range of bromeliads for over 3 decades. this particular plant was judged “best neoregelia” at the 2004 World bromeliad Conference in Chicago.

A tropical bromeliad paradise Paul Wingert grows and hybridizes these bright beauties right here in Michigan

I

n a quiet subdivision backing up to an expressway is a hidden tropical paradise with zillions of bromeliads. Paul Wingert won’t even hazard a guess at how many he owns. Let’s just say thousands. In summer they fill a bursting shade Sandie house—hanging overhead, in speParrott cial holders, on tables, and on the ground. Winter finds them packed in the custom greenhouse attached to his home.

Bromeliads, or “broms” as the aficionados call them, are mostly native to the tropical areas of the Americas and number around 3,170 species. The family includes both epiphytes and terrestrials (grown in soil). Epiphytes are plants that grow on another plant (such as a tree) or sometimes on some other object (such as a building or a tele-

phone wire). They obtain moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around the plant.

Wingert has had a lifelong passion for plants. He grew up in Detroit and became interested in gardening in elementary school. When he was about 6 years old, his mother bought him a packet of carrot seeds.

“I thought it was really cool to grow plants from seed,” said Wingert. At 11, he started trading cuttings with other kids at school.

He discovered bromeliads, his enduring obsession, by the time he was in college. “My University of Michigan dorm room at Bursley Hall had a wonderful southwest exposure.

I was always grateful I had roommates that were tolerant of my hobby,” Wingert said

with a smile. He has a performance degree (he also took a few botany classes) and has played the cello for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra since he won an audition in 1979.

An article written by the late Betty Frankel, a former writer for the Detroit Free Press and later Wingert’s neighbor, made an impression on him. “I read about broms and got interested.”

One of his first purchases was the popular and best known of the group, silver vase or urn plant (Aechmea fasciata). The foliage is silver gray and the inflorescence is a medium pink with small purple flowers. The center of the urn-like area should be kept filled with water with a little overflowing into the soil.

Initially, he had trouble finding plants to purchase. “Most greenhouses at the time didn’t know what a bromeliad was,” said Wingert.

Wanting to learn about these tropical

Bromeliad care For more information on growing bromeliads, visit www.MichiganGardener.com and click on Website Extras. plants and buy more, Wingert joined the newly formed Southeast Michigan Bromeliad Society in 1976 and has continued membership through the years. The late Bill Vilders, co-founder and then president of the society, helped Wingert locate plants and mentored him in his growing passion. “1976 was when I really got started with broms. I had about 60 plants that year. I still have a handful of those plants today. It speaks of their hardiness and P h oto G r a P h s by s a n d i e Pa r r ot t

www.MichiganGardener.com | June 2012 | Michigan Gardener

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Left: Paul said, “This is just a charming little plant (Neoregelia ‘Small Wonder’). I’ve used it a couple of times in hybridizing. I expect that the progeny should be of similar size, and hopefully just as charming!” Right: This large, spring-flowering bromeliad (Nidularium ‘Madame Robert Morobe’) reaches nearly 2 feet wide. It grows well under low light conditions, with beautiful foliage that is maroon on the underside.

Bromeliads are grown for their spectacularly bold foliage.

Seed capsule of a vriesea. When mature, it splits, exposing feathery seeds (similar to a dandelion) that are carried by the wind.

This dyckia (‘Brittle Star’) likes full summer sun and tolerates drought. Its flower stalk is a tall slender spike with tubular orange flowers, similar to aloe. longevity,” said Wingert.

Wingert and his wife Karen bought their lot in 1986 and built their house in 1987. By that time he estimates he had hundreds of broms. He used grow lights and stashed them in the house windows until they built the greenhouse in 1990. His late father-in-law helped design and build the greenhouse. It was originally planned to be 10 by 16 feet, but at Karen’s suggestion they built it 9 by 27 feet to stretch to a nearby retaining wall.

The next step: Hybridizing He volunteered at Matthaei Botanical Gardens off and on through the years where he obtained seed and grew many broms over about a 10-year period. Then he started thinking about hybridizing. “I wanted to produce my own seeds,” said Wingert.

His method for hybridizing is to first choose two plants that could make an interesting cross. He transfers pollen from the anther of one plant to the stigma of the other plant with a finger, small paintbrush, or the lead tip of a pencil. If the pollen takes, it produces a berry that looks like a swollen capsule. “The biggest question is what to keep from the seedlings,” said Wingert. He looks for certain traits, like multiple branching, unusual flowers, or unique foliage. He then trades or sells the ones he doesn’t want to keep. Depending on the variety, it can take over 5 years for the plant to bloom. Even if the foliage is interesting, he waits to see the bloom before he decides if the plant is worth keeping and possibly registering. continued on next page

Wingert’s shade house shows off some colorful bromeliads. He used conduit for the shade house construction. The overhead shade cloth is 40 percent and the sides are 30 percent. Paul loves to spend time here, especially on a warm summer day.

