Michigan Gardener - November/December 2010 by Michigan Gardener

Your guide to Great Lakes gardening a November/December 2010

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How-to: Identify pines, spruces, and firs Thyme for Herbs: Making baskets of herbs Houseplants: Understanding indoor light yields houseplant success Janet’s Journal: Selecting no-mess trees

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New! Circle of Friends Workshops Gather your friends (minimum of 10) to enjoy a private, fun-filled holiday workshop designed just for you. Choose from several options. Please call for details and availability. Register online at tellys.com or call 248-689-8735 for Troy classes or 248-659-8555 for Shelby classes.

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Fresh-cut Christmas Trees

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

contents November/December 2010 Clippings.................................................................... 5 To-Do List..................................................................6 Ask MG......................................................................8 Tools & Techniques.............................................10 Where to pick up Michigan Gardener............12 Advertiser Index....................................................12 Houseplants............................................................13 Plant Focus: Alleghany viburnum................. 14 Gift Subscriptions................................................ 16 Bulk Subscriptions............................................... 16 Calendar................................................................... 18 Weather Wrap...................................................... 18 Subscription Form............................................... 18 How-To....................................................................20 Books for the Michigan Gardener.................21 Thyme for Herbs..................................................22

Garden Wisdom I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure in the landscape— the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn’t show.” —Andrew Wyeth Garden TV..............................................................23 Places to Grow......................................................27 Janet’s Journal.................................... Back Cover On the cover: A Michigan winter scene soon to come: Crisp air, clear skies, and fresh-fallen snow on blue spruce branches. Photo: Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

To Our Readers...

Come see the finest variety of fresh-cut Christmas trees including: Fraser Fir • Nordmann Fir • Scotch Pine • White Pine Blue Spruce • Concolor Fir • Noble Fir • Grand Fir • Balsam Fir

This issue marks the conclusion of the 15th season of Michigan Gardener magazine.

Holiday Décor

The last 15 years of Michigan’s regional gardening magazine would not have been possible without the support of our advertisers. Please continue to visit and purchase products and services from them. When doing so, please be sure and tell them you saw their ad in Michigan Gardener!

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Not valid for gift certificates. One coupon per customer. May not be used in conjunction with any other coupon or offer. Expires December 24, 2010.

Until our next issue in April, please check out our website at www.MichiganGardener.com, which will be continually updated throughout the winter with valuable information.

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

TROY - 248-689-8735

Editorial Assistant Carrie MacGillis

3301 John R–1/4 mile north of 16 Mile

SHELBY TWP - 248-659-8555 4343 24 Mile btwn Dequindre & Shelby Rd.

HOURS (Nov. 1-24): Mon-Sat 9-6, Sun 10-5 Thanksgiving Day: Open – Please call for hours (Starting Nov. 26): Mon-Sat 9-8, Sun 10-6

Stay tuned for the next issue of Michigan Gardener in April, 2011.

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Contributors Barbara Ash Jeff Ball Karen Bovio Martha Ferguson Eric Grant Julia Hofley Janet Macunovich Steve Martinko Steven Nikkila George Papadelis Sandie Parrott Jean and Roxanne Riggs Jim Slezinski Steve Turner

16291 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 5 Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3327 Phone: 248-594-5563 Fax: 248-594-5564 E-mail: publisher@michigangardener.com Website: www.michigangardener.com Publishing schedule April to November, monthly (first week of the month). 8 issues per year. Subscriptions (Please make check payable to Michigan Gardener) 8 issues/$16 16 issues/$29 24 issues/$39 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 8 iss./$19 U.S. ($38 CAN.) 16 iss./$34 U.S. ($62 CAN.) Copyright © 2010 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.

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Dow Gardens

Know & Grow Seminar

clippings Genesee Master Gardeners provide highway rest stop beautification projects Genesee Master Gardener volunteers are involved in a unique educational outreach project at several Genesee County rest areas. Partnering with the Genesee County Road Commission and Michigan Department of Transportation, Master Gardeners have designed, installed, and maintained annual flower displays at several rest stop areas along I-75 and US-23. These rest areas serve about 2.5 million people annually. The annuals are labeled in the beds, and a descriptive brochure with cultural tips is available for rest stop visitors. The objectives of the project are to provide a visually pleasing welcome to the visitor’s center and to educate homeowners on annual flowers that are proven performers in the Michigan landscape. This successful partnership has created high visibility for the MSU Extension Master Gardeners, providing a tremendous educational opportunity for them to share with the gardening public. For more information on starting a rest stop project in your county, contact Terry McLean at mcleant@msu.edu.

Saturday, March 5, 2011 in Midland, Michigan

ogy laboratories. All samples tested negative. “This survey is another example of the MDA’s efforts to protect the state’s agricultural and natural resources for future generations to experience and enjoy,” said Don Koivisto, MDA Director. “Early detection and rapid response programs are crucial for dealing successfully with exotic pests.” Because of the large volume of plant material imported from western states, Michigan is at high risk for importing the SOD pathogen on infested nursery plants. It can easily be transported long distances on a wide variety of ornamental plants, including azaleas, lilacs, rhododendrons, and viburnums. Since 2004, the MDA has analyzed more than 3,500 plants at 120 high-risk nurseries throughout the state. The SOD pathogen has never been found in Michigan. Although SOD has only been found in California and Oregon in the U.S., it’s concerning because at least two oak species—northern pin and northern red—are highly susceptible to the disease. The disease does not affect humans and is not a food safety concern. For more information on SOD, visit www.na.fs.fed.us/sod.

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Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

to-do list

Feature Task: Create a winter container garden

Putting the garden to bed for the winter • It’s ideal to have the yard and garden cleaned up and winterized by the end of October, but there are still tasks to be done in the final months of the year. Putting away tools and hoses may be premature. There’s still pruning and watering to do to help keep plants their healthiest. • Throughout the final clean-up and pruning process, be sure to make notes of what worked and what didn’t this year. Reviewing these notes later will help plan for next year. • If temperatures are mild, continue to water trees and shrubs until the ground is frozen. Evergreens and broadleaf evergreens lose moisture to the wind all winter long, so make sure to water them when the soil is dry to the touch about an inch down. Try to give plants a good soaking just before the ground freezes and the snow starts to stick. Even if the soil is frozen above, plants can access water below the freeze. Be sure to disconnect the hose from the faucet each time you water, just in case it does freeze. • Use an anti-desiccant to keep plants from drying out (it acts like lip balm). Apply it as late as possible, while the temperatures are

•

• •

still above 40 degrees. Re-apply in late winter, when we have a warm spell, since the product wears off in about six weeks. It is especially important to use on broadleaf evergreens to help reduce the stress from Michigan’s winter winds. A burlap screen is also very helpful to cut the wind. If you have plants on the south or west side of the house that need protection, consider using both methods. Compost leaves to use as a great soil amendment next year. Mulch leaves, especially oak and maple leaves, into your lawn to help prevent lawn weeds next spring. On those grey days, take the time to winterize your tools so they’re ready for next spring. Give them a good cleaning, sharpening and oiling. Don’t forget the lawn mower blade! Store pesticides in a place they won’t freeze so you’ll be able to use them again next year. Ideally, empty container gardens of soil and bring them into the garage. If that’s not possible, be sure to raise them off the ground so water flows through them easily. Cover with burlap and then plastic. Another option is to turn them upside down. The goal is to prevent the pots from cracking by

Now that annual season is over, make use of your containers by creating a winter garden. Winter gardens are great for creating holiday cheer on your front entrance or patio. When using the containers from summer, keep the soil in the pots as it will hold the stems and branches really well. Follow the “Thriller, Spiller, Filler” design concept. Start with the tallest piece (the Thriller), such as a small evergreen tree or tall colorful branches, such as red-twig dogwood, curly willow, or gold and silver sparkle sticks for a dash of holiday spirit. Generally you’ll want them 1-1/2 times the height of the container to keep them

stopping the soil from expanding when the water in it freezes. Or, use the containers for the winter and fill them with evergreen branches, lights, and ornaments (see “Feature Task” above). • If you have a fountain, be sure to remove the pump so it doesn’t freeze. Empty the water, cover the fountain with burlap, then with a tarp. Plastic should not come in direct con-

in proportion. If the container will be seen from all sides, put them in the center. If it will be seen from just one side, put them in the back. Next, add Spillers that flow over the sides, such as cedar or white pine. Complete the container with a mixture of fresh evergreens that act as Fillers. If you don’t have the selection you’d like growing in your garden, visit your local garden center. Mix evergreens with cut branches and you’ll have decorations that will dress up the exterior of your house all winter. Use an antitranspirant to keep your arrangement from drying out in the winter sun. Add finishing touches like lights, a bow, and colorful ornaments to celebrate the season!

tact with the concrete. Moisture tends to build up at the contact points, and with a recurring freeze-thaw cycle, you may have spots on the fountain that flake or break.

Perennials • Clean out perennial beds. Keep seed heads for winter interest, as well as evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. Some perennials

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Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

have evergreen foliage with leaves that look good until the snow covers them, and even for a few weeks after the snow melts. Sage, germander, coral bells, hellebores, autumn fern, male fern, Christmas fern, Japanese tassel fern, many sedges, Japanese sweet flag, lily turf, wintergreen, plumbago and Stokes aster are just a few. • Another option is to add some miniature or dwarf conifers to the garden. They’re a good texture to mix in with perennials, and a great alternative to totally blank perennial beds each winter. • Add a new mulch layer as late as possible to help keep the ground cold and protect plants from the frost heave that occurs with winter’s freeze-thaw cycles.

re-infection source for next year. You can cut fungus problems by using a late season application of fungicide on the plant and on the ground 1 foot out from the plant. • Rose cones and burlap are used to hold the protective mulch around plants over the winter. Cut the tops off rose cones and add quarter-sized air holes so plants don’t overheat. Before using burlap, use a saw to cut the entire roll to the right height. Cutting the entire length to the right height with your scissors could be a pain in the hand. Then install stakes, staple gun the burlap to the stakes, and fill with compost, leaves or mulch to about 6 inches deep. Be sure to put the mulch down after the soil is cool.

Roses

• If spring plans include moving any shrubs or small trees, prepare them for the move now. Take your shovel and dig a circle around the plant, just like you were going to dig it out. But leave it in place and water thoroughly with a dose of rooting or planting fertilizer. The shrub will spend the winter growing roots into that circle. Next year when it’s moved, it will have many more roots, thus transplanting much better. • If you’re worried about plants after a heavy

• Roses should be going dormant now, so wait to winterize them until it gets cold and stays cold. Winterizing isn’t done to keep roses warm, but to help keep the soil temperatures consistent. Winterize too soon and roses may think it’s time to grow. In our region, it’s better to leave canes longer for the winter; prune in the spring to remove any winter dieback. • Be sure to remove any diseased foliage; don’t compost it. This could be a possible

Trees & Shrubs

Celebrate With Style.

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snow or ice storm, gently remove the snow or ice from the trees or shrubs. If the ice doesn’t come off easily, let it naturally melt so additional harm is not caused. Prune any broken branches immediately. You wouldn’t want a broken branch to fall on someone, and plants will heal and re-grow better with a clean cut.

Houseplants • The furnace is on more and more frequently as the temperatures drop, so be careful when placing houseplants near heat vents. Frequently, the side of the pot facing the vent will dry out more quickly than the other side, leading to watering problems. • Heat vents may also contribute to a spider mite infestation. Spider mites attack drought-stressed plants. The warm air from the vent can dry the leaves out a little too much on some plants. Use a vent deflector to decrease the direct contact with blowing air. This will help the plants survive the winter in better health. • Check plants for dryness before watering. There’s a lot less sunlight now than during the summer, so plants will want water less frequently than they did before. They’ll also need less fertilizer. You don’t want to promote growth right now, just keep plants

healthy. Growth in low light conditions tends to be weaker and more spindly. • Continue a schedule of systemic granule applications every six weeks for plants that were brought in from the outside. Maintaining a schedule all year will do a good job of preventing hard-to-treat problems. Provided by the professionals at English Gardens.

