Michigan Gardener - July / August 2019 by Michigan Gardener

July/August 2019

MichiganGardener.com

Your guide to Great Lakes gardening

Please thank our advertisers in this issue

PERENNIALS

False sunflower Garden to Table Brussels sprout salad

Garden Profile Ponds, Streams and Waterfalls

Vegetable Patch How to grow berries

New Plants

New shrubs for 2019

Remember the good old days of excellent customer service? We brought them back!

Tree & Lawn Services Tree & Shrub Disease Control • Tree & Shrub Insect Control Lawn Fertilization, including Organic & Lake-Safe Options Lawn Aeration • Lawn Weed & Insect Control

Home Insect Control We treat your home’s foundation—reducing the need to apply pesticides inside. Spiders, ants & more.

Sick trees? We can help save them! Our targeted tree injection methods are safer and more effective than traditional sprays. All tree injection methods are not alike. Our system: • Prevents air from entering the tree. When air is allowed into a tree’s vascular system, it cuts off flow of water and nutrients.

Pest Control: Deer & Rabbit Repellents • Mole & Chipmunk Control

• Minimizes wounding to keep out fungi, bacteria and insects. • No holes are drilled into the tree. • Allows multiple treatments without damaging the tree. We control diseases on Spruces, Pines, Maples, Oaks, Sycamores, Crabapples, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Hollies, and more. Call us!

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Hydrangeas

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Hydrangea Blooming Tips Saturday, July 20 at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 17 at 10 a.m. An English Gardens expert will share our secrets for successful hydrangeas so your garden is a knock out!

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Clinton Township 586-286-6100 Dearborn Heights 313-278-4433 Eastpointe 586-771-4200 Plymouth/Ann Arbor 734-453-5500 Royal Oak 248-280-9500 800.335.GROW • EnglishGardens.com Connect with us:

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In July, perennial gardeners are just getting started.

Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Garden Wisdom Change is part of gardening. Either you accept it, or you suffer.

At Telly’s, there is always something fresh to add color to your summer garden. Come see why we are a favorite summer destination for so many Michigan gardeners.

Anemone 'Fall in Love Sweetly' Double flowers each fall. 20-24" tall. Spreads slowly from rhizomes. Full or Part Sun.

—Monty Don

Buddleia 'Grand Cascade' Enormous, pendulous, lavender-purple panicles 12" long and 4" wide, July to Sept. Full or Part Sun.

www.PerennialResource.com

‘Summer Sun’ Perennial Perspectives: False sunflower ��Back Cover

Echinacea Eye-Catcher Series Enormous flowers, up to 5" wide! 'Atomic Orange', 'Canary' & 'Coral Craze'. July to Sept blooms.

Hosta ‘Wu-La-La’ Sport of ‘Empress Wu’. Huge blue-green leaves edged apple-green. 3-4' tall, 4' wide. Full or Part Shade.

Hibiscus ‘Holy Grail’ 9” wide, deep red flowers July-Aug. Nearly black foliage; bright green calyxes. Full Sun-Part Shade.

Itoh Peony ‘Raggedy Ann' One of several Itoh peonies we have. Big blooms in astonishing color combos. Sun AND Shade.

Ask MG............................................................6 To-Do List........................................................8 Vegetable Patch..........................................10 Books for the Michigan Gardener.......12 Thyme for Herbs........................................14 Classified Ads..............................................15 Garden to Table: Brussels Sprout Salad...............................18 New Shrubs for 2019...............................20 Calendar........................................................22 Where to pick up Michigan Gardener.....................................24

Publisher/Editor Eric Hofley Heliopsis 'Burning Hearts' Native. Big yellow & red daisy-like flowers mid-late summer. Attracts butterflies & pollinators.

Nepeta 'Kitten Around' Adorable compact catmint, 13” tall. Periwinkle flowers June-Sept. Fragrant foliage. Full or Part Sun.

TROY • 248-689-8735 3301 John R • 1/4 mile north of 16 Mile Rd.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP • 248-659-8555

Design & Production Jonathon Hofley Advertising Eric Hofley Circulation Jonathon Hofley Editorial Assistant Anna Doman

4343 24 Mile • Btwn Dequindre & Shelby Rd.

www.tellys.com

find us on

Contributors Brian Allnutt Neil/Ruth Atzinger Karen Bovio Cheryl English Emaline Fronckowiak Mary Gerstenberger Julia Hofley Rosann Kovalcik Beverly Moss George Papadelis Sandie Parrott Traven Pelletier Jean/Roxanne Riggs Deborah Silver Jim Slezinski Lisa Steinkopf Steve Turner Emily Wilson

Advertiser Index........................................25 Weather Wrap...........................................25 Subscription Form.....................................25 Places to Grow...........................................26 Garden Profile: Ponds, Streams and Waterfalls...........28 Through the Lens......................................35 On the cover: False sunflower ‘Sunstruck’ displays white and green variegated leaves and a dwarf habit. Learn more starting on the back cover. Photo: www.PerennialResource.com

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 5 issues per year: April, May, June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct. Published the first week of the month. Subscriptions (Please make check payable to Michigan Gardener) 1 yr, 5 iss/$13 2 yr, 10 iss/$24 3 yr, 15 iss/$33 Back issues All past issues are available. Please send your request along with a check for $3.00 per issue payable to Michigan Gardener. Canadian subscriptions 1 yr, 5 iss/$22 US 2 yr, 10 iss/$42 US Copyright © 2019 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.

Come to Us, or…

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Come tour over 40 water feature displays at our state-of-the-art specialty store

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POND PLANTS during August 2019

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Beautify your lakefront and solve your erosion problems The Pond Place of Michigan will help solve your erosion problems. We carry a full line of seawall options that will last a lifetime and help ensure your property is protected and visually appealing. We’ll assist you through the permitting process too!

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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Have a question? Send it in! Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Submit a question”

Growing plants under a maple

Propagating coleus

A few years ago, we began having problems growing things under our maple tree. The grass is gone and the groundcovers have slowly died off too. For the previous 20 years, there were no problems—I had an assortment of shade-loving plants. For the last three years I have tried myrtle, with no success. The circle of non-growth is becoming large and unattractive. Is my only option putting mulch there? Are there any groundcovers that might survive? L.W. Rochester Hills As maple trees mature, so do their feeder roots, which live in the top two feet of the soil surface. There is little soil left for anything else to survive. You can plant hostas and dry shadeloving plants such as barrenwort (Epimedium), ajuga, lamiastrum, or brunnera, but they need to come out to the canopy drip line where there is a margin of sunlight and less root competition. You can plant in between the tree root flares, but out toward the drip line away from the trunk. Grass, on the other hand, needs sun and will always lose the battle under a maple. Never plant over a root flare at the base of a tree, but leave it exposed to feed the tree and provide support. Planting or mulching over it harbors moisture and smothers the tree’s ability to breathe. It can rot the flare and cause the tree to decline and be susceptible to other diseases. You can mulch in between the flares, not touching the trunk, and without covering the root flares themselves. Maples get extremely dense canopies as they mature, and earlier plantings can lose the marginal sunlight that was there initially to survive. For the health of the tree as well, consider having the canopy assessed by an arborist who can carefully thin it to provide better air circulation and reduce fungus problems such as the common tar spot. Also consider earlyblooming plants, like hellebores, which bloom before the canopy leafs out and matures.

Late last year, I took cuttings from ‘Chocolate Covered Cherry’ coleus. They did well but the new growth came out totally different. I thought I was cloning them? Any idea what happened? J.T., Pinckney It’s possible that you did not get an apical stem with a significant number of nodes on the stem for root formation. Side or leaf cuttings may not have the right genetic information, and they don’t have the apical growth information needed to form a new plant. Because coleus is hybridized extensively, the genetics on some of the newer varieties may have genetic code that causes one set of genes to override the other, making leaf and side cuttings not a replica of the mother plant. This particular variety actually does far better from seed and is almost exclusively sold as seed for indoor sowing for spring planting. A mature plant of this cultivar does not produce blooms until much later in the season, unlike many of its cousins who flower often and need to be pinched to maintain the bushy desirable leaves. Not having to pinch off flowers is desirable when used as a landscape bedding plant for continuous color. But if you want plant stock for next year, allow flowers to form in the late season and collect the seed for next year’s planting. In this coleus variety, the seed is true to type, and you can sow seed in peat pots for summer planting.

Shrubs for screening I live on a corner lot and need fairly fast-growing hedges or screening shrubs (6 to 15 feet tall) for privacy from the road. The plants must be deer resistant. I would prefer to avoid privet and arborvitae. Are there any good options available? A.B., Troy Depending on the size of your lot, the arborvitae ‘Green Giant’ has a more open pyramidal shape like a Christmas tree and deer

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do not seem to like this cultivar. They seem to prefer the tight, compact ‘Emerald Green’ we so often see decimated by deer browse. If a complete hedge of these seems overpowering, you could intersperse with wayfaring viburnums, forsythia, rose of Sharon, common lilac, or even bridal wreath spireas. This would also make the hedge more interesting. All of these have a moderate to fast growth rate. You would have the year-round green of the arborvitae. The viburnums are almost evergreen here in Michigan, with their leather-like fuzzy leaves, which the deer do not like. You get the additional benefit of a bloom in late spring and a strong twiggy presence in winter. The spireas, forsythia, rose of Sharon and lilac obviously give a strong bloom presence in spring to later summer, and a thick twiggy appearance in winter which would also screen the road. None of these shrubs is particularly favored by deer. The forsythia and spirea can be sheared after bloom to maintain the right height. Both have a draping growth pattern, but can benefit from a light pruning to maintain width. Do not shear too late or you remove next year’s flower buds. The viburnums can also be hand-pruned immediately after bloom to encourage side branching. The rose of Sharon should be hand-pruned as well after its late bloom to maintain shape and air circulation within its canopy.

Creeping phlox companions Are there plants I can underplant with creeping phlox to continue the color for the summer? K.K., Warren Creeping phlox likes good drainage and prefers morning sun. So any additional plants need to like those same conditions. Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia) is a clumping, spring- to early summer-blooming perennial whose large, heart-shape foliage is shiny and evergreen. Its flowers rise on one-foot stalks and last for several days. Cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) has several new foliage colors available. One is ‘Bonfire,’ which boasts burgundy foliage leading up to chartreuse bracts on the tips. Lamb’s ear (Stachys), particularly ‘Helen Von Stein,’ boasts beautiful gray, fuzzy leaves that stay rich and tidy. The blossom stalks are late and can be removed after flowering to retain the foliage. It’s a great “blending” plant in rock gardens, often used as edging. The ever popular perennial geraniums, such as ‘Rozanne,’ will weave through the bed, popping up color on strong stems over the phlox. For height, consider pocket planting agastache, coneflowers, or black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), interspersing them through the bed for later summer color and

pollinator-friendly flowers. Definitely use early-spring bulbs such as daffodils, species tulips, and hyacinths. Their dissipated foliage can be hidden by the phlox foliage and other plants. Also consider foliage color as an alternative to having flowers. It is longer lasting in the garden and never needs deadheading to keep producing. Leaf texture and shape are also factors when designing for long season interest.