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

V Website Extra Go to MichiganGardener.com and click the “Website Extras” department for: • Additional photos from Paul Wingert’s garden continued from previous page Plants are registered with the Bromeliad Society International. According to Wingert, the rules for registering plants are still a bit subjective and the criteria are a little arbitrary. Currently, to register a plant, he must explain its parentage and submit a photo.

“Growers are encouraged to register plants which are distinctive or somehow an improvement from existing cultivars (varieties). For example, more brilliant colors, larger flowers, more attractive form, longer-lasting blooms, etc.,” he explained. As of 2010, Wingert has registered 35 cultivars.

Wingert continued by stressing, “At the species level, seed is predictable. Seed from hybrids’ pups (offshoots) will not necessarily produce something that looks like the parent. It is also very possible to use the same cross and end up with two hybrid plants that are named differently because they look very unique. Part of the fun is having an idea of what you think you will produce and then sometimes it (turns out to be) a total surprise.”

In 2012, Wingert was named to the Board of Directors for the Bromeliad Society International as the representative for the U.S. Central States region. He has also won numerous awards through the years. Two of the awards he is most proud of are Best Neoregelia and The Sweepstakes Winner he received at the 2004 World Bromeliad Conference in Chicago—that was a very good year!

Sandie Parrott is a freelance writer, blogger, photographer and Advanced Master Gardener living and working in Oakland County, Michigan.

Wingert’s wife Karen made the suggestion to recycle an old rickety ladder to help display some of his potted plants.

This species (Aechmea nudicaulis var. variegata) is tubular in habit and has showy flower spikes, though the display is relatively short-lived. It is also a favorite of hummingbirds.

This pup, or offshoot, was removed from the mother plant. This pup has nicely developed roots. It’s just as likely that a good-sized offshoot will have no roots. It makes little difference to the eventual outcome—it will be able to take in water through its leaves until roots develop.

There are over 400 species of air plants (Tillandsia), and some are tricky to grow. For good results they need a sunny position with good air circulation, regular misting, and fertilizer for better blooming.

www.MichiganGardener.com | June 2012 | Michigan Gardener

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A collection of stores and gardens to shop and visit.

Please call ahead for hours, as they may vary from season to season.

H DEnoTEs MG ADvErTisEr Addison Twp H Yule Love It Lavender Farm Almont American Tree Ann Arbor H Abbott’s Nurs Ace Barnes Hardware Downtown Home/Gard H English Gardens 155 N. Maple Rd, MI 48103 734-332-7900 www.EnglishGardens.com HillTop Greenhse/Farms Lodi Farms H The Produce Station Turner’s Greenhse/Garn Ctr Wild Birds Unltd Auburn Hills Drake’s Landscp & Nurs H Haley Stone H State Crushing Bancroft Grand Oak Herb Farm Bay City H Begick Nursery & Garden Center 5993 Westside Saginaw Rd., MI 48706 989-684-4210 www.begicknursery.com

Clinton Twp.

Livonia Redford

Belleville

Belleville Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice Pinter Flowerland Zywicki Greenhse Berkley Garden Central Westborn Flower Mkt Bloomfield Hills Backyard Birds Birmingham H Blossoms 33866 Woodward Ave, MI 48009 248-644-4411 www.blossomsbirmingham.com Plant Station Tiffany Florist Brighton H Beauchamp Landscp Supp H Bordine’s Brighton Farmer’s Mkt Cowbell Lawn/Gard H English Gardens 7345 Grand River, MI 48114 810-534-5059 www.EnglishGardens.com Grasshopper Gardens H Meier Flowerland Brownstown Twp Elegant Environ Pond Shop Ruhlig Farms & Gard

New Baltimore

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Canton Canton Floral Gardens Clink Nurs Crimboli Landscp/Nurs Keller & Stein Greenhse H Wild Birds Unltd Cement City H Hallson Gardens Chelsea H Garden Mill The Potting Shed Clarkston H Bordine’s Country Oaks Landscp I Lowrie’s Landscp H The Pond Source Clinton Twp H English Gardens 44850 Garfield Rd, MI 48038 586-286-6100 www.EnglishGardens.com H Tropical Treasures Columbiaville Hilltop Barn Commerce Twp Backyard Birds Zoner’s Greenhse Davison H Wojo’s Gard Splendors