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Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

ask MG Ivy growing up maple tree I have English ivy as a groundcover in my shady front yard. It is, however, growing quite profusely up my 60-foot maple tree. Will it damage or kill my tree? I’d like to keep the ivy since it’s quite lovely and the birds nest in it, but if it’s a problem, I want the tree more! B.M., Livonia English ivy (Hedera helix) is often planted as a groundcover for shade. However, the plant is an aggressive climbing vine. It will seek whatever vertical surface it can attach to with little hair-like bristles, be it tree or wall. As the ivy climbs in search of increased light, it consumes and kills branches by blocking light from the tree’s leaves. Branch dieback moves from the lower to upper branches, often leaving the tree with just a small green “broccoli head.” The tree eventually succumbs entirely from this steady weakening. The added weight of the vines makes infested trees more susceptible to storm damage during high rain and wind events as well as heavy snowfalls. They become a significant hazard to pedestrian traffic. On the ground, English ivy forms dense monocultures that exclude native plants, not just weeds. It also serves as a host for bacterial leaf scorch, a pathogen harmful to elms, oaks, maples, and other native plants. Maple roots are in the top 20 inches of soil. With a mat of ivy on top, the tree is shortchanged of water and nutrients. Since you want the tree more, get rid of the ivy completely and put 2 to 3 inches of double-shredded hardwood mulch over the area. When removing the ivy, be careful not to damage the maple roots close to the surface. Use spading forks for deeper ivy roots rather than shovels which can cut tree roots. Do not use an herbicide in such close proximity to the maple roots. Pull off by hand what is on the tree to avoid excessive damage to the tree bark and prevent regeneration of the ivy. The birds will be just as happy building nests in the maple branches.

Overwintering small evergreens still in pots Can I leave boxwoods in plastic pots (about 5-gallon size) through the winter? I’m not sure what variety they are. Or should I plant them in the ground even though it is November? K.R., Dearborn Any small ornamental evergreen or conifer in a container needs special treatment to make it through a zone 5 winter (-20 degrees). If you have the space, you can bury the entire

Have a question? Send it in! E-mail: publisher@michigangardener.com Fax: 248-594-5564 Mail: 16291 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 5 Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3327

container in the ground and mulch leaves and compost over the base to protect it from freeze and thaw. If the location is subject to winds, a wind barrier of burlap or fabric to protect the leaves and needles is essential to avoid desiccation. You can also surround them with a staked chicken wire cage and fill the space with fall leaves. This also protects against sunscald. If no ground space is available, then place the boxwood containers in a sheltered area, cluster them together for protection, and place a windbreak around them for added protection from desiccation. Once the soil is frozen, the shrubs can’t take up moisture through their root systems to replenish what is lost in their leaves. You can also use an anti-desiccant spray on the foliage to further prevent moisture loss. Once ground soil shows signs of thawing, night temperatures remain above freezing, and you see signs of spring growth on other plants, then you can remove the heavy winter protection. Give them a few weeks to acclimate and day temperatures to warm before moving them from their sheltered location.

Wilting annuals in containers In my back yard, I planted SunPatiens in a container that gets sun in the morning and afternoon and some in the evening. These plants thrived, with little fertilizer and just periodic watering. On the other hand, the SunPatiens that I planted in the front (facing west) wilted and lost their leaves rapidly. I watered them daily, sometimes twice. I removed them from their pots and found root rot. So I bought some fresh plants, drilled more drainage holes, but the same thing happened. Any ideas on what the problem is? M.K., Troy Your descriptions of the health of the same plants in the two different locations seems to tell the story. Typically, container placement is different in the front of the house as opposed to the back. More than likely your backyard containers are away from the house walls and windows, perhaps out on a patio or deck where they can be seen from the house, but not against the house, maybe even out in the lawn or near garden beds. The containers in the front are probably nearer to walls and windows to be seen and enjoyed on the approach to the front door. Buildings absorb, reflect, and intensify heat. To make matters much worse, new windows with low-E glass or older windows that have been coated with a UV ray coating really intensify the heat that is reflected. The plants are being heated to an extreme. You water more, causing the

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

root rot, but the death rays of heat continue to zap the foliage. Increasing the number of drainage holes in those containers is helpful to prevent root rot, but still you must water more and more as the reflected heat continues to hit the plants. The only real prevention is to move the containers a safe distance away from walls and windows. Easier said than done probably. Another complication to consider is the size and shape of the pots. The large container in the back will hold more moisture longer, a smaller container dries much faster, such being the case with the original hanging containers. The wider and lower a container is, the slower the water drains away. The taller and narrower the container is, the faster it drains, even if the two containers are filled with the same amount of potting mix.

Inedible fruit from apple tree We have a McIntosh apple tree that is about 30 years old. It has never been sprayed. In the spring, lots of tiny, green apples start falling. The remaining apples are wormy and misshapen, thus we end up composting all of them. Is there anything we can do so the apples are good to eat? S.W., Troy Every McIntosh apple has a direct lineage to a single tree discovered in 1811 by John McIntosh in Dundas County, Ontario. Your 30-year-old McIntosh is a venerable species worth invested treatment. Premature apple drop can stem from several factors. A tree unable to support the vast number of fruits it has produced naturally thins out the fruit to decrease competition and conserve energy. Environmental conditions such as later frosts, excessive heat and cold, and abrupt changes in humidity can cause fruit to drop. The soil may be nutrientdeficient to support fruit growth. A soil test targeting apple trees is in order. Irregular watering can also cause fruit drop. Examine the weather patterns of the last few years to determine what weather conditions occurred. Consider your watering practices and note changes and improvements. The condition of your remaining apples suggests a strong pathological source. If there are “worms” in the fruit, you probably have codling moth (Cydia pomonella). The worms are the larval stage of this pest. The second generation adults emerge in July laying eggs on the apples. The young caterpillars can tunnel into the developing fruit shortly after egg hatch, exiting to pupate into another generation moth. This is when the most damage is done. To get good eating apples again, you need a steady maintenance program of vigilance and treatment. Homeowners can manage watering and fertilizing consistently. You can also practice good yard hygiene by removing fallen leaves, fruit, and debris from the tree’s vicinity. Such plant debris provides opportu-

nities for re-infestation. Through observation in the spring, verify the codling moth is the culprit before embarking on any spray insecticide program. Because of the critical timing of sprays and the chemistry of insecticides, hiring a professional arborist who is experienced in tree fruit culture is a wise move. In the space of one season, you should see a marked improvement in edible fruit.

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Planting near a black walnut tree Are there any shrubs, understory trees, etc. that would survive when planted near a black walnut tree? How close to the trunk can plants be placed? K.T., Rochester Hills There are a number of plants that are tolerant of the phytotoxin juglone, the chemical in black walnut trees (Juglans nigra) that can cause stunting, wilting, and death in many plants. Allelopathy is a complex phenomenon that involves a plant’s secretion of chemicals into the environment to inhibit the germination or growth of surrounding vegetation. It enhances tree survival and reproduction. Juglone is present on the roots, leaves, fruits, and branches of the plant; black walnut in this case. The average limit of the toxic zone from a mature tree is 50 to 60 feet, but plants as far away as 80 feet can possibly be affected if they are intolerant of the chemical. All parts of the tree continue to cause toxicity if added to a compost pile, so it is recommended no part of the tree be composted. Understory trees and shrubs resistant to black walnut trees include amelanchier, arborvitae, river birch, black gum, catalpa, dogwood, Canadian hemlock, honey locust, Japanese maple, redbud, witch hazel, althea, burning bush, currant, forsythia, hypericum, kerria, viburnum (certain ones), spicebush, and euonymus. When choosing any new plant, pay attention to sun, soil, and water requirements and plant the right plant in the right place.

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through jan 2 sculptors celebrate the legacy of fred & lena meijer

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Meijer Gardens.org , 888-957-1580 I-96 and East Beltline, Grand Rapids, MI

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

tools & techniques Garden and leaf rakes Back when Dean Martin had a TV show, I owned three rakes. In those days, two of them were called “garden rakes.” They had two- or three-inch tines welded to a metal frame with a wooden handle. One of those rakes was about 18 inches wide and the other only 8 inches. I used the bigger garden rake in preparing my vegetable garden each year. The smaller rake was handy working in flower beds that had some perennial plants in place. My third rake was the traditional bamboo leaf rake, probably two feet wide. It could move some leaves for sure. Up until about five years ago, the garden rake and the leaf rake were your choices. Yes, some of the leaf rakes were metal and worked well raking up grass clippings, but the design was essentially the same as my old leaf rake. Just in the last few years, however, we have at least five new rake designs available. I am using them all. Fiskars Leaf Rake. With this new design, Fiskars has addressed all the features of the old leaf rakes and has made improvements all around. It is a Jeff standard 24 inches wide, but the Ball tines are 1/2 inch wide and made of resin. The tines are curved inward just enough to have better control of those pesky leaves. The tines are flexible but are more stiff than my older leaf rakes. The handle is light because it is made of aluminum and is shaped like a teardrop which gives you a surer grip and reduces hand fatigue. Fiskars Shrub Rake. Reminiscent of my handy 8-inch garden rake, Fiskars (www.fiskars.com) has come out with an 8-inch leaf rake made of flexible resins. Like the larger leaf rake, the tines are 1/2 inch wide and slightly curved to give better control. The handle is also teardrop-shaped and is as long as the bigger rake—a feature I just love. This rake is great for spreading mulch amongst vegetable and flower plants in the middle of the growing season. Radius Shark rake. I love the line of garden tools produced in the past few years by the folks at Radius Garden (www.radiusgarden.com). They are really thinking outside the bun. The Shark is a rake that is shaped into half a circle. Its tines are curved inward so that when you pull the rake towards you, it moves the material toward the center of the rake head. When you push the rake away from you, it spreads the material smoothly. It is designed to apply mulch, peat moss, or compost. It has an extra-long fiberglass handle and, talk about weird, is painted lime green. It has an unusual design but it works much better than my garden rakes.

Deer eating your plants? Radius Ground Hog rake. The bright yellow Ground Hog is essentially a traditional garden rake that has been bent into a semi-circle form. It has extra long tines so it is very efficient in raking just about anything that needs raking. It is particularly effective raking wet leaves. Because the rake head is bent into a semi-circle, you can move the rake sideways to get behind existing plants without hurting them. Radius Gator Grabber. This is not really a rake but it is a wonderful companion to any rake. The Gator Grabber is the ultimate backsaving clean-up tool that helps lift almost anything without bending or straining. The telescoping steel handles adjust to any user and any task. It is particularly effective grabbing leaves, brush, rubbish, stones, or small logs. The Gator Grabber features durable polyfiber jaws with serrated inner ribs and closefitting teeth that will grab any material. The downside for this tool is that it is so well-built that it is probably too heavy for smaller folks. For me, my back thanks the Gator Grabber. Leaf mulch. I got a press release the other day for a device that is designed to make filling bags of leaves easier. It was sort of like a huge funnel and I suspect it works very well. There was just one glaring problem for me. It assumed you would throw your leaves away in the trash. As those of you who have put up with me over the years know, that is a big no-no. Leaves should be chopped up with a mulching mower or a leaf shredder like the Flowtron Leaf-Eater. Those very valuable chopped leaves then become mulch in garden beds and under trees and shrubs. Now, to be perfectly honest, I am not above hoping my neighbors are uninformed enough to collect their leaves and put them out for the trash, all nicely bagged up. Then I can sneak around after dark with my pickup truck and adopt those leaves for my greater use. I never have enough chopped leaves to last all year. Readers often ask, “How do I mulch my lawn without killing the grass?” The trick is to use a bagger on your mulching mower to collect the first 75 percent of the fallen leaves to use in your garden beds and around the trees and shrubs. Then, for the final 25 percent, you take off the bagging attachment and leave about 1/2 inch of chopped leaves to serve as food for the creatures in your lawn’s soil. If your grass is 2 inches tall, you won’t even see 1/2 inch of leaf mulch. Jeff Ball has authored eight books on gardening, vegetables, and lawn care, and gardens in Lapeer County, MI.

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Cultivate your green thumb indoors! We offer a unique selection of houseplants to alleviate your gardening withdrawal during the winter. If you need a little inspiration, our houseplant guru, Lisa Steinkopf (Certified Interior Landscape Technician), will help you select and care for your new purchases.

