April 2022
MichiganGardener.com
Your guide to Great Lakes gardening
PERENNIALS
Creeping phlox
Garden Profile
New Plants
Vegetable Patch
A pollinator’s paradise
New shrubs & trees for 2022
How to grow microgreens
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More new plants than you’ll see ANYWHERE! Every year, Telly’s brings you an incomparable selection of the latest and greatest plant varieties. We travel from coast to coast in search of the best new plants. Just a small sampling of what’s new this year...
Begonia ‘Macarose’ & ‘Macarouge’ Alstroemeria ‘Little Miss Zoe’ Peruvian lily. Compact and mounding annual. Leaves are pale yellow in center, with dark green margins. Red-pink flowers late spring to summer, flecked with brownish spots and yellow base. 12” tall. Sun to light shade.
FULL SUN tolerant! Continuous blooms early summer to first frost. Compact, upright habit. Macarose: rich pink flowers. Macarouge: deep red flowers. 14” tall. Sun to shade.
Primula ‘Belarina Blue Champion’
Hardy primrose. Large, fully double, many-petaled, lavender blue, fragrant flowers in tight bunches above textured dark green foliage. 6-8" tall. Part sun to part shade.
Petunia ‘Hells Heat’
Hellebore ‘Cheryl's Shine’ Pastel pink petals with deeper pink edges form blooms that face outward instead of nodding. Flowering is slightly later than many other hellebores, extending bloom season a little later into spring. Foliage marbled with white. 18-24" tall. Shade to part shade.
Heucherella ‘Copper King’
Very bight, neon orange flowers. Put on your sunglasses! Vigorous, mounding branching habit. 6-8” tall. Sun.
Available late summer. Foamy bells. Fantastic foliage for shade. New leaves bright orange with copper red centers & yellow edging. Individual leaves 5" across & maple-like. Red stems hold white flower scapes. 10-12” tall. Shade to part shade.
Phlox Woodlander ‘Lilac’ & ‘Pink’ Improvement over existing woodland phlox. Extra large flowers with extended spring bloom time. Excellent addition to the shade garden. 4-6" tall. Sun to part shade. Colocasia ‘Diamond Head’
Calibrachoa ‘Chameleon Atomic Orange’
Elephant ear with large, dark purple to black leaves, with spectacular glossy finish. Semi-glossy, dark burgundy stems. Great in containers or in the ground. 36-48" tall. Sun to part shade. Hybrid cigar plant. Covered by two-toned flowers: bright cherry-red and yellow. Non-stop blooms summer to fall. #1 choice of hummingbirds in plant trials. 18-24" tall. Sun. Cuphea ‘Hummingbird's Lunch’
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Unique blend of colors, which continually change throughout the season. Oranges, dusted with red and yellow highlights. Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds. 6-12” tall. Sun to part sun.
Primula ‘Oakleaf Yellow Picotee’ Perennial primrose with unusual, oak leaf-shaped foliage. Upright clump of bright yellow flowers with orange-red edges in early spring. 18" tall. Part sun to part shade.
UNBEATABLE for your summer garden Calla Lily Captain Ventura
Calla Lily Picasso
Canna Wyoming
Dahlia Babylon Red
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Dahlia Ferncliff Illusion
Dahlia Kennemerland
Gladiolus Princess Margaret Rose
Gladiolus Sonate
20% OFF Summer-flowering Bulbs Best Selection: More than 180 Varieties of Flowers, Foliage and Vegetable Bulbs 10 Begonia 41 Blends
10 Caladium 10 Calla Lilies
13 Cannas 48 Dahlias
10 Elephant Ear 21 Fruits & Berries
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16 Gladiolus 30 Lily
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Our Specialty:
Michigan Gardener | April 2022 | MichiganGardener.com
Garden Wisdom
NEW & CHOICE varieties Fresh shipments arrive throughout the season. Stop in to see the latest gems!
Hellebores
Fothergillas
A gardener’s best tool is the knowledge from previous seasons. —Andy Tomolonis
Ask MG............................................................6 To-Do List........................................................8
Where to pick up Michigan Gardener.......................................31
Vegetable Patch..........................................10
Feature: Foraging in your backyard.....32
Books for the Michigan Gardener........12 Profile: A Pollinator’s Paradise............... 14 Walters Gardens
New Shrubs & Trees for 2022 ........... 24
Places to Grow........................................... 36 Through the Lens...................................... 43 Perennials: Creeping phlox.....Back cover
Weather Wrap...........................................30
On the cover: ‘Manita’ is one of many excellent phlox cultivars. Turn to the back cover for an in-depth look at creeping and woodland phlox.
Advertiser Index........................................30
Photo: North Creek Nurseries
Calendar........................................................ 28 Classified Ads.............................................30
Redbuds
Walters Gardens
To Our Readers...
Perennial Alliums
As you get ready for another gardening season, make Michigan Gardener one of your valuable garden tools this year:
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Time for a plant shopping road trip? Check out our “Places to Grow” directory to help plan your route and stops. This map is in every issue of Michigan Gardener magazine. Want to know the latest garden events that are happening in our area? Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Garden Event Calendar.” Enjoy contests and winning garden prizes? Sign up for our free E-Newsletter, where there is a contest in every issue. Go to MichiganGardener.com and enter your email address. Never any spam—just some E-Newsletters during the garden season.
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Best wishes to you and your garden for a superb spring! —Eric Hofley and Jonathon Hofley
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Contributors Brian Allnutt Neil/Ruth Atzinger Karen Bovio Cheryl English Emaline Fronckowiak Mary Gerstenberger Julia Hofley Rosann Kovalcik Beverly Moss George Papadelis Roxanne Riggs David L. Roberts Jim Slezinski Lisa Steinkopf Stephanie Surowiec Steve Turner Emily Wilson
30747 Greenfield Rd., Suite 1 Southfield, MI 48076 Phone: 248-594-5563 Fax: 248-594-5564 E-mail: publisher@MichiganGardener.com Website: www.MichiganGardener.com Publishing schedule 3 issues per year: April, May, and June. Published the first week of the month. Back issues Back issues are available to read for free on our website. Go to www.MichiganGardener.com and click on “Digital Edition.” Copyright © 2022 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.
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When to divide perennials When is the right time to start transplanting or dividing perennials? If I wait too long, I am afraid my perennials are going to be too developed, but I also don’t want to do it too early. K.T., Kentwood Depending on the perennial, if it is starting to show some growth, dig it up as soon as you can work the soil, and then divide and transplant. That said, another approach is simply to do it when you have the time and before you get too busy with other garden chores. April, during spring clean-up, is one of the better times to divide and move perennials. During the growing season, gardeners are busy monitoring for pests, diseases, deadheading, and watering against the heat. Dividing in the spring allows the plants to grow to their new space, you to see if the placement coincides with your vision, and lets you enjoy them in their new location. Those plants you don’t get to in the spring, then divide them in the fall.
Getting rid of horsetail We have a big problem with horsetail weed, which has taken over one of our garden beds. How do we eradicate it without killing the perennials around it? P.P., St. Clair Shores Horsetail (Equisetum) should be admired for its tenacity as a living fossil. Virtually unchanged for millions of years, it thrives in those early prehistoric conditions: moist and boggy, or compacted and lean. Blessed with underground rhizomes, every time you pull or dig, any little piece resprouts a new plant. Black plastic smothering only gives them the oxygen-starved conditions they love. Applying heavy shredded mulch also provides the same moist, airless blanket. The key is to change the soil conditions it prefers. Take a hard look at the garden bed affected. First, tackle poor drainage. If needed, add a perimeter ditch around the bed to drain water away from the center. If that isn’t possible, you may need to add a length of field drain to divert the water farther away from the bed. Temporarily remove any mulch and apply dolomite lime at the rate recommended on the package for the square footage. Wait 2 weeks before amending the soil since lime and organic enrichments can conflict. Water in the lime so that it penetrates. Then determine where the low spots are and build them up with enriched compost, such as aged cow manure, leaf litter, or a balanced blend of organic compost.
You should see significant improvement in the first year, although you will see a few horsetails. Changing the soil conditions to those least preferred appears to send an evolutionary signal to cease and desist. To prevent reinfection, watch in April for the leafless fertile stems that contain millions of spores. Cut them off, put them in a ziplock bag and dispose in the garbage, not yard waste.
Yellowing yew needles The needles on some of our yews are turning yellow. Why and how can it be corrected? A.S., Canton Contrary to popular belief, evergreen needles do not stay green forever. The older, inner needles discolor and naturally drop off after one or more years. Yew needles turn yellow and drop in the late spring or early summer instead of the fall, like their deciduous counterparts. If that is the location of your yellow needles, then it is a natural process to get rid of old interior needles and sprout fresh ones. If the yellow needles are on the tips or outer branches, that can be a symptom of another cause. If yews are sheared late in the season, any resulting new growth does not have time to harden off before the temperatures drop. The tip tissue is killed and the result is yellow or browning in spring. Another reason yews begin yellowing is too much water. They don’t like wet feet or sitting in poorly drained situations (such as near a downspout). Often planted by walkways and driveways, they can get an abundance of snow load or rain run-off, which does not drain quickly due to the surrounding hardscape. They are also sensitive to de-icing salts. Poor drainage, soggy conditions and salt damage can cause root rot, which is a fungus that girdles the roots, strangling the cambium and preventing water and nutrients from reaching the outer branches. So check the location of the yellow needles. Then check the location of the plants themselves. It may be a natural seasonal process or something that warrants a physical remedy.
Weeping tree choices I need to replace a weeping cotoneaster on standard. I like the look of a single stem with a pendulous, mop-haired plant. This plant will be in a raised planter—about 2-1/2 feet high near a sidewalk. The mature width is limited to 5 to 6 feet. The mature height is unlimited. Suggestions? T.S., Garden City Most weeping tree varieties are grafted, and therefore, that is their most vulnerable spot. Southern exposure can be great,
MichiganGardener.com | April 2022 | Michigan Gardener
except in winter when the sun comes at a lower angle across the landscape. It warms the dormant stem and causes the cambium to expand and contract. Because the graft is the juncture of two bonded plant tissues, it is likely the weaker grafted top that will die as a result. The rootstock, being the stronger tissue, will be more exuberant in its efforts to grow. If you can protect the trunk and graft of a replacement tree with a good winter sunshield, then there are several alternatives to the cotoneaster that can get you the look you want. You could even replace the lost tree with another of the same type. Two varieties of weeping redbuds (Cercis) will give you that pendulous, mop-haired look: “Ruby Falls” and “Lavender Twist.”