Eastpointe

Grosse Pointes Dearborn Fairlane Gardens Westborn Flower Mkt Dearborn Heights H English Gardens 22650 Ford Rd, MI 48127 313-278-4433 www.EnglishGardens.com Detroit Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Dexter Gardens H Fraleigh’s Landscp Eastpointe Ariel’s Enchanted Gard H English Gardens 22501 Kelly Rd, MI 48021 586-771-4200 www.EnglishGardens.com Semrau Gard Ctr Farmington Backyard Birds Farmington Hills Angelo’s Landscp Supp Farmer John’s Greenhse Loeffler Stone Ctr H Steinkopf Nurs Fenton Gerych’s Flowers/Gift H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm Ferndale Casual Modes Home/Gard Green Thumb Gard Ctr Flushing Flushing Lawn/Gard Fowlerville H Arrowhead Alpines Gladwin H Stone Cottage Gard Grand Blanc H Bordine’s H The Weed Lady 9225 Fenton Rd, MI 48439 810-655-2723 www.theweedlady.com Grosse ile H Westcroft Gardens Grosse Pointe Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Meldrum & Smith Nurs Grosse Pointe Woods H Wild Birds Unltd Hadley H Le Fleur Décor Hartland H Deneweth’s Garden Ctr Haslett H Christian’s Greenhse H Van Atta’s Greenhse

Higgins Lake The Greenhouse Highland Colasanti’s Produce/Plant H Fragments H Highland Garden Ctr One Stop Landscp Supp Holly H Rice’s Garden Ornaments Howell H Howell Farmer’s Mkt Penrose Nurs Howell H specialty Growers 4330 Golf Club Rd, MI 48843 517-546-7742 www.specialtygrowers.net imlay City Earthly Arts Greenhse Jackson The Hobbit Place Schmid Nurs/Gard Lake orion Lake Orion Lawn Orn H Orion Stone Depot H Wojo’s of Lake Orion Lapeer H Iron Barn Gard Ctr Lennon Krupps Novelty Shop Livonia Bushel Mart Superior Growers Supp Westborn Flower Mkt Macomb Altermatt Greenhses Boyka’s Greenhse H Deneweth’s Garden Ctr H Elya’s Village Gardens Landscape Source Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Wade Nurs H Wiegand’s nursery 47747 Romeo Plank Rd., MI 48044 586-286-3655 www.wiegandsnursery.com Madison Heights Green Carpet Sod Manchester McLennan Nurs Mason Wildtype Nurs Metamora Gilling’s Nurs Milford One Stop Landscp Supp Milford Gardens H The Pond Place Monroe H The Flower Market new Baltimore Meldrum Bros Nurs new Boston H Gorham & Sons Nurs Grass Roots Nurs Mums the Word new Hudson H Milarch Nurs north Branch H Campbell’s Greenhse Oldani Landscp Nurs northville H Gardenviews novi H Dinser’s Greenhse Glenda’s Gard Ctr Stone City H Wild Birds Unltd oak Park Four Seasons Gard Ctr oakland Goodison Farms Daylilies ortonville Country Oaks Landscp II H Wojo’s Greenhse owosso H Everlastings in Wildwood

oxford Candy Cane Xmas Trees Oxford Farm/Gard Plymouth Backyard Birds Graye’s Greenhse Lucas Nurs H Plymouth Nurs Plymouth Rock Rock Shoppe H Saxton’s Gard Ctr Sparr’s Greenhse Pontiac H Goldner Walsh Gard/Home ray Van’s Valley Greenhse redford Pinter Flowerland Seven Mi Gard Ctr rochester H Fogler’s Greenhse H Haley Stone Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr rochester Hills H Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr 3820 West Auburn Rd, MI 48309 248-852-2310 www.auburnoaksnursery.com H Bordine’s H English Gardens Patio Shop Shades of Green Nurs Wild Birds Unltd rockwood H Marsh Greenhouses Too 31820 W. Jefferson, MI 48173 734-379-9641 www.marshgreenhouses.com romulus Block’s Stand/Greenhse H Kurtzhals’ Farms H Schoedel’s Nurs H Schwartz’s Greenhse roscommon The Greenhouse roseville Dale’s Landscp Supp World Gardenland royal oak H Billings Lawn Equip H English Gardens 4901 Coolidge Hwy, MI 48073 248-280-9500 www.EnglishGardens.com H Wild Birds Unltd saginaw H Abele Greenhse saline Nature’s Gard Ctr Saline Flowerland shelby Twp Diegel Greenhses Eden Gard Ctr H Hessell’s Greenhse Maeder Plant Farm Potteryland H Telly’s Greenhouse 4343 24 Mile, MI 48316 248-659-8555 www.tellys.com south Lyon Hollow Oak Farm Nurs southfield 3 DDD’s Stand H Eagle Landscp/Supp Lavin’s Flower Land Main’s Landscp Supp southgate H Ray Hunter Gard Ctr st Clair shores Hall’s Nurs Soulliere Gard Ctr sterling Heights Decor Statuette H Eckert’s Greenhouse Flower Barn Nurs Prime Landscp Supp stockbridge Gee Farms sylvan Lake H AguaFina Gardens Intrntl H Detroit Garden Works Taylor H Beautiful Ponds & Gardens 20379 Ecorse, MI 48180 313-383-3853 www.skippysstuff.com H D&L Garden Ctr