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Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

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Ann Arbor • 16 Hands Gallery H Abbott’s Landscp Nurs H Ace Barnes Hardware • Borders • Downtown Home & Gard H English Gardens • HillTop Greenhse & Farms • Larry’s Mower Shop • Lodi Farms H Matthaei Botanical Gard • Nicola’s Books H The Produce Station • Turner Greenhses • Whole Foods • Wild Bird Ctr

Clinton Twp • ACO Hardware H English Gardens • Evergreen Home & Gard • MSU ExtensionMacomb Cty H Tropical Treasures

Howell H Howell Farmer’s Mkt • Penrose Nurs H Specialty Growers

Pontiac H Goldner Walsh Gard/ Home • MSU ExtensionOakland Cty

Imlay City H Earthly Arts

Ray • Van’s Valley Grenhse

Lake Orion • Lake Orion Lawn Ornaments H Orion Stone Depot • Wojo’s Greenhse

Redford • Seven Mi Gard Ctr

Auburn Hills • ACO Hardware • Borders • Drake’s Nurs H Oakland Comm College • Public Library H State Crushing

Belleville • Banotai Greenhse • Gardeners Choice • Pinter Flowerland • Zywicki Greenhse Berkley • Garden Central

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at these fine locations:

Beverly Hills • Borders Birmingham • ACO Hardware H Blossoms • Borders H Bordine’s on Woodward • Cupcake Station • MT Hunter • Neighborhood Hardware H Plant Station • Public Library • Tiffany Florist • Watch Hill Antiques Bloomfield Hills • ACE Hardware • Backyard Birds Brighton • Beauchamp Landscp Supp H Bordine’s H English Gardens H Grasshopper Gardens H Meier Flowerland • Rhino Seed & Turf Supp Brownstown Twp • ACO Hardware • Elegant Environ Pond Shop • James Bros Lanscp • Ruhlig Farms & Gard Canton • Canton Floral Gardens • Clink Landscp & Nurs • Crimboli Nurs • Keller & Stein Greenhse • Reliable Landscaping Chelsea H Garden Mill Clarkston • ACE Hardware • ACO Hardware H Bordine’s • Country Oaks Landscp Supp I

Commerce Twp • Backyard Birds @ ACE Hardware • Zoner’s Greenhse Davison • Wojo’s Garden Splendors Dearborn • ACO Hardware • Fairlane Gard Dearborn Hts • ACO Hardware H English Gardens Detroit • Detroit Gard Ctr • MSU Extension-Wayne Cty • Public Library Dexter • Dexter Gard H Fraleigh’s Nurs Eastpointe H English Gardens Farmington • ACO Hardware • Sunflower Bakehaus Farmington Hills • ACO Hardware • Angelo’s Landscp Supp • Farmer John’s Greenhse • HydroHarrys H Steinkopf Nurs • Weingartz Fenton • Gerych’s H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm Ferndale • Casual Modes Home & Gard • Green Thumb Gard Ctr • Public Library Fostoria H Iron Barn Iron Work Fowlerville H Arrowhead Alpines Gladwin H Stone Cottage Gardens Grand Blanc H Bordine’s H The Weed Lady Grand Rapids H Meijer Gardens Grosse Ile H Westcroft Gardens Grosse Pointe • ACE Hardware • Allemon’s Landscp Ctr • Meldrum & Smith Nurs Grosse Pointe Woods • Wild Birds Unltd Hadley H Le Fleur Décor Haslett H Van Atta’s Greenhse Highland • ACO Hardware • Colasanti’s Produce & Plants

Advertiser Index Abele Greenhouse & Garden Center......................................6 Arboricultural Services...................... 10 Association of Professional Gardeners..................................................19 Auburn Oaks Nursery.........................12 Barson’s Greenhouse...........................12

Lapeer • Perkin’s Flowers Livonia • ACO Hardware (5 Mi/ Middlebelt) • ACO Hardware (6 Mi/ Newburgh) • Bushel Mart • Superior Growers Supp • Zerbo’s Health Foods Macomb • ACO Hardware • Altermatt’s Greenhse • Boyka’s Greenhse • Deneweth’s Greenhses H Elya’s Village Gard • Landscapesource.com Madison Hts • Green Carpet Sod Midland H Dow Gardens Milford • ACO Hardware • Milford Gardens • One Stop Landscp Supp Milford/Highland H The Pond Place Mt Clemens • Public Library New Baltimore • Meldrum Bros Nurs New Boston • Gorham & Sons Nurs • Grass Roots Nurs North Branch • Campbell’s Greenhses H Oldani Landscp Nurs Northville • Begonia Bros H Gardenviews Novi • ACO Hardware • Borders H Dinser’s • Glenda’s Gard Ctr • Tollgate Education Ctr • Wild Birds Unlimited Oak Park H Four Seasons Gard Ctr Ortonville • Country Oaks Landscp Supp II • Wojo’s Greenhse Ottawa Lake H Jacob’s Garden Owosso H Everlastings in the Wildwood Pinckney • Ed Bock Feeds Plymouth • Backyard Birds • Lucas Nurs H Plymouth Nurs • Plymouth Rock & Supp • Rock Shoppe H Saxton’s Gard Ctr

Billings Lawn Equipment....................17 Blossoms................................................... 10 Bogie Lake Greenhouses......................8 Bordine’s...........................................Page 3 Contender’s Tree & Lawn Specialists...................................................11 Detroit Garden Works...........................7 Dinser’s Greenhouse.............................9 Dow Gardens.............................................5 Dream Gardens......................................13

H Eckert’s Greenhse H Flower Barn Nurs • Prime Landscp Supply • Public Library

• Sideways • Sparr’s Greenhse

Stockbridge • Gee Farms Sylvan Lake H AguaFina Gardens Interntl H Detroit Garden Works

Rochester • Casual Concepts H Fogler’s Greenhse H Haley Stone Supply • Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr Rochester Hills • ACE Hardware • ACO Hardware H Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr • Borders H Bordine’s • Shades of Green Nurs • Wild Birds Unltd

Taylor • Beautiful Ponds & Gard • D&L Garden Ctr • Massab Acres • Panetta’s Landscp Supp Tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens Trenton • Carefree Lawn Ctr • Keck Hardware

Rockwood • Marsh Greenhouses

Troy • ACO Hardware H Telly’s Greenhse • The Home & Gard Shop • Tom’s Landscp Nurs H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store • Wilkop Gard Ctr

Romulus • Kurtzhal’s Farms • Schoedel’s Nurs H Schwartz’s Greenhse

Utica • Dale’s Landscp Supp • Stone City • Weingartz

Roseville • Dale’s Landscp Supp • Public Library • World Gardenland

Warren • Beste’s Lawn & Patio • Harry’s Gard Ctr • Young’s Garden Mart

Royal Oak • ACO Hardware • Billings Lawn Equip H English Gardens • Frentz & Sons Hardware • Heritage Co. 2 • La Roche • Manus Power Mowers • Wild Birds Unltd

Washington • Landscape Direct • Rocks ‘n’ Roots

Saginaw H Abele Greenhse & Gard Ctr Saline • Nature’s Gard Ctr • Saline Flowerland

Waterford H Merrittscape

Shelby Twp • Diegel Greenhses • Eden Gard Ctr H Hessell’s Greenhses • Maeder Plant Farm • Potteryland H Telly’s Greenhse • Third Coast Garden Supp

Wayne • Artman’s Nurs West Bloomfield H English Gardens H Planterra • Public Library • Whole Foods

South Lyon • ACO Hardware • Hollow Oak Farm Nurs • Raney’s Greenhse Southfield • 3 DDD’s Stand • ACO Hardware H Eagle Landscp & Supply H Flower Barn Nursery • Lavin’s Flower Land • Main’s Landscp Supp Southgate • Ray Hunter Florist St Clair Shores • ACE Hardware • ACO Hardware (Harper/13 Mi) • Greenhouse Growers • Hall’s Nurs • Soulliere Gard Ctr Sterling Hts • ACO Hardware • Decor Statuette

English Gardens... Inside Front Cover Frederik Meijer Gardens.................... 10 The Garden Company...........................9 Garden Mill...............................................17 Garden Rhythms......................................7 A Garden Space........................................9 Gardenviews..............................................5 Goldner Walsh Nursery.................... 10 Guardian Tree Experts........................17 Hidden Lake Gardens..........................21

Waterford • ACO Hardware • Hoffman Nurs • Indoor Garden Superstore • Jacobsen’s Flowers • Light Green Water • Oakland Cty Farmer’s Mkt • Public Library

Westland • ACO Hardware • Artman’s Westland Nurs H Barsons Greenhses • Bushel Stop H Joe Randazzo’s Nurs • Panetta’s Landscp Supp • Public Library White Lake H Bogie Lake Greenhse • Mulligan’s Gard Ctr • Sunshine Plants Whitmore Lake H Alexander’s Greenhses Wixom • Angelo’s Landscp Supp • Brainer’s Greenhse Ypsilanti • Coleman’s Farm Mkt • Lucas Nurs • Margolis Nurs H Materials Unlimited • Schmidt’s Antiques

Hodges Subaru.........................................6 Perennial Enhancements.....................5 The Plant Station....................................21 Planterra.....................................................13 Saxton’s Garden Center......................17 Steinkopf Nursery...................................11 Telly’s Greenhouse................................. 4 Uncle Luke’s Feed Store......................19 The Weed Lady.........................................8 Wiegand’s Nursery...............................21

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Understanding light equals houseplant success

Select plants for your light conditions Interior light levels dictate which plants will be successful for your home long-term. Therefore, base your plant selection on the light that is available in the room. Plants sold as “houseplants” are usually marked or characterized as high, medium, or low light plants. A window with direct sun is usually considered to be “high light,” a room with partial or filtered sun is considered to be “medium light,” and a room without enough natural light to produce a shadow is generally considered Shane “low light.” Low light plants will Pliska typically sustain their foliage in rooms with little natural light, as long as that natural or artificial light is provided 8 hours daily. When relying on artificial light, be sure that the light source shines down on the plant from above. Decorative up-lights can add drama in a room but shining light to the underside of a plant’s leaves does not contribute to photosynthesis, as the cells that absorb light are on the topside of the leaf.

Water according to light exposure and humidity Houseplants need water proportional to the amount of light that they receive. Light sets the pace for the plant’s metabolism of water via photosynthesis and transpiration. So, a plant in a room with low or filtered light requires less water than the same plant in a room with exposure to direct sunlight, as less water is needed to produce food through photosynthesis. However, the majority of a plant’s water intake is spent on transpiration, the process where moisture inside the plant evaporates through its pores. Both light and humidity levels affect transpiration, so it is important to be mindful of your home’s dryness seasonally, especially in the months when heating and air-conditioning systems are running.

Decorative up-lights can add drama in a room but shining light to the underside of a plant’s leaves does not contribute to photosynthesis, as the cells that absorb light are on the topside of the leaf. Prune and rotate for acclimation and overall form When a plant gradually adjusts to a lower light environment, it is called acclimation. Good quality houseplants are pre-acclimated in a greenhouse or shaded nursery. The better acclimated a plant is, the more likely that the plant will be able to support the majority of its beautiful foliage in an interior environment. However, even plants that have been well acclimated in nurseries will naturally shed unneeded foliage if the light is not available to sustain it. This is because homes have much less light than a greenhouse. On tree form plants with canopies, such as ficus, prune foliage inside the canopy where light will not penetrate. Since light is rarely evenly distributed inside a home, give your plant a good turn every two to three months. Rotating your plant regularly will prevent dead spots and lopsided growth, and promote overall symmetrical form. Finally, prune runaway new growth that is stretching for light in order to keep the plant’s energy closer to its intended form. Shane Pliska is the President of Planterra Conservatory in West Bloomfield, MI.

Conservatory NOW OPEN! TROPICAL PLANTS FOR THE HOME & GARDEN

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Jennifer Blankenship 248-980-8719 jennifer@dreamgardensmi.com www.dreamgardensmi.com Personalized designs with a focus on

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Understanding light and how it affects a plant’s appearance and health is the key to maintaining and sustaining attractive houseplants. Plants that are sold as houseplants are varieties that have been proven to do reasonably well within the light levels found in residential and commercial interiors. The majority are tropical and sub-tropical plants native to the shaded understory regions of dense rainforests. Since most interior environments do not have enough light to support significant growth, the overall goal of houseplant care is to sustain its beauty, health, and form. This is achieved by understanding, respecting, and utilizing available light.

Come visit our breathtaking indoor plant oasis and see hundreds of houseplants as well as our one-of-kind living wall. We offer Southeastern Michigan’s best selection of houseplants for sale in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. 7315 DRAKE RD. WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48322 248-661-1515 WWW.PLANTERRA.COM

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Jim Slezinski

Alleghany viburnum is upright and arching in its early years.

Jim Slezinski

Creamy white flowers emerge in May and repeat in the fall.

Jim Slezinski

This excellent shrub can be used to fill the space under evergreens that lose their lower limbs.

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

The leaves of Alleghany viburnum have a coarse, leathery texture.