The added beauty is stunning pink flowers in spring followed by burgundy heart-shaped foliage. Another slow grower is a dwarf Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Ryusen’). This has glorious burgundy leaves and brilliant red foliage in fall. If you prefer a conifer, a dwarf weeping hemlock grows quite slowly and would manage well in a container with sufficient moisture. A weeping larch (Larix decidua ‘Pendula’) is stunning with its emerging soft green needles in spring. It has a lacey appearance and is quite durable in winter. The central leader should be staked but it needs minimal care. Another contender is a weeping white pine called ‘Angel Falls.’ It can handle drier conditions, grows slowly, and remains evergreen through the seasons.
pottery
Planting boxwood & spruce In southern Michigan, is it acceptable to plant boxwood and Alberta spruce in early May? D.S., Shelbyville By late May, the soil has warmed up sufficiently and the threat of a sudden freeze is reduced. Both evergreens would benefit from this late May time frame for planting. Both would then have all season to establish and set up root systems in their soil base before winter. When planting, choose a slightly cloudy day and make the hole 2 to 3 times wider than the pot but at the same depth as the pot. Spread out the roots and look for girdling roots to be pruned out. Amend the soil backfill with compost or a little cow manure. Make sure the areas have good drainage, as neither plant likes
statuary
wet feet or boggy conditions. That said, spruces and boxwoods do need consistent moisture during the first three years, as they are slow to develop an extended root system. Checking the soil moisture during the season can help you monitor when and how much to water. Also provide water into late fall, as this is the time plants store up reserves. Sprinkler systems are often prematurely turned off for the winter, at the convenience of the irrigation company, leaving the homeowner without a means to deep water evergreens and trees. Lack of water going into winter is a common cause of tree and shrub plant failure the following season. Answers provided by Beverly Moss, owner of Garden Rhythms.
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Lawn • Clean debris from the lawn and add to the compost pile. Make a first mowing with your mower blades set at 2 inches, then re-
set blades to 2-1/2 to 3 inches. • The first spring fertilization should be made this month. A crabgrass treatment can also be made around the time of forsythia bloom. • If thatch buildup is bad, aerate or dethatch
Feature Task: Plant summer-flowering bulbs Spring-flowering bulbs, like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, get a lot of attention in the fall, when it’s their planting time. But spring-planted bulbs like calla, canna, dahlias, elephant ear, lilies and gladiolas can often be overlooked. They are a great way to have continuous garden color all summer long.
Planting directly outdoors As soon as the ground warms up and the threat of frost is gone, it’s time to plant. A few general guidelines when planting summer-flowering bulbs: • Plant bulbs at a depth that is three times the height of the bulb. If your bulb is two inches high, dig a hole that is six inches deep. • For dahlias, plant them so the stem neck is about one inch below ground level and all the tubers are below that. • Amend your soil with shredded pine bark or compost to create well-draining soil. Bulbs can start to mold if they sit in wet or soggy soil. • Add fertilizer to the planting hole to give the new bulbs a boost. • After planting, water the area thoroughly. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
Starting bulbs indoors To get a head start on the season, try planting a few varieties indoors. Use 6- or 8-inch pots, a lightweight planting soil, bulbs, and plant labels. Follow the planting directions on the bulb package for each particular variety. The general rule is to plant at three times the depth of the bulb height. For dahlia tubers, plant the crown roughly one inch below the soil level. Once the bulbs are planted, thoroughly water them. This will help signal to the dormant bulb that it is time to spring to life. At this stage, pots need warmth and water. When new growth begins to emerge, watch carefully. Treat them like houseplants when it comes to watering, allowing them to dry out a little before watering again. Fertilize twice a month with a water-soluble fertilizer. When the first leaves are beginning to separate from the shoot, move the plants to a bright, but indirectly lit window. Plants should not be planted outdoors until the danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature is about 60 degrees F, usually around mid-May. That said, bulbs can still get some quality
time outdoors. Let them visit outside if the temperatures don’t dip below 50 degrees. Never expose them to frost. Overnight exposure is out of the question, unless it is in the garage, and the temperature will not drop below 50 degrees. It is best to wait until May for any overnight trips. Continue to fertilize and expose plants to the outdoors. When the weather allows, usually mid to late May, transplant them into the garden. Stake the plants, if necessary, but be careful not to damage the bulb. Remember, do not allow the plants to be exposed to frost, or your hard work will be undone. If frost is predicted, cover the plants with rose cones or frost guard fabric.
the lawn a couple weeks after the first fertilization. Because young grasses are tender, core aeration is preferred. If you choose to dethatch, do so carefully with a hand rake.
Annuals
• Work a couple inches of organic matter into your flower and vegetable beds to improve soil aeration and microbial activity.
Fruits
• Start tender annuals indoors. Already sprouted material can be transplanted to cell packs or larger pots now.
• Plant dormant fruit trees. • Plant small fruits: strawberry, raspberry (red/yellow/black/purple), blackberry, currant, gooseberry, and blueberry.
General
Perennials
• Do a spring cleaning of garden beds. Remove weeds, old plant debris, leaves and other material which may provide shelter for overwintering pests and diseases. Noxious problems like quackgrass, club root and crown gall should be pitched in the trash— the rest can be placed on the compost pile.
• Remove weeds from bed. Recut the bed edge to remove encroaching grasses. Dig a shallow trench along the length of the border or install edging strips. • Divide and replant overgrown specimens at this time; save the young fresh divisions and discard old, woody pieces. Divide two-
COMPOST
Perennial varieties Some of the bulbs available in the spring are actually perennials, and the best way to plant these is directly in the ground. A few guidelines for planting perennial roots and vegetables: • Soak the roots and tubers in water, for about an hour. • Dig a hole that is several inches wider and deeper than the roots. Amend the soil as needed with compost or peat moss. • Sometimes a mound of soil in the hole’s middle is needed for the roots to lay on top of and spread out. • Backfill the hole and add fertilizer. • After planting, water the area thoroughly. Allow the soil to dry out between watering. • Onion bulbs get planted fairly shallow, with the tops poking out of the ground. • Potatoes get planted deep, with at least a couple eyes per section. Plant about 6 to 8 inches deep.
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Fall care Unlike spring-flowering bulbs, most summer bloomers are not winter hardy in Michigan. In the fall, you’ll need to dig up the bulbs and save them for next year. Or, simply treat them like annuals and add the spent bulbs and plants to the compost pile. To keep the bulbs overwinter, remove the top foliage and gently lift the bulbs, roots and all, from the ground. Remove any loose soil from the roots and allow the bulbs to dry for a few days. Store in a brown paper bag, sawdust or peat moss in the basement or cool, dark place—ideally no warmer than 45 degrees F.
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MichiganGardener.com | April 2022 | Michigan Gardener
year-old plants of yarrow, aster, Carpathian harebell, chrysanthemum, Shasta daisy, threadleaf coreopsis, and bee balm (plant chrysanthemum in a new spot). Also divide three-year-old plants of peachleaf bellflower, lanceleaf coreopsis, delphinium, blue fescue, blanketflower, coralbells, upright phlox and lamb’s ear. • Shear back silver mound, lavender, Russian sage and ornamental grasses.
Roses • Gradually remove winter protection from established bushes as the ground thaws. • Do spring pruning. Remove weak growth and all dead wood down to the healthiest bud. On most bushes, leave 5 to 12 healthy canes around 18 to 24 inches high. On flori-
bundas, grandifloras and young hybrid teas, you can get away with a very light trimming. • Fertilize bushes after pruning. • Bareroot and container-grown plants can be planted right now. In Michigan, the shrub should be set with the bud union two inches below the soil line.
Vegetables • Early this month, sow pepper, eggplant, tomato and okra for late spring transplanting. Transplant seedlings to individual containers when they have produced their second pair of true leaves. • Late this month, start transplants of vining crops like cucumber, squash, gourd, melon and pumpkin. Sow one or two seeds per in-
dividual container. • Plant sets of garlic, onion and shallot and roots of horseradish and Jerusalem artichoke. Set out transplants of collards, head lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower. Hold off planting celery seedlings until cold weather has passed. • Begin sowing outdoors: arugula, leaf lettuce, peas, beets, carrots, chard, endive, fennel, corn salad, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, mustard, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, salsify, sorrel, spinach and turnips.
Water Garden • Leave pond covers in place until marginal plants can provide enough cover for fish. • Check electrical equipment and cables for weather damage. Clean pump parts and
make sure they are in working order. • Rinse filters that were shut down for the winter. Recharge with starter cultures. • Plan for any pond expansion. • Freshen up the pond with a partial water change.
Houseplants • Make a spring fertilizer application on ferns, ponytail and split-leaf philodendron. • Clean plant leaves every couple of weeks to remove dust. Check for signs of pests and disease. Provided by the professionals at English Gardens.
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Microgreens
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f you want to add a little extra nutrition to your soup, salad or sandwich, try growing microgreens. For gardeners missing that fresh, grown-at-home flavor, especially during the winter months, microgreens are easy to grow and quick to harvest. A microgreen consists of the stem, cotyledons (the first fleshy leaves out of the seed), and the first true leaves of the plant, and are usually around two inches tall when harvested. It can take between 7 and 21 days to reach that point, depending on the vegetable seed.
A wide range of vegetables can be grown as microgreens, although lettuces are not recommended due to their delicate nature and tendency to wilt. A list of vegetables good for growing as microgreens includes, but is not limited to: basil, beet, broccoli, carrot, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish and spinach. Many of the garden catalogs now include selections for microgreens and microgreen mixes. Seeds not to be used for microgreens are in the tomato family: tomato, eggplant, peppers
and potatoes. These plants contain alkaloids tension has a microgreens seed density calthat can be toxic at high levels. When purculator at: tinyurl.com/ys4kf445. In fact, for chasing seeds, be sure they are good quality helpful information and specific details on and have not been treated with chemicals or growing microgreens at home, check out the coated in any way. Follow good Penn State Extension website at: food safety standards when growtinyurl.com/mr4d59k8. ing and harvesting. Always wash Because they are harvested so just prior to using. early, it is possible to grow microThe nice thing about microgreens with just the sunlight from greens is that they are easy to grow the windowsill. Use windows proindoors at home. All that is needed viding the strongest possible sunis a clean growing tray or conlight, usually south-facing if you are tainer, a preferably soilless growable. Depending on the harvesting ing medium (usually a peat-based frequency you anticipate, small Mary mix), a pair of scissors or a sharp trays can be planted at regular inGerstenberger knife for harvesting, and the seeds. tervals to provide a steadily availNaturally, the plants will need waable source of these nutritional ter as well. Packaged seeds should give direcbeauties. Once the plants have developed tions for how close to plant the seeds, but if their first set of true leaves, harvesting is as you need more information, Penn State Exsimple as taking scissors and cutting them
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off above the soil line. If you are wondering if the roots left behind will sprout new growth, well sadly, no—new seeds will have to be planted to grow more. So why grow microgreens? Lots of reasons! They are a good nutritional source. They provide fiber, and a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are flavorful. Some can be sweet and some are spicy. They are easy to grow. Anyone can grow a tray of microgreens with very little effort. Children can grow them and may actually enjoy eating them more than their mature vegetable counterparts. People with limited garden space can grow them on windowsills indoors, or on balconies outside. People no longer able to get out in the garden or that have other challenges may be able to get happiness and satisfaction out of growing these adorable plants indoors or even as a hobby
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for the fun of it. Growing microgreens can be done all year long regardless of the weather outside. For more information on growing microgreens, try the Oregon State University article “Get Big Flavor from Tiny Microgreens” at: tinyurl.com/2wtskhja as well as the Michigan State University article “Spice up Spring Salads with Michigan-Grown Greens” at: tinyurl.com/5dwznavy. Mary Gerstenberger was the Consumer Horticulture Coordinator at the Michigan State University Extension in Macomb County, MI. For vegetable and gardening information from MSU, visit www.migarden.msu.edu. Call the toll-free Michigan State University Lawn and Garden Hotline at 888-678-3464 for answers to your gardening questions.