Topiary pruning a boxwood I have a 4- by 4-foot boxwood that’s usually trimmed roundish. Is it possible to shape it to a live topiary of a sitting Buddha? What are the pitfalls if I attempt this myself or should I hire a pruning expert? A.L., White Lake Taking on a complex form like a sitting Buddha would require making a chicken wire form that fits over the boxwood and subsequently trimming away the excess plant material. You can also use string to tie the circles corresponding to the head, neck and belly on to the shrub. There are actually YouTube videos on how to make the wire cages and tie the string outlines. However, most topiary is quite geometric or round, since that best fits the growing nature of the plant. The green growth does not always grow all the way into the center of the plant. There are hollow spots and varied twig formations that can deform the desired shape. It is also a very high maintenance project. Most topiary gardens are variations of triangles, squares, circles, and pyramids, none of which are a sitting Buddha. Once formed, they are easily kept to shape with shearing. That said, if the current shape of your large boxwood suggests a human figure, you may have some foundation for your topiary. The string guides are like “drawing an outline” on the shrub. With needle-nose pruners you can snip away what doesn’t belong in the drawing. If it turns out badly, the only thing you have lost is a shrub and gained some humbling experience. Generally, most animal, human or organic topiaries are made with chicken wire frames, sphagnum moss and vines, such as various ivy and herb plants. Plant plugs are planted in the moss, supported by the shaped wire frame and then trained to weave and grow on the frame into the shape desired. Taking an existing mature boxwood and shaping it into a human figure may be more challenging than you would like, with less than satisfying results. Answers provided by Beverly Moss, owner of Garden Rhythms.

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Feature Task: Successful lawn care Annuals • If annuals aren’t looking fabulous, the solution can be traced to water, light or fertilizer. Make sure annuals planted in the garden receive at least an inch of water a week. Fertilize every other week with a water-soluble fertilizer. If both of those are happening and they still don’t look good, check the light. Most annuals need at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day to thrive. • Hanging baskets and containers need more attention, because they dry out faster and need to be watered once a day and fed at least every week. If it is very hot, containers may need to be watered twice a day. • An area that used to be full sun, where marigolds and salvia thrived, may now be part or full shade where wax begonias and torenia will be happier. The opposite may also be true: a neighbor may have lost an ash tree, and now there’s full sun in a previously shady area.

Bulbs: Summer-Flowering • Support tall-growing plants like dahlias, lilies, and gladiolas with stakes. Remove faded blooms from plants to encourage reblooming.

Birdbaths & Fountains • Clean birdbaths and fountains. Scrub algae growth from birdbaths, and add fresh water for wildlife. Birds and pollinators appreciate a fresh source of water to drink and bathe in. • Midsummer is a good time to clean your fountain pump. Remove the pump, take off the pre-filter (a screen to keep large debris out of the pump) and scrub with an old toothbrush. Open the impeller chamber,

and carefully clean the magnet core. Remove any sediment or hard water build-up. Put everything back together and fill with fresh water. • Add a fountain clarifier to help keep water clean and clear.

Cut Flowers • Part of the fun of growing flowers is bringing them indoors to enjoy their beauty. Plants should be flowering profusely in summer, so take time to cut a bouquet. Some great options for cutting include: phlox, nicotiana, snapdragons, sunflowers, zinnia, foxglove, coneflower, black-eyed Susan, and Shasta daisy. It’s best to cut flowers in the morning, after the dew has dried. Bring a bucket of water with you to prolong blooms. Plunge cut stems into the water immediately. A few drops of bleach added to the water will keep stems fresher. Change the water daily, and be sure no leaves or flowers are underwater.

General • Continue with regular maintenance, including pulling weeds. A little effort every day or so will go a long way to keeping gardens neat and tidy. Weeds compete with plants for water and nutrients. Your garden will perform better with minimal weeds. • Monitor plants for pests and take care of small problems before they become big. • Mosquitoes are out in full force in summer. Mosquitoes are attracted to water and bright lights. Eliminate or reduce the amount of standing water, where mosquitoes breed. Replace white light bulbs with yellow ones, and use lower wattage bulbs outside. Turn off unnecessary lights.

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Perennials:

We still have a great selection of 1 gallon and 3” starter perennials for you to enjoy this summer, and for years to come!

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Great selection for you to choose from for mid-summer color

Knock-Out Roses: We have all the varieties

Complete line of Proven Winners Annuals, Perennials & Hydrangeas

A beautiful lawn is easy with a few key elements: Proper watering, proper fertilizing, and proper mowing. Properly cared for lawns tend to have fewer problems overall. Weeds, insects and diseases can typically be traced back to one of these three keys.

Proper watering Healthy lawns need about an inch of water a week. As the lawn becomes established, water deeply. Water early in the morning to reduce the susceptibility of disease. A rain gauge helps to accurately measure water. While there’s typically enough rain in the fall to meet this need, supplemental watering may be necessary in the summer. Continue to run your sprinklers until the grass stops growing, usually in November.

Proper fertilizing Lawns need fertilizer to keep look-

Herbs

ing great. The easiest way to fertilize is a four-step approach with granular products formulated for seasonal application. Fall is the most important time to feed a lawn. An application of fall fertilizer will make sure the grass goes into winter healthy and strong. Fertilizing helps grass build up food supplies with a moderate amount of top growth. Fertilize in October with a low nitrogen fertilizer before temperatures dip below 50 degrees F. Apply lawn fertilizer on dry grass and water thoroughly. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions for application rates. More is not better.

Proper mowing Cool air promotes growth, so continue mowing into November. Follow these simple steps and you’ll keep your lawn looking great all season.

• Keep plants producing by pinching off flowers, especially on basil. Once flowering starts to occur, the leaves become less palatable.

regular roses, and provide a great splash of color. • Roses don’t like the heat of August. Be sure to keep their roots cool with a good layer of mulch.

Houseplants

Shrubs & Trees

• This is the time of year to prune houseplants back into shape. • Use a granular systemic insecticide every 6 weeks to protect your plants from pests during the growing season and prevent them from coming into the house this fall. • If your houseplants are vacationing outside this summer, they are probably enjoying it and growing lush and green. Monitor water and fertilizer. Plants outside will dry out faster than when in the house. Unless the plant is growing out of its pot, wait until late August to repot.

• Prune your spring-flowering shrubs now to shape, if needed. Look for insects chewing on the foliage. There are many good organic insecticides to prevent and eliminate insects. • Keep weeds under control around newly planted trees. Weeds will compete for nutrients and water, impacting the health of the tree. • This is also a good time to use an organic fertilizer to help with the plant’s overall health and flower production. Organic fertilizer breaks down with microbial action, so there’s no danger of burning plants if it’s used properly. Plus, nutrients will be there when needed to produce better blooms for next year.

Perennials • General maintenance, such as staking, deadheading, fertilizing, and watering, is the key to keeping perennial plants looking their best. • Regular dividing will keep many varieties healthy and blooming. Fall is a great time to do this, so take note of which of flowers need to be divided, so this can be accomplished as the foliage starts to die back. • Fill in bare areas with some perennials for extra fall color, such as ajuga, asters, anemones, black-eyed Susan, coneflowers, heuchera, plumbago, sage, sedum, and sweet flag.

Roses • July is a great rose month; plants should be filled with beautiful blooms. • Consider planting some of the new shrub roses. They stay shorter, need much less pruning, are more disease-resistant than

Vegetables • The vegetable garden should be flourishing. Keep it weeded and it will continue to produce well. A good layer of mulch makes weeding easier and helps prevent soil compaction between the rows. When watering, water deeply and let the soil dry out a couple inches down before watering again. This will help get oxygen into the roots and help keep roots cool in the heat. • Check the plants weekly for pests. If you find any you don’t recognize, save some to show your gardening professional for diagnosis and spray off the rest with a simple stream of water. Provided by the professionals at English Gardens.

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Eckert’s Greenhouse Wide Selection of Annuals, Perennials, Vegetables, Shrubs & More!

Visit us and choose your favorites from our wide selection of early, midseason and late-blooming varieties.

4330 Golf Club Rd. Howell • 517-546-7742 Open April 12 to October 6: Mon-Sat 9a-5p • Sun 10a-4p

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34051 Ryan Rd, Sterling Heights, MI 48310

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plant purchase of $30 or more Excludes non-plant items • Expires August 31, 2019

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Cruise with us on Sunday, July 21st (between 14 & 15 Mile on the west side of Ryan) July Hours: Mon-Sat 9-7 Sun 9-6 August Hours: Mon-Fri 9-7 Sat-Sun 9-5

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Detroit Garden Works is proud to present the 12th annual Garden Cruise - a tour of gardens designed, planted, and/or inspired by Deborah Silver. The landscapes themselves are varied in style and approach, but all reflect an ownership for whom the beauty of a garden is an important part of life. Our most serious mission as a business is to foster the idea of stewardship of the environment - a duty The Greening of Detroit embraces every day. 100 percent of ticket proceeds benefit the planting and educational programs at The Greening of Detroit.

Sunday, July 21, 9am-4:30pm Tour only: $35/person Tour & Cocktail Reception: $50/person Purchase in-store or over the phone: Detroit Garden Works • 248-335-8089 Purchase Online: TheGardenCruise.org

July 13 -14, 9am-4pm www.lacasacenter.org

Our complete catalog is now online! www.specialtygrowers.net

Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

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Time for a visit to THE WEED LADY for inspiration & rejuvenation!

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Enhance your outdoor living space! Build a foundation with patios, walkways, trees and shrubs Add color with annuals • Add texture with perennials Add interest with architecture

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Berries

there is cross-pollination. Blueberries and lingonberries are especially known for producing larger and better when a second variety provides cross-pollination. Spring is considered the best time for planting berry bushes. Plant black raspberries Once you determine what type and vaaway or at least upwind from red, gold or purriety of berry plant you would like to grow, ple raspberries to prevent possible spread of the next step is purchasing the plant. A wide viral disease carried by aphids and to which variety of bare root plants can be ordered black raspberries are more susceptible. through catalogs. You may want to order Don’t forget that due to their connection early in case supplies are limited. Plants are to white pine blister rust (WPBR), a permit usually shipped by the company at the approis required to plant black currants anywhere priate time for planting. Potted plants can be in Michigan. For red currant, white currant purchased at local garden centers or farmers and gooseberries, a permit is required if they markets. Check that the plant looks healthy will be planted in the WPBR control zone. and has a healthy root system as well. The Michigan Department of Agriculture As with any good garden, when it’s time provides a list of WPBR resistant varieties at: to plant, you need to start with the soil. Most tinyurl.com/yyu6s8am. berries like a well-drained, sandy loam soil, Two more important points in growwith a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Some bering berries: 1) they may spread. Berries that ries tolerate a slightly lower pH of 5.5, but the can spread from runners, suckers, or underblueberry is the big exception, requiring a soil ground rhizomes include: strawberries, rasppH between 4.5 and 5.5. Most berberries, blackberries, elderberries, ries will not do well in heavy clay and lingonberries; 2) they may need soil, so plan on amending the soil pruning. Proper pruning is imconditions to provide better drainportant, especially for raspberries. age. June-bearing raspberries produce It is important to plant the berries fruit on second-year canes and evcorrectly, making sure to get good erbearing raspberries produce fruit root establishment. This may mean on first-year canes (primocanes). teasing and opening a root ball to Don’t remove the wrong cane! get a good root spread in the plantBerries are a wonderful addition Mary ing hole. If the potting soil is very to any garden. There is a lot of inforGerstenberger different from the garden soil, you mation on growing specific berries will need to amend soil conditions available on the Internet, but be sure to encourage root growth outward from the to use reliable sources such as “.edu” websites. plant. In the case of blueberries, if you are addMSU Extension offers a variety of information ing organic matter to the soil, use peat moss such as “Considerations for Growing Backyard rather than compost to help lower the pH. DeSmall Fruit” found at tinyurl.com/y37m28sj, as pending on where you live, you may want to well as other articles online. You can also get consider berry varieties suitable for planting helpful information by calling the MSUE Garin a container. It will be much easier to provide dening Hotline at 888-678-3464 or try the Garthe correct soil and pH in a container than to dening in Michigan website at www.migarden. amend the garden soil. msu.edu . Have a Berry Happy Summer! Of equal importance is the sunlight. While most berries prefer full sun, there are some Editor’s note: Part 1 (“Types of berries”) which will still produce well in shade. Berries appeared in the June 2019 issue of Michigan that can handle some shade include blackberGardener. ries, gooseberries, currants, huckleberries, lingonberries, cranberries, and serviceberries Mary Gerstenberger was the Consumer Hor(aka Juneberries). Blueberries, strawberries ticulture Coordinator at the Michigan State and raspberries need full sun to produce well. University Extension in Macomb County, MI. Full sun is 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight at a For vegetable and gardening information from minimum. MSU, visit www.migarden.msu.edu.