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

plant focus

Alleghany Viburnum A vigorous and versatile shrub

Having become aware of Alleghany viburnum (Viburnum x rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghany’) in the early 1970’s through various nurserymen and growers, it has been a mainstay for me in many gardening and landscaping projects. It’s a gem of a shrub and cannot take a back seat to many other viburnums. Before listing the features of ‘Alleghany,’ here’s just a bit about its rich history. Gardeners and landscape designers alike have much to be thankful for when it comes to the breeding talents of one master horticulturist, the late Don Egolf. His enduring work at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington D.C. resulted in new and improved woody shrubs and trees during the 1950’s and 60’s. Besides unique cultivars of firethorns (Pyracantha), crabapples (Malus), rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), and crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Egolf’s crowning glory was his viburnums. He referred to viburnums as “…probably the most significant flowering shrubs for temperate climates because of their tremendous variety.” Egolf produced well over a dozen viburnum cultivars and he wanted these to be recognized immediately as of American origin. Toying with names of mountains, rivers, and historical sites, he finally decided that Native American names gave the greatest latitude and potential to his theme. So today we have a variety of viburnum cultivars such as ‘Iroquois,’ ‘Mohawk,’ ‘Mohican,’ ‘Oneida,’ ‘Seneca,’ and more. One of his best, however, is ‘Alleghany.’ The parent shrubs were Viburnum lantana ‘Mohican’ and V. rhytidophyllum (leatherleaf viburnum). Viburnum lantana from Poland is used for hedges, but the fruits shrivel in the fall and the branching structure is coarse during the winter. The leatherleaf viburnum is a 10- to 15-foot shrub from China with 8-inch, semi-evergreen to evergreen leaves. It needs sheltering from winds in zones 5 and 6 (-20 and -10 degrees) and is susceptible to a leaf spot disease. So, when Egolf crossed these European and Asian species in 1958, the hybrid shrub ‘Alleghany’ arrived, sporting the best features of both parent shrubs. Releasing the new hybrid shrub in Jim 1966 from the NaSlezinski tional Arboretum was

Alleghany Viburnum Botanical name: Viburnum x rhytidophylloides ‘Alleghany’ (vy-BUR-num rih-tih-do-fill-OY-deez) Plant type: Shrub Plant size: 10-11 feet tall and wide Habit: Upright, arching; eventually rounded Growth rate: Medium Light: Full sun to medium-heavy shade from trees Soil: Adaptable to most soils Watering: Supplement for first few years after planting. Drought-tolerant when established. Hardiness: Zone 5 (-20 degrees) Flower color: Creamy white Flower size: 3- to 4-inch clusters Bloom period: May, September, and October. Flower buds prominent through winter. Fruit: Bright red to black. Enjoyed by birds. Showy in winter. Leaf color: Dark green; heavy leathery texture. Deciduous to semi-evergreen (sometimes evergreen depending on the severity of winter). Leaf size: 4-8 inches long Uses: Specimen plant. Group together in a hedge or screen. Useful in shrub border. Remarks: A low maintenance shrub. The flowers are frequented by bees and butterflies. momentous for nurserymen and growers, who knew Egolf’s work was worthwhile. And the Europeans were thoroughly delighted in the Native American name. This new baby shrub on the block featured “leathery” very dark green leaves, usually deciduous in hard, cold winters. But during mild winters in zones 5 and 6, the foliage remained evergreen to semi-evergreen. Resistance to the bacterial leaf spot of its parent shrub was applauded and given high regards by all. ‘Alleghany’ had abundant yellow-white flowers in May with

Jim Slezinski

Alleghany viburnum can grow in the shade of evergreens and in the competition with their tree roots. repeat flowering for several weeks in September and October. Any well-exposed flower buds above the foliage remained intact through the winter for spring flowering. Brilliant current red fruit clusters appeared in late summer. Ripened blueblack fruits later on into the fall often times contrasted with some of the early red fruits in the same cluster. This was an ornamental bonus! And as for form and shape, ‘Alleghany’ continued on next page

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Jim Slezinski

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Jim Slezinski

Alleghany viburnum also makes a worthwhile specimen plant.

Brilliant red fruit clusters appear in late summer.

This shrub creates an excellent hedge or screen.

continued from previous page

a low maintenance shrub. The fibrous and heavy root system provides this tolerance to dryness once established in the landscape. Most soils when amended with compost or sphagnum peat moss are adequate for good growth. Mulching with compost or shredded hardwood bark is desirable to retain moisture for the first few years. The fruits, both red and black, are enjoyed by the birds. If not taken, the black fruits remain through the winter along with the exposed flower buds. Many times, snow and ice enhance this ornamental winter attraction on the shrub. As an individual accent shrub, ‘Alleghany’ stands out in any landscape setting in all seasons. The bold, leathery texture of

the foliage contrasts well in association with fine, airy flowers and leaves of perennials. Combine it with astilbes, cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), Japanese painted fern (Athyrium), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), and narrow leaf blue star (Amsonia hubrichtii) to make a show-stopping garden scene. I would highly recommend all gardeners and landscape professionals grow this well-deserved shrub in their garden and tell others about it as well.

boasted vigorous, dense growth in an upright globular body of branches. Reaching 10 to 11 feet tall and wide in the open, ‘Alleghany’ received its five-star recognition from then on. I find Alleghany viburnum extremely useful as a shrub for a natural hedge and visual screen. It will grow fine in both full sun and in fairly heavy shade from upper story trees. It adapts very well in shady conditions with good competition from neighboring tree roots. In these conditions it is helpful to supplement watering during the first few years after planting. Afterwards, ‘Alleghany’ is drought-tolerant and considered

Jim Slezinski is the Vice President and Senior Landscape Designer/Horticulturist at Goldner Walsh Nursery in Pontiac, MI.

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Ongoing Belle Isle Conservatory Wed-Sun, including holidays, 10am-5pm, Detroit. The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. 313-821-5428. H Cranbrook Greenhouse Mondays, 9:30-11:30am, Bloomfield Hills. Specializing in orchids, blooming houseplants, & more. 248-645-3147. www.Cranbrook.edu/housegardens. H Dow Gardens Daily, 9am to 1 hour before sunset, Midland. $5. Whiting Forest Tours on Wednesdays, 11-11:45am: guided walk, native & non-native plants. 800-362-4874, www. DowGardens.org. H Ford House Gardens Tue-Sat, 10am-4pm; Sun, 12-4pm, Grosse Pointe Shores. Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. Stroll the gardens & grounds. $3. 313-884-4222. H Frederik Meijer Gardens Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm, Grand Rapids. 125-acre botanic garden, Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory, 30-acre sculpture park. 888-957-1580. Henry Ford Estate Dearborn. Tour family home of Henry Ford & Jens Jensen landscaped grounds & waterscapes. 313-593-5590. H Hidden Lake Gardens Open daily 8am-sunset, Tipton (8 mi. west of Tecumseh). 755 acres of woodlands & gardens including hosta, dwarf conifer collections, annuals, perennial displays, hiking trails, lake, conservatory & arboretum. $3. 517-431-2060. www.HiddenLakeGardens.msu.edu. Master Gardener Class - Winter Thu, Jan 27-Apr 28, 2011, 6-10pm, Waterford. By MSU Extension at Oakland County Service Center (2100 Pontiac Lake Rd). 13-week class towards earning Master Gardener Certification. $25 application fee, $300 class fee. Apply by: 12/31/10, 248-858-0887, smithlin@ oakgov.com. H Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum Grounds: daily, 8am-sunset; Conservatory: 10am-4:30pm (Wed 10am-8pm), Ann Arbor. Conservatory ($5, age 5-18: $2): over 1,200 tropical, warm-temperate, arid plants from around world. Grounds (FREE): 350 acres of trails, formal gardens, wetlands. 734-647-7600. www. mbgna.umich.edu. Meadow Brook Hall & Gardens Gardens open daily, dawn to dusk (FREE), Rochester. At Oakland Univ. 4th largest historic mansion in U.S. Hall tours available. 248-364-6200. Tollgate Education Center Mon-Sat, 9am-dusk, closed Sundays, Novi. Enjoy the gardens (28115 Meadowbrook). FREE. 248-347-3860.

110 S. Main • Downtown ChelSea • 734-475-3539 • www.thegardenmill.com

November 2010

Surround yourself with healthy, beautiful trees.

Season Extension & High Tunnel Webinar Series Nov 1, 3, 8, 16 & 18. By Oakland County Michigan State University Extension. $30. Register: 248-858-0887, smithlin@oakgov.com. Native Fall & Holiday Designs for the Home Tue, Nov 2, 6:30pm, Bloomfield Hills. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland County at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (5631 N Adams Rd). $3. DNBauer@comcast.net.

Our scientific approach will save you money and protect your trees and shrubs.

Natural Skin Balm Workshop Sat, Nov 6, 9:30am-noon, Detroit. At Detroit Garden Center (1900 E. Jefferson). $15. Register: 313-259-6363, detroitgardenctr@yahoo.com.

PRUNING • REMOVALS • CABLING • LIGHTNING PROTECTION FERTILIZATION • ROOT CARE & SOIL MANAGEMENT • INSECT & DISEASE MANAGEMENT • PLANTING • CONSULTATION

H Christmas Open House Sat-Sun, Nov 6-7, four Bordine’s locations. www.bordines. com.

734-786-1688

H Annual Holiday Open House Sun, Nov 7, 10am-5pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. www.EnglishGardens.com.

Arborists Who Care.

www. GuardianTreeExperts.com

H Holiday Open House Sun, Nov 7, noon-5pm, Birmingham. At Blossoms. www. blossomsbirmingham.com, 248-644-4411. Backyard Eden: The Green Universe in Your Yard Mon, Nov 8, 7pm, Birmingham. By Hardy Plant Society at Congregational Church of Birmingham. mzbj@sbcglobal.net.

5 YEAR

Invasive Species Tue, Nov 9, noon, Farmington Hills. By North Farmington Garden Club at Farmington Community Library. Register: 248-722-4503.

Limited Warranty

Industry Best Warranty!

55 Years of Allium Growing & 45 Minutes of Time Tue, Nov 9, 7pm, Grosse Pointe Farms. By Grosse Pointe Garden Center at Grosse Pointe War Memorial (32 Lake Shore Dr). $5. 313-881-7511 x206. Organic Gardening, Fertilizers & Amendments Thu, Nov 11, 1 pm, Shelby Twp. By Shelby Gardeners Club at Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center. Meeting: 10am. Speaker FREE. 586-781-4693, smsouva@comcast.net. H Yuletide Shopping Tea Fri-Sat, Nov 12-13, 10am-5pm, Leonard. At Yule Love It Lavender Farm. Handmade products, lavender baked goods. 248-628-7814, www.yuleloveitlavender.com. H Holiday Open House Sat-Sun, Nov 13-14, Grand Blanc. At The Weed Lady. www.TheWeedLady.com, 810-665-2723. H Holiday How-To Weekends Sat-Sun, Nov 13-14 & 20-21, noon-4pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE demos. www.EnglishGardens.com. continued on next page

Promote your events! Send us your information! Mail: 16291 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 5, Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3327 Fax: 248-594-5564 E-Mail: calendar@michigangardener.com Upcoming Issues & Deadlines: Issue

any purchase of fresh holiday greens over $10

April 2011 May 2011

Deadline March 15, 2010 April 15, 2010

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Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

continued from previous page H Terrific Turkeys Pre-School Program Tue, Nov 16, 10-11:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $8. 517-431-2060. H The Garden Year in Review Wed, Nov 17, 6:30-9pm, Farmington Hills. By Association of Professional Gardeners at Spicer House in Heritage Park. $5. 248-828-2978, thegardener@comcast.net. H Fall Bird Walk Sat, Nov 20, 7:30am, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. Bring binoculars, waterproof footwear, multi-layered clothing. $7. Register: 313-8844222. www.fordhouse.org. Herb & Holly Boutique Sat, Nov 20, 9am-2pm, Grosse Pointe Woods. By Herb Society of America at Grosse Pointe Woods Community Center (20025 Mack). Demos, Q & A, sale. 586-7736682, maryglassco@juno.com. H Herbal Advent Wreath Sat, Nov 20, 10am-noon, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $29.75. 810-629-9208. H Winter Faerie House Sat, Nov 20, 10am-1pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $44.75. 810-629-9208. H Holiday Open House Sat, Nov 20, 9am-5pm & Sun, Nov 21, 10am-5pm, White Lake. At Bogie Lake Greenhouses. Seminars, holiday market. 248-887-5101. H Holiday Outdoor Arrangement Workshop Sat, Nov 20, 10am & Dec 4, 1pm, Troy & Shelby Twp. At Telly’s Greenhouse. www.tellys.com. Bonsai Presentation Sun, Nov 21, 2pm, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club of Michigan at Telly’s (3301 John R). Topic: growing bonsai under fluorescent lights. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com.

Hosta Society Meeting Mon, Nov 22, 7pm, Birmingham. By Metro Detroit Hosta Society at Birmingham First United Methodist Church (1589 W. Maple). Lecture: Hosta Society Convention. $3. janeverson@sbcglobal.net. H Christmas & Holiday Traditions Around the World Nov 23-Jan 9, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. 300,000 lights, more than 40 trees & displays. www.meijergardens.org. H Christmas Open House Fri-Sun, Nov 26 & 27, 10am-5pm & Nov 28, 11am-5pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. 810-629-9208. H Holiday Swag Workshop Tue, Nov 30, 6:30pm & Sat, Dec 4, 10am, Troy & Shelby Twp. At Telly’s Greenhouse. www.tellys.com.

December 2010 H Evening of Lights Fri, Dec 3, 5-8pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. www. hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu, 517-431-2060. Greens Market Sat, Dec 4, 9am-4pm, Clarkston. By Clarkston Garden Club at Church of the Resurrection (6490 Clarkston Rd.) Wreaths, roping, arrangements. 248-605-5524, www. clarkstongardenclub.com. Fresh Greens Workshop Sat, Dec 4, 9:30-11:30am, Livonia. By Livonia Garden Club at Livonia Senior Center. $24. Register by Nov 1: 248-4869676, rb@rc.net.