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Tropical Plants and How to Love Them by Marianne Willburn Tropical plants awaken a tired summer garden with lush foliage and fascinating flowers. But if you garden in a cold climate and have been hesitant about the work that might be involved, Tropical Plants and How to Love Them (Cool Springs Press, 208 pages, $27) will walk you through the process. The author uses five relationship types to help you understand the different levels of care and commitment required for many common and uncommon tropicals. You will learn about an array of outstanding tropical plants through care instructions, tips for seeing the plants safely through the winter, and advice for designing a tropical paradise of your own. From the striking red leaves of the Abyssinian banana to the unusual flowers and healing powers of turmeric, there are hundreds of tropical plants worth loving.
How to Garden Indoors & Grow Your Own Food Year Round by Kim Roman Not enough space to garden outside? Bring your garden inside. How to Garden Indoors & Grow Your Own Food Year Round (Fox Chapel Publishing, 192 pages, $24.99) is a guide to indoor food production. It shares clear, easy-to-understand instructions on how to grow year-round edible plants inside your home. Learn the essential details on vegetables, microgreens, herbs, and fruit. Start-up costs are included, with plans for every budget. The author shows you how to maximize your space indoors, with wall gardens, vertical gardening, and more, for the best vegetable yields all year long. Vegetable, fruit, and herb grow charts make it easy to tailor a plan to your specific desires. Also covered are composting, container gardening, hydroponic gardening, grow lights, and more.
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The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees by Douglas W. Tallamy The Nature of Oaks (Timber Press, 197 pages, $27.95) is a revealing look at one of the most essential members of the plant kingdom. Oaks support more life forms and interactions than any other tree genus in North America. The book details what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, the author illuminates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for various regions. The Nature of Oaks will inspire you to treasure and nurture these trees.
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A Pollinator’s Paradise With their knowledge of butterflies, Elmer and Barbara Grimm show what can be accomplished on a standard city lot to attract and nurture these winged beauties
With its yellow, feathery foliage, ‘Tiger Eye’ sumac is one of Elmer’s favorite shrubs and luna moths use it as a host plant.
W
hen I visited Elmer and Barbara growing up on a farm in New Boston. Elmer’s Grimm’s pollinator garden, I was first job was picking gladiolas and strawberamazed at how many butterfly ries for five cents per quart. His family took plants could be contained in a small city lot. them to market and Elmer drove the truck There were butterflies and bees flitting about when he was 10 years old—but mom wasn’t constantly while I toured with Elmer. They aware his grandpa had let him do so until she greeted me as soon as I arrived because the was in her 50s (sometimes it’s better if parGrimm butterfly garden starts at the front ents don’t know everything!). door. The foundation landscape is mostly anHe came by his love and knowledge of nuals including Zowie! zinnias, tall verbena wildflowers from his grandpa, who took him (Verbena bonariensis, or verbena for hikes in the woods and was al“on a stick” as Elmer calls them), ways telling him to look down, so Profusion zinnias, and white alyshe didn’t step on the flowers. His sum (a new addition to the group). fondness for wildflowers has led The butterflies and bees are in him to incorporate them in his garheaven. Elmer uses every inch of den, including bloodroot, epimeland he can and as we walked along dium, pearly everlasting, and more. the small side garden, we passed a If they happen to be plants that the huge patch of fennel planted for the pollinators enjoy, all the better. swallowtail butterflies. Lisa Elmer came by his love of plants Steinkopf continued on page 16 and gardens from his mom Edith,
On the side of his shed, Elmer has also put out houses for the mason bees.
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continued from page 14
Plants for larvae The garden not only contains nectaring plants, but plenty of larvae or host plants as well. If you want to attract and entice butterflies to stay in your garden, it is important to have both kinds of plants. Butterflies lay their eggs on larvae or host plants, and the hatching caterpillars will eat the plants. The female butterfly finds these plants by “tasting” the host plant with her feet. If it is the right plant for her larvae, she lays her eggs. The larvae plants are species specific. A classic example is milkweed—monarch butterflies need it to lay their eggs on. Often the plants are less showy, as that is where the larvae or caterpillars of the butterflies will be feeding
and sometimes pupating. Keeping a low profile keeps the predators from finding them. Some of the plants that Elmer is growing for the butterfly larvae include: Tiger Eyes sumac (host plant for the luna moth), pawpaw trees (for the zebra swallowtail), pipevine (Aristolochia, for the pipevine swallowtail), common lilac (for cecropia moths), and black cherry (for the eastern swallowtail). He grows viburnum for the clearwing hummingbird moth, but keeps the viburnum in a container because he finds it easier to control the viburnum leaf beetle that has been affecting viburnums of late. They are kept up off the ground, as that is where the beetle larvae hatch. He sprays the plant and continued on page 18
Elmer Grimm in his amazing pollinator garden.
This water feature adds soothing sound to the garden and gives the birds and bees a place to get a quick drink.
These boxes are all filled with caterpillars eating and growing.
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The foundation planting consists of mostly annuals that pollinators love, including zinnas, tall verbenas, and alyssum. continued from page 16 the container soil with Captain Jack’s Deadbug Brew to prevent them—he needs all the leaves to feed his caterpillars. Elmer says he has a host plant in his garden for each native Michigan butterfly. Other host plants include spicebush (Lindera), snowberry (Symphoricarpos), white turtlehead (Chelone glabra), and sassafras.
Plants for nectar
A red-spotted purple butterfly on butterfly bush.
Host plants are usually less conspicuous than the flowering plants adult butterflies are attracted to when they are looking for food. Those are called nectaring plants and include butterfly bush, echinacea, zinnia, and countless more. I asked Elmer his number one nectaring plant everyone should grow, and he immediately said butterfly bush (Buddleia), with zin-
nias and tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) a close second and third. It is important to remember to include early spring plants and late fall nectar plants for the migratory butterflies as they head south. The spring flowers that bloom early for the pollinators include lungwort (Pulmonaria) and Virginia bluebells. Fall plants include sneezeweed (Helenium, which Elmer cuts back twice before late July to keep them a more manageable size), coneflower (Echinacea), and New England asters. Plenty of annuals remain in flower as well until it freezes. Butterflies heading south in the fall include the buckeye butterfly, American lady, painted lady, and of course, monarchs.
Nurturing the pollinators Elmer is constantly checking his host plants continued on page 20
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Spicebush swallowtail caterpillars have what appear to be big eyes to scare off predators.
This monarch is enjoying a native blazing star (Liatris). continued from page 18 for eggs and collects them so that he can make sure they are protected and live until adulthood. I was amazed by the number of containers he and Barbara have in the house holding all the growing caterpillars. He needs plenty of host plant leaves to keep them fed and thriving. When he notices they are going to emerge from the chrysalis (cocoon for moths), they are placed in a small netted enclosure where there is room for the butterfly’s wings to expand and dry. He keeps them in the enclosure for at least 24 hours after emerging before releasing them to make sure they are ready to fly. We released two butterflies while I was there.
In a three-day period last summer, he released 34 monarch butterflies, 5 black swallowtails, and 6 clearwing hummingbird moths. You would think this garden and all the butterflies and moths Elmer is raising would keep him plenty busy, but you would be mistaken. He volunteers at Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat at Barson’s Greenhouse in Westland, plus the Mott Children’s Hospital Butterfly Garden in Ann Arbor. Elmer says volunteering at Mott is so rewarding. It is truly a healing garden, and the children, parents, and hospital employees love it. They can get out of the sterile hospital continued on page 22
This common milkweed is stripped of its leaves for the monarchs Elmer is raising inside.
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Butterfly bushes are the backbone of this pollinator garden, along with zinnias and the purple tall verbena. continued from page 20 for a bit and enjoy nature. A hospital administrator recently told Elmer that other hospitals are trying to duplicate the garden at their facilities. There is also a fairy garden, which the children love. Who doesn’t love a miniature garden? The healing garden is a wonderful way to bring joy and peace to families that desperately need it while going through trau-
This monarch is in the netted enclosure, waiting to be released at the right time.
P H OTO G R A P H S BY L I S A S T E I N KO P F
matic experiences. Elmer is honored that he can be a part of that. Elmer was a fountain of information during my visit. He and Barbara have created a lovely landscape not only for themselves and the guests they happily share it with, but also all the diverse pollinators that inhabit the garden.
Lisa Steinkopf is The Houseplant Guru. Check out her newly updated website and blog at www.thehouseplantguru.com. Contact Lisa to speak at your next club meeting or event (houseplantgurulisa@gmail.com or 734-748-1241). Follow her on Facebook (Facebook.com/HouseplantGuru), Twitter (@houseplantguru), and Instagram (houseplantguru).
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Ninebark: Sweet Cherry Tea Sweet Cherry Tea (Physocarpus opulifolius) is the first ninebark to exhibit a re-blooming trait. The spring season begins with the warm, reddish-orange glow of feathery leaves, which gradually age to a rich purple. Dark-pink flower buds open to reveal pink flowers clustered together at the branch tips. As the flower petals fall, they give way to showy, rose-red fruits that hold their color for a few weeks in late spring. In midsummer, the flowering starts again with vigorous shoots displaying additional pink flower clusters. Ninebark is a native shrub that tolerates a wide range of soil types and harsh conditions. Height: 3-4 feet. Width: 3-4 feet. Light: Full sun. Zone: 3.