Part 2 of 2: How to grow berries

Little details to be aware of: Berry bushes are nearly all self-fertile, but often produce more or larger fruits when

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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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Jean & Roxanne Riggs

Fruit Sages

e have grown many fragrant herbs in our gardens and containers, but few plants are as pretty, tasty, and fragrant as fruit sages (salvias). Baby plants will quickly grow into quite tall and bushy plants that have delicate red or pink flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. By rubbing the leaves with your fingers, you will release fragrant oils that are sure to please you and your guests during the summer months. We use these herbs in our fruit salads, potpourri and teas. Hang them in bunches as natural air fresheners for your bathrooms and kitchens. Fruit sages are not hardy through the winter here in Michigan. If the different varieties are difficult to locate at your local greenhouse, they can be ordered by mail. You must take them indoors to overwinter or just treat them as annuals and cut them down to the ground and dry them for use during the winter months. If you do choose to winter them over, the plants need to be potted and cut back to a more manageable size before the first frost, then placed in a sunny window with regular watering. A grow light over the plants will help them remain full and leafy instead of becoming leggy or having stringy, weak stems. Fruit sages need plenty of sunshine and good soil to thrive in a container or in the garden. After planting, they need little care except for regular water and fertilizer, but they do need room to branch out and grow. If they are grown in a pot, it needs to be a goodsized one. These sages can grow quite large (over 3 feet tall and wide), so leave some room around each plant.

Four favorite fruit sages We have recently grown four fruit sages in containers. They are each delightful plants with a very strong fragrance and beautiful flowers. We encourage you to try at least one variety. One of the most popular fruit sages to grow is pineapple sage (Salvia elegans). It is usually the easiest variety to find at a greenhouse or farm market. With beautiful foliage and bright red flowers, it makes a big statement in a container or the garden. This plant has an outstanding pineapple fragrance. During the summer months in Michigan, this plant can grow three feet tall and be filled with flowers when grown in full sun. It attracts hummingP H OTO G R A P H S BY J E A N A N D R OX A N N E R I G G S

birds, bees, and butterflies. We love the flavor and fragrance of this delightful plant. You get a very good harvest of leaves for teas and potpourris, and its flowers press for crafting. Another favorite variety is fruit-scented sage (Salvia dorisiana). With thick, velvety, big leaves, it is perfect for container gardening and looks great mixed with other herbs or mints. It has bright pink flowers and a strong aroma. It needs full sun to grow bushy. It has a lovely flavor for teas and is especially nice in potpourris. We really enjoyed growing ‘Honey Melon’ pineapple sage (Salvia elegans ‘Honey Melon’). We never expected such a notable fragrance of honeydew melon in an herb. This plant has smaller leaves than the first sages listed, but it is gorgeous and the flowers are a knockout. ‘Tangerine’ pineapple sage (Salvia elegans ‘Tangerine’) was so much fun to grow. The leaves have a distinct citrusy fragrance and taste. It flowers bright red all summer long, making this plant very appealing. It grows in a dense clump and is striking.

Using fruit sages The whole plant is edible, including flowers. We use our fruit sage leaves both fresh and dry. Fresh leaves can be used in teas, beverages, and fruit salads. The dried leaves can be used in winter teas or potpourris. To dry the fruit sage leaves, tie bunches of branches and leaves together with a rubber band and hang them to dry in a cool, dark area. We use a wooden clothes drying rack—available in the laundry section of home stores. This rack holds lots of bunches and allows the air to circulate and dry the bunches well. We use rubber bands because they tighten around the herb bunches as they dry and shrink, and hold them tight. When the leaves are very dry, you can strip them from the stems and transfer those leaves to a baggie or glass jar for storage. Be sure to label the bag when you do this, as most herbs look very much alike when dried.

Fruit-scented sage is so beautiful with its fuzzy, huge leaves. It is loaded with a fruity scent.

Recipes To make a fresh tea, stuff a tea ball full of leaves, and then pour boiling water over the top in a tea pot or cup. Let steep for five minutes or so. You can sweeten with honey or sugar to taste. Did you know that sage tea helps with anxiety and stress? Sage has been used for many years for that purpose. continued on page 16

‘Honey Melon’ pineapple sage: a unique and strong fragrance— you have never smelled anything like this fruit sage!

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 14 Try to add 10 fresh fruit sage leaves to your pitcher of cold summer beverages such as lemonades. They taste so good and are really refreshing. Try this dried herbal tea (tisane): • 1 cup pineapple sage leaves • 1 cup mint leaves • 1/2 cup fruit-scented sage leaves (or other fruit sage) • 2 short cinnamon sticks, cut up • 1/4 cup rose hips For a cup of tea, place a teaspoon of the mixture in a tea ball and pour boiling water over the top. Let steep for at least 5 minutes. To make potpourri: • 1 cup dried, fruit-scented sage leaves and stems • 1 cup lemon or orange peel, cut • 1 cup mint leaves • 4 cinnamon sticks, cut up or shaved • 1 cup rose petals • 1/4 cup orris root chunks • 20 drops of lemon or orange oil, placed on the orris root Mix together in a plastic bag, and let sit for two weeks to mellow. Add more oil as needed. If you love fragrant plants and teas, try fruit sages in your own garden or container. You and your summer visitors will enjoy the aromas and tastes of these special herbs.

The bright red flowers of the fruit sages. These plants bloom all summer until frost.

The most popular fruit sage grown in Michigan, pineapple sage has very good pineapple scent and taste. This plant produces lots of leaves to harvest and bright red flowers. It grows tall in one summer.

Jean and Roxanne Riggs operated Sunshine Farm and Garden in Oakland County, MI and now enjoy retirement up north.

‘Tangerine’ pineapple sage smells like citrus. The leaves make an excellent tea to relieve stress and soothe, or as an addition to lemonade or summer drinks.

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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Brussels Sprout Salad with Blue Cheese and Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette

russels sprouts are admittedly one of my gardening goals, meaning one day I hope I can grow my own stalk of sprouts. During my first garden a few years ago, I tried to plant little seedlings, but for some reason they didn’t amount to anything and I’ve felt intimidated ever since. My neighbor down the street, who built her garden right in the front yard as it provides the best sunlight, has enviable stalks growing year after year, and I still gawk at them to this day. While Brussels sprouts may be a vegetable that’s as much loved as it is disliked, I have become a huge fan over the years. They are Emily worth getting to know Wilson simply because they are so good for you. Not to mention, they can be prepared in a variety of ways. The key to avoiding Brussels sprouts of horrible-childhood-memories-past (read: mushy and stinky) is to not overcook them. Well, good news! I’ve guaranteed that won’t be a problem here because this recipe requires no cooking at all. Don’t you just love recipes like that? This dish is a great gateway from summer to fall and even into winter eating as it’s light and healthy, but also full of hearty cold-weather greens. While holiday tables get stuffed full of rich, buttery, fatty foods, this salad has served me well by adding a crisp, tart, healthy-ish bite to holiday meals. Consider keeping this recipe around for your holiday dinners too!

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

Ingredients

Serves: 3-4 • Prep Time: 15-20 Minutes

Salad Ingredients • 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, about 4 cups after slicing • 2 cups kale leaves, thinly sliced • 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled • 1/2 cup unsalted almonds, slivered • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste Dressing Ingredients • 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar • 1/2 to 2/3 cup real maple syrup • 3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions 1. To make the salad, cut the root end off each Brussels sprout then slice in half down the middle. Remove any bruised outer leaves, then lay the sprout on the flat side and slice thinly crosswise. Place in a large salad bowl. 2. Tear the kale leaves off the stems. Layer the pieces on top of each other then slice thinly crosswise. Add to the bowl of shredded sprouts. 3. Mix in the blue cheese crumbles, sliced almonds, and dried cranberries or cherries. Season with salt and pepper. 4. To make the dressing, measure all ingredients into a bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Secure the lid and give it a good shake to blend. Start with 1/2 cup of maple syrup, then see how your taste buds react. If it tastes punchy but balanced, you’re good to go. If you want it slightly sweeter, add another 1-3 tablespoons to suit your taste. 5. Both the salad and dressing can be made in advance, but wait to dress until ready to serve. Once ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. The hearty greens soak up the dressing, so you may need the whole batch, or you can dress the salad lightly and allow guests to add extra if they so choose. Save any leftovers for future salad! Emily Wilson is the chef, recipe developer and food writer behind The Craveable Kitchen food blog, which is an overflow of her passion for cooking and helping others cook well for themselves, too. Find more recipes, tips and inspiration at www.TheCraveableKitchen.com.

Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Proven Winners Color Choice

Lilac: Bloomerang Dwarf Pink This lilac naturally grows as a small, rounded shrub, at roughly a third the size of traditional lilacs. Its rich pink, fragrant blooms appear in spring, then rebloom thoughout the summer. Dwarf Pink is rarely bothered by disease. Height: 2.5-3 feet. Width: 2.5-3 feet Light: Full sun. Zone: 3.

Diervilla: Nightglow The foliage of Nightglow begins dark red in spring, lasts all season, and intensifies in the fall. Bright yellow flowers glow in a striking contrast against the dark red foliage. Nightglow (Diervilla splendens) exhibits a mounding growth habit. Height: 2-3 feet. Width: 2-3 feet. Light: Full to part sun. Zone: 4.

Proven Winners Color Choice

Hydrangea: Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha This mountain hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata) has excellent reblooming ability. Tuff Stuff Ah-Ha displays dinner plate-sized blooms from summer to fall, with double florets that look like miniature waterlilies. Depending on the soil acidity, flowers will be pink or blue. Like all mountain hydrangeas, it has outstanding bud hardiness, so flower buds will reliably survive the winter. Bloominâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Easy

Height: 2-3 feet. Width: 2-3 feet. Light: Full sun to part sun. Zone: 5.

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

Arborvitae: Primo This miniature arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) was selected out of thousands of seedlings due to its very coarse and curious foliage. Deep green summer color combines with the compact, textural foliage and naturally sculpted spire-like shape, making this new conifer a unexpected breakthrough. It has the character and look of a Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and the hardiness of an arborvitae. With a small amount of pruning, Primo could be maintained as a narrow, small spire. When left to grow naturally, each individual plant will grow very slowly into its own sculptural form.