H Holiday Festival Sat, Dec 4, 4-8pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu, 517-431-2060. H Holiday Open House Sat-Sun, Dec 4-5, Novi. At Dinser’s. 248-349-1320, www. dinsers.net. H Holiday Centerpiece Workshop Tue, Dec 7, 7pm, Farmington Hills. At Steinkopf Nursery. Create a fresh greens arrangement, $20. Register: 248474-2925. H Christmas Brunch Tea Tue-Thu, Dec 7-9, 11am-1:30pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. Choose one day to attend. $26.75. 810-629-9208. H Holiday Greens: Indoor Arrangement Workshop Tue, Dec 7 & Sat, Dec 11, 10am, Troy & Shelby Twp. At Telly’s Greenhouse. www.tellys.com. H Christmas Walk Thu-Sat, Dec 9-11, Midland. At Dow Gardens. 800-3624874. www.DowGardens.org. H Fresh Holiday Centerpiece Sat, Dec 11, 10am-noon, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $46.75. 810-629-9208.

H Fresh Holiday Wreath Sat, Dec 4, 10am-noon, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $42.75. 810-629-9208.

H Children’s Holiday Workshop Sat, Dec 11, 10am, Farmington Hills. At Steinkopf Nursery. Paint a pot to hold a bulb garden, $5. Register: 248-4742925.

Holiday Home Tour Sat, Dec 4, 11am-4pm, Cadillac. By Cadillac Garden Club. $15. 231-510-9047.

H Gifts from Nature Pre-School Program Tue, Dec 14, 10-11:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $8. 517-431-2060.

Find a garden in your mailbox. Subscribe for convenient home delivery of Michigan Gardener 8 issues (1 year) – $16

Annual Tree Trimming & Holiday Lighting Installation Sat, Dec 4, 11am, Detroit. By Detroit Garden Center at Belle Isle Nature Conservatory. 313-259-6363, detroitgardenctr@yahoo.com.

16 issues (2 years) – $29

September 2010

Detroit Flint Lansing

Normal Monthly 3.27 3.76 3.48

Detroit Flint Lansing

Normal Yr. to Date 25.49 24.44 24.41

city

Canadian subscriptions: 8 issues for $19.00 US. ($38.00 CAN.) 16 issues for $34.00 US. ($62.00 CAN.)

Deviation from Normal +0.05 -0.10 -1.38

Actual Yr. to Date 26.59 20.01 21.20

Deviation from Normal +1.10 -4.43 -3.21

September 2009 Normal Monthly 3.27 3.76 3.48

Actual Monthly 1.46 1.18 0.69

Deviation from Normal -1.81 -2.58 -2.79

2009 Year to Date: Jan 1 - Sep 30 Normal Yr. to Date 25.49 24.44 24.41

Actual Yr. to Date 27.37 30.05 31.52

Deviation from Normal +1.88 +5.61 +7.11

Temperature state

September 2010

zip

where did you pick up mg?

michigan gardener is published monthly april thru november

Actual Monthly 3.32 3.66 4.86

2010 Year to Date: Jan 1 - Sep 30

BEST VALUE

address

January 2011 H Green Plants in the Home Sat, Jan 8, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. www. EnglishGardens.com. H English Gardens Basket Workshop Sat, Jan 8, 2:30pm, all English Gardens locations. $29.99. www.EnglishGardens.com. H Houseplants Tue, Jan 11. By Association of Professional Gardeners. Contact thegardener@comcast.net for location & time. H The Basics of Creating an Outdoor Room Sat, Jan 15, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. www. EnglishGardens.com. H Arranging Fresh Flowers Sat, Jan 22, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. 2:30pm: Workshop, $24.99. www.EnglishGardens.com. Plant Hybridizing Program Sat, Jan 22. By North American Rock Garden Society. Annual winter potluck. 734-522-2294. Gardening Education Series Sat, Jan 22, 29 & Feb 5, Detroit. By Detroit Garden Center at Historic Trinity Lutheran Church (1345 Gratiot). $75. Register: 313-259-6363, detroitgardenctr@yahoo.com. Hosta Society Meeting Mon, Jan 24, 7pm, Birmingham. By Metro Detroit Hosta Society at Birmingham First United Methodist Church (1589 W. Maple). Lecture: Hosta Hillside at Hidden Lake Gardens. $3. janeverson@sbcglobal.net.

Precipitation

24 issues (3 years) – $39

name

Stroll through the Conservatory Fri, Dec 17, 5-8pm, Detroit. By Detroit Garden Center at Belle Isle Conservatory. FREE. 313-259-6363, detroitgardenctr@yahoo.com. H Christmas Walk: Silent Nights Fri-Sat, Dec 17-18, 5-7:30pm, Midland. At Dow Gardens. Music & candlelight, poinsettia display. 800-362-4874. www.DowGardens.org.

please enclose your check (payable to michigan gardener) and mail to: Michigan Gardener 16291 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 5 Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3327

September 2009

Detroit Flint Lansing

Normal Avg. High 73.7 71.9 72.0

ACTUAL Avg. High 73.7 71.6 70.9

Deviation from Normal 0.0 -0.3 -1.1

Normal Avg. High 73.7 71.9 72.0

ACTUAL Avg. High 75.5 73.6 73.1

Deviation from Normal +1.8 +1.7 +1.1

Detroit Flint Lansing

Normal Avg. Low 54.1 49.4 48.9

ACTUAL Avg. Low 55.3 51.8 52.4

Deviation from Normal +1.2 +2.4 +3.5

Normal Avg. Low 54.1 49.4 48.9

ACTUAL Avg. Low 56.6 50.3 51.3

Deviation from Normal +2.5 +0.9 +2.4

Data courtesy National Weather Service

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Renovating the Older Landscape: Part 1 Fri, Jan 28, 10am, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Hall Garden Club at Coach House (480 S Adams Rd). $5. 248-370-4013. H Attracting Birds & Wildlife to your Yard Sat, Jan 29, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. 2:30pm Kids’ workshop: Bird feeder, $5. www. EnglishGardens.com.

February 2011 H Introduction to Orchids Sat, Feb 5, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. 2:30pm Workshop: An Orchid Basket, $29.99. www. EnglishGardens.com. Caring for Indoor Plants Tue, Feb 8, noon, Farmington Hills. By North Farmington Garden Club at Farmington Community Library. Register: 248-722-4503. H Orchid Presentations Sat, Feb 12, 1pm (More About Orchids) & 2:30pm (Repotting demo), all English Gardens locations. FREE. www. EnglishGardens.com. H Starting Seeds Indoors Sat, Feb 19, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. www. EnglishGardens.com. Plant Propagation: Seeds, Cuttings & Grafting Sat, Feb 19, Fowlerville. By North American Rock Garden Society at Arrowhead Alpines. Hands-on meeting. 734522-2294. Hosta Society Meeting Mon, Feb 21, 7pm, Birmingham. By Metro Detroit Hosta Society at Birmingham First United Methodist Church (1589 W. Maple). Lecture: Hostas 102. $3. janeverson@ sbcglobal.net. Renovating the Older Landscape: Part 2 Fri, Feb 25, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Hall Garden Club at Coach House (480 S Adams Rd). $5. 248-370-4013. H Arranging Fresh Flowers Sat, Feb 26, 1pm, five English Gardens locations. FREE. 2:30: Spring Bouquet Workshop, $24.99. www. EnglishGardens.com. H Association of Professional Gardeners Annual Conference Sat, Feb 26. By Association of Professional Gardeners. Call for details: 248-828-2978.

January 2011 H ABCs of Growing Herbs Sat, Mar 5, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. 2:30: Kitchen Herb Garden Workshop, $19.99. www. EnglishGardens.com. H Know & Grow Seminar Sat, Mar 5, Midland. At Dow Gardens. $60 if register prior to Feb 16. Register: 800-362-4874, www.dowgardens. org. Maple Sugaring Process Tue, Mar 8, noon, Farmington Hills. By North Farmington Garden Club at Farmington Community Library. Carpool to Tollgate Center, Novi. Register: 248-722-4503.

H Basics of Landscape Design Sat, Mar 12, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. www.EnglishGardens.com. Great Plants & Plant Combinations Mon, Mar 14, 6:30-8:30pm, Lathrup Village. By Lathrup Village Gardeners at L.V. Municipal Building Community Room (27400 Southfield). $5. nstrodl@yahoo.com. H The Grass Can Be Greener Sat, Mar 19, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. www.EnglishGardens.com. H Garden Day Sat-Sun, Mar 19-20, Saginaw. By Saginaw Valley Nursery & Landscape Assoc & Home Builders Assoc of Saginaw at Saginaw Valley State Univ Ryder Center. 989-752-5625. Beyond Blue Spruce: Uncommon Conifers for the Michigan Landscape Fri, Mar 25, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Hall Garden Club at Coach House (480 S Adams Rd). $5. 248-3704013. H Going Green in the Garden: Composting & Recycling Rain Water Sat, Mar 26, 1pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. www.EnglishGardens.com. Hosta Society Meeting Mon, Mar 28, 7pm, Birmingham. By Metro Detroit Hosta Society at Birmingham First United Methodist Church (1589 W. Maple). Lecture: Helleborus & their culture. $3. janeverson@sbcglobal.net. Pruning Workshop Tue, Mar 29, 7pm, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Hall Garden Club at Coach House (480 S Adams Rd). Rain date: Mar 30. $10. 248-370-4013. H Basics of Pruning Trees & Shrubs Wed, Mar 30, 7pm, all English Gardens locations. FREE. www.EnglishGardens.com.

We help gardeners become professionals. Join us and we will show you how to make a living doing what you are passionate about!

Upcoming Meetings – Please join us! Wed, Nov 17, 6:30-9pm: “The Garden Year in Review” at Spicer House in Heritage Park, Farmington Hills Tues, Jan 11, 2011: “Houseplants” presented by Lisa Steinkopf from Steinkopf Nursery. Please contact APG for location & time. Sat, Feb 26, 2011: 13th Annual APG Conference. Details to be announced. Guest fee: $5. Please contact us for more information about our substantive lectures and programs, as well as membership. Web: www.associationofprofessionalgardeners.org Email: thegardener@comcast.net Phone: Gail Morrell at 248-828-2978

April 2011 H Garden Party Weekend Sat-Sun, Apr 2-3, all English Gardens locations. FREE presentations for all ages. www.EnglishGardens.com. Residential Rain Gardens for the Rouge Tue, Apr 12, noon, Farmington Hills. By North Farmington Garden Club at Farmington Community Library. Register: 248-722-4503. Plant Trials: Evaluating Plant Performance Fri, Apr 15, 7pm, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Hall Garden Club at Coach House (480 S Adams Rd). $5. 248-370-4013. Himalayan Plants Sat, Apr 23. By North American Rock Garden Society. 734-522-2294. Hosta Society Meeting Mon, Apr 25, 7pm, Birmingham. By Metro Detroit Hosta Society at Birmingham First United Methodist Church (1589 W. Maple). $3. janeverson@sbcglobal.net. H Janet Macunovich Presentations Sat, Apr 30, Saginaw. At Abele Greenhouse & Garden Center. Two presentations. 989-752-5625, www. abelegreenhouse.com.

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Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

how-to Identify pines, spruces, and firs Pine (Pinus), spruce (Picea), and fir (Abies) are among the most commonly used evergreen trees in our area. They are also some of the most popular types of Christmas trees. These plants are generally all evergreen, pyramidal in shape, and similar colors. They all get cones, they all get large, and they are often used for the same purpose. So how do you know which one is which? The key to identifying them is easy: look at the twig and the needles. The way the needles are attached to the twig is the Steve clincher. Photo 1, from left to Nikkila right: concolor fir (Abies concolor), white pine (Pinus strobus), and blue spruce (Picea pungens f. glauca). The firs’ needles are flatish (photo 2) and come directly out of the twig (photo 3). The pines have round needles that are bundled together in groups of two, three, or five, depending on the species. Photo 4, from left to right: Austrian pine (Pinus nigra), lace-

bark pine (Pinus bungeana), and white pine (Pinus strobus). The needles are held together by a fascicle, a small cup-like papery wrap (photo 5). The spruce needles are square (photo 6) and come out of a wood-like fascicle (photo 7). There are other ways to identify these plants as well. For instance, fir cones are upright, while pine and spruce cones hang down. Once you’ve decided that the plant is a pine, spruce, or fir, it becomes easier to identify which specific plant species it is. Your best teacher is experience. Once you know a tree, you can identify it even while moving and confidently say to your companions, “Did you see that magnificent pine tree?” and really know it is a pine!