Proven Winners Color Choice Flowering Shrubs
Panicle hydrangea: Quick Fire Fab Quick Fire Fab is an early-blooming panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) with large, upright, football-shaped blooms. Starting out as a coconut-lime color, the blossoms quickly develop watermelon-pink tones at the base (thus the name “Quick Fire”). These pink tones darken and progress
up the panicle for a striking bicolor look. Also notable are the sturdy stems that don’t flop. Height: 6-8 feet. Width: 5-6 feet. Light: Full sun to part sun. Zone: 3.
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continued on page 26
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Michigan Gardener | April 2022 | MichiganGardener.com
Panicle hydrangea: Fire Light Tidbit
continued from page 24
This panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) is truly dwarf, with a low, mounded habit. The summer blooms emerge a bright lime green, transition to white, and then take on hues of dark pink. Due to its diminutive size, this shrub can be used at the front of the border. Plus, it will often show a pleasing display of orange-red foliage in the fall. Proven Winners Color Choice Flowering Shrubs
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April African Violet Sale Sat, Apr 2, 10am-3pm, Ann Arbor. At Matthaei Botanical Gardens. African violets, streptocarpus & other assorted gesneriads. Free violet seminar at 11:30. mbgna.umich.edu. Clarkston Garden Club Meeting Mon, Apr 4, Clarkston. Info: www.clarkstongardenclub.org. H Garden Webinar: Dirty History Tue, Apr 5, 1-2:30pm, online. By Cranbrook House & Garden via Zoom. Ed Blondin speaks on the gardens of the Persian & Monastic periods. www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu/ Livonia Garden Club Meeting: Virginia Matley Trail Tue, Apr 5, 7pm, Livonia. At Livonia Civic Park Senior Center. All are welcome. www.livoniagardenclub.org. What’s New in 2022 Wed, Apr 6, 11am, Plymouth. By Country Garden Club of Northville at First United Methodist Church. Speaker: George Papadelis from Telly’s. www.cgcnv.org. Sound Bath in the Tropical House Thu, Apr 7, 6:30pm, Pontiac. At Goldner Walsh. Magical evening inside the greenhouse. www.goldnerwalsh.com H Pruning Workshop for Smart Gardeners Fri, Apr 8, 12-4pm, online. By MSU Extension. Learn the art & science of pruning woody plants. Live, interactive webinar by Rebecca Finneran. www.canr.msu.edu. Great Lansing Orchid Society Meeting Sat, Apr 9, 7pm, online via Zoom. Info: www.greaterlansingorchidsociety.com. Fruit Tree Grafting and Care Sat, Apr 9, 10-Noon, Midland. At Dow Gardens. $30/ person. Hands-on grafting workshop; students will graft apple trees to take home. www.dowgardens.org. Sustainable Methods for Veggie Gardeners Sat, Apr 9, 10-11am, by MSU Tollgate. Part of 2022 Homegrown Garden Series. $12/household per session. $90 for series. www.canr.msu.edu. Dahlia Workshop Sat, Apr 9, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $15. Participants will pot two dahlias to take home. Hundreds of dahlia tubers also available for purchase. www.tellys.com. Water in your Yard? Mon, Apr 11, 7pm, St Clair Shores. By Yardeners at St. Clair Shores Public Library. Michelle Serreyn speaks on green stormwater infrastructure: rain gardens, bioswales & more. scsyardeners@gmail.com. Conifers with Bert Cregg Tue, Apr 12, 6:30-8:30pm, online. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland County on Zoom. Bert Cregg discusses planting & caring for conifers. www.mgsoc.org. A Chickadee’s Guide to Gardening Tue, Apr 12, 7pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Dr. Doug Tallamy presents. Part of Secchia Garden Lecture Series. www.meijergardens.org. H Garden Webinar: Intimate Portraits Tue, Apr 12, 1-2:30pm, online. By Cranbrook House & Gardens. $30. Zoom lecture by Laurie Tennent on photographing nature. www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu/
Flower Ladies Bouquet-Making Wed, Apr 13, 10am-3pm, Ann Arbor. By Ann Arbor Farm & Garden. www.annarborfarmandgarden.org. Michigan Native Trees Wed, Apr 13, 1pm, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at Big Beaver United Methodist. Presentation by Cheryl English. www.troygardenclubmi.com. H Spring Floral Design Wed, Apr 13, 2-4pm, East Lansing. By MSU Horticuture Gardens. $45. Create a spring floral design using both store-bought flowers & items from our gardens. www.canr.msu.edu Comfort, Ease & Simplicity Thu, Apr 14, 1pm, Shelby Twp. By Shelby Gardeners Club at Shadbush Nature Ctr. Free presentation by Jan Coppolla Bills. 586-873-3782. Brighton Garden Club Meeting Thu, Apr 14, 10:30am-1pm, at Brighton Community Center. www.brightonmichigangardenclub.org Organic Vegetable Gardening Year-Round Thu, Apr 14, 6:30-8:30pm, online. By MSU Extension on Zoom. $15. Planning your garden for year-round harvest. www.canr.msu.edu. Tomatoes & Chilis in the Organic Garden Thu, Apr 14, 7-9pm, online. By Project Grow on Zoom. $15. www.projectgrowgardens.org. Dahlias: Starting Dahlias from Cuttings Sat, Apr 16, 3-5pm, Troy. By SE Michigan Dahlia Society at Telly’s Greenhouse. Dr. Keith Berven presents. Members will be dividing, bagging, & labeling tubers for the annual dahlia sale. www.semds.org. Water Gardening Tue, Apr 19, 6:30pm, Clinton Twp. By Macomb Cty Master Gardener Association at Verkuilen Building. Presented by Irene Townsend. Register: tinyurl.com/2p8n8s4w Midwest Daffodil Show Wed, Apr 20, & Thur, Apr 21, Niles. At Fernwood Botanical Garden. Show opens to public after judging. www.fernwoodbotanical.org. Ikebana: Japanese Flower Arranging Thu, Apr 21, 1pm, Ann Arbor. At Matthaei Botanical Gardens. $20. Learn about the art of Japanese flower arranging. www.mbgna.umich.edu. Knee High Naturalists: Sensing Spring Thu, Apr 21, 10-11:30am, Troy. At Stage Nature Center. $14.50/child (ages 2-4). Search for signs of spring with your adult partner. Register: www.troynaturesociety.org. Seed Potatoes, Potato Seed & Sweet Potato Slips Thu, Apr 21, 7-9pm, online. By Project Grow on Zoom. $15. www.projectgrowgardens.org. Design for Comfort, Ease & Simplicity Fri, Apr 22, 10am, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Garden Club at Meadow Brook Hall or on Zoom. $5. Gardens should be our love, not a labor of love. Request link by Apr 21: MBGCmembers@gmail.com Monarch Conservation/Population Fri, Apr 22, 7pm, online. By SE Mich Butterfly Assoc on Zoom. $3/person. Q & A on Monarchs, by author Ann Hobbie, Chair of Monarch Joint Venture. www.sembabutterfly.org.
Promote your events! Send us your information! Website: Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Garden Event Calendar” E-Mail: calendar@MichiganGardener.com Upcoming Issues & Deadlines: Issue
May 2022 June 2022
Deadline April 15, 2022 May 15, 2022
MichiganGardener.com | April 2022 | Michigan Gardener
H Auburn Oaks Spring Open House Fri, Apr 22, & Sat, Apr 23, 8am-6pm & Sun, Apr 24, 9am-5pm, Rochester Hills. At Auburn Oaks. www.auburnoaksgardencenter.com, 248-852-2310. Earth Day, Every Day Sat, Apr 23, 1-4pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Celebrate Earth awareness the Children’s Garden way. www.meijergardens.org. Earth Day at Leslie Science & Nature Center Sun, Apr 24, 1-4pm, Ann Arbor. Free, for all ages. www.lesliesnc.org/a2earthday Sustainable, Low-Care, High-Satisfaction Gardens Tue, Apr 26, 7pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Speaker Karen Bussolini looks to nature as a guide. Part of Secchia Garden Lecture Series. www.meijergardens.org. Exploring Eco-Machines for Solving Environmental Problems Thu, Apr 28, 7-9pm, online. By Project Grow on Zoom. $15. www.projectgrowgardens.org. White Pine & Flower Seed Giveaway Sat, Apr 30, 8am-1pm, Ann Arbor. By Chelsea Area Garden Club at Chelsea Farmers Market. 100 free white pine seedlings & flower packets. www.chelseagardenclub.com. H Barsons Spring Open House Sat, Apr 30, & Sun, May 1, Westland. At Barsons. Celebrating 42 years. 734-421-5959, www.barsons.com. H 9th Annual Educational Garden Conference: Gardening and All That Jazz – Growing With Style Sat, Apr 30, 9am-4pm, online. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland County. $50. Seminars are live or available recorded up to 2 weeks. Nationallyknown keynote speakers: David Culp, Kerry Ann Mendez, Shawna Coronado, Meredith Simpson and Richard Thomas. Registration deadline: April 27. 248-812-9437, conference@mgsoc.org. www.mgsoc.info.
May Clarkston Garden Club Meeting Mon, May 2, Clarkston. Info: www.clarkstongardenclub.org. Basic Floral Design and Beyond Tue, May 3, 7pm, Livonia. By Livonia Garden Club at Livonia Civic Park Senior Center. All are welcome. www.livoniagardenclub.org Spring Stroll Fri, May 6, Midland. At Dow Gardens. Enjoy the fragrance of flowering trees & spring ephemerals, plus 22,000+ bulbs of vibrant color. www.dowgardens.org. H Native Plant Sale Fri, May 6, 10am to Sat, 3pm. Online. By Cranbrook House & Garden. Shop online for Michigan native plants. www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu. Hypertufa Workshop Sat, May 7, 12:30-2pm & 2:30-4pm, Niles. At Fernwood Botanical Garden. Info/register: www.fernwoodbotanical.org. Project Grow Plant Sale Sat, May 7, 10am-2pm, Ypsilanti. By Project Grow at Dawn Farm. Advance orders accepted for a limited time. www.projectgrowgardens.org. Dahlias: Annual Tuber Sale Sat, May 7, 9am-Noon, Troy. By SE Mich Dahlia Society at Telly’s Greenhouse. More than 700 dahlia tubers & cuttings available. Variety of sizes, colors & petal forms. www.semds.org. Plant Exchange Sat, May 7, 9-11am, South Lyon. By Four Seasons Garden Club at Salem South Lyon Library parking lot. Rain or shine. Trade plants, bulbs or seeds. Label each. Text only: 248-767-4183. Mason Sycamore Creek Plant Sale Sat, May 7, 10am-3pm, Mason. By Mason Sycamore Creek Garden Club at Lee Austin Park Pavillion. Geraniums, succulent plant bowls, herb plant bowls, perennials, trees & more. gardenclubofmason@gmail.com. Guided Bird Walk Sun, May 8, 7am, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Ford House. 5/8, 5/10, 5/11, 5/12, 5/13. Join expert bird walk leaders Rosann Kovalcik & Bill Rapai; explore Ford House grounds. www.fordhouse.org. Dexter Garden Club Meeting Tue, May 10, 7pm, Dexter. By Dexter Garden Club at St Andrews. Membership: www.dextergardenclub.org.