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H Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp Tecumseh Mitchell’s Lawn/Landscp Trenton Carefree Lawn Ctr Troy Maeder’s West H Telly’s Greenhouse 3301 John R Rd, MI 48083 248-689-8735 www.tellys.com Tom’s Landscp Nurs H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store Utica Dale’s Landscp Supp Stone City Walled Lake H Suburban Landscp Supp Warren H Beste’s Lawn/Patio Supp Garden Ctr Nurs Young’s Garden Mart Washington Landscp Direct Rocks ‘n’ Roots Waterford Hoffman Nurs H Merrittscape Wayne Artman’s Nurs West Bloomfield H English Gardens 6370 Orchard Lake Rd, MI 48322 248-851-7506 www.EnglishGardens.com H Planterra Westland Artman’s Westland Nurs H Barson’s Greenhse Bushel Stop Panetta’s Landscp Joe Randazzo’s Nurs White Lake H Bogie Lake Greenhse Mulligan’s Gard Sunshine Plants Whitmore Lake H Alexander’s Greenhses Williamston H Christian’s Greenhse Wixom Brainer’s Greenhse Angelo’s Landscp Supp Milford Tree Farm Ypsilanti Coleman’s Farm Mkt Lucas Nurs Margolis Nurs Materials Unlimited

Gardens to Visit Ann Arbor H Matthaei Bot Gard/Nichols Arb Bloomfield Hills H Cranbrook Gardens Dearborn Arjay Miller Arboretum at Ford World HQ Henry Ford Estate Detroit Anna S Whitcomb Conservtry Dryden Seven Ponds Nature Ctr East Lansing H MSU Horticultural Gardens W.J. Beal Botanical Gard Emmett H Sunny Fields Botanical Pk Flint Applewood Grand rapids Frederik Meijer Gardens Grosse Pointe shores H Edsel & Eleanor Ford Hse Lansing Cooley Gardens Midland H Dow Gardens novi Tollgate Education Ctr royal oak Detroit Zoo Tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

Steve Nikkila

Here are a few tips on composing a photograph.

These are the steps I go through when taking a photo, whether in the garden or otherwise:

1a Decide on a subject for the photo. I chose to shoot the statue of a cowboy based on the color scheme (photo 1a). Light can also play a part in the process. I wanted to capture the backlighting on a bleeding heart (photo 1b).

2a Once the subject has been picked, the next decision is the orientation—whether the photo should be horizontal or vertical. A vertical photo will have more in the foreground and above (photo 2a), while the horizontal photo will have more on the sides (photo 2b). Photography is an art form, which means we all have differing opinions. Try photographing the same subject in both a horizontal (photo 2c) and vertical orientation (photo 2d), and pick the one you like the best. With some practice, you will quickly know which way you want to photograph certain subjects.

1b Text and photos by Steven Nikkila, who is from Perennial Favorites in Waterford, MI (E-mail: hortphoto@gmail.com).

2b

www.MichiganGardener.com | June 2012 | Michigan Gardener

2c 2d

3a

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3b

To compose a photo, look through the viewfinder and notice everything in the frame. If anything doesn’t add to the photo, take it away by recomposing. The striped tape and the corner of the roof are distracting (photo 3a). Eliminate them by moving closer or zooming in with a lens (photo 3b).

4a

4b

Be aware of the background in the photo. For this plant, the lighter background (photo 4a) doesn’t work as well as the darker background (photo 4b).

5 The placement of the photo’s focal point is often overlooked—it is usually placed right in the middle of the photo. Try using the “Rule of Thirds.” That is, divide your image into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) and place the focal point at one of the line intersections (photo 5).

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

How big the bed?

To grow all the fresh vegetables the average family of four will eat in a season, you need about 1,200 square feet of garden. That’s a 60 x 20 plot or several smaller beds that add up to that area.