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248-217-6459 bevinbloom@comcast.net

THE Original BUDGET TREE SERVICE • Tree & Shrub Removal/Trimming • Stump Removal & Grinding • Lot Clearings • Storm Damage WE WILL TRY TO BEAT ANY INSURED QUOTE—CALL US!

800-964-7785

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Available seasonally, we have a wonderful assortment of annuals and herbs. And roses! Over 100 varieties each year, including hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, shrubs & miniatures. Plus, outdoor-grown perennials & shrubs. Why does outdoor-grown matter? Our plants are hardy, healthy & well-rooted— ready to succeed in your garden from day one.

Over 2,000 different cement garden statues in our outdoor showroom, all made here in Michigan by us! Plus, come see our mind-boggling selection of garden decor, arbors, gazing globes, furniture, and so much more.

5300 Garfield Rd. • Auburn, MI • Centrally located between Saginaw/Bay City/Midland

989-662-7002 • www.warmbierfarms.com

HEADING UP NORTH? We’re just 7 minutes off of I-75!

Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

calendar

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PUBLIC GARDENS, please visit MichiganGardener.com. Click on "Resources" then "Public Gardens."

July / August / September / October

July H Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat Mon, Jul 1, Westland. At Barson’s Greenhouse. Come see the butterfly life cycle, & native host & nectar plants. www.Barsons.com. H Top 20 Summer Garden Tips Sat, Jul 6, 10am, all locations. At English Gardens. FREE. Tips on what to do to maintain the health & beauty of your garden so it survives the summer heat. www.EnglishGardens.com. H Nature Hike Sat, Jul 6, 10:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $10/person. Nature enthusiast, Howard Pennington, will lead you through the natural beauty of Hidden Lake Gardens. www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. Farmington Hills Garden Club Front Porch Picnic Mon, Jul 8, Farmington Hills. Farmington Hills GC at Warner Mansion. Share food, friendship & more food. Bring a dish to pass & a place setting. vitaminsea55@gmail.com, 248-722-4503. Grounds & Gardens Tour at Ford House Tue, Jul 9, Every other Tue, Grosse Pointe. At Ford House. $10. Get captivated by the gorgeous naturalist-style landscapes on this guided tour. 313-884-4222. Wonderful Native Grasses & Wildflowers of Michigan Tue, Jul 9, Bloomfield Hills. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland Cty at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. $5/guests. www.mgsoc.org. Northville Garden Walk Wed, Jul 10, 9am-4pm, Northville. By Country Garden Club of Northville. $12/advance. $15/day of at Gardenviews & Northville Town Square (new location), 150 E. Main, across from clock. Garden artisans, live music & more. cgcnv.org, 734-788-9935. 45th Annual Troy Garden Walk Wed, Jul 10, 9:30am-3pm & 5-8:30pm, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at 7 private gardens. $10/advance ticket. Activities at Troy Historic Village, free admission 9am-6pm. www.TroyGardenClubMI.com, 248-540-6158. Children’s Story Hour Thu, Jul 11, 10-11am, Novi. At MSU Tollgate. $5/person. Designed for ages 2-5. Held rain or shine. www.canr.msu.edu/events. Genesee County Herb Society meeting Thu, Jul 11, 1pm, Genesee County. By Genesee County Herb Society. Please call Norma for locations: 810-964-2208. Annual Flower Show: Lakeshore Beauty Thu, Jul 11, to Sat, Jul 13, Spring Lake. By Tri-Cities Garden Club at Spring Lake District Library. H Hydrangeas 101 Sat, Jul 13, 10am, all locations. At English Gardens. FREE seminar. The basics of all things hydrangea, including the different varieties & care. www.EnglishGardens.com. An Extraordinary Walk through Farms, Fields and Flowers Sat, Jul 13, 10am-4pm, Port Sanilac. By Port Sanilac Garden Club at 8 local farms & gardens. $10/advance, $12/ day of. Find us on Facebook, 810-376-6705.

The Gardens of Warren Sat, Jul 13, 10am-4pm, Warren. By Warren Garden Club at 7 local gardens. Self-guided. $8/advance; $12/day of. Linda: 586-582-9708. Garden-Nature-Fest Sat, Jul 13, 11am-4pm, South Lyon. At The Salem-South Lyon District Library. FREE. Speakers, nature vendors, face painting, gardening styles, music, Q&A. 248-437-8539. H Super Sprouts Kids Club: Painted Pot Windchime Sat, Jul 13, 11:30am, all locations. At English Gardens. $5. We provide all the materials & inspirations for you to create your own to take home. Adult helper must attend with child. Register: www.EnglishGardens.com. Palmer Woods Home & Garden Tour Evening Soirée & Preview Tour Sat, Jul 13, 5-10pm, Palmer Woods. $125. Strolling dinner, curated libations, & live music. After tours conclude at 9pm, attendees will be welcomed to return to the Soirée to round out the evening with a nightcap cocktail & desserts. HGTourInfo@palmerwoods.org. H Evening with the Butterflies Sat, Jul 13, 6-8pm, Westland. At Barsons. 4th annual event. $10 entry donation goes to Monarch Watch. Enjoy music, & refreshments. www.barsons.com. H LACASA’s Garden Tour Weekend Sat, Jul 13, & Sun, Jul 14, 9am-4pm, Livingston Co. By LACASA. $20 advance tickets. $25 at gardens. Check out our Bus Tour. All proceeds benefit abused children & victims of interpersonal violence. www.lacasacenter.org, 517-548-1350. Annual Palmer Woods Home & Garden Tour Sun, Jul 14, 10am-6pm, Palmer Woods. $35/advance, $40/day of the event. $15 for children 13-18, free for children under 12. The event will be limited to 1000 attendees. HGTourInfo@palmerwoods.org. 14th Annual Clarkston Garden Walk Wed, Jul 17, 11am-7pm, Clarkston. By Clarkston Garden Club at 6 private gardens. $15/advance, $18/day of. Artisan market. Starts at Clarkston Independence Library. 248-514-1729, www.clarkstongardenclub.org. H Garden Delight Tour Wed, Jul 17, 11am-1pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $29.99. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com. Friendly Garden Club Garden Walk Thu, Jul 18, Noon-7pm, Traverse City. By The Friendly Garden Club of Traverse City at 5 gardens in The Holiday Hills area. $12. Rain/shine. Tickets: www.mynorth.com. www.thefriendlygardenclub.org. Gladwin Cty Master Gardeners 12th Annual Garden Tour Thu, Jul 18, 1-7 pm, Gladwin area. By Gladwin County Master Gardeners. $10/advance, $13/day of. Gladwin Area vendors at Riverwalk Place. 989-429-9639, Laurie.wagner58@gmail.com. Butterfly Gardening Thu, Jul 18, 6:30pm, Mt. Clemens. By Macomb Cty Master Gardener Assoc at Mt. Clemens Library. $5. John Blair shares his 20+ years of experience in designing habitats for attracting butterflies. macombcountymga@yahoo.com.

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

September/October 2019 April 2020

Deadline August 15, 2019 March 15, 2020

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

Stone Cottage Gardens Specializing in Hybrid Daylilies

3740 Willford Rd. Gladwin, MI • 989-426-2919

StoneCottageGardens.com • Open May 6-Oct. 6 M-F 10-6 Sat 9-4 or by chance or appt.

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H Garden Day 2019 Sat, Aug 3, 8am-4pm, East Lansing. At MSU Horticulture Gardens. $79. Two keynote presentations, 2 workshops of your choice, lunch, parking & access to green garden marketplace. hrt.msu.edu/garden-day. Yardeners Annual Garden Tour Sat, Aug 3, 9am-3pm, St. Clair Shores. By The Yardeners at the Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum. $5. Kids 12 & under free. Master Gardeners on hand to answer questions. No advance sales. scsyardeners@gmail.com. H Shade Gardening Sat, Aug 3, 10am, all locations. At English Gardens. FREE. Our favorite plants to help you create a shade garden that will be the envy of your neighborhood. www.EnglishGardens.com. H Nature Hike Sat, Aug 3, 10:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $10/person. Nature enthusiast, Howard Pennington, will lead you through the natural beauty of Hidden Lake Gardens. www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. Pollinator Palooza at Ford House Sat, Aug 3, Noon-4pm, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Ford House. $10-$15. An outdoor event where families can visit the gardens & butterfly house. Kids are encouraged to bring their wings. Tickets: 313-884-4222. Grounds & Gardens Tour at Ford House Tue, Aug 6, Every other Tue, Grosse Pointe. At Ford House. $10. Get captivated by the gorgeous naturaliststyle landscapes on this guided tour. 313-884-4222. MSU Tollgate Children’s Story Hour Thu, Aug 8, 10-11am, Novi. At MSU Tollgate. $5/person. Designed for ages 2-5. Held rain or shine. www.canr.msu.edu/tollgate. H Hydrangeas 101 Sat, Aug 10, 10am, all locations. At English Gardens. FREE seminar. The basics of all things hydrangea including the different varieties & care. www.EnglishGardens.com. H Super Sprouts Kids Club: Paint & Plant Sat, Aug 10, 11:30am, all locations. At English Gardens. $5. We provide all the materials & inspirations for you to create your own to take home. Adult helper must attend with child. Register: www.EnglishGardens.com. Janet Macunovich Presentations Tue, Aug 13, 6pm, Mt. Clemens. At Mt. Clemens Public Library. $10. ”Plant it Well, Even When the Roots are Wrong” & “Weeds: To Know Them is to Beat Them”. macombcountymga@yahoo.com. Organic & Sustainable Gardening Classes Tue, Aug 13, & Aug 27, Sep 10, Sep 24, Oct 8, Oct 22, Detroit. By Voices for Earth Justice at 15894 Greydale St. www.eventbrite.com/o/ voices-for-earth-justice-15744281866. How to Garden with Comfort, Ease & Simplicity Part II Tue, Aug 13, Bloomfield Hills. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland Cty at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. $5/guests. www.mgsoc.org.

Garden Party

Sun, July 28, 1-5p

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H Organic Gardening Sat, Jul 27, 10am, all locations. At English Gardens. FREE. The ins & outs of organic gardening & what makes it so special. www.EnglishGardens.com. H Garden Party at Stone Cottage Gardens Sun, Jul 28, 1-5pm, Gladwin. At Stone Cottage Gardens. Stroll through our gardens while enjoying the peak of daylily bloom, music & art. www.StoneCottageGardens.com, 989-426-2919. Food Garden Tour Wed, Jul 31, 5-8pm, Flint. Explore Flint’s Community & Market Gardens by bike or bus. $10/person donation. Registration begins July 1st. www.EdibleFlint.org.

Sat, July 27, 10a-4p

• 100’s of Potted Perennials for sun & shade • 600 varieties of bare root daylilies • Herbs, Vines, & Shrubs • High quality gardening tools GOING “UP NORTH” FOR THE WEEKEND? • Garden art & supplies Stop by to see us, and check the Michigan Gardener • Answers for your calendar or our website gardening questions for special events.