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H In-Person Perennial, Herb, Fairy Garden, & Tropical Plant Sale Tue, May 10, & Wed, May 11, Bloomfield Hills. At Cranbrook House & Gardens. Perennials potted by our volunteers, tropical plants grown in our Conservatory, & herbs/fairy gardens selected by Herb Society of America. www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu. New Annuals & Perennials for 2022 Tue, May 10, 6:30–8:30pm, online. By Master Gardener Soc of Oakland Cty on Zoom. Speaker: George Papadelis from Telly’s. Zoom details TBA. www.mgsoc.org. Recognizing & Reporting Invasive Plant Species Wed, May 11, 6:30pm, Clinton Twp. By Macomb Cty Master Gardener Association at Verkuilen Building. Presented by McKenzi Waliczek. Register online. Flower Ladies Bouquet-Making Wed, May 11, 10am-3pm, Ann Arbor. By Ann Arbor Farm & Garden. www.annarborfarmandgarden.org. Pruning to Enrich the Garden Wed, May 11, 1pm, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at Big Beaver United Methodist. Presentation by Emily Fronckowiak. www.troygardenclubmi.com. Rochester Garden Club Nursery Crawl Thu, May 12, By Rochester Garden Club. Join the fun of traveling to nurseries in the area. You may choose to carpool or travel independently. www.rochestergardenclub.org Attracting Wildlife with Backyard Water Features Thu, May 12, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. By MSU Extension at Tollgate Farm. $25. Beth Clawson presents water features for gardens & wildlife. www.canr.msu.edu. Farmington Hills Spring Plant & Seed Swap Sat, May 14, 8:30-10:30am, Farmington Hills. By Farmington Hills Beautification Commission at Heritage Park. Bring gloves, wagons, plants & seeds to exchange. Rain/shine. 248-871-2543. Michigan All-State Bonsai Show Sat, May 14, & Sun, May 15, 9am-5pm, Grand Rapids. Frederik Meijer Gardens. Enjoy stunning bonsai trees. Demos, workshops. www.meijergardens.org. Troy Garden Club Perennial Plant Exchange Sat, May 14, 10am-Noon, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at Troy Family Aquatic Center. Rain/shine. Bring diseaseand pest-free perennials to trade. JAKPre24@msn.com H MSU Horticulture Gardens Spring Plant Sale Sat, May 14, 7am-2pm, East Lansing. By MSU Horticulture Gardens at Plant & Soil Sciences Building. www.canr.msu.edu. Home Vegetable Gardening Sat, May 14, 10-11am, by MSU Tollgate. Part of 2022 Homegrown Garden Series. $12/household per session. $90 for series. Interactive virtual and hybrid series. www.canr.msu.edu. Spring Garden Market Sat, May 14, 10am-4pm, Niles. At Fernwood Botanical Garden. Info: www.fernwoodbotanical.org. Ann Arbor Orchid Society Meeting Sun, May 15, 2-5pm, Ann Arbor. By Ann Arbor Orchid Society at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Free. mbgna.umich.edu. The Pillars of Ecosystem Gardening Thu, May 19, 7-9pm, online. By Project Grow on Zoom. $15. www.projectgrowgardens.org. Time in the Garden Sat, May 21, to June 26, Ann Arbor. At Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum. Community Art Exhibit. www.mbgna.umich.edu. Meridian Garden Club Plant Sale Sat, May 21, 9am-2pm, Meridian Twp. By Meridian Garden Club at Central Park Pavilion. Perennials, native plants & houseplants, grown by members. www.meridiangardenclub.weebly.com. H Bonsai Workshop Sat, May 21, 1pm, Troy. At Telly’s. $45. Make-andtake workshop. Plant & create your own bonsai tree. Limited space. Register: www.tellys.com. Dahlia Society Garden Walk Sat, May 21, 1-4pm. By Southeastern Michigan Dahlia Society. www.semds.org. Peony Garden Centennial Celebrations Fri, May 27, Bloom time from late May to mid June, Ann Arbor. At Nichols Arboretum. www.mbgna.umich.edu. 100 Years in Bloom Peony Sale Fri, May 27, to May 30. Ann Arbor. Online orders only with pickup at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. www.mbgna.umich.edu.
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Auburn Oaks GARDEN CENTER
High quality plants & service for your garden success since 1964.
Spring Open House Fri-Sat, April 22-23, 8am-6pm Sunday, April 24, 9am-5pm New Products • Discounts • Gifts Refreshments • Closeouts Plants • Information
Lunch served Fri & Sat, 11am-1pm (Suggested $5 donation to Gleaners Food Pantry)
CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR THE FULL SPRING OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE
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LET A PRO TEND YOUR GARDEN! New Designs • Renovations • Consulting Planting • Weeding • Pruning • Much more to locate an APG professional gardener near you, visit:
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Advertiser Index Abbott’s Landscape Nursery............ 31 Abele Greenhouse & Gard Ctr......... 23 Aguafina Gardens International....... 11 Assoc. of Professional Gardeners.......................30 Assure/Grass Magic/ Organimax..................................................21 Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr.........................29 Barson’s Greenhouse...........................28 Begick Nursery & Gard Ctr................ 23 Blossoms..................................................... 31 Bogie Lake Greenhouses.................... 23 Bush & Son Landscape Supp............ 27 Campbell’s Greenhouses................... 25 Country Oaks Landscape Supp..........8 Dale’s Landscaping Supp..................... 17 Davey Tree....................................................9
Classified Ads NEED A HAND? Call “The little gardener that could.” 15 yrs experience at Botanical Gardens. FREE Estimates. Pat: 586-2149852, agardenspace.com. NEED TO REPLACE SOME GRASS? We provide top quality sod grass to metro Detroit homeowners like you. Hillcrest Sod Farms has been growing quality sod for over 50 years. We provide sod to Do-It-Yourselfers or we can do the entire installation for you. A half century of experience has taught us to treat our customers like family—personalized care and attention is what you can expect from Hillcrest. For a free estimate, call 734-941-9595 and ask for Mike or Caryl. Or visit www.sodfarm.com to learn more. PART-TIME GARDENER WANTED. Flexible schedule. Weeding, planting, staking, deadheading. Work in private garden under direction of experienced head gardener. Franklin/Bingham Farms area. Emails please to: garden4321@yahoo.com.
ZOOM GARDEN SPEAKER AVAILABLE for your club or group. Well-traveled garden writer does virtual garden presentations & travelogues. This active collector gardener can speak on many subjects. For presentation list, biography, fee & references, contact Julia Hofley at Julia@juliasbiglife.com. 248497-2674. Find me on Facebook. MICHIGAN GARDENER E-NEWSLETTER - Sign up for our free e-newsletter! We send out a few each year, and there are contests to win prizes as well. (No spam, and we do not share your e-mail.) Go to www.MichiganGardener.com and simply enter your e-mail address. Michigan Gardener Classified Advertising is a cost-effective way to promote yourself and your business. Need help? Have help to give? Have a big event coming up? Have items to sell? Let our readers know! Go to MichiganGardener.com >> “Advertising” >> “Classified Advertising.”
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Eagle Landscaping & Supp..................19 English Gardens..............................Page 3 Fleurdetroit................................................. 12 Fraleigh’s Landscape Nursery...........21 The Garden Mill........................................ 11 Garden Rhythms....................................30 A Garden Space......................................28 Gerych’s Greenhouse.......................... 25 Grasshopper Gardens............................7 Hidden Lake Gardens..............................6 I Must Garden........................................... 17 Lake Orion Lawn Ornaments............ 13 Main’s Landscape Supp...................... 25 Margolis Nursery................................... 25 Master Gardener Soc Oak Cty............6 Meier Flowerland....................................19 MSU Horticulture Gardens...............28 Milarch Nursery.......................................19 Oldani Landscape Nurseries............. 31
The Original Budget Tree Service.....30 Orion Stone Depot...........................21,29 Piechnik’s Gard Ctr................................. 15 Piechnik’s Greenhouse........................ 27 Plantskydd................................................... 11 Poison Ivy Control of Michigan.........10 Proven Winners Color Choice.............5 Rock Shoppe.............................................30 Schuman Landscape Lighting........... 13 State Crushing.......................................... 13 Steinkopf Nursery.....................................4 Telly’s Greenhouse.............Inside Front Cover Uncle Luke’s Feed Store...................... 23 Van Atta’s Greenhouse........................10 Warmbier Farms.................................... 27 The Weed Lady........................................ 12 Willow Greenhouse..............................28 Zoner’s Greenhouse............................. 27
NORMAL Monthly 2.08 1.68 1.71
ACTUAL Monthly 2.61 2.36 3.71
February 2021 DEVIATION from Normal +0.53 +0.68 +2.00
2022 Year to Date: Jan 1 - Feb 28
Detroit Flint Lansing
NORMAL Yr. to Date 3.98 3.11 3.77
ACTUAL Yr. to Date 3.13 2.98 4.36
NORMAL Monthly 2.02 1.48 1.47
ACTUAL Monthly 1.47 1.65 1.30
DEVIATION from Normal -0.55 +0.17 -0.17
2021 Year to Date: Jan 1 - Dec 31
DEVIATION from Normal -0.85 -0.13 +0.59
NORMAL Yr. to Date 33.47 31.37 33.33
ACTUAL Yr. to Date 39.99 37.65 34.56
DEVIATION from Normal +6.52 +6.28 +1.23
Temperature February 2022
February 2021
Detroit Flint Lansing
NORMAL Avg. High 35.2 32.8 32.6
ACTUAL Avg. High 34.6 33.4 34.1
DEVIATION from Normal -0.6 +0.6 +1.5
NORMAL Avg. High 35.2 32.8 32.6
ACTUAL Avg. High 31.1 29.8 28.9
DEVIATION from Normal -4.1 -3.0 -3.7
Detroit Flint Lansing
NORMAL Avg. Low 21.0 16.9 15.4
ACTUAL Avg. Low 18.1 15.6 17.6
DEVIATION from Normal -2.9 -1.3 +2.2
NORMAL Avg. Low 21.0 16.9 15.4
ACTUAL Avg. Low 15.6 11.3 12.2
DEVIATION from Normal -5.4 -5.6 -3.2
Data courtesy National Weather Service
MichiganGardener.com | April 2022 | Michigan Gardener
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DETROIT’S BEST FLORIST SINCE 1977
OUR PLANTS...