If you use a tractor or large tiller throughout the season and so need wide-spaced rows, you’ll need a garden twice as big—about 2,500 square feet.

If you plan to can and freeze to meet the family’s vegetable needs year-round, double the bed size.

If space is limited but you want maximum return, don’t plant corn, squash, or pumpkins. Those crops require more space per pound of produce. So grow the others, and buy your corn, squash and pumpkins from a local source!

Janet’s Journal continued from back cover for several days in a row, they may bolt and form scrawny flowers or short-stalked, small, nearly invisible heads.

World record: 35 lbs.

Notes: A 12" x 12" x 24" deep planter can support 2 broccoli plants.

Carrots Typical use, per person per year: 8 lbs., from 50 plants in a 4' x 4' block.

Growing tips: For champion length in a carrot, raise the bed, even growing them in a tall, narrow box. At harvest time, open the box and remove the soil from the side.

World record: Longest, 19' 2". The heaviest, almost 19 lbs., although you wouldn't recognize it as a carrot at first because they prune a contender's tap root early on to make it fork repeatedly.

Notes: You can net almost one season's fresh use from 144 seeds in a 12" x 12" x 24" deep planter, thinning the plants twice and eating the thinnings.

Cucumber Typical use, per person per year: 7 lbs., from 3 plants in a 4' x 4' area with a trellis.

Growing tips: • This is a tropical or subtropical plant accustomed to steamy air, loose soil that’s mostly compost, and warm soil—at least 70 degrees F. So plant only when the soil is quite warm and keep it moist but never let the roots be cold or stand wet. Don’t walk on the bed at all since any compaction slows the root growth and that reduces water flow to the fruit.

• Seedless varieties are parthenogenetic, meaning the female flowers do not need to be pollinated. If pollinated, the fruit may be bitter. So remove all male (pollen-bearing) flowers as a useless energy expense for the plant. Distinguish female from male flowers by the small fruit visible below the blossom.

The numbers of plants and amount of space listed for each plant here can add up to a 1,200 square foot garden divided between all your favorite crops. Don’t overdo your garden.

To keep it reasonable, look at a bed of a known size. These rows at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa (www.seedsavers.org) are 100 feet long. Consider how many rows like this you can tend before it would be work rather than fun. Then choose what you’ll plant, in what quantity to fill that space.

World record: 42 inches Notes: Harvest 2 pounds or more from one plant in a 12" x 12" x 24" deep planter fitted with a trellis.

Eggplant Typical use, per person per year: 6 lbs., from 3 plants in a 3' x 2' area.

Growing tips: Grow only varieties resistant to the tomato-potato-pepper-eggplant problems verticillium, fusarium, nematodes, and tobacco-mosaic virus. These varieties are noted for resistance with the codes V, F, N, and T. V and F resistances are most important for northern North American gardens.

Inspect plants daily and immediately remove any leaf with any discoloration.

Notes: Set one plant in each 12" x 12" pot. If the pot is 24" deep, you can net over 2 lbs. of eggplant.

Deeper container, richer harvest If you garden in containers, think tall to get that 24-inch soil depth that nets the most produce. Here’s an inexpensive and simple option: Make a cylinder from stiff fencing wire. Open a paper yard waste bag inside the wire. Cut the bag so it’s the same height as the wire. (Save the cut portion to line another of these containers.) Fill the bag with moistened potting mix or a sandy, humus-rich soil made from half sharp sand and half compost. Plant it!

If your container is taller than 24 inches, make slits in the sides of the bag so you can plant through the wire into the sides of the bag as well as the top.

If your paper-and-wire container rests on soil, it can be bottomless. Line the sides with the cut off upper half of a yard waste bag or 5 to 6 thicknesses of newspaper overlapped by half.

Roll some rigid fence wire, stand it up, and anchor it by sinking a sturdy stake or two just inside the wire. Now open and insert a brown paper yard waste bag into the cylinder. Fill the bag with soil, moistening it and tamping it lightly but not compacting it. Fill to several inches above the wire rim. (The bag will slump and settle in as the paper becomes moist.) Cut off excess paper. Plant! If the wire cylinder is more than two feet tall, plant not only the top of the bag but make several slits in the sides above the two foot mark and plant there too.

Garlic Typical use, per person per year: 2 lbs., from 32 cloves in a 3' row, 15" wide.

Growing tips: • If you're in cold-winter areas, mulch the bed well with loose, clean straw after you plant in fall.

• Go heavy on fertilizer while the leaves are growing in spring, applying half-strength liquid every 5 or 6 days.