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H Cactus & Cocktails Thu, Jul 18, 7pm, all locations. At English Gardens. $15. Bring your own container. We’ll provide 3 cactus or succulent plants, plus the soil & decorative soil cover. Register: www.EnglishGardens.com. Harrison Township Inspirations Garden Tour Sat, Jul 20, 9am-4pm, Harrison Twp. Harrison Township Beautification Comm. at 8 residential gardens. Self guided: $10/presale. $15/day of. $20/VIP bus tickets pre-sale. Start at Tucker Senior Ctr. 586-242-3868. H Pond & Waterfall Design Sat, Jul 20, 10am-Noon, Milford. At The Pond Place. Workshop addresses the key issues associated with designing/building your own pond, stream & waterfall. Register: 248-889-8400. 25th Annual Garden City Garden Walk Sat, Jul 20, 10am-3pm, Garden City. By the Garden City Garden Club. $8. Help us raise money for our scholarship program at Garden City HS. gcgc.weebly.com, 734-564-3868. H Hydrangea Blooming Tips Sat, Jul 20, 10am, all locations. At English Gardens. Free seminar. An English Gardens expert will share our secrets for successful hydrangeas. www.EnglishGardens.com. Michigan Koi & Pond Club Pond Tour Sat, Jul 20, 10am-5pm, New Boston. By MKPC. $10 tickets at Grass Roots Nursery. 12 & under FREE. Pond tour in New Boston’s country setting. 248-736-3833, erv970@aol.com. Annual Lily Show Sat, Jul 20, Noon, Southfield. By Michigan Regional Lily Society at 28775 Streamwood Lane. FREE. Gardeners may bring lily stems to enter from 9:30-11am. 313-492-5665, www.mrls.org. H Pond Construction - Hands-On Workshop Sat, Jul 20, 1-3pm, Milford. At The Pond Place. Hands-on experience building an 11’ x 16’ pond with a stream, waterfall & bog, as well as a pondless waterfall. Register: 248-889-8400. Tollgate Sunset Garden Celebration: Open House Sat, Jul 20, 4-7pm, Novi. At Tollgate Farms. FREE. Tour 16 gardens, plus enjoy music, education, walking tours, refreshments & garden market. www.canr.msu.edu, 248-347-3860 ext. 251, prentic1@msu.edu. Herbal Health & Wellness Sat, Jul 20, Fenton. At Gerych’s Flowers & Events. Horticultural therapy: herbal elixirs, cooking demos & candlelit yoga. www.gerychsdesign.com. Register: 810 629-5995. Daylily Show Sat, Jul 20, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Daylily flowers last for just one day & so does this show. See an amazing variety of daylily flowers. Battle Creek Garden Tour Sat, Jul 20, & Sun, Jul 21, Battle Creek. By Leila Arboretum Society at 6 private gardens. $10/advance. $15/day of. Facebook: “Battle Creek Garden Tour”, www.lasgarden.org. H The Garden Cruise Sun, Jul 21, 9am-4:30pm, Metro Detroit, by Detroit Garden Works & The Greening of Detroit. Tour only: $35/ person. Tour & cocktail reception: $50/person. 248-335-8089. www.thegardencruise.org. MSU Tollgate Children’s Story Hour Thu, Jul 25, 10-11am, Novi. At MSU Tollgate. $5/person. Designed for ages 2-5. Held rain or shine. www.canr.msu.edu/tollgate. H Savor the Summer at Applewood Estate Thu, Jul 25, 4-8pm, Flint. At Applewood Estate. FREE. Celebrate the season with live music, outdoor games, hands-on activities & more with our partners from the community. www.Applewood.org. H Art in the Garden Sat, Jul 27, 10am-4pm, Gladwin. At Stone Cottage Gardens. Enjoy artists displaying their art in our beautiful gardens. www.StoneCottageGardens.com, 989-426-2919.

Art in the Garden

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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Look for Allen Park • Ace Hardware Almont H American Tree • Brohl’s Flower Garden Ann Arbor H Abbott’s Landscp Nurs • Ace Barnes Hardware (Washtenaw Ave) • Ace Barnes Hardware (West Stadium) • Dixboro Gnl Store H Downtown Home & Gard H HillTop Greenhse & Farms H Lodi Farms H Matthaei Botanical Gard H Produce Station H Turner’s Greenhse/ Gard Ctr • Weingartz • Wild Birds Unltd Armada • Pond Guy Auburn H Warmbier Farms Auburn Hills • Ace Hardware • Drake’s Landscp & Nurs H Haley Stone H State Crushing Belleville H Banotai Greenhse • Gardener's Choice H Pinter Flowerland H Zywicki Greenhse Berkley • Garden Central Beverly Hills • Ace Hardware Birmingham H Blossoms Brighton • Ace Hardware H Beauchamp Landscp Supp • Brighton Stone & Fireplace • Grasshopper Gardens • Leppek Nurs H Meier Flowerland Brownstown Twp • Raupp Bros Landscp Supp H Ruhlig Farms & Gard Bruce Twp H Van’s Valley Greenhse Burton • Country Oaks Landscp Supp Canton • Canton Floral Gdns • Schmidt’s Roadside • Wild Birds Unltd Chelsea • Ace Hardware H Garden Mill • Potting Shed Chesterfield H Van Thomme’s Greenhses Clarkston • Ace Hardware (Dixie Hwy) • Ace Hardware (Sashabaw) H Country Oaks Landscp Supp • Gateway • Lowrie’s Landscp • Weingartz

at these fine locations: Clawson • Ace Hardware Clinton Twp H English Gardens • Michigan Koi • MSU ExtensionMacomb Cty • Tropical Treasures Clio H Piechnik’s Greenhse Commerce Twp H Zoner’s Greenhse Davison H Wojo’s Garden Splendors Dearborn • Ace Hardware • Fairlane Gard Dearborn Hts H English Gardens Detroit • Detroit Gard Ctr Dexter • Bloom! Gard Ctr H Dexter Mill • Earth Art H Fraleigh’s Nurs Eastpointe • Drew’s Garden H English Gardens Farmington • Alexander True Value Hardware Farmington Hills • Ace Hardware • Saxton’s Flower Ctr H Steinkopf Nurs • Weingartz Fenton • Gerych’s H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm Ferndale • Casual Modes Home & Gard Flushing H Flushing Lawn & Gard Ctr Fostoria H Iron Barn Fowlerville • Green-Up Gard Ctr Gladwin H Stone Cottage Gardens Grand Blanc H Weed Lady Grand Rapids • Meijer Gardens Grass Lake H Designs by Judy Grosse Ile • Grosse Ile Pet & Gard Ctr H Westcroft Gardens Grosse Pointe • Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Grosse Pointe Shores • Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Grosse Pointe Woods • Wild Birds Unltd Hadley • Le Fleur Décor Haslett H Van Atta’s Greenhse Highland • Ace Hardware • Colasanti’s Produce & Plants • Five Star Ace Hdwe • Fragments H One Stop Landscp Supp • Thornton Nurs

Howell H Specialty Growers H Superior Landscp Supp • Wilczewski Grnhses Imlay City H Earthly Arts Keego Harbor • Creative Brick Paving Lake Orion • Ace Hardware H Lake Orion Lawn Ornaments H Orion Stone Depot Livonia • Ace Hardware (5 Mi/Middlebelt) • Ace Hardware (6 Mi/Newburgh) • Bushel Mart H George’s Livonia Gard • Superior Growers Supp • Valley Nurs Macomb • Ace Hardware • Altermatt’s Grnhse • Boyka’s Greenhse H Brohl’s Greenhouse H Elya’s Village Gard • Joe Randazzo’s • Landscape Source • Olejnik Farms • Wild Birds Unltd Midland • Dow Gardens Milford • Ace Hardware • Peter’s True Value Hardware H Pond Place Monroe • Flower Market New Baltimore H Meldrum Bros Nurs New Boston H Grass Roots Nurs • Mums the Word New Hudson • Fletcher & Rickard Landscp Supp H Milarch Nurs North Branch H Campbell’s Grnhses H Oldani Landscp Nurs Northville • Begonia Bros • Gardenviews Novi • Ace Hardware • Glenda’s Gard Ctr • Tollgate Education Ctr - MSU • Wild Birds Unltd Oak Park • Ace Hardware • Four Seasons Gard Ctr Oakland H Piechnik’s Gard Ctr Ortonville H Wojo’s Greenhse Owosso H Everlastings in the Wildwood Oxford • Ace Hardware • Oxford Farm & Gard Pinckney • Bock’s General Plymouth H English Gardens Plymouth Nurs • Graye’s Greenhse

• Plymouth Rock & Supp H Rock Shoppe • Sideways • Sparr’s Greenhse Pontiac H Goldner Walsh Gard/Home • MSU ExtensionOakland Cty Ray • Heritage Oaks Redford H Pinter Flowerland • Seven Mi Gard Ctr Rochester • Allstate Home Leisure • Fogler’s Greenhse • Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr Rochester Hills • Ace Hardware H Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr H Haley Stone • Wild Birds Unltd Romeo • Cold Frame Farm Romulus • Kurtzhal’s Farms • Rush Gard Ctr Greenhse • Schwartz’s Grnhse Roseville H Dale’s Ldscp Supp • Flower Barn Nurs Sea World Royal Oak • Ace Hardware • Billings Lawn Equip H English Gardens • Frentz & Sons Hardware • Manus Pwr Mowers • Wild Birds Unltd Saginaw H Abele Greenhse & Gard Ctr Salem Twp H Willow Greenhses Saline H Clink Landscp & Nurs • Junga’s Ace Hdwe • KBK Gard Ctr • Saline Flowerland Shelby Twp • Ace Hardware • Diegel’s Greenhse H Hessell’s Grnhses • Maeder Plant Farm H Telly’s Greenhse South Lyon • Ace Hardware • Bader & Sons • Mike’s Garden • Stone Depot Landscp Supp Southfield • 3 DDD’s Stand • Eagle Landscp & Supp • Lavin’s Flower Land • Main’s Landscp Supp Southgate • Ray Hunter Gard Ctr St Clair Shores • Ace Hardware (Harper/13 Mi) • DeRonne True Value Hardware H Hall’s Nurs • Soulliere Gard Ctr Sterling Heights • Sterling Hts Nature Ctr