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

Japanese Maples: The Complete Guide to Selection and Cultivation (Fourth Edition) by J.D. Vertrees and Peter Gregory Japanese maples boast a remarkable diversity of color, form, and texture. In the last decade, the number of Japanese maple cultivars available to gardeners has doubled. They are unlike any other tree, in that they result from hundreds of years of careful breeding and observation by horticulturists. Japanese Maples: The Complete Guide to Selection and Cultivation (Timber Press, 404 pages, $49.95), now in its fourth edition, offers detailed descriptions of over 150 new introductions, updates to plant nomenclature, and new insights into established favorites. Accurate identification is made simple with over 600 easyto-follow descriptions and 500 color photographs. Some of the unique topics covered: growing Japanese maples in containers, cultivars not yet assessed, Japanese words and meanings, and the naming of plants originating in the wild. This guide is the only English-language reference entirely devoted to Japanese maples.

Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables by Andrea Chesman Gardeners who are gathering and storing root vegetables will be interested in Recipes from the Root Cellar (Storey Publishing, 400 pages, $18.95). Sweet winter squashes, hardy greens, jewel-toned root vegetables, and potatoes of every kind make local eating easy and delicious in the colder months of autumn and winter. Whether these vegetables are gathered straight from the garden, from a well-tended root cellar, or from the market, their delectable flavors and nutritional benefits pack a powerful punch. Try them in soups, side dishes, winter salads, and main courses. The author begins with an introduction to winter vegetables, covering a wide variety of greens and cabbages, onions, tubers, root vegetables, winter squashes, and dried beans. For each vegetable, information on availability, storage, how to buy, preparation, and cooking ideas is included. In addition, convenient math tips for converting weight to cooking measurements are listed. This collection of more than 250 recipes will help you eat locally all year long.

Great Natives for Tough Places by Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gardeners have developed a variety of techniques for tackling urban and suburban environmental challenges. The simplest and most resource-efficient technique—and the one espoused by Great Natives for Tough Places (Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 120 pages, $12.95)—is to choose plants that are naturally adapted to tolerate or thrive in tough sites. This book identifies 8 challenging conditions: sunny and dry; sunny and wet; shady and wet; shady and dry; alternating wet and dry; alkaline soils; compacted soils; and nutrientdepleted soils. The first chapter, “Eight Tough Places to Garden,” outlines the conditions, describes their possible causes, and looks at the constraints that these conditions put on many plants. Other topics include problem diagnosis, propagation, and plant establishment. The heart of the book is the native plant encyclopedia. There are also five projects featuring illustrated designs, with advice on how to garden in tough spots and use the plants from the encyclopedia to create beautiful plantings in challenging situations.

Serving your home and garden year-round!

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Southfield Rd.

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

720 S. Adams Birmingham, MI 48009

248-593-8484 Follow us on

Botanic al G arden & arBore tum

HNEW DAYH Evening of Lights: Friday, Dec. 3, 5-8pm

Holiday Festival: Saturday, Dec. 4, 4-8pm Cross-country skiing • 755 Acres • Flower Gardens • Hosta Hillside Plant Conservatory • Dwarf Conifers • Picnic Area • Lake • Hiking Trails

517-431-2060 • www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu Located on M-50 8 miles west of Tecumseh / Open daily • Admission: $3.00/person

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Baskets of herbs Whether growing or dried, a basket of herbs can be a wonderful holiday gift for someone special or just for you It is the time of year again when the gardens have been winterized, and hunkering down in front of the fireplace or your favorite cozy place seems to be the best idea. Having herbs that smell nice or taste good adds a great deal to our winter months. Select a basket that will fit on your windowsill or under a grow light. Lined baskets are good to prevent water stains on sills or tables. Put a good layer of gravel or small, round stones in the bottom so that the plants will not sit in water—good drainage is essential. You can plant the herbs directly into soil in the basket or simply place the already potted plants on top of the pebbles with dirt or Spanish moss around them to hold them in place. Using soil from the garden is not a good idea. Commercial potting soil is recommended because it is balanced to include good drainage and fertilizer, and has been sterilized as well, so weed seeds, diseases, and buggy things will not be a problem.

Selecting the correct herbs to overwinter indoors If you have been wondering how to take care of the herb plants that you dug up from your garden, there are some that will be wonderful all winter, and some that you probably wasted your time trying to bring into the house. Plants like lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla), pineapple sage (Salvia elegans), rosemary (Rosmarinus varieties), sweet herb (Stevia), and bay tree (Laurus nobilis) have to be wintered over indoors in Michigan because they will not survive our winter weather. If you have very large specimens, they will need their own large pot that can be placed in a large decorative basket in a sunny window or under grow lights. These plants do not go dormant; if you withhold water and light to try to force dormancy, they will die. If you have small plants from the local nursery, you can group them together in a windowsill basket and enjoy them all winter. Other plants that you can dig successfully

from your garden for growing in a windowsill basket that will provide tasty additions to your cooking include oregano (Oreganum), sage (Salvia officinalis), Grolau chives (Allium schoenoprasum ‘Grolau’), winter savory (Satureja montana), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and mint (Mentha varieties). Everyone will know you are a gourmet cook, or at least a foodie, when you have a basket of these plants on your windowsill! There are some plants that are not worth bringing indoors since they are proper perennials and demand a winter’s rest. They include French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus ‘Sativa’), lovage (Levisticum officinale), and regular and garlic chives (the ‘Grolau’ variety of chives has been developed for indoor winter gardens and does not demand dormancy). If you wish to grow fresh basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, and summer savory, you need to start with new plants or grow them yourself from seeds. These herbs have a short life span, and it is pretty much a waste of your time to try to grow the plants that you dig from your garden, as the mature plants will die soon after. Parsley is a biennial, so its life span is longer, but it has a tap root that does not transplant well, so grow some new plants from seeds too.

Lavender and santolina herbs make a wonderfully fragrant basket.

Indoor growing and harvesting tips When you grow herb plants in the house, there are a few things you must remember. These are living plants with definite needs that have to be met if you plan on having a basket that is pretty and usable. Plants need to have four things to thrive: light, water, food, and air. None of these can be ignored. If your plants look too tall and scraggly, you need to increase the sunlight or hours under the grow lights. If the leaves are light green and fragile, you need to feed the plants or transplant them into new potting soil with long-lasting fertilizer in it. If the plants droop, you need to water more regularly or transplant into a pot with better drainage. No plants thrive when squished into too-small pots or when the planter is stuffed with too many plants. This just encourages bugs and mildew. For the people who harvested and dried herbs (still on the stem) from their garden, there are decorative ways to keep them for winter use. Selecting a pretty basket for the dried herbs is easy since all you need is one that will fit where you want to display it. Fit floral foam for dried flowers into the basket. When placing the herbs into the foam, you need to treat them very gently so that you don’t lose too many leaves or snap the stems.

These rosemary, chive, and sage plants (L to R) can be grown over the winter in a windowsill basket. Our flavorful baskets have basil, mint, sage, oregano, lovage, lemon balm, thyme, and tarragon. These baskets should be kept out of direct sunshine, or they will bleach their color and some of their oils will evaporate. These baskets of dried herbs are the perfect solution for people who travel in the winter and cannot care for live plants or for people who do not want to bother with the plants. If you are giving a basket of dried herbs as a gift, small labels on each bunch will help identify the herb used.

Fragrant baskets To grow a basket of herbs that smell good, consider French lavender (Lavandula dentata)

or Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) that do not survive outdoors in Michigan, mints, lemon- or rose-scented thymes, patchouly, Cuban oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus), lemon verbena, or fragrant sages like pineapple, clary, or white. You can also make lovely fragrant baskets of herbs with stems of lavender flowers, lemon balm or lemon verbena, the good-smelling thymes and sages and mints, monarda, santolina, and others. Arrange them in the basket so that the tallest ones are in the back, the medium ones are in the middle, and the shortest ones are in the front, while allowing a few stems to cascade down the front of the basket.

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Television

(Check local listings to verify show times) Desperate Landscapes DIY Network (Daily 12noon). Neighbors’ troubled yards are transformed into outdoor showplaces in only one day. Garden Smart PBS Detroit (WTVS, www.wtvs.org). PBS Flint (WCMU, www.wcmu.org). PBS East Lansing (WKAR, www.wkar.org). The Outdoor Room HGTV (Fri 9:30am). Jamie Durie and his crew tackle problem yards and turn them into assets.

P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home PBS Detroit (WTVS, www.wtvs.org). PBS East Lansing (WKAR, www.wkar.org). Victory Garden PBS Detroit (WTVS, www.wtvs.org). PBS Flint (WCMU, www.wcmu.org). PBS East Lansing (WKAR, www.wkar. org). Yard Crashers HGTV (Sun 11am; Fri 9pm, 12am). DIY Network (see website for show times). Landscaper surprises homeowners by completely transforming their landscape.

The thyme and mint plants in this basket provide tasty additions to winter cooking.

Two peas in a pod. Michigan Gardener in print and online, perfectly complementary.

An herbal potpourri is an aromatic way to bring the scents of your garden into your home for the winter. Displaying your favorite potpourri in a basket is a beautiful way to add the scents of your garden to the indoor winter atmosphere. We like to line the basket with a pretty cloth. One of our favorite recipes is “Relaxing Lavender Potpourri” and includes 1 cup of dried lavender flowers, 1 cup of dried hops flowers, 1 cup of chamomile flowers, 1/2 cup of rosemary leaves, 1/4 cup of orris root chunks, and 20 drops of lavender oil. If you use this mixture in your bedroom, it is reputed to inspire sweet dreams and eliminate nightmares. When you have used the leaves and flowers of your herbs, do not discard the stems. Save and collect them into bunches with a stick of cinnamon or whatever you

Use floral foam in the bottom of a basket to help arrange dried herbs. like, tied with a piece of string, and place them on the embers of the fire at the end of the day. The soft fragrance of this “bouquet” is a total luxury. A gift basket of herbs will always produce a smile, and is relatively inexpensive to make. However you display your herbs and whichever ones you use, they are here for you to enjoy when the garden outdoors is deep asleep for the winter. Jean and Roxanne Riggs operated Sunshine Farm and Garden in Oakland County, MI and now enjoy retirement up north.

Michigan Gardener is our region’s best gardening resource. For 14 years, we have published quality information, written by local experts, that gardeners can depend on. Our website, www.MichiganGardener.com, is the perfect complement to the printed edition of the magazine. Searchable archive All our online content is searchable. We have nearly 200 gardening questions and answers on the site with more being added regularly. Web extras Readers of the print edition of Michigan Gardener will find expanded coverage on the website in the form of additional photos, sidebars, and more. Event calendar Looking for a gardening event to attend? Go to www.MichiganGardener.com and click on “Calendar - Find an event.” There you will find a comprehensive event listing. The print edition of Michigan Gardener is still your exclusive source for the latest feature articles, gardener profiles, how-to articles, Plant Focus and much more.

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Sometimes the source of the mess from a tree is insects which suck sap and excrete what they can’t use as “honeydew.” If there are many insects, leaves such as this one, upper surfaces of limbs, and whatever is below the tree can acquire a heavy coating of the clear, sticky stuff. If the gardener doesn’t know to regularly rinse objects below the tree, the honeydew is eventually colonized by fungi, darkens as shown here and is then called sooty mold.

A tree that’s messy only because of its tag-along bug company can be a perfectly acceptable, low care tree if it’s out in a lawn or over shrubs, rather than over a patio or deck. There’s no less mess but only grass blades feel the effects. The lawn can actually appreciate the mess because it’s an effective fertilizer.

It wasn’t its neatness that first attracted me to Amur corktree (Phellodendron amurense) but its striking, sculptural form (most evident in winter).

Trees that have compound leaves with tiny leaflets make me happy because the leaflets fall separately and are often so small they can be left to decompose even on lawn. These locust leaflets, for instance, are small enough that they can even slip between grass blades, so I let them lie. Yet a dedicated tree neatnik objects, if only to the compound leaf’s rachis—the stalk to which the leaflets cling, and which falls as one long whisker. Rachises don’t bother me. They don’t cast enough shade to harm grass or plants they fall upon and they decompose by spring. Janet’s Journal continued from back cover anchier) and mulberry are thus not good choices for shading a patio or walkway. The messy tree might also drop twigs and branches—not only after storms but “just because.” I’ve heard owners of such a tree state that the tree will wait until the gardener and that day’s barrel of twigs have made the turn toward the compost, then shake itself all over to deposit 100 more. Then there are the trees that could plead innocent of the mess beneath their boughs, saying, “It’s not me, it’s these bugs!” Insects are living things and so they not only eat but defecate. If there are just a few insects, we may not see any effect, but when a six-legged population booms, the fall-out can be formi-

dable. When their excrement is solid we call it frass. When it’s in liquid form, it’s honeydew, which most people mistake for sap, as in, “Oh, no, there’s tree sap all over my windshield/lounge chair/deck!” Some trees are afflicted by large numbers of insects only once in a while, so that even a tree on the “neat” list might sometimes say, “Pardon my frass.” Other trees are bug magnets, regularly hosting insects in large numbers. Unfair it may be, since the tree itself is not the mess maker, but I relegate the latter group to the messy list.