World record: One bulb, 2 lbs., 10 oz.

Notes: You can grow all 32 of those cloves

in one 12" x 12" x 24" deep container!

Lettuce, leaf type; or kale Typical use, per person per year: 5 lbs., from 25 plants in a 5' row, 18" wide.

Growing tips: Use netting suspended from low stakes to keep big leaves off the ground.

This prevents soil compaction and makes it easier to keep pests away since you can rinse the undersides of leaves with a water wand.

World record: Head lettuce 25 lbs.; kale 28 lbs.

Notes: To grow in a container, sow in a 12" x 12" x 24" deep planter, and thin as they grow to the 4 strongest plants. (Eat the thinnings!)

www.MichiganGardener.com | June 2012 | Michigan Gardener

Proven fact: The smaller the start, the bigger the yield from that broccoli plant.

If the temperature tops 85 degrees F, beans stop forming new flowers. Several weeks later you’ll be beanless. Keeping the plants cool on hot days can help. It can help to plant sunflowers just south of your beans—they will reach a height by late summer to put shade on the beans in midafternoon.

Spend a buck, harvest $4.70 One Extension study of home vegetable production reported gardeners spent $35 to grow vegetables that would have added $165 to the grocery bill.

Melon, such as cantaloupe

Female flowers in the squash/melon/cuke family have no pollen but, most noticeably, they have what male flowers don’t: a small fruit ready to go just beneath the blossom. Male flowers produce pollen and then they’re done.

Aphids and other pests congregate and lay their eggs in safe places, like on the underside of a cabbage’s outer leaves. Keep your pest problems down by keeping the leaves up off the ground, perhaps suspended by netting so you can regularly rinse their undersides with a water wand.

Typical use, per person per year: 12 fruits, from 2 “hills” of 3 plants, each hill occupying a 6' x 6' area.

Growing tips: • Water is critical as is drainage, so raise the bed unless you have perfect drainage already.

• Never plant into cold soil. Mix fresh manure into the bed very early in spring so it will be decomposing and creating warmth by late spring when you plant.

• Pinch the first runner at 6', then pinch the lateral branches when they reach 6'. Side shoots off the laterals will produce plenty of flowers.

• Hand pollination is usually needed. Cull lopsided fruit because that means pollination was inadequate or uneven so that seeds are not developing evenly; that fruit will probably rot before ripening.

• Fertilize weekly with liquid 20-10-10.

World record: Cantaloupe, 64.8 lbs. Big cousin watermelon, 291 lbs.

Notes: Plant 3 seeds and thin to the one that's strongest, for 2-3 fruits from a 12" x 12" x 24" deep container fitted with a trellis.

Onions Typical use, per person per year: 5 lbs., from 25 sets in a 5' row, 18" wide.

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Want to produce more but have a small garden? Go up. Trellis every plant that will cooperate. Don’t worry about the weight of fruit. Unless it’s a world-class veggie you’re pumping for a competition, the vine can hold it. The fruit may actually ripen more evenly if the stem does “feel” the weight dangling.

Growing tips: • If you can't keep up with all the weeds in a bed, keep up with those trying to grow among onions, which simply roll over and yield to any competitors for water and light.

• Make the soil rich, light, and weed-free by filling containers or excavated bed with equal parts sharp sand and clean compost.

• Begin using 20-10-10 liquid fertilizer at 2 weeks after planting; switch to 10-10-10 at midsummer. Liquid fertilizers have best effect if they are absorbed by leaves as well as roots, but onions' shiny leaves let water run off once it beads up. So use a fine spray, apply a little, wait, spray again, etc.

World record: 17 lbs., 15 oz.

Notes: A 12" x 12" x 24" deep planter can support 16 onion plants.

Peas Typical use, per person per year: 4 lbs., from 240 plants in a 20' row, 24" wide.

Growing tips: They like warmth to germinate quickly but must grow to maturity while it's still cool. So warm the soil to get them started and if spring turns hot, turn that crop under and try again in late summer for a fall crop.

Notes: A 12" x 12" x 24" deep container that has a trellis can support 25 pea plants.

Peppers Typical use, per person per year: 3 lbs., from 5 plants in a 3' square area.

Growing tips: While fruit is setting (from pollination until it's a recognizable little pepper), do not let the soil dry out. continued on next page

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Michigan Gardener | June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

For bigger fruit and to eliminate those that were inadequately pollinated and so may be smaller and less tasty, thin the fruit. Once you see fruit forming on a tomato truss, thin it to leave only 2 or 3 well-shaped fruits. continued from previous page World record: They go for heat, not size, in world champion peppers!