Sterling Hts • Decor Statuette H Eckert’s Greenhse • Prime Lndscp Supp Stockbridge • Gee Farms Superior Twp • Lucas Nursery Sylvan Lake H AguaFina Gdns Intl H Detroit Gdn Works Taylor • Ace Hardware • Beautiful Ponds & Gard • D&L Garden Ctr • Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp Trenton • Ace Hardware • Carefree Lawn Ctr • Keck Hardware Troy • Home & Gard Shop H Telly’s Greenhse H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store Utica • Stonescape Supp • Weingartz Warren • Ace Hardware • Beste’s Lawn & Patio • Greco’s Nurs • Kutchey Family Mkt Washington • Landscape Direct • Big Red Orchard • Rocks ‘n’ Roots Waterford • Ace Hardware • Breen’s Landscp Supp • Jacobsen’s Flowers H Merrittscape West Bloomfield • ACE Hardware H English Gardens • Whole Foods Westland • Ace Hardware H Barsons Greenhses • Bushel Stop • Joe Randazzo’s Nurs • Merlino’s Bushel Ctr • Panetta’s Landscp Supp White Lake H Bogie Lake Greenhse H Mulligan’s Gard Ctr • Sunshine Plants Whitmore Lake H Alexander’s Greenhses • Green Oak Gard Williamston H Christian’s Grnhse Wixom • Angelo’s Landscp Supp • Brainer’s Greenhse Ypsilanti • Coleman’s Farm Mkt H Margolis Nurs • Materials Unlimited • Michigan Greenscape Supp • Schmidt’s Antiques H Sell Farms & Grnhse

continued from page 23 Native & Invasive Plants in Your Garden Thu, Aug 15, 6-8pm, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Ford House. $35. Discover what it means to go native with the house’s certified arborist Joe Cieslinski & woodland specialist Kevin Drotos. Tickets: 313-884-4222. H Garden Floral Arrangement Thu, Aug 15, 7pm, Clinton Twp., Dearborn Heights, Royal Oak & West Bloomfield. At English Gardens. $44.99. www.EnglishGardens.com. H Hydrangea Blooming Tips Sat, Aug 17, 10am, all locations. At English Gardens. Free seminar. Our secrets for successful hydrangeas. www.EnglishGardens.com. 9th Annual Summer Garden Tour Sat, Aug 17, Detroit. At Black Cat Pottery. www.blackcatpottery.com. H Herb Day at Stone Cottage Gardens Sun, Aug 18, 10-11:30am, Gladwin. At Stone Cottage Gardens. Learn how to use the herbs in your garden. www.StoneCottageGardens.com, 989-426-2919. Macomb County Master Gardener Class Mon, Aug 19, Clinton Twp. By MSU Extension at Verkuilen Building. 14-session curriculum will provide horticulture training based on University research. 586-469-6086, burkeka9@msu.edu. H Hosta Hillside Workshop Tue, Aug 20, 7-8pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. FREE. Enjoy a tour of the Hosta Hillside collection. Learn the history of how Hosta Hillside was started. Register: 517-423-2238. H Late Summer Garden Care Sat, Aug 24, 10am, all locations. At English Gardens. FREE. Tips on how to tackle summer problems & combat the pests that show up. www.EnglishGardens.com. 71st Annual Dahlia Show Sat, Aug 24, Noon-5pm & Sun, 10am-2pm, Ann Arbor. By Michigan Dahlia Association at Washtenaw Community College. www.midwestdahliaconference.org/MDA. H Fall Lawn Care Sat, Aug 31, 10am, all locations. A beautiful lawn doesn’t just start in the spring. Info on what needs to be done now to help your lawn survive Michigan’s harsh winters. www.EnglishGardens.com. National Dahlia Show Sat, Aug 31, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Hundreds of dahlias will be on display. Flower sizes will vary from the size of a golf ball to a dinner plate.

September Grounds & Gardens Tour at Ford House Tue, Sep 3, Every other Tue, Grosse Pointe. At Ford House. $10. Get captivated by the naturalist-style landscapes on this guided tour. 313-884-4222. Paint Your Own Rustic Sign Wed, Sep 4, 4pm, Lake Orion. At Fogler’s Greenhouse. $40/person. Come join the sign painting class, to guide your inner DIY. Just bring your creativity. 248-690-7458. Kent Garden Club Presents: A Standard Flower Show Sat, Sep 7, & Sun, Sep 8, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. $14. Beautiful arrangements by members of Kent Garden Club, West Michigan Flower Arranger’s Guild, & Michigan Garden Club District IV. H Craft Days at Stone Cottage Gardens Sun, Sep 8, 10-11:30am, Gladwin. At Stone Cottage Gardens. www.StoneCottageGardens.com, 989-426-2919. Exploring Natural Communities of Michigan Tue, Sep 10, Bloomfield Hills. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland Cty at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. $5/ guests. www.mgsoc.org. Suds N’ Succulents Thu, Sep 12, 5pm, Oxford. By Fogler’s Greenhouse at HomeGrown Brewery. $40/person. Take home a beautiful succulent planter at the end of the night. 248-690-7458.

Biennial Shelby Gardeners’ Flower Show Thu, Sep 12, Fri, Sep 13, & Sat, Sep 14, 9am-5pm, Shelby Twp. By Shelby Garden Club at Shelby Library. “Flowers from the Heart”. 586-873-3782. Dahlias: 67th Annual Dahlia Show & Competition Sat, Sep 14, Noon-9:30p & Sun, Sep 21, 9am-3pm, West Bloomfield. By SE Michigan Dahlia Society at Orchard Mall. 500+ dahlias on display. Members on hand to answer questions. www.semds.org, 248-689-5947. H The Art of Bonsai: Bonsai Show Sun, Sep 15, 11am-4pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Bonsai show, art inspired by bonsai exhibit, learning sessions, & the Hidden Lake Gardens Bonsai Collection. www.HiddenLakeGardens.msu.edu. Chrysanthemums & More Fri, Sep 20, through Oct 27, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Celebrate the autumn season with an extensive display of hundreds of flowering plants. Color tours, tram rides & seasonal children’s activities. Yardeners Fall Plant Exchange Sat, Sep 21, 9-11am, St Clair Shores. By The Yardeners at St. Clair Shores Public Library. Bag, tag & drag your offerings to trade or give away to other gardeners. No cash involved. scsyardeners@gmail.com. Tollgate Fall Plant Sale Sat, Sep 21, 9am-Noon, Novi. At Tollgate Farms. Perennial plants for sale, with volunteers to provide advice. Proceeds support Tollgate. www.canr.msu.edu, 248-347-3860 ext. 251, prentic1@msu.edu. H Pond Winterization Sat, Sep 21, 10-11am, Milford. At The Pond Place of Michigan. How to perform a fall pond cleaning and how to winterize your pond, plants & fish. www.pondplace.com. Secrets for the Best Hydrangeas Thu, Sep 26, 11am, Lake Orion. At Fogler’s Greenhouse. $20/person. Secrets & knowledge on the many challenges of hydrangeas. Bring your questions. 248-690-7458. Meadow Brook Garden Club Book Club Fri, Sep 27, 9:15am, Rochester. By The Meadow Brook Garden Club. Program at 10am. $5/non-member. Ron Rademacher: “Nature’s Getaways”. meadowbrookhall.org. H Pond Winterization Sat, Sep 28, 10-11am, Milford. At The Pond Place of Michigan. How to perform a fall pond cleaning and how to winterize your pond, plants & fish. www.pondplace.com. Branches, Burlap, & Gourds Sat, Sep 28, 11am, Lake Orion. At Fogler’s Greenhouse. $20/person. How to use ornamental branches, burlap, & gourds for fall decorating that your neighbors will be envious of. 248-690-7458.

October Grounds & Gardens Tour at Ford House Tue, Oct 1, Every other Tue, Grosse Pointe. At Ford House. $10. Get captivated by the naturalist-style landscapes on this guided tour. 313-884-4222. Autumn Succulent Centerpiece Wed, Oct 2, 5pm, Lake Orion. At Fogler’s Greenhouse. $35/person. How to plant succulents into a real pumpkin for a stand-out fall display. 248-690-7458. Dahlias: Digging, Dividing & Storing Tubers Sat, Oct 5, 2-4pm, Troy. By SE Michigan Dahlia Society at Telly’s Greenhouse. Dr. Keith Berven & members will be demonstrating the how-to’s of digging, dividing and storing. www.semds.org, 248-689-5947. Fall Bonsai Show Sat, Oct 5, & Sun, Oct 6, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. See a variety of bonsai on display, from trees in early stages of training to lovely older trees. Watch bonsai artists at work and shop for bonsai trees/supplies. Woodland Treasures for Shady Gardens Tue, Oct 8, Bloomfield Hills. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland Cty at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. $5/ guests. www.mgsoc.org.

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

SUMMER COLOR PLANTS

Over 25 varieties of Hydrangeas, all reliable bloomers:

H Pond Winterization Sat, Oct 19, 10-11am, Milford. At The Pond Place of Michigan. How to perform a Fall pond cleaning & how to winterize your pond, plants & fish. www.pondplace.com. Betsy Campbell Lecture at DIA Sat, Oct 19, By Friends of Art & Flowers at the DIA, at Detroit Film Theatre. Paul Zammit is the Nancy Eaton Director of Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden. Paul is renowned for his creative approach to container gardening & plant selection. www.dia.org. Trash to Treasures by Sue Keehn Mon, Oct 21, 7pm, St. Clair Shores. By The Yardeners at

St. Clair Shores Library. FREE. Using unexpected objects in the garden involves the thrill of the hunt, an open mind & imagination. scsyardeners@gmail.com. Meadow Brook Garden Club Book Club Fri, Oct 25, 9:15am, Rochester. By The Meadow Brook Garden Club. Program at 10am. $5/non-member. October: Diana Noone “Awesome Autumn Arrangements”. meadowbrookhall.org. Drought Tolerant Plants Tue, Nov 12, Bloomfield Hills. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland Cty at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. $5/ guests. www.mgsoc.org.

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EcoChic Landscape Design....................25 English Gardens..................................Page 3 Fraleigh’s Landscape Nursery..............23 The Garden Mill...........................................23 Garden Rhythms.........................................22 A Garden Space...........................................25 Haley Stone.....................................................21 Hidden Lake Gardens................................13 LACASA Center...........................................21 Lake Orion Lawn Ornaments..................11 Margolis Nursery.........................................15 Merritt Home Design................................17 Milarch Nursery............................................11 The Original Budget Tree Service.......22 Orion Stone Depot......................................17

Piechnik’s Gard Ctr......................................12 Poison Ivy Control of Michigan............ 10 Rock Shoppe..................................................22 Schuman Landscape Lighting.................11 Sell Farms & Greenhouses....................... 8 Specialty Growers........................................ 9 State Crushing...............................................15 Stone Cottage Gardens............................23 Telly’s Greenhouse....................................... 4 Turner’s Landscp & Gard Ctr...................11 Uncle Luke’s Feed Store............................15 Van Atta’s Greenhouse.............................13 Warmbier Farms.........................................22 The Weed Lady............................................ 10

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A collection of stores and gardens to shop and visit. Please call ahead for hours, as they may vary from season to season.