So, a neat tree is... A tree that sheds just once a year, or sheds in such tiny bits that no clean-up is necessary, advances toward my “neat” rating. This includes crabapples with marble-sized fruit as

Few trees have such great fall color as black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), a medium to large tree with strong wood and classic good lines that let it pass for an oak. The hard blue berries are usually eaten by birds before they can fall. likely to be carried off by birds as to drop to the ground. To earn the full commendation, a once-shedding tree must also have wood that’s strong enough to resist breakage—no need to play pick-up sticks every week, and the loss of big limbs to storms is the exception rather than the rule. If you have a lower tolerance for mess, such as disliking detritus so much that you rake daily rather than waiting to do a single mow-over at the end of a tree’s shed season, even the trees I’ll recommend here will probably not meet your standard. Ditto, if you grouse about a lo-

cust’s tiny leaflets or the long rachis (whiskerlike stems) that fall separately from the leaves. So, for the gardener who wants minimal mess, I present a dozen trees for your consideration.

12 trees for the low-mess garden 1) Amur corktree (Phellodendron amurense). Seedless male variety such as ‘Macho’ or ‘Shademaster.’ 40-foot, broad-spreading, sculpted tree with deeply furrowed (corky) bark. Leaves fall as 1-inch leaflets that almost can’t be raked, although the 8-inch central

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Not all Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are dwarf and weeping. Upright forms make very clean 15- to 20-foot trees.

Dogwoods can bring flower without petal fall-out since they hold onto their showy white bracts until they dry to nothing. The Asian kousa dogwood above performs this trick and makes my list.

The dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) has a single trunk and strongly horizontal branching, which makes it very resistant to breaking. It’s also fast-growing—perhaps 3 feet per year—making it an exception to the rule that fast-growing trees tend to be messy. However, it does share a trait with other fast-growers: it’s big when full grown, up to 100 feet tall. stalk which falls after dropping all its leaflets can be raked. Zone 3. 2) Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica). A big tree (40 to 50 feet tall) with deep glowing red fall color. Small and hard blue fruits fall along with leaves or are eaten by birds. Strong wood. Full sun. Moist soil is a must. For the neatest look, select a disease-resistant variety such as ‘Red Rage’ to avoid disfiguring leaf disease that might also cause some early leaf fall. Zone 4. 3) Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). Tiny, needle-like leaves turn gold-

en in fall and drop to the ground beneath the ground-hugging branches. Seed pods (tiny cones) drop there too. Fast-growing, yet the wood’s not only resilient but the whole tree is structured to resist breakage. Full sun, moist soil. 70 to 100 feet. Zone 5. 4) Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). Flowers are tiny and simply blow away. Leaves drop all at once in fall, which makes for a brief raking season. These trees have strong wood, moderate growth rate (relatively fast in their youth, slower after 20 feet) and a pyramidal

form that resists storm damage. Plant a male variety such as ‘Autumn Gold’ or ‘Palo Alto’ to avoid a litter of malodorous fruit. 40 to 80 feet, full sun. Zone 4. 5) Japanese maple (Acer palmatum). Upright form such as the red-leaf ‘Emperor II’ or green laceleaf ‘Seiryu.’ 20-foot tree for part shade or shade. Faster to grow than most people expect at 12 inches a year or more. Seeds fall with the leaves. Must be in loose, moist soil and out of the wind to live up to its nomess potential. Zone 5. 6) Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa). Even the neatest gardener needs a bit of bloom and dogwoods can suit since they hold onto the showy white bracts until they dry to nothing. There are fruits on the kousa—raspberry in form, size and color—but relatively dry and

often eaten by squirrels, chipmunks, and birds before they separate from the tree. Like other dogwoods, this tree has very tough wood that resists breakage. Zone 5, best in part sun and moist soil but adaptable to full sun or shade. 7) Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia). Small leaves, strong wood, yet fast growing (18 inches or more per year, to about 50 feet). It has beautiful mottled bark. Its tiny, papery round seeds are typical of elms but fall in winter when we may feel less compelled to sweep; they’re gone by spring. I include this note as assurance to those who have been bothered by Siberian and American elm seeds that sometimes fall so heavily in late spring as to accumulate in drifts. Zone 5. continued on next page

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

continued from previous page 8) Musclewood, American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana). An underused native tree for part shade or shade and moist soil. Attractive gray bark. Dense, strong wood; the trunk and large limbs develop curves and ripples as if well-muscled. Seeds drop but are small and fall along with the leaves and through winter. 20 to 30 feet tall and wide. Zone 3. 9) Red maple hybrids (Acer x rubrum). Select seedless or nearly seedless selections such as ‘Autumn Flame,’ ‘Brandywine,’ and ‘Somerset.’ Good fall color, faster growth than typical red maple but stronger wood than their other parent, the silver maple. 50 feet or more. Zone 3. Of note: The seedless, laceleaf form of the silver maple (Acer saccharinum ‘Silver Queen’) is exceptional in its species, as good as red maple in terms of hardness of wood and resistance to branch breakage. Even better, its leaves crinkle up for simpler raking or quick decomposition. 10) Sargent crabapple (Malus sargentii). Another break in this flower-shy list. A low, wide ornamental tree with pink buds that open to fragrant white flowers, disease-resistant leaves (no early leaf drop), and marblesized red fruit in abundance that hangs on into winter before either falling under the tree’s own wide branches or being eaten by birds. Like most apples, it has tough wood but unlike its orchard-dwelling relatives, it’s resistant to fireblight that can kill twigs and branches. Size varies with nursery handling, from 8-foot dwarf forms that are half again as wide, to 15foot rounded trees. Full sun. Zone 4. 11) White fir (Abies concolor). An evergreen that can be mistaken for a blue spruce until you compare its fine points, which include neatness. Slower growing than the blue spruce and with needles lacking the spruce’s picky texture, it also has cones that shatter

Lacebark elm is sometimes called Chinese elm but as such should never be mistaken for its weedy, incorrigibly messy relative, the Siberian elm. into tiny pieces before falling. It has few pests so it’s very unlikely to develop any problem like the fungal infections that cause blue spruces to lose whole limbs. Full sun to part shade, in loose, moist soil. 40 feet. Zone 4. 12) Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana). This native, 20-foot, multi-stemmed tree or large shrub blooms yellow in fall. Flower petals are too tiny to concern even the neatest gardener. Seeds are tiny and are expelled from the pods, which remain on the plant

The marble-sized red fruits on a Sargent crabapple hang on to add color and bird food to the winter landscape. Those that aren’t eaten shrivel and fall under the tree, so surround this tree with groundcover rather than mowed grass. The tree’s smothered in bloom in spring but the flowers break up into myriad miniscule petals and fade into the soil. Its leaves remain healthy and firmly attached throughout summer.

Musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) is an eastern North American native that should be used more often where a small tree is called for in a shady area. It’s a clean tree with wood that’s so buff in appearance it can be incentive to keep yourself in better shape. until the next year and are then so light, dry, and thin that their litter-factor is minor. The wood is tough, resilient, and almost always pest-free so breakage is rarely an issue. Part shade to shade. Zone 3. Janet Macunovich is a professional gardener and author of “Designing Your Gardens and Landscape” and “Caring for Perennials.” Read more from Janet in her newsletter available by writing to WhatsComingUp@gmail.com.

This no-bother tree (white fir, Abies concolor) may look like a blue spruce but is far more neat and longer-lived in the landscape to boot.

V Website Extra Go to www.MichiganGardener.com and click on “Website Extras” for additional photos and information on evergreens’ shedding habits, seedless trees and their effects, and placing ”messy” trees in the right spot.

The North American native, fall-blooming witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) makes a fine small, multi-stemmed tree.

Michigan Gardener a November/December 2010

Gladwin,Midland, Saginaw

Columbiaville, Davison

North Branch

Lapeer

Imlay City

Flushing Lennon

New Baltimore Meldrum Bros Nurs, 810-949-9220

Lakeport

New Boston Gorham & Sons Nurs, 734-753-4481 Grass Roots Nurs, 734-753-9200

Hadley

Port Huron

Dryden

Grand Blanc

Flint

Bancroft, Owosso

Emmett

Metamora

Almont

North Branch Campbell’s Greenhse, 810-688-3587 H Oldani Landscp Nurs, 810-688-2363 Northville H Gardenviews, 248-380-8881 Novi H Dinser’s Greenhse, 248-349-1320 Glenda’s Gard Ctr, 248-471-4794 Stone City, 248-347-2500

Fenton

Oxford

Ortonville

Oak Park H Four Seasons Gard Ctr, 248-543-4400

Addison Twp.

Orion Clarkston White Lake Highland

Milford

Pontiac

East Lansing, Fowlerville, Grand Rapids, Haslett, Lansing, Mason

Commerce

Bloomfield Hills Birmingham

Walled Lake Wixom

Novi

Whitmore Lake

Northville

Farmington Hills Farmington

Sterling Hts.

Eastpointe

Grosse Pointes

Westland Canton

Ann Arbor

Dearborn Dearborn Wayne Heights

Ypsilanti

Taylor Romulus

Saline New Boston

Tipton

Clinton Twp.

Detroit

Belleville Manchester

New Baltimore

Troy

Livonia Redford

Dexter

Macomb

Utica

Southfield Oak Park Ferndale

Plymouth

Cement City, Chelsea, Jackson, Stockbridge

Shelby Twp.

St. Clair Berkley Roseville Shores Madison Royal Oak Heights Warren

Brighton South Lyon

Rochester Hills

Auburn Hills

West Bloomfield

Brownstown Twp.

Addison Twp H Yule Love It Lavender Farm, 248-628-7814 Almont H American Tree, 810-798-2525 Ann Arbor H Abbott’s Nurs, 734-665-8733 H Ace Barnes Hardware, 734-665-7555 Downtown Home/Gard, 734-662-8122 H English Gardens, 734-332-7900 HillTop Greenhse/Farms, 734-302-4233 Lodi Farms, 734-665-5651 H The Produce Station, 734-663-7848 Turner Greenhse, 734-663-7847 Auburn Hills Drake’s Landscp & Nurs, 248-852-4151 H State Crushing, 248-332-6210 Bancroft Grand Oak Herb Farm, 517-634-5331 Belleville Banotai Greenhse, 734-482-2764 Gardeners Choice, 734-697-1820 Pinter Flowerland, 734-482-2776 Zywicki Greenhse, 734-461-6197

Grand Blanc H Bordine’s, 810-655-5588 H The Weed Lady, 810-655-2723 Grosse Ile H Westcroft Gardens, 734-676-2444 Grosse Pointe Allemon’s Landscp Ctr, 313-882-9085 Meldrum & Smith Nurs, 313-885-5433 Grosse Pointe Woods Wild Birds Unltd, 313-881-1410 Hadley H Le Fleur Decor, 586-495-4076 Haslett H Van Atta’s Greenhse, 517-339-1142

Oxford Candy Cane Xmas Trees, 248-628-8899 Oxford Farm/Gard, 248-628-2174 Plymouth Backyard Birds, 734-416-0600 Graye’s Greenhse, 734-453-1220 Lucas Nurs, 734-459-6500 H Plymouth Nurs, 734-453-5500 Plymouth Rock, 734-451-5500 Rock Shoppe, 734-455-5560 H Saxton’s Gard Ctr, 734-453-6250 Sparr’s Greenhse, 734-453-4268 Pontiac H Goldner Walsh Gard/Hme, 248-332-6430 Ray Van’s Valley Greenhse, 586-781-8488 Redford Seven Mi Gard Ctr, 313-592-0947 Rochester H Fogler’s Greenhse, 248-652-3614 H Haley Stone, 248-852-5511 Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr, 248-652-4920

Evergreen Home/Gard, 586-791-2277 H Tropical Treasures, 586-791-6595

Howell H Howell Farmer’s Mkt, 517-546-3920 Penrose Nurs, 248-760-2812 H Specialty Growers, 517-546-7742

Columbiaville Hilltop Barn, 810-793-2401

Imlay City H Earthly Arts Greenhse, 810-724-1932

Commerce Twp Backyard Birds, 248-363-3890 Zoner’s Greenhse, 248-363-6742

Romulus Block’s Stand/Greenhse, 734-941-9388 Kurtzhals’ Farms, 734-941-2081 Schoedel’s Nurs, 734-753-4150 H Schwartz’s Greenhse, 734-753-9269

Jackson The Hobbit Place, 517-750-9229 Schmid Nurs/Gard, 517-787-5275

Davison Wojo’s Gard Splendors, 810-658-9222

Lake Orion Lake Orion Lawn Orn, 248-693-8683 H Orion Stone Depot, 248-391-2490 Wojo’s Greenhse, 248-690-7435