Notes: A 12" x 12" x 24" deep container can hold 3 pepper plants.

Onions are probably less tolerant of weeds than any other vegetable you’ll grow. So if your time is limited and great onions are important to you, weed that row.

Best new tool: A soil thermometer

Potato Typical use, per person per year: 25 lbs., from 25 plants in a 25' row, 36" wide.

Growing tips: Give them loose soil and lots of room. If you cultivate deeply or have to dig deep in chasing weeds, quit after the first month, because the tubers initiate at root tips about 6 weeks after you plant. Back off on water and stop fertilizing after the beginning of August as nights lengthen and cool. The combination of longer nights and cooler, drier, leaner soil encourages tuber development.

World record: 7 lbs., 1 oz.

Notes: Grow one potato plant per 12" x 12" x 24" deep container, or really wow the neighbors with two plants in a 36" deep container that will net you a big armful of spuds.

Radish Typical use, per person per year: 5 bunches, from 60 plants in a 5' row, 18" wide.

Growing tips: Plant in extra deep (36"), sandy soil, and check the pH to be sure it's a bit over 7.0 as radishes are not good in acidic soil. Use 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer weekly after thinning.

World record: Japanese radish, 68 lbs. 9 oz.

Notes: A couple bunches can come from one container. Plant 144 seeds in a 12" x 12" x 24" deep container. Thin them several days after they sprout to remove 3 of every 4, leaving the strongest. Thin again in two weeks to remove half. About 18 grow another week to maturity. Eat the thinnings each time!

Spinach Typical use, per person per year: 3 lbs., from 24 plants in an 8' row, 18" wide.

Growing tips: Warm the soil to encourage germination (70 degrees F), but then grow the plants cool (60 degrees) for best production. If the air is over 75 degrees, it will effectively end that spinach plant's run, so pull it out and seed in the second half of summer for

Use row cover to warm the soil before planting, prevent insects from reaching plants, and extend the growing season in fall. Choose material that is 0.5 to 0.6 ounces per square yard to accomplish all three objectives.

Don’t like radishes or something else on this list? Maybe you haven’t given that plant a chance. Radishes are such great filler plants, able to grow cool and grow quickly. Try slicing radishes, chopping broccoli into bits, dicing a cucumber and a tomato, and then mixing them in equal parts with chick peas for a cold salad.

The radish really brings out all the other flavors! a second chance.

Notes: A good crop can come from four plants in a 12" x 12" x 24" deep container.

Summer squash Typical use, per person per year: 12 lbs., from 4 plants in a bed or row 8' long and 4' wide.

Growing tips: • Remove the first flowers, which are usually all males.

• Hand pollinate. Once female flowers begin to form (you will know them by the miniature squash in line on the stem beneath each blossom) stroke a small paintbrush across the male flower's stamens to collect pollen, then dab that brush onto the center of the female flower.

• Sometimes rain and wind can cut down on pollen formation or prevent its growth into the female flower. You can put paper bags around flowers to protect them as they mature or after pollination.

World record: Zucchini, 64 lbs. 8 oz.

Notes: As with most in this family (squash, pumpkins, melons, cucumbers) the sweetest produce comes from fruit harvested young.

Develop a feel for warm soil if you want a great vegetable garden. Soil must be 60 degrees F or warmer to support rapid germination and healthy root growth in most vegetables.

For example, spinach seed germinates in one week at 60 degrees. You’ll wait 3 weeks if you plant it when the soil is 40 degrees.

Broccoli comes up in one week at 70 degrees but takes 3 weeks longer at 40 degrees.

Why worry about rapid germination?

Seeds can rot while waiting to sprout. Once rot fungi have something to work on in the soil, they can multiply and become an issue on heat-stressed or water-stressed roots later in the year.

To learn when your bed is warm enough to nurture your seeds and transplants, buy a soil thermometer or learn to read the natural signs. Purslane and crabgrass are common weeds that are also a helpful sign: They don’t germinate until the soil is over 60 degrees. So watch for their first appearance each year.

Notice that heat-loving weeds like purslane appear first in the seams between

Tomatoes Typical use, per person per year: 10 lbs., from 5 plants in a 10' row, 36" wide, with trellises or stakes.

Growing tips: • Choose a determinate variety of tomato if you want to grow a giant. Determinate types don't produce continually through summer but give you just one crop, all at once at the end of their season.

• Remove two or more leaves from the bottom of the seedling, then plant it deep and on an angle. When those nodes are buried they will produce extra roots.

• Pinch out the first 2 or 3 side branches so your fruit will be borne higher on the

concrete sections, or spaces between stepping stones. Pavement absorbs and reradiates heat. So containers set on a concrete or stone patio will be warmer earlier than those set on soil.