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Monroe

Ottawa Lake

cement city H Hallson Gardens 14280 US-127, MI 49233 517-592-9450 www.perennialnursery.com

chelsea H Garden Mill 110 S. Main St, MI 48118 734-475-3539 www.thegardenmill.com The Potting Shed

chesterfield

La Salle

H Van Thomme’s Greenhses H American Tree

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 4431 South Wagner Rd, MI 48103 734-663-7600 www.turnersannarbor.com Wild Birds Unltd

auburn H Warmbier Farms 5300 Garfield Rd, MI 48611 989-662-7002 www.warmbierfarms.com

auburn hills Drake’s Landscp & Nurs H Haley Stone 3600 Lapeer Rd, MI 48326 248-276-9300 www.haleystone.net H State Crushing

bancroft Grand Oak Herb Farm

bay city H Begick Nursery & Garden Ctr 5993 Westside Saginaw Rd, MI 48706 989-684-4210 www.begicknursery.com

belleville

brownstown twp

clarkston

H Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice H Pinter Flowerland H Zywicki Greenhse

Bruce’s Pond Shop Raupp Brothers Gard Ctr H Ruhlig Farms & Gard

Bordine’s H Country Oaks Landscp Supp Lowrie’s Landscp

bruce twp

clinton twp

berkley

H Van’s Valley Greenhse

Garden Central

burton

birmingham

H Country Oaks Landscp Supp

H Blossoms

brighton H Beauchamp Landscp Supp Bordine’s Brighton Stone Leppek Nurs H Meier Flowerland 8087 W. Grand River, MI 48114 810-229-9430 www.meierflowerland.com

H Walker Farms & Greenhouse 5253 E. Atherton Rd, MI 48519 810-743-0260 www.walkersfarm.com

canton Canton Floral Gardens Schmidt’s Roadside Wild Birds Unltd

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.cliogreenhouse.com

columbus Haack’s Farm Greenhses

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

commerce twp H Zoner’s Greenhse 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

detroit Eastern Market

dexter Bloom! Gard Ctr H Dexter Mill H Fraleighs Landscape Nursery 8600 Jackson Rd, MI 48130 734-426-5067 www.fraleighs.com Guthrie Gardens

eastpointe H English Gardens 22501 Kelly Rd, MI 48021 586-771-4200 www.englishgardens.com Drew’s Garden

farmington hills Angelo’s Landscp Supp Farmer John’s Greenhse Loeffler Stone Ctr H Steinkopf Nurs

fenton Gerych’s Flowers/Gift H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm 13730 White Lake Rd, MI 48430 810-629-9208 www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com

ferndale Casual Modes Home/Gard

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 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 21803 West River Rd, MI 48138 734-676-2444 www.westcroftgardens.com

grosse pointe Allemon’s Landscp Ctr

grosse pointe woods Wild Birds Unltd

hadley Le Fleur Décor

hartland Deneweth’s Garden Ctr

haslett H Christian’s Greenhse H Van Atta’s Greenhse

highland Colasanti’s Produce/Plant Fragments Highland Garden Ctr H One Stop Landscp Supp Thornton Nurs

howell Penrose Nurs H Specialty Growers 4330 Golf Club Rd, MI 48843 517-546-7742 www.specialtygrowers.net H Superior Landscape Supplies 4805 Musson Rd, MI 48855 517-548-2068 Find us on Facebook

milford

rochester

Milford Gardens H The Pond Place

sylvan lake

williamston

Fogler’s Greenhse Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr

H Christians Greenhse

monroe

rochester hills

H AguaFina Gardens International 2629 Orchard Lake Rd, MI 48320 248-738-0500 www.aguafina.com

The Flower Market

new baltimore H Meldrum Bros Nurs

new boston H Grass Roots Pond & Gard Mums the Word

new hudson Fletcher & Rickard Landscp Supp H Milarch Nurs 28500 Haas Rd, MI 48165 248-437-2094 www.milarchnursery.com

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

Wilczewski Greenhses

novi

imlay city

Glenda’s Gard Ctr Wild Birds Unltd

H Earthly Arts Greenhse Schutz’s Tree Farm Super & Sons Nurs

jackson The Hobbit Place

lake orion H Lake Orion Lawn Orn H Orion Stone Depot

lansing Lansing Gardens

lapeer H The Iron Barn

lasalle Fowler’s Gift Shop

lennon Krupps Novelty Shop

livonia Bushel Mart H George’s Livonia Gardens 31405 W. 7 Mile Rd, MI 48152 248-476-6719 Find us on Facebook Superior Growers Supp Valley Nurs

macomb Altermatt Greenhses Boyka’s Greenhse H Brohl’s Greenhse Deneweth’s Garden Ctr H Elya’s Village Gardens Landscape Source Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Olejnik Farms Wade Nurs Wiegand’s Nursery Wild Birds Unltd

manchester McLennan Nurs

oak park Four Seasons Gard Ctr

oakland H Piechnik’s Garden Ctr 1095 N. Rochester Rd, MI 48363 586-336-7200 www.cliogreenhouse.com

ortonville H Wojo’s Greenhse 2570 Oakwood Rd, MI 48462 248-627-6498 www.wojos.com

ottawa lake H Beauchamp Landscp Supp

owosso H Everlastings in Wildwood Crooked Tree Nurs Sunburst Gardens

oxford Dafoe’s Feed & Seed

plymouth H English Gardens Plymouth Nurs 9900 Ann Arbor Rd W, MI 48170 734-453-5500 www.englishgardens.com Graye’s Greenhse Plymouth Rock & Supp H Rock Shoppe Sparr’s Greenhse

pontiac H Goldner Walsh Gard/Home

ray Heritage Oaks

H Auburn Oaks Garden Ctr 3820 West Auburn Rd, MI 48309 248-852-2310 www.auburnoaksnursery.com Bordine’s H Haley Stone 3975 S. Rochester Rd, MI 48307 248-852-5511 www.haleystone.net

H Detroit Garden Works 1794 Pontiac Dr, MI 48320 248-335-8089 www.detroitgardenworks.com

taylor

Wild Birds Unltd

Beautiful Ponds & Gardens D&L Garden Ctr Massab Acres Greenhse H Panetta’s Landscp Supp

romulus

tecumseh

Block’s Stand/Greenhse Kurtzhals’ Farms Rush Gard Ctr Schwartz’s Greenhouse

Mitchell’s Lawn/Landscp

roseville H Dale’s Landscp Supp 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 Greenhses 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 3 DDD’s Stand Eagle Landscp/Supp Lavin’s Flower Land Main’s Landscp Supp

trenton

H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store 6691 Livernois Rd, MI 48098 248-879-9147 www.unclelukes.com

utica Stonescape Supp

walled lake

Prime Landscp Supp Gee Farms

stockbridge

mason

superior twp

Wildtype Nurs

Lucas Nurs

battle creek Leila Arboretum

bloomfield hills H Cranbrook Gardens 380 Lone Pine Rd, MI 48303 248-645-3147 housegardens.cranbrook.edu

clinton twp Tomlinson Arboretum

Beste’s Lawn/Patio Supp Kutchey Family Mkt

washington Landscp Direct Rocks ‘n’ Roots

dearborn Arjay Miller Arboretum @ Ford World HQ Henry Ford Estate

detroit

waterford

Anna S Whitcomb Conservtry, Belle Isle

Breen’s Landscp Supp Hoffman Nurs

Seven Ponds Nature Ctr

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 Greenhse 6414 North Merriman Rd, MI 48185 734-421-5959 www.barsons.com

H Bogie Lake Greenhouses 1525 Bogie Lake Rd, MI 48383 248-887-5101 www.bogielakegreenhouses.com

H Pinter Flowerland Seven Mi Gard Ctr

Gardens to Visit

warren

Greenhouse Growers H Hall’s Nurs Soulliere Gard Ctr

redford

H Sell Farms & Greenhouses 7200 Willis Rd, MI 48197 866-296-3090 www.sellfarmsandgreenhouses.com

H Suburban Landscp Supp

white lake

H Eckert’s Greenhouse 34051 Ryan Rd, MI 48310 586-264-5678 www.eckertsgreenhouse.com

Coleman’s Farm Mkt H Margolis Nurs Materials Unlimited

H Matthaei Botanical Gardens/ Nichols Arboretum 1800 North Dixboro Rd, MI 48105 734-647-7600 www.mbgna.umich.edu

st clair shores

Decor Statuette

ypsilanti

troy

Ray Hunter Gard Ctr

sterling heights

Angelo’s Landscp Supp Brainer’s Greenhse Milford Tree Farm

ann arbor

Bushel Stop Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Merlino’s Bushel Ctr Panetta’s Landscp

southgate

wixom

Carefree Lawn Ctr H Telly’s Greenhouse 3301 John R Rd, MI 48083 248-689-8735 www.tellys.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

dryden 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 H Applewood Estate

grand rapids Frederik Meijer Gardens

grosse pointe shores Edsel & Eleanor Ford Hse

lansing Cooley Gardens

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

Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Ponds, Streams and Waterfalls In order to have the waterfall they dreamed of, Elbert and Johnnie Smith had to build up a stream bed with wall rock because the garden land is flat.

Elbert and Johnnie Smith set out to build a garden filled with water features—mission accomplished.

lbert and Johnnie Smith have been koi as well, and they knew that meant a much married and gardening together for bigger pond was needed. over 45 years—41 of those at their Meanwhile, while attending a garage sale, current Detroit home. I first met them on the they happened upon the yard of Dennis Long, Metro-Detroit Pond and Garden the president of the Metro-Detroit Club tour and was blown away by Pond and Garden Club and were not only the ponds in the front yard, amazed by the pond they saw in but by the large, above-ground his backyard. That pond spoke to stream and koi pond in their backthem—and the rest is history. yard. The flowers and gardens Building the pond planted around the pond and gaSo, in 2002 the new pond conzebo add even more beauty to the struction commenced. After some soothing sound of water. deliberation, Elbert and Johnnie Elbert and Johnnie knew they Lisa decided they wanted a stream along wanted a water feature when they Steinkopf with a waterfall, as that would add first started gardening in this yard, another dimension to the garden: so they began with a small, presound. Because their one-acre lot is completeformed pond. Unfortunately, the koi were ly flat, a natural stream including a waterfall eating the water lilies, so they decided they was out of the question. They decided to build needed a bigger pond. They wanted larger

This pondless water feature in Elbert and Johnnie Smith’s front garden highlights two waterfalls running into a stream.

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

Elbert built this bridge with cedar so that the runoff from the wood would not harm the fish.

This waterfall faces the street. The two waterfalls in the front garden flow year-round.

The koi have a big space to live in. The wires over the pond help prevent the raccoons and herons from eating the fish.

The screened-in gazebo is a relaxing place to enjoy the garden—free of mosquitoes.

the stream above ground and make it look as natural as possible. It originates in the back part of their deep lot and flows to the front of the rear garden, ending in a large pond full of beautiful koi fish, right off the patio. The stream and pond took nine days to build with the help of Dennis, though they did expand the falls later. To allow for a waterfall, wall rock was used to build up the area to “house” the stream and falls. This was lined with soil to make the shape for the stream, then a layer of gravel, a liner, more gravel, and boulders to cover the edges and hide the liner.

They built a bridge over the stream because every stream needs a bridge, right? They could not build it with treated lumber, since the runoff could hurt the fish. So the bridge shown in the photos is their second; the first one rotted after many years. Elbert built it of cedar and uses boat stain so that the fish aren’t harmed. They added the gazebo as a safety feature for the fish as well. They do not use any type of spray in the garden, and the gazebo is a place to enjoy the garden bug-free. continued on page 30

Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

This small pre-formed pond is the original pond the Smiths started with. They quickly realized that they wanted a much larger pond for their koi fish. continued from page 29 The beauty of the stream, pond, and bridge so inspired Dennis and his fiancĂŠ that they were married in the garden. Other weddings have taken place there as well. In 2003, Elbert and Johnnie created a front water garden, since they loved the one in back so much.

Learning from their peers There has been some tweaking done, as the owners learned from their mistakes along the way. They also love being in the pond club, as they have learned so much from their fellow ponders. When you are in a club or society, the knowledge gleaned from the members is priceless. They have tried things and failed, and are happy to share that information, in addition to what has worked well. Being a member is invaluable and Elbert and Johnnie found that to be true. The friendships forged over fish is amazing! They have learned about fish diseases, how to treat the water, and what food to use for healthy, happy koi. Not to mention, the members together have ordered special koi from Japan.

The flowers of bearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breeches (Acanthus, left) and datura (right).

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

Looking across the backyard and the koi pond, the swing is peaceful place to sit and enjoy the water features.

Recognize this tree? It is a very old dwarf Alberta spruce that has been trimmed up to look like a tree. P H OTO G R A P H S BY L I S A S T E I N KO P F

A lighthouse stands sentinel at the top of the waterfall.