Roseville Dale’s Landscp Supply, 586-778-1919 World Gardenland, 586-771-7700

Rockwood

Birmingham H Blossoms, 248-644-4411 H Bordine’s on Woodward, 248-594-8880 H Plant Station, 248-593-8484 Tiffany Florist, 248-646-0333 Brighton H Bordine’s, 517-552-9300 Brighton Farmer’s Mkt, 810-227-5086 Cowbell Lawn/Gard, 810-632-5841 H English Gardens, 810-534-5059 H Grasshopper Gardens, 810-220-4406 H Meier Flowerland, 810-229-9430 Brownstown Twp Elegant Environ Pond Shop, 734-479-5100 James Bros Landscp, 734-692-3400 Ruhlig Farms & Gard, 734-587-3753 Canton Canton Floral Gardens, 734-453-3363 Clink Nurs, 734-495-3779 Crimboli Landscp/Nurs, 734-495-1700 Keller & Stein Greenhse, 734-397-0800 Ceme nt City Hallson Gardens, 517-592-9450

Gladwin H Stone Cottage Gard, 989-426-2919

Owosso H Everlastings in Wildwood, 989-723-7175

Grosse Ile

Trenton

Dearborn Fairlane Gardens, 313-581-7906 Westborn Flower Mkt, 313-278-3815

h Denotes MG Advertiser

Fowlerville H Arrowhead Alpines, 517-223-3581

Ottawa Lake H Jacob’s Garden, 734-568-6868

Highland Colasanti’s Produce/Plant, 248-887-0012 Highland Tree, 248-887-6977 Melone Bros Landscp, 248-684-0332 H The Pond Place, 248-889-8400

Southgate

Tecumseh Ottawa Lake

Ortonville Country Oaks Landscp II, 248-628-7887 Wojo’s Greenhse, 248-627-6498

Rochester

Sylvan Lake Howell

Washington

Oakland Holly White Lake Waterford

Oakland Goodison Farms Daylilies, 248-693-2952

Ray

Dearborn Heights H English Gardens, 313-278-4433 Detroit Allemon’s Landscp Ctr, 313-882-9085 Dexter H Alexander’s Farm Mkt, 734-741-1064 Dexter Gardens, 734-426-6600 H Fraleigh’s Landscp, 734-426-5067 Eastpointe Ariel’s Enchanted Gard, 586-775-2820 H English Gardens, 586-771-4200 Evergreen Home/Gard, 586-778-7400 Semrau Gard Ctr, 586-775-3770 Farmington Backyard Birds, 248-476-9444 Farmington Hills Angelo’s Landscp Supp, 248-478-1729 Farmer John’s Greenhse, 248-553-7141 HydroHarry’s, 248-626-3200 H Loeffler Stone Ctr, 248-626-4048 H Steinkopf Nurs, 248-474-2925

Chelsea H Garden Mill, 734-475-3539

Fenton Gerych’s Flowers/Gift, 810-629-5995 H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm, 810-629-9208

Berkley Garden Central, 248-542-6640 Westborn Flower Mkt, 248-547-1000

Clarkston H Bordine’s, 248-625-9100 Country Oaks Landscp I, 248-623-2640 Lowrie’s Landscp, 248-625-8844

Ferndale Casual Modes Home/Gard, 248-5441848 Green Thumb Gard Ctr, 248-439-1851

Bloomfield Hills Backyard Birds, 248-723-5000

Clinton Twp H English Gardens, 586-286-6100

Flushing Flushing Lawn/Gard, 810-659-6241

Holly H Rice’s Garden Ornaments, 810-694-2915

Lakeport H Earthly Arts Greenhse, 810-385-5500 Lapeer H Iron Barn Gard Ctr, 989-795-2112 Perkin’s Flowers/Gard, 810-664-2923 Lennon H Krupps Novelty Shop, 810-621-3752 Livonia Bushel Mart, 248-777-4700 Superior Growers Supp, 248-473-0450 Westborn Flower Mkt, 734-524-4000 Macomb Altermatt Greenhses, 586-781-3428 Boyka’s Greenhse, 586-286-1886 Deneweth’s Greenhse, 586-247-5533 H Elya’s Village Gardens, 586-749-9453 Landscapesource.com, 586-677-7480 H Joe Randazzo’s Nurs, 586-781-8700 Wade Nurs, 586-781-4073 H Wiegand’s Nurs, 586-286-3655

Rochester Hills H Auburn Oaks Nurs, 248-852-2310 H Bordine’s, 248-651-9000 Shades of Green Nurs, 248-651-1620 Wild Birds Unltd, 248-375-5202 Rockwood Marsh Greenhses, 734-379-9641

Royal Oak H Billings Lawn Equip, 248-541-0138 H English Gardens, 248-280-9500 Royal Oak Farmer’s Mkt, 248-548-8822 Wild Birds Unltd, 248-548-2424 Saginaw H Abele Greenhse, 989-752-5625 Saline Eden Gard Ctr, 586-226-2882 Nature’s Gard Ctr, 734-944-8644 Saline Flowerland, 734-429-4458 Shelby Twp Diegel Greenhses, 586-781-4463 H Hessell’s Greenhse, 586-247-4675 Maeder Plant Farm, 586-726-2563 Potteryland, 586-781-4425 H Telly’s Greenhse, 248-659-8555 South Lyon Hollow Oak Farm Nurs, 248-437-7507 Raney’s Rainbow Gard, 248-437-2856

Madison Heights Green Carpet Sod, 248-546-9554

Southfield 3 DDD’s Stand, 248-356-0049 H Eagle Landscp/Supp, 248-356-4342 H Flower Barn Nurs, 248-356-5810 Lavin’s Flower Land, 248-361-5945 Main’s Landscp Supp, 248-356-8660

Manchester McLennan Nurs, 734-428-7005

Southgate Ray Hunter Gard Ctr, 734-284-2500

Mason Wildtype Nurs, 517-244-1140

St Clair Shores Hall’s Nurs, 586-775-3455 Soulliere Gard Ctr, 586-776-2811

Metamora Gilling’s Nurs, 810-664-4444 Milford One Stop Landscp Supp, 248-684-0332 Milford Gardens, 248-685-0009 H The Pond Place, 248-889-8400

Sterling Heights Decor Statuette, 586-739-5838 H Eckert’s Greenhouse, 586-979-2409 H Flower Barn Nurs, 586-532-0014 Prime Landscp Supp, 586-978-0858

Vidosh Landscp Ctr, 586-264-5140 Stockbridge Gee Farms Nurs, 517-769-6772 Sylvan Lake H AguaFina Gardens Intrntl, 248-738-0500 H Detroit Garden Works, 248-335-8089 Taylor Massab Acres, 313-291-4505 Panetta’s Landscp Supp, 313-291-3880 Tecumseh Mitchell’s Lawn/Landscp, 517-423-8169 Trenton Carefree Lawn Ctr, 734-675-4745 Troy H Telly’s Greenhse, 248-689-8735 Tom’s Landscp Nurs, 248-528-0660 H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store, 248-879-9147 Wilkop Gard Ctr, 248-250-9168 Utica Dale’s Landscp Supp, 586-731-8980 Stone City, 586-731-4500 Walled Lake H Suburban Landscp Supp, 248-960-4000 Wild Birds Unltd, 248-624-7210 Warren Beste’s Lawn/Patio Supp, 586-776-1794 Garden Ctr Nurs, 586-779-3388 Harry’s Gard Ctr, 586-758-6020 Young’s Garden Mart, 586-573-0230 Washington Landscp Direct, 586-752-4222 Rocks ‘n’ Roots, 586-752-4900 Waterford Hoffman Nurs, 248-363-0340 Indoor Garden Superstore, 248-673-2200 H Merrittscape, 248-681-7955 Wayne Artman’s Nurs, 734-727-1500 West Bloomfield H English Gardens, 248-851-7506 H Planterra Conservatory, 248-661-1515 Westland Artman’s Westland Nurs, 734-721-6610 H Barson’s Greenhse, 734-421-5959 Bushel Stop, 734-721-1733 Panetta’s Landscp, 734-421-5299 H Joe Randazzo’s Nurs, 734-454-1712 White Lake H Bogie Lake Greenhse, 248-887-5101 Mulligan’s Gard, 248-698-4741 Sunshine Plants, 248-887-3893 Whitmore Lake H Alexander’s Greenhses, 734-741-1064 Wixom Brainer’s Greenhse, 248-349-9070 Angelo’s Landscp Supp, 248-669-3787 Milford Tree Farm, 248-437-0193 Ypsilanti Coleman’s Farm Mkt, 734-434-5454 Lucas Nurs, 734-482-1111 Margolis Nurs, 734-482-0771 H Materials Unlimited, 734-483-6980

Gardens to Visit Ann Arbor H Matthaei Bot Gard/Nichols Arb,734-6477600 Bloomfield Hills H Cranbrook Gardens, 248-645-3149 Dearborn Arjay Miller Arboretum, @ Ford World HQ Henry Ford Estate, 313-593-5590 Detroit Anna S Whitcomb Cnsrvty, 313-852-4064 Dryden Seven Ponds Nature Ctr, 810-796-3200 East Lansing H MSU Horticultural Gardens, 517-355-0348 W.J. Beal Botanical Gard, 517-432-9182 Emmett H Sunny Fields Botanical Pk, 810-387-2765 Grand Rapids H Frederik Meijer Gardens, 888-957-1580 Grosse Pointe Shores H Edsel & Eleanor Ford Hse, 313-884-4222 Lansing Cooley Gardens, 517-483-4332 Midland H Dow Gardens, 800-362-4874 Novi Tollgate Education Ctr, 248-347-3860 Royal Oak Detroit Zoo, 248-398-0900 Tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens, 517-431-2060

janet's journal

Arbor-neatum: In search of the no-mess tree One day when the air was full of early spring energy, I was walking through my mom-in-law’s neighborhood, glorying in the sight of several saucer magnolia trees in full bloom. Unlike most years when spring frosts bring magnolia flowers to a quick end, this spring the show was entering its second week. I was contemplating that bit of good luck as I approached the biggest of the trees on the block, and noticed there was a man out raking beneath its branches. “Love your tree!” I called. The raking stopped, the man turned, shook his head, and corrected me, “It’s a mess, is what it is! Every day, more flowers to rake up!” As a designer, I’ve played matchmaker between lots of people and trees. When people specify, “It can’t be a messy tree,” I think of that man and his magnolia. It helps me recall that there are many degrees of messiness, and people who hold trees to different standards. That’s why I’ll spend a bit of time defining “mess” before I present my list of neat trees.

Big mess, little mess, but no no-mess No tree is totally mess-free. What grows up must eventually come down—leaf, needle, twig, seed, fruit, and more. If that fall-out is seasonal and predictable, let’s be reasonable and call it a fair trade for a tree’s shade, air conditioning, increased property value, rope swings, squirrel tag displays, and songbird jam sessions. Don’t call them “messy” simply because they can’t qualify for the more exacting label of “neat.” What most people agree is messy is a plant with multiple shedding seasons. In addition to autumn leaf fall, such a tree may shed leaves when it’s dry. It might have an evolutionary arrangement with an insect species

Janet Macunovich

A saucer magnolia (M. x soulangiana) can grow to 30 feet tall, and be just as wide. It may bear thousands of flowers, each with six big petals destined to fall. Tip: Replace the lawn beneath a magnolia with a bed of large-leaf, deciduous groundcovers such as lungwort (Pulmonaria) or hosta, which will simply absorb the fallen petals. A comforting thought if you keep a saucer magnolia even though you consider it messy: Be glad it’s not a bigleaf magnolia (M. macrophylla), with leaves so large that fall clean-up is like raking up whole sheets of poster paper. that moves into its leaf stalks or twigs and causes them to break off. It might lose leaves by midsummer to chronic but otherwise inconsequential fungus infections. There may be flowers that fall, followed by the season called fruit-drop, when insufficiently pollinated starts are aborted, and finally the descent of a ripe crop of seeds or fruits.

P h oto g r a p h s by S t e v e n N i k k i l a

Some people hold any fruit-fall-ness against a tree. Others forgive the habit unless it is also track-able fruit. That is, if a berry or seed sticks to the shoe and makes its way indoors, or is juicy and leaves stains where it

It pains me to be unable to list an oak on the neat list. Such strong wood, such a noble tree! Yet those who live under oaks have complaints beyond the typical nuttree owner’s need for a hard hat when the fruit ripens. They point out the summertime litter of twigs caused by insects that bore into the wood and the double raking season. Even mature trees like this red oak have some juvenile or non-fruiting branches; these retain their leaves through winter then drop them in spring. falls or is crushed, that fruit qualifies its tree as “messy.” Fruit that passes through a bird’s intestinal tract before falling and staining the ground is trouble, too. Bird-attracting trees with wet fruit such as serviceberry (AmelJanet’s Journal continued on page 24