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Owosso H Everlastings in the Wildwood Oxford • Ace Hardware • Dafoe’s Feed & Seed Plymouth H English Gardens Plymouth Nurs • Graye’s Greenhse H Rock Shoppe • Sideways • Sparr’s Greenhse Pontiac • Goldner Walsh Gard/Home • MSU ExtensionOakland Cty Ray • Heritage Oaks Redford H Pinter Flowerland Rochester • Allstate Home Leisure • Fogler’s Greenhse • Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr Rochester Hills • Ace Hardware H Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr • Haley Stone • Wild Birds Unltd Romeo • Cold Frame Farm Romulus • Kurtzhal’s Farms • Rush Gard Ctr • Schwartz’s Greenhse Roseville H Dale’s Landscp Supp • Flower Barn Nurs Sea World Royal Oak • Ace Hardware H English Gardens • Frentz & Sons Hardware • Wild Birds Unltd Saginaw H Abele Greenhse & Gard Ctr Salem Twp H Willow Greenhse Saline H Clink Landscp & Nurs • Junga’s Ace Hardware • KBK Gard Ctr • Saline Flowerland Shelby Twp • Ace Hardware • Diegel’s Greenhse H Hessell’s Greenhses • Maeder Plant Farm • Mandel Greenhouses Florist • PJ Hebert H Telly’s Greenhse South Lyon • Ace Hardware • Bader & Sons • Mike’s Garden • Stone Depot Landscp Supp Southfield H Eagle Landscp & Supp • Lavin’s Flower Land H Main’s Landscp Supp St Clair Shores • Ace Hardware (Harper/13 Mi) • DeRonne True Value Hardware • Greenhouse Growers • Hall’s Nurs • Soulliere Gard Ctr
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Our average spring deadline date for fresh dug deciduous & evergreen trees is May 10. The exception is arborvitae, which we can dig all season. 2666 TOZER RD • NORTH BRANCH, MI 48461 810-688-2363 • OldaniLandscapeNurseries.com Mon-Sat: 9-5 • Sun: 12-4 (closed Sundays during July/Aug)
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Michigan Gardener | April 2022 | www.MichiganGardener.com
Foraging in your backyard M
any people have asked themselves, “Can I eat these delicious-looking honeysuckle berries?” The answer is absolutely not. When foraging in the wild, or even at home, you have to be careful of the many delectablelooking fruits that can cause ailments ranging from a simple stomach ache to cardiac arrest. Foraging is no joke, but when educated on the right things to eat, you can open up a new range of flavors and native treasures. There are lots of things that are edible and waiting to be munched on in your garden. Here are some commonly foraged plants, as well as a couple to stay away from.
Tasty trees When wandering in the garden from mid to late summer, one of the best things to try is a kousa dogwood berry (Cornus kousa). There is nothing more exciting than picking a bright red berry from this classic landscape tree and taking a bite. They mature in the late summer and have a mango-banana flavor (Photo 1). The cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is another dogwood that is a well-loved ornamental tree. It produces long “cherries” that are very tart (Photo 2).
Emily Edwards
2 Cornelian cherry
1 Kousa dogwood
3 Black walnut before the citrusy skin has been peeled off.
4 iNaturalist.org
Bean pods of the Kentucky coffee tree.
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5 Characteristic mulberry leaves, all serrated and ranging from almost round margins to having multiple lobes.
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The black walnut (Juglans nigra) is well known for being disliked because its toxicity inhibits many plants’ growth under and around the tree, as well as the tendency of the shells to dye everything black. But, of course, the nuts are edible. It just takes a small amount of effort to get perfectly good walnuts. When the walnuts fall off the trees, you peel off the citrusy skin to reveal the dark-colored nut. Then just leave it to dry outside for a few weeks and you’ve got perfectly good walnuts. (Photo 3). Another messy but lesser-known tree is the Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioicus). Despite the name, it is not actually in the coffee family and it grows well here in Michigan. When the pods are dropped in the late summer, you can roast the beans to have a coffee alternative—from your own backyard. The seeds and pods are toxic if you eat them unroasted, so roast with caution (Photo 4). Mulberry trees are common trees that can be found easily, characterized by their red (Morus rubra) and white (Morus alba) fruit that somewhat resemble long raspberries, as well as their lobed leaves with serrated edges. Both the red and white varieties are edible, but the red are larger and sweeter, and liked more frequently. Fruiting is from June to July, with the red being found in rich woods (Photo 5). Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) and staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) produce bright red flowers in early June and the blooms last into mid to late fall. They can be found in fields and openings and tend to be fairly common. As soon as the flowers bloom in early summer, you can steep them in water overnight and they produce a lovely lemonade and tea flavor. The poison sumac is present in Michigan and shouldn’t be touched at all, as it has the itchy qualities of poison ivy. Poison sumac has white flowers and berries, bearing not much resemblance to the bright red flowers of smooth and staghorn sumac (Photos 6 and 7).
6 iNaturalist.org
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Staghorn sumac
7 iNaturalist.org
Poison sumac, with white flowers and smooth margins on the leaves.
8 Broadleaf plantain
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continued from previous page
Weeds are edible too? A common lawn weed with leafy greens, broadleaf or common plantain (Plantago major) is good in salads or fried up in a stir-fry dish (Photo 8). Lamb’s quarters (Chenopodium album) is found in gardens, fields and waste spaces. It is in the quinoa family and one of the most successful cosmopolitan weeds in the world. The leaves are edible and have a distinct avocado-asparagus flavor. They can be eaten raw or cooked. The grain is edible too. (Photos 9 and 10). Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a widespread weed in many parts of the world. The leaves are edible and have a citrusy flavor (Photo 11).
Perennials: More than just a snack Found in fields and roadsides, yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is less common in the wild, but is cultivated for a wide variety of flower colors. The flavor of the leaves is less than ideal, but when chewed and applied to an open cut, it will stop the bleeding quickly (Photo 12). Wild bergamot or bee balm (Monarda fistulosa) is found in dry woodland edges and thickets. A butterfly favorite, bergamot is used as an essential oil for aromatherapy (Photo 13).
Stay away from these Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) belongs to the nightshade family, commonly found in waste areas. It is violently P H OTO G R A P H S BY E M I LY E DWA R D S (unless otherwise indicated)
11 Purslane, with its succulent leaves.
9 Lamb’s quarters: leaves.
12 Pink cultivated yarrow.
10 Lamb’s quarters: grains.
13 Wild bergamot.
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toxic and known to cause severe hallucinations when ingesting the seeds (Photos 14 and 15). American or Canadian yew (Taxus canadensis) is a common ornamental shrub. All parts of the plant are toxic except the aril, the juicy red “berry” surrounding the seed, which is very much toxic (Photo 16). American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) has bright red stems and dark purple fruits. All parts are poisonous, except in the spring when some brave folks eat it as a spring green after cooking through two changes of water. Birds enjoy the berries in late summer (Photo 17).
Takeaways Exploring new things around the yard can be exciting, but DO NOT eat something unless it has been properly identified. To learn more about foraging, it is best to start with a field guide for your specific region. A great foraging resource (and a reference used for this article) is the Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (by Foster and Duke). This book includes the history behind the plants and herbs in Michigan, including what tribes used particular plants and for what purposes. The Field Manual of Michigan Flora (by Voss and Reznicek) is another great resource to start identifying and comparing look-alikes for your favorite foraged plants.
14 Jimsonweed and its lavender-colored flower.
16 Yew, showing the flat leaves and red aril with seed inside.
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Emily Edwards is a Head Gardener and Biologist at Atzinger Gardens. Atzinger Gardens creates and tends gardens around the Ann Arbor and Plymouth areas. Visit AtzingerGardens.com or call 734-272-7321 for monthly maintenance or to design and complete a new garden.
Jimsonweed seed pod.
17 American pokeweed.
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almont H American Tree 3903 Van Dyke Rd, MI 48003 810-798-2525 www.americantreeinc.com Brohl’s Flower Gard ann arbor H Abbott’s Nurs & Garden Ctr 2781 Scio Church Rd, MI 48103 734-665-8733 www.abbottsnursery.com H Downtown Home/Gard 210 S Ashley St, MI 48104 734-662-8122 www.downtownhomeandgarden.com H HillTop Greenhse/Farms H Lodi Farms H The Produce Station H Turner’s Greenhse & Garden Ctr Wild Birds Unltd
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belleville H Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice H Pinter Flowerland H Zywicki Greenhse berkley Garden Central birmingham H Blossoms blissfield Ogden Station Daylilies bloomfield hills H Fleurdetroit 1507 Old S. Telegraph Rd, MI 48302 248-953-3840 www.fleurdetroit.com brighton Bordine’s Brighton Stone H Grasshopper Gardens Leppek Nurs
H Meier Flowerland 8087 W. Grand River, MI 48114 810-229-9430 www.meierflowerland.com brownstown twp Bruce’s Pond Shop Raupp Brothers Gard Ctr H Ruhlig Farms & Gard 24508 Telegraph Rd, MI 48134 734-782-9811 www.ruhligfarmsandgardens.com bruce twp H Van’s Valley Greenhouse 74865 Van Dyke Rd, MI 48065 586-752-6002 www.vansvalley.com burton H Country Oaks Landscp Supp
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clinton twp H English Gardens 44850 Garfield Rd, MI 48038 586-286-6100 www.englishgardens.com Michigan Koi Tropical Treasures clio H Piechnik’s Greenhouse 13172 McCumsey Rd, MI 48420 810-686-9211 www.piechniks.com columbus Haack’s Farm Greenhses commerce twp H Zoner’s Greenhouse 2355 E. Commerce Rd, MI 48382 248-363-6742 www.zonersgreenhouse.com davison H Wojo’s Gard Splendors 7360 E. Court St, MI 48423 810-658-9221 www.wojos.com dearborn Fairlane Gardens dearborn heights H English Gardens 22650 Ford Rd, MI 48127 313-278-4433 www.englishgardens.com dexter H Dexter Mill Earth Art H Fraleighs Landscape Nursery 8600 Jackson Rd, MI 48130 734-426-5067 www.fraleighs.com eastpointe Drew’s Garden H English Gardens 22501 Kelly Rd, MI 48021 586-771-4200 www.englishgardens.com farmington hills Angelo’s Landscp Supp Farmer John’s Greenhse H Steinkopf Nursery 20815 Farmington Rd., MI 48336 248-474-2925 www.steinkopfnursery.com fenton Carlson’s Greenhse H Gerych’s Greenhouse & Flowers 713 W Silver Lake Rd., MI 48430 810-629-5995 www.gerychsdesign.com H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm 13730 White Lake Rd, MI 48430 810-629-9208 www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com ferndale Olive’s Bloombox flat rock Masserant’s Feed/Grain flushing H Flushing Lawn & Garden Ctr 114 Terrace St, MI 48433 810-659-6241 www.unclelukes.com gladwin H Stone Cottage Gardens 3740 West Willford Rd, MI 48624 989-426-2919 www.stonecottagegardens.com
grand blanc Bordine’s Sunrise Greenhouse H The Weed Lady 9225 Fenton Rd, MI 48439 810-655-2723 www.theweedlady.com grass lake H Designs by Judy Florist & Greenhse 3250 Wolf Lake Rd, MI 49240 517-522-5050 www.designsbyjudyflowers.com grosse ile H Westcroft Gardens & Farm 21803 West River Rd, MI 48138 734-676-2444 www.westcroftgardens.com grosse pointe Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Otherworld GP grosse pointe woods Wild Birds Unltd hadley Le Fleur Décor hartland Deneweth’s Garden Ctr haslett Christian’s Greenhse H Van Atta’s Greenhse 9008 Old M-78, MI 48840 517-339-1142 www.vanattas.com highland Colasanti’s Produce/Plant Fragments Highland Garden Ctr Rock Bottom Landscp Supp Thornton Nurs howell Penrose Nurs H Superior Landscape Supplies 4805 Musson Rd, MI 48855 517-548-2068 Find us on Facebook Wilczewski Greenhses imlay city Earthly Arts Greenhse Schutz’s Tree Farm Super & Sons Nurs jackson Hobbit Greenhouses kalamazoo H River Street Flowerland 1300 River St, MI 49048 269-342-9207 www.riverstreetflowerland.com H Wedel’s Nursery, Florist & Gdn Ctr 5020 Texas Dr, MI 49009 269-345-1195 www.wedels.com lake orion Fogler’s Greenhse H Lake Orion Lawn Orn H Orion Stone Depot 4888 Joslyn Rd, MI 48359 248-391-2490 www.orionstone.com lansing Lansing Gardens lapeer The Iron Barn lasalle Fowler’s Gift Shop lennon Stone Case Inc.