Elbert and Johnnie also discovered that people who like ponds and fish like to garden as wellâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they have taken bonsai lessons from a fellow member. Johnnie has used her newly learned techniques on the front shrubs. She has trimmed her yew in the front of the house in a spool shape and the juniper next to it is a cloud. What happens when it gets cold? Do they put the fish away for the winter? No. The waterfall and stream are turned off when the temperature falls into the teens, usually in November, but the fish are left in the pond all winter. A small bubbler and heater are used to keep a hole in the ice and let noxious gases escape that could kill the fish. That said, Elbert and Johnnie take the fish out once a year and they powerwash the stream and pond. Then

they dechlorinate the water and the fish are returned. Strings are crisscrossed over the pond to keep marauders such as racoons and herons out. The animals and birds feel the fish are there for their eating convenience. Since there are no fish in the front yard waterfalls and stream, they are left running year-round. Johnnie and Elbert have created a safe haven for their koi and at the same time made a beautiful garden to enjoy themselves. Plus, they generously share it with friends, family, and lucky tour-goers like me! 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 734-7481241). Follow her on Facebook (Facebook.com/ HouseplantGuru), Twitter (@houseplantguru), and Instagram (houseplantguru).

Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from back cover Very few true doubles have been introduced, which might be a good thing: so many native plants have been hybridized to produce double forms that it is refreshing to find that even the newest false sunflower varieties retain the simple daisyshaped flower and wildflower-like charm of their progenitors. But perhaps the best quality of the false sunflowers is their incredibly long bloom period: from June to October.

New looks for a classic perennial A breakthrough in the character of false sunflower occurred in the early 2000s when native plant guru Neil Diboll, owner of Prairie Nursery, introduced ‘Prairie Sunset,’ the first false sunflower to have bicolored flowers—a departure from the typical monochromatic gold. The flowers of ‘Prairie Sunset’ have an orange-russet ring or halo in the center. Even the foliage has extra pigmentation, the stems being mahogany and the leaves emerging purple and retaining dark pigmentation over the summer. Following quickly on its heels came several other varieties with haloed or bicolor flowers and dark foliage, notably ‘Summer Nights’ from North Creek Nurseries and ‘Burning Hearts’ from Jelitto Seed. Their work stabilized the genetics for these traits, making it easy to reproduce these unique characteristics in seed-grown plants. What a boon to perennial growers and gardeners—to be able to grow such unique plants from seed rather than the more expensive vegetative propagation methods of cuttings, divisions and tissue culture. Jelitto Seed has taken the next step in Heliopsis hybridization, with its introduction of ‘Bleeding Hearts,’ the first variety to have orange flowers instead of the usual yellow or gold, along with the dark mahogany stems and foliage. This color combination will no doubt change the look of false sunflower to something more similar to a dark-leaved dahlia than to its ancestors.

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‘Summer Sun’ is a well-known variety, with golden yellow flowers.

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Even without flowers, the foliage on ‘Loraine Sunshine’ makes a statement in the garden.

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The flowers on ‘Asahi’ are fully double.

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Variegated forms Horticulture (the study, development and use of aesthetically pleasing plants) always strives to improve upon what is already available. So it is little wonder that when a variegated form of false sunflower was discovered or created (usually new varieties are a little of both), more would follow. ‘Loraine Sunshine’ from Blooms of Bressingham, with its incredible white and green variegated foliage, was the second major departure from the norm. While many variegated plants show white margins on green leaves, this cultivar has the opposite pattern: white leaves with deep green veins. The latest advance is the injection, so to speak, of genes for purple pigmentation into variegated plants. We now have false sunflower varieties with variegated foliage, purple stems and leaves, and even pink pigmentation. Perhaps these uniquely variegated forms would be unnatural and even garish in some gardens, but gardeners seeking the new and unusual may well find them irresistible.

How to grow false sunflower

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Tuscan Gold has large flowers and a compact habit.

False sunflowers are some of the easiest perennials to grow, developing quickly into showy clumps. They are not fussy about soil, but do best in average to moist, well-drained soils and full sun. They will grow in drier soils and partial shade, but powdery mildew may become a more serious problem in those conditions. They may also be leggier in part shade, and the dark-leaved forms may not develop full pigmentation. After growing false sunflower for a few years, if you find that your plants tend to get too tall or lanky, plan ahead and cut them back by a third to half in mid-May. The plants will produce many axillary shoots, with the resulting plants being much bushier. You will delay flowering, but if done by the end of May, the plants will still have plenty of time to produce blooms. They’ll also flower more profusely, due to having more branches that will each terminate in a flower. Tall varieties can be used as back-of-the-border plants with other colorful perennials such as bee balm, phlox, hollyhocks, and lilies. Medium height varieties blend with daylilies, speedwells, Shasta daisies, coneflowers, balloon flowers, gayfeathers, and many more. The simpler forms of false sunflower make perfect additions to native plantings where they’ll self-sow if there is open soil. Butterflies and various bees and continued on page 34

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‘Summer Pink’ boasts pink and white variegated foliage with purple midribs and mahogany stems.

‘Sunstruck’ displays white and green variegated leaves and a dwarf habit.

Michigan Gardener | July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 33 wasps are frequent visitors. Birds enjoy the seeds in late summer, or after they drop to the ground in fall. False sunflower is also a good addition to cutflower gardens because the plants bloom all summer, especially if deadheaded. Powdery mildew is the most common disease on Heliopsis. It generally is not harmful, but can be unsightly by late summer. Plants can be cut to the ground if they become unattractive, but because they bloom into October, it seems a shame to cut them down prematurely. The incidence of powdery mildew can be decreased by providing good air circulation around the plants, and by keeping them well-watered. This may seem counter-intuitive because it is often said that wet foliage encourages fungal diseases. This is true of most plant diseases, but not of powdery mildew. Its spores will not germinate and spread in water droplets; instead they depend on very high humidity. Powdery mildew is most likely to occur when plants are drought-stressed, under conditions of high humidity (particularly late in the season with the onset of cooler nights), and on plants that are crowded, grown in too much shade, or in nutrient-depleted soil.

False sunflowers Green foliage • Yellow flowers • Tall • ‘Summer Sun’ – Perhaps the best known variety in the U.S. Floriferous seed strain with single to semi-double, golden yellow flowers and relatively compact habit. 3-4’ tall. • ‘Venus’ – Larger flowers, single to semi-double, up to 4” across. 3.5-4’. • ‘Gold Greenheart’ – Closest to fully double flowers. Centers are green on immature flowers. 3-4’. • ‘Ballerina’ – Semi-double flowers with central disk still visible. A German intro also known as ‘Spitzentanzerin.’ 3-3.5’. • ‘Prima Ballerina’ – Dense compact habit; heavy blooming; brilliant gold semi-double. A new garden-worthy seed strain. 3’.

Green foliage • Yellow flowers • Medium height • ‘Asahi’ – Fully double flowers are quite small, like little gold marigolds on stiff stems. 26-32” tall. • ‘Tuscan Sun’ – Improved dome-shaped habit; continual blooming. Single yellow daisies. 24-36”. • Tuscan Gold – Larger flowers; compact habit, with improved resistance to powdery mildew. 24-32”.

Dark foliage • Uniquely colored flowers • ‘Prairie Sunset,’ ‘Summer Nights,’ ‘Burning Hearts’ – Similar varieties; foliage emerges mahogany purple, and may change to dark olive by late summer. Stems remain purple for the entire season. Flowers variously bicolored; golden yellow with orange to russet centers. Central disk may be reddish instead of gold or brown. 3.5-4’ tall. • ‘Bleeding Hearts’ – Flowers start red-orange, maturing through shades of orange and bronze. Purple stems and leaves. 4’.

Propagation

Variegated foliage • Yellow to gold flowers

Growing false sunflower from seed is a good, easy propagation method suitable for even novice gardeners. Seed can be collected from garden plants in fall and sown in flats to overwinter outdoors. The seeds will germinate in the spring. It can also be grown from seed sown indoors in March. It is fast to germinate and the largish seeds are easy to handle. Many varieties can be purchased from seed companies if you wish to experiment with some of the newer types. However, the variegated forms are generally not grown from seed, even though some of them produce viable seed. This is because variegation will not necessarily be passed on to the seedlings. False sunflower can also be grown from cuttings, so if a particularly good form is discovered in a seed lot, it can be propagated by stem tip cuttings to make more identical plants. This is also a good way to propagate variegated or double-flowered varieties that won’t come true from seed. Like most clumpforming perennials, false sunflower can be divided. In fact, it’s a good idea to divide them every 3 to 4 years to keep them vigorously growing and to prevent the overcrowding that can lead to powdery mildew.

• ‘Loraine Sunshine’ – White and green variegation. Single yellow, daisy-shaped flowers. The first variegated cultivar. 30” tall. • ‘Sunstruck’ – Dwarf habit, white and green variegation. Single yellow daisies. 14-16”. • ‘Summer Green’ – Green and yellow variegation; mahogany stems; yellow single flowers. 30”. • ‘Summer Pink’ – Pink and white variegated foliage with purple midribs. Mahogany stems and yellow single flowers. 24-26”. • ‘Summer Stripe’ – Pale green, pink, and white variegation. Dark stems and yellow single flowers. 24-26”. A casual Internet search will reveal many more false sunflower (Heliopsis) varieties, too numerous to list. It is interesting to note that early Heliopsis cultivars were developed in Germany, the Netherlands, and Great Britain, not in its American homeland. Northern Europe has also provided us with the splashy variegated forms. But American interest in this homegrown genus has recently increased, as more gardeners strive to use native plants in their landscapes. The false sunflower has a Cinderella story that makes it worth seeking out.

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

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Single to semi-double flowers on ‘Venus’ are up to 4 inches across.

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‘Tuscan Sun’ shows off its dome-shaped habit and single yellow, daisy-shaped blooms.

MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2019 | Michigan Gardener

through the lens Photographs from Michigan gardeners

“Hostas and ferns coalesce in beautiful chaos.” —Jennifer Michalski

“There’s nothing like a good rhododendron for breakfast.” —Virginia Coleman

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. 3. If your photo is published, we’ll give you a free one-year subscription to Michigan Gardener.

Judi Coursen captured these two “peas” in a daylily pod on a sunny afternoon.

These black-eyed Susans were seeded on the north side of Johanna Lentz’s farm to attract butterflies.

| July/August 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

False Sunflower Golden garden joy, all summer long

alse sunflower (Heliopsis) is a perennial with native heritage, perfect for attracting butterflies and bees and creating masses of long-lasting color in the garden. Both the common and scientific names allude to its resemblance to true sunflowers (Helianthus). The Latin root of these names honors the sun god Helios—their cheerful, open-faced, golden daisy-like flowers mimic the rays of the sun. Other common names include ox eye sunflower or simply ox eye, but those names could be confused with the oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), a nonnative white daisy which has naturalized across the U.S. and most of Canada. False sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) is native over the entire North American continent east of the Rockies. It is a Karen substantial plant, growing 2 to 4 feet tall, Bovio with rather coarse, unimpressive toothed leaves. The species has been greatly improved by decades-long selection of the best individuals from seed-grown populations, and all of these are much better garden plants than the original. Early efforts concentrated on increasing flower-to-foliage ratio (the straight species produces a lot of leaves compared to flowers) and selection for fuller flower forms. continued on page 32

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‘Summer Nights’ exhibits striking, dark purple stems.

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‘Loraine Sunshine’ was the first variegated cultivar, and has single yellow, daisy-shaped flowers and variegated leaves.