Warm a bed before planting by covering the soil with plastic or floating row cover for a week. Level the soil, moisten it, then stretch the cover across it and weight the edges so it’s tight against the earth to get the maximum benefit. If there are sunny days that week, the bed may be five degrees warmer in its top two inches than surrounding bare soil.

Use a row cover that’s 0.5 to 0.6 ounces per square yard to warm the soil. That’s a good all-purpose row cover weight—light enough to admit a lot of sun (about 85 percent of available sunlight reaches the plants under it) but heavy enough to warm the soil and provide a few degrees of frost protection. Lighter covers are good for excluding insects but aren’t much help in warming soil or warding off frost. Heavier covers block more light.

plant, allowing more air circulation beneath.

• Do not fertilize tomatoes until after the first fruit begins to form.

• As fruit begins to form on each truss, thin it to 2 or 3 strong, symmetric fruits.

World record: 7 lbs. 12 oz.

Notes: A good crop can come from one plant per 12" x 12" x 24" deep container with a trellis.

Janet Macunovich is a professional gardener and author of the books “Designing Your Gardens and Landscape” and “Caring for Perennials.” Read more from Janet on her website www.gardenatoz.com.

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| June 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com

janet's journal

Vegetables: Tips and techniques for making the most of your plot Bigger isn’t always better. One slice into the mealyness of an overgrown cucumber establishes that point. Pop a tiny grape tomato in your mouth and let its sweetness be the statement’s punctuation.

However, if you’re growing to feed the family, bigger yields are better, and size is important to know as you plan how much of each crop you must plant.

So here’s a rundown of plants you can grow Janet that gives you an idea Macunovich how much one person might want in a garden, what room that requires, and producepumping instructions from the magicians who conjure award-winning humong-atables.

Note: The “typical use” amounts below refer to fresh use. If you can and/or freeze, you can use twice as much. The amounts come from USDA recommendations modified by my own observations.

Asparagus Typical use, per person per year: 7 lbs., from 25 plants in a 25' row, 36" wide.

Growing tips: Select male (seedless) varieties to eliminate the problem of volunteers crowding the mother plants and reducing yield.

Notes: • They love water and are often seen growing in ditches, but they do not tolerate standing water. Plant them in deep, rich sandy soil where the drainage is naturally good or in P h oto G r a P h s by s t e v e n n i k k i l a

General requirements for healthy vegetables Harvest maximum sun. Plant only where the sun shines all day. If your only choice is a partly shaded site, use aluminum foil mulch, boards painted gloss white, or reflectors on the ground around plants to increase available light.

Go deep. Loosen and enrich the bed to a 24-inch depth, or loosen the base then create a planter on top of it so your plants can root around in at least two feet of well-drained soil.

Go high. Train vines and lax plants on trellises so every leaf is in the sun and has great air circulation. Also, devise ways to keep plants’ lower leaves off the ground.

Water steadily but never so much that the soil becomes soggy anywhere in its top 24 inches. If the soil is sandy, drip or trickle water continuously throughout the plant’s root zone.

Fertilize weekly with half-strength complete liquid fertilizer, such as 20-20-20.

Inspect your plants daily for insect activity or leaf disease. raised beds, then water abundantly.

• Start with bare root plants. Just let them grow the first year, harvest one cutting the next year, two cuttings per year from year 3 to 15, then think about relocating the patch.

• You can grow asparagus in containers. In a 24" deep container, plant one plant per square foot of soil surface.

Beans Typical use, per person per year: 20 lbs.,

this year grow just enough of everything in your vegetable garden—or aim for that one whopper. either way, have fun and grow better using expert tips assembled here.

sure you can grow vegetables in containers, and even win prizes for them. the deeper the container, the better. be sure to use a planter with holes in the bottom because drainage is critical for almost all vegetables. from 45 plants in a 15' row, 36" wide, narrower if trellised.

Growing tips: Bean production falls way off if the air is over 85 degrees F. If you want flowering and fruitset to continue, cool the area any way you can during a hot spell, from afternoon shade cloth to fans over ice blocks (for plants in containers).

World record: 2' 9" Notes: A 12" x 12" x 24" deep container with a trellis can be planted with 3 to 4 plants.

Broccoli Typical use, per person per year: 8 lbs., from 4 plants in a 3' x 3' block.

Growing tips: • The smaller the transplant you start with, the larger the eventual yield.

• Warm the soil and then grow under row cover if you want to plant early. If the plants feel cool temperatures (50 to 55 degrees F) continued on page 40