livonia Bushel Mart George’s Livonia Gardens macomb Altermatt Farms H Brohl’s Greenhse Deneweth’s Garden Ctr H Elya’s Village Gardens Landscape Source Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Olejnik Farms Wiegand’s Nursery Wild Birds Unltd manchester McLennan Nurs mason Wildtype Nurs milford Milford Gardens The Pond Place monroe The Flower Market new baltimore H Meldrum Bros Nurs new boston H Bush & Son Landscape Supplies H Grass Roots Pond & Garden 24765 Bell Rd, MI 48164 734-753-9200 www.grassrootspondandgarden.com new hudson Fletcher & Rickard Landscp Supp north branch H Campbell’s Greenhouses 4077 Burnside Rd, MI 48461 810-688-3587 www.campbellsgreenhouses.com H Oldani Landscape Nurseries 2666 Tozer Rd, MI 48461 810-688-2363 www.oldanilandscapenurseries.com northville Begonia Brothers Gardenviews at Home H Willow Greenhouse 7839 Curtis Rd, MI 48168 248-437-7219 www.willowgreenhouse.com novi Glenda’s Gard Ctr Wild Birds Unltd oakland twp H Piechnik’s Garden Center 1095 N. Rochester Rd, MI 48363 586-336-7200 www.piechniks.com ortonville Bedrock Express H Wojo’s Greenhouse 2570 Oakwood Rd, MI 48462 248-627-6498 www.wojos.com owosso H Everlastings in Wildwood Crooked Tree Nurs Sunburst Gardens oxford Dafoe’s Feed & Seed plymouth
pontiac Goldner Walsh Gard/Home ray Heritage Oaks redford H Pinter Flowerland richmond Jusko’s Greenhse rochester Fogler’s Greenhse Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr rochester hills H Auburn Oaks Garden Ctr 3820 West Auburn Rd, MI 48309 248-852-2310 www.auburnoaksnursery.com Bordine’s Haley Stone Wild Birds Unltd romulus Block’s Stand/Greenhse Kurtzhals’ Farms Rush Gard Ctr Schwartz’s Greenhouse roseville H Dale’s Landscaping Supply 16720 E 13 Mile Rd, MI 48066 586-778-1919 www.daleslandscaping.com Flower Barn Nurs Sea World royal oak H English Gardens 4901 Coolidge Hwy, MI 48073 248-280-9500 www.englishgardens.com Wild Birds Unltd saginaw H Abele Greenhouse & Garden Ctr 3500 Wadsworth Rd, MI 48601 989-752-5625 www.abelegreenhouse.com saline H Clink Landscaping & Nursery 9403 W. Michigan Ave, MI 48176 734-495-3779 www.clinklandscaping.com KBK Gard Ctr Saline Flowerland shelby twp Diegel’s Greenhse H Hessell’s Greenhouse Maeder Plant Farm H Telly’s Greenhouse 4343 24 Mile, MI 48316 248-659-8555 www.tellys.com south lyon Mike’s Garden Stone Depot Landscp Supp southfield H Eagle Landscape & Supply 20779 Lahser Rd., MI 48034 248-356-4342 https://eaglelandscapesupply.com
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stockbridge Gee Farms superior twp Lucas Nurs sylvan lake H AguaFina Gardens International 2629 Orchard Lake Rd, MI 48320 248-738-0500 www.aguafina.com Detroit Garden Works taylor D&L Garden Ctr Massab Acres Greenhse H Panetta’s Landscp Supp tecumseh Mitchell’s Lawn/Landscp trenton Carefree Lawn Ctr troy H Telly’s Greenhouse 3301 John R Rd, MI 48083 248-689-8735 www.tellys.com H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store 6691 Livernois Rd, MI 48098 248-879-9147 www.unclelukes.com utica Stonescape Supp walled lake H Suburban Landscp Supp warren Beste’s Lawn/Patio Supp Kutchey Family Mkt washington Landscp Direct Rocks ‘n’ Roots waterford Breen’s Landscp Supp H Merritt Home Design 5940 Cooley Lake Rd., MI 48327 248-681-7955 www.merritthomedesigns.com west bloomfield H English Gardens 6370 Orchard Lake Rd, MI 48322 248-851-7506 www.englishgardens.com westland H Barson’s Greenhouse 6414 North Merriman Rd, MI 48185 734-421-5959 www.barsons.com Bushel Stop Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Merlino’s Bushel Ctr Panetta’s Landscp white lake H Bogie Lake Greenhouses 1525 Bogie Lake Rd, MI 48383 248-887-5101 www.bogielakegreenhouses.com H Mulligan’s Landscp & Gard Ctr 8215 Elizabeth Lake Rd, MI 48386 248-698-4741 www.mulliganlandscaping.com Sunshine Plants whitmore lake H Alexander Farm Mkt & Greenhouses 6925 Whitmore Lake Rd, MI 48189 734-741-1064 Find us on Facebook williamston Christians Greenhse wixom Angelo’s Landscp Supp H Milarch Nurs Milford Tree Farm
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Gardens to Visit ann arbor Matthaei Botanical Gardens/ Nichols Arboretum battle creek Leila Arboretum blissfield Ogden Station Daylilies AHS Display Garden bloomfield hills H Cranbrook Gardens clinton twp Tomlinson Arboretum dearborn Arjay Miller Arboretum @ Ford World HQ Henry Ford Estate detroit Anna S Whitcomb Conservtry, Belle Isle Lafayette Greens dryden Seven Ponds Nature Ctr east lansing H MSU Horticulture Gardens W.J. Beal Botanical Gard emmett H Sunny Fields Botanical Park 5444 Welch Rd, MI 48022 810-387-2765 www.visitsunnyfields.org flint Applewood Estate grand rapids Frederik Meijer Gardens grosse pointe shores Edsel & Eleanor Ford Hse lansing Cooley Gardens lapeer The Display Garden on Suncrest midland Dahlia Hill Dow Gardens novi Tollgate Education Ctr rochester Meadow Brook Hall & Gardens taylor Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gard tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens 6214 Monroe Rd (M-50), MI 49287 517-431-2060 www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu
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continued from back cover cases, larger flowers. We are on the verge of an explosion of new options in this category.
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata): Garden use People fall in love with creeping phlox during its bloom period (May in Michigan), when large swaths of it can be seen lighting up landscapes with brilliant color. It is indeed one of the first really showy perennials of the year. The bright color is what attracts, but people are sometimes disappointed when they learn that the plants only bloom for about a month. During the rest of the year, creeping phlox serves as a “form and function” plant: its low-growing, spreading form means that it functions as a groundcover. Creeping phlox varieties with P. subulata parentage have fine-textured, almost needle-like foliage. The plants creep from ground-level stems that root into the soil as they grow horizontally. They form tightly-knit mats, more or less so, depending on the variety or hybrid. Some varieties grow very quickly, others more slowly, and some are dense in habit, others less so. When considering adding this type of creeping phlox to any garden setting, it is vitally important to consider its ground-covering habit first. The flowers provide a secondary bonus of alluring color in spring, but when choosing a variety, consider more than just flower color. Consult with a nursery professional who has some experience with not
only the traditional P. subulata varieties, but also the newer hybrids with less aggressive tendencies. Because there are scores of varieties, it may be worthwhile to research them online to learn about their differences.
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata): Care and culture Phlox subulata and its hybrids prefer welldrained soil in full sun to partial shade. They are quite drought tolerant, making them ideal candidates for slopes and berms that are difficult to water. They are also excellent when used to drape over rock walls or garden steps. Creeping phlox can be used effectively beneath trees and shrubs, provided that the shade is not too dense. The new, slowergrowing hybrids have a more compact habit, making them appropriate for use in rock gardens if a careful eye is kept on their rate of spread. Creeping phlox will not perform well in wet, soggy soil. Average fertility is all that is needed. Excessive fertilizer will cause rampant growth that gets leggy fast. After flowering, the plants may look unkempt as the flowers fade and turn brown. A light shearing can help improve the appearance and encourage new, dense foliage growth for the summer. If the planting is not too large, use hedge shears to cut the plants back part way, removing the spent flower stems and a few inches of the foliage beneath. It will grow back very quickly, especially if fertilized and watered right after shearing. A weed whip or lawn mower set at its highest setting can also
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Rocky Road ‘Grape’
North Creek Nurseries
‘Manita’
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Rocky Road ‘Violet Blue’
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‘Magenta Sprite’
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‘Eye Candy’ be cautiously used to cut back creeping phlox. If the gardener is the low-maintenance type (or is hesitant to attempt the cutting back project), it is fine to leave the plants as is—new growth will eventually cover the spent flowers. Mature plantings of P. subulata may thin out or become straggly. This happens more often with the traditional rambling cultivars. The plants can be rejuvenated by digging them up (they are very shallow rooted) and re-consolidating the rooted pieces to make more cohesive clumps. This process is best done right after flowering or in late summer to early autumn. Once again, fertilizer and water will help the plants to re-establish. If using creeping phlox as an edging plant along a lawn, be vigilant about keeping lawn grass from infiltrating the clumps. Grass removal, without uprooting and re-setting the phlox plants, can be a daunting task.
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata): Hybrids Although new creeping phlox hybrids using strictly P. subulata genetics have been introduced, most of the newest varieties have complex parentage involving two or more species. Plant breeders have introduced them in groups (referred to as series or collections), with a range of color options within each series. Here are a few new creeping phlox series: Bedazzled series – Available in two colors: ‘Bedazzled Pink’ and ‘Bedazzled Lavender.’ The plants bloom earlier than traditional P. subulata varieties—as early as mid-April in Michigan. Their rate of spread in the landscape is slower than older varieties. Mountainside collection – Spreads slowly, with a low, compressed habit that will not overwhelm garden spaces. Available in two colors: magenta (‘Majestic Magenta’) and indigo purple (‘Crater Lake’). North Creek Nurseries
‘Home Fires’
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Tom Potterfield/Flickr
‘Bruce’s White’
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‘Eye Shadow’
continued from previous page Rocky Road series – This group, available in four colors (‘Magenta,’ ‘Pink,’ ‘Grape,’ and ‘Violet Blue’), has a moderate rate of spread and a flat, low-growing habit, just 4 to 6 inches tall. They are very drought tolerant due to their mountain-slope heritage. Spring Bling series – The plants in this collection have a more well-defined mounded habit than traditional creeping phlox. They have a moderate rate of spread, and grow 4 to 8 inches tall. Cultivars: ‘Pink Sparkles,’ ‘Rose Quartz,’ and ‘Ruby Riot.’ Flowers are larger than other series. Sprite series – These cultivars do not spread aggressively and behave more like traditional perennials with a mounding habit; 6 to 8 inches tall. They bloom after traditional creeping phlox and most of the other hybrids, often into June. Cultivars: ‘Magenta Sprite,’ ‘Rose Sprite,’ and ‘Purple Sprite.’ Eye series – Unlike the previous groups, these cultivars have only P. subulata parentage but improve on older varieties with more refined habit and attractive deep green foliage. Available in three colors, all with pronounced eyes: ‘Eye Candy’ (light lavender pink with dark wine-purple eye), ‘Eye Caramba’ (medium pink with red eye), and ‘Eye Shadow’ (rosy purple with dark purple eye).
Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) This type of creeping phlox differs from P. subulata and its hybrids in several important ways. It is far more shade tolerant, although it does not perform well in deep shade or mostly
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‘Eye Caramba’
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shaded locations. It grows and blooms best in partial shade: sun for 3 to 6 hours, or dappled shade throughout the day. It is less drought tolerant and prefers a loamy, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. The oval leaves are larger and more widely spaced along trailing stems that creep and root as they grow. The flower stems are 8 to 12 inches tall, standing well above the prostrate foliage, blooming during May. Although it makes a good groundcover for partial shade, P. stolonifera has never achieved the popularity of its better-known cousins. In fact, it seems that this plant was more popular during the 1980s and 90s than it is currently, and was the first Perennial Plant of the Year, a prestigious award established by the Perennial Plant Association in 1990. Four varieties were commonly grown in the past, and may still be found in garden centers that carry a diverse line of flowering perennials: ‘Blue Ridge’ – Light periwinkle blue flowers, gently creeping habit. ‘Bruce’s White’ – White flowers, similar habit to ‘Blue Ridge.’ ‘Home Fires’ – Bright neon pink, the most brilliant of the available varieties. ‘Sherwood Purple’ – Deep purplish blue flowers, faster growth rate than the above varieties. With the current wave of interest in developing better creeping phlox varieties, it is my hope that plant breeders will turn their efforts www.PerennialResource.com
Spring Bling ‘Pink Sparkles’
North Creek Nurseries
‘Sherwood Purple’
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Spring Bling ‘Ruby Riot’
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continued from previous page to P. stolonifera. I believe this is a species that has great potential for development, particularly regarding growth rate, which tends to be slow to moderate at best. There is also room for development of heavier-blooming cultivars with larger flowers.
Woodland phlox, wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) Although this spring-blooming phlox is not commonly called creeping phlox, it does have a stoloniferous habit and blooms about the same time as the other spring phlox varieties. Taller than P. stolonifera, its flower stems reach 12 to 15 inches in height. The fragrant, five-petaled flowers range from periwinkle blue through lavender and icy blue to white. The habit is more clumping than either P. subulata or P. stolonifera, with dark green linear leaves that may remain evergreen over the winter. Like P. stolonifera, it is a native plant found in open woods, partially shaded meadows, and along stream banks. It prefers moist but well-drained soil, yet is quite drought tolerant once established and grows in many soil types from sandy loam to clay. It has been tapped for garden use, but is not as wellknown as perhaps it should be. It is often sought out by native plant aficionados gardening in partial shade. Several noteworthy cultivars have been developed, and with the upsurge of interest in native plants, this species and its cultivars are gaining in popularity. ‘Manita’ – Icy blue flowers with indigo eye. ‘Mary Helen’ – Lavender purple with magenta eye. Selected by Piet Oudolf of the Netherlands. ‘May Breeze’ – White flowers with tiny blue eye. ‘Blue Moon’ – Violet blue flowers, larger than other cultivars, rise up in bouquet-like clusters. A more vigorous grower. Selected by Bill Cullina, formerly of the New England Wild Flower Society.
colorful outer bracts during creeping phlox bloom season. The woodland wildflower trio of trillium, Virginia bluebells and yellow wood poppy would enhance such a planting. Provide brilliant color accents for the sunloving, drought-tolerant P. subulata types with May-blooming alyssum (Aurinia), cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma), and candytuft (Iberis sempervirens). Add some unexpected spring bloomers like geum. Both the native prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) and many new dwarf geum hybrids bloom in May. Dwarf bearded irises, which bloom several weeks before traditional tall bearded irises, would provide exclamation point color and form, adding a vertical element that is still in scale with the low-growing creeping phlox. To create a kaleidoscopic groundcover blend, mix creeping phlox with any or all of these: Ajuga, sedum ‘Angelina’ or other lowgrowing sedums, groundcover-style dianthus (which will bloom when the phlox have finished), candytuft, and geranium ‘Karmina.’ Bulbs can be underplanted with creeping phlox to either bloom before, during, or after the phlox bloom season. Try crocuses, small daffodils, species tulips, and the lowergrowing types of alliums for an element of surprise. Karen Bovio owned and operated Specialty Growers in Howell, MI for 39 years.
Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener
‘May Breeze’
Garden companions for creeping phlox All varieties of creeping phlox have similar bloom times, the earliest beginning in late April, and the latest ones blooming until about mid June. Good partners include the native Eastern columbine, which blooms at the same time and grows well in either sun or shade. Bleeding hearts, both old-fashioned and fernleaf types, bloom in May and grow in a wide range of light and soil conditions. The shade-tolerant types of creeping phlox combine nicely with perennial forget-me-not (Brunnera) as well as foamflower (Tiarella) and its hybrids (Heucherella), which also bloom in May. Ferns, hostas, and Solomon’s seal would add height, texture and structure. Hellebores would still be hanging on to their
North Creek Nurseries
‘Blue Moon’
MichiganGardener.com | April 2022 | Michigan Gardener
through the lens Photographs from Michigan gardeners
Send Us Your Photos! 1. E-mail 2 or 3 of your best garden photos to: photos@MichiganGardener.com. We are looking for photos of your garden, both wide-angle and plant close-ups. Be sure to e-mail a high-resolution file. 2. Please include your full name and a caption describing the scene and the plants.
“This is my circle garden that I built for Michigan native plants for pollinators. It brings me hours of joy watching and photographing the pollinators that visit.” —Lynn O’Shaughnessy
Amy Geier captured this Cherry Frost rose in full bloom.
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Tricia Hoen photographed this rose, one of many in her garden.
“Four years ago, my wife Connie started with a grass backyard and transformed it into a tranquil garden complete with a pond. ” — John Manoogian
| April 2022 | MichiganGardener.com
Creeping phlox These colorful carpets hug the ground and cheerfully announce spring’s arrival
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Mountainside ‘Crater Lake’
C
reeping phlox is a collective name for any number of phlox species and hybrids that have a creeping or stoloniferous habit. In horticulture, the name is generally used to refer to several species of spring-blooming phlox which vary quite a bit from one another, primarily Phlox subulata, P. stolonifera, P. divaricata, and their cultivars and hybrids. To add confusion to the name game, the various types of creeping phlox may go by different common names in different regions of the country. Here in the Midwest, when people refer to creeping phlox, they most likely mean Phlox subulata, which is also called moss phlox due to its very low-growing
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‘Bedazzled Lavender’ habit. This species, and its many varieties, is the type of creeping phlox most widely used in gardens and landscapes. In the East and Southeast, the name creeping phlox is likely to mean Phlox stolonifera, which is native to the Eastern seaboard and Appalachian states. Phlox divaricata is another type of spring-blooming phlox with a creeping habit that is native to an even greater number of states, including quite a few west of the Mississippi. It is most often referred to as woodland phlox, wild blue phlox, Karen or wild sweet William (no relation Bovio to the dianthus of the same name).
Creeping phlox, moss phlox (Phlox subulata) For years, the world of creeping phlox remained very stable. One might even call it static, due to a lack of new cultivars for many decades. Gardeners love the explosion of spring color provided by Phlox subulata, but most garden centers stock the same varieties year after year. The range of available colors includes all shades of pink, from pale to magenta, plus lavender, purple, and white, including bicolors with contrasting centers or “eyes.” Examples of some popular older-era
varieties include, but are not limited to, ‘Emerald Blue,’ ‘Emerald Pink,’ ‘Drummond’s Pink,’ ‘Millstream Daphne,’ ‘Purple Beauty,’ ‘Red Wing,’ ‘Snowflake,’ and ‘White Delight.’ These traditional cultivars continue to dominate the marketplace, but recently, new interspecific hybrids (crosses between species) have appeared on the scene. Most are hybrids of Phlox subulata and lesser-known phlox species that are not usually sold on their own. These new hybrids provide additional noteworthy characteristics such as less aggressive habit, neater more refined appearance, extended bloom time, and in some continued on page 38
