Your guide to Great Lakes gardening a September/October 2012 a MichiganGardener.com
feature
How to design a mixed border update Downy mildew on impatiens plant focus Siberian squill how-to Understand fertilizer labeling janet’s journal Planting on a hill
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
contents September/October 2012
IS
R
RADIANCE
FU
.
AUTUMN LL
O OF C
LO
It’s a long way from freezin’… Come celebrate second season! At Telly’s, September marks the start of the second season. While the selection of plants at many garden centers is dwindling, we are stocked with plants to keep your garden looking great until the early days of winter.
Plant Focus: Siberian Squill.....................................................................................................................26 Clippings.....................................................................6
Fall Events
To-Do List...................................................................8
Saturday, Sept 8 10am: Late-Blooming Perennials 12noon: Fall Container Gardening Saturday, Sept 15 10am: Preserving the Herbal Harvest 1pm: Weed Identification & Control Thursday, Sept 20 6:30pm: Pestos to Know & Love Saturday, Sept 22 10am: Gardening w/Ornamental Grasses
Saturday, Sept 29 10am: Dill Wreath Workshop Saturday, Oct 6 10am: Spring-Blooming Bulbs Saturday, Oct 13 10am: Indoor Miniature Gardening Workshop ($5 fee plus materials used) 1pm & 3:30pm: The Art of Fall Garden Clean Up with Janet Macunovich Saturday, Oct 20 10am: Overwintering Bulbs & Plants Saturday, Oct 27 10am: Succulent Container Workshop ($5 class fee plus cost of materials)
FLASHLIGHT SALE…
LATE SEASON PERENNIALS
Troy only: Sept 6,7,8, 8-9:30pm Our BEST sale of the year happens after hours—by flashlight! This exclusive 3-night event is open only to “Family Member” cardholders! Don't have a Family Member Card? Stop in anytime to sign up. It's fast - It's easy - It's FREE!
Perennial gardening means color and interest nearly year-round. Many plants just starting to give their best show: Japanese anemone, ornamental grasses, sedums and many more! All perennials now 20-50% OFF!
COLD TOLERANT PLANTS…
ON SALE NOW…
We have an extensive selection of cold tolerant,fall flowering plants including pansies, calibrachoa, trailing verbena, petunias, creeping Jenny, ornamental cabbage, kale, marguerite daisies, and much more.
Pottery 30-50% OFF
All classes at Troy store. Pre-registration required. All classes $5 unless otherwise indicated. VISIT tellys.com for more information
www.johnscheepers.com
(sale excludes bonsai pots)
Select Roses 50% OFF Giant Telly’s-grown mums 5 for $30
Ask MG.....................................................................10 Update: Downy Mildew.....................................12 Vegetable Patch.....................................................14 Healthy Lawns........................................................15 How To: Understand fertilizer labeling........16 Tree Tips...................................................................18 Places to Grow......................................................20 Books for the Michigan Gardener.................21 Classified Ads.........................................................21
—Author unknown
Publisher/Editor Eric Hofley Design & Production Jonathon Hofley Advertising Eric Hofley
248-689-8735
248-659-8555
find us on
www.tellys.com
Photo: Eric Hofley/Michigan Gardener
Gardening is cheaper than therapy, and you get tomatoes.
Editorial Assistant Carrie MacGillis
SHELBY TWP 4343 24 Mile btwn Dequindre & Shelby Rd. Fall hours: Mon-Sat 10a-7p Sun 11a-5p
On the cover: ‘Firedance’ persicaria (Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firedance’) makes a bold late season statement in front of ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass.
Garden Wisdom
Circulation Jonathon Hofley
TROY 3301 John R–1/4 mile north of 16 Mile Fall hours: Mon-Sat 9a-7p Sun 10a-5p
Calendar...................................................................22 Where to pick up Michigan Gardener...........22 Advertiser Index...................................................23 Weather Wrap......................................................23 Subscription Form...............................................23 How to design a mixed border..........................24 Janet’s Journal.....................................Back Cover
Contributors Karen Bovio Cheryl English Mary Gerstenberger Julia Hofley Rosann Kovalcik Janet Macunovich Steve Martinko Beverly Moss Steven Nikkila George Papadelis Sandie Parrott Jean/Roxanne Riggs Jim Slezinski Lisa Steinkopf Steve Turner Joseph Tychonievich
16291 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 5 Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3327 Phone: 248-594-5563 Fax: 248-594-5564 E-mail: publisher@michigangardener.com Website: www.michigangardener.com Publishing schedule 7 issues per year: April, May, June, July, August, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec. Published the first week of the mo. Subscriptions (Please make check payable to Michigan Gardener) 1 yr, 7 iss/$15 2 yr, 14 iss/$28 3 yr, 21 iss/$37 Back issues All past issues are available. Please send your request along with a check for $3.00 per issue payable to Michigan Gardener. Canadian subscriptions 1 yr, 7 iss/$22 US 2 yr, 14 iss/$42 US Copyright © 2012 Michigan Gardener. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or used in any form without the expressed, written permission of the publisher. Neither the advertiser nor the publisher will be responsible for misinformation, typographical errors, omissions, etc. contained herein. Michigan Gardener is published by Motor City Publishing, Inc.
L E T U S M A K E YO U R O U T D O O R S B E AU T I F U L !
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Selection • Selection • Selection Extensive selection of fresh Perennials, Trees & Shrubs! Fall is an excellent time to plant!
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
clippings
Pearl Fryar sculpts one of the 150 topiaries on his 3-acre property in South Carolina.
World-renowned topiary artist to speak at local garden center In 1984, Pearl Fryar, now 70, had just one goal: win the local yard beautification contest. Since then, Fryar has been using his 3-acre garden in Bishopville, South Carolina as the canvas for his world-renowned topiary garden. Without any formal horticultural training, he created a masterpiece that has been recognized by both art and botanical enthusiasts alike. People come from all over the world to experience his inspirational and creative garden. Today, his garden contains hundreds of plants which combine to create 150 topiaries— many of which began as discarded plants from a local nursery. He does not water, fertilize or spray any of his plants. Fryar will be visiting Gerych's Flowers & Distinctive Gifts in Fenton, Michigan on October 13, 2012 where he will give a presentation including a live sculpting demonstration. Reservations can be made by calling Gerych’s at 810-629-5995. For more information about Fryar, visit www.pearlfryar.com.
Ann Arbor garden grows for local food pantry The Giving Garden, located in Ann Arbor, MI, is the result of a joint effort by Cobblestone Farm and Project Grow. Cobblestone provides the land, tools and water and Project Grow provides gardening expertise and volunteers to maintain the garden. Everything grown in the garden is donated to the food pantry at Packard Health. The Giving Garden is an entirely volunteer effort. The garden was started when one of the Cobblestone ornamental garden volunteers contacted Project Grow and wondered if the former Cobblestone vegetable garden could be used as a community garden. The space
was too small for a community garden but the Project Grow board and staff felt it would be great to still use the space for something. Someone suggested the idea of growing food just for the needy and the Giving Garden was born. Packard Health was chosen as the beneficiary of the garden's produce because it is only a few blocks away and they were already operating a food pantry. The Cobblestone Farmer's Market is located at 2781 Packard, next to the entrance to Buhr Park, and the Giving Garden is in the picket-fenced area. For more information, contact info@projectgrowgardens.org.
FALL IS
Fall: What better time for Magic in your garden?
PLANTING TIME!
The fall gardens we design are awash in warm color! From bulbs and perennials to shrubs and trees, fall is a time for russet reds, rich oranges, grand golds, and bold burgundies. We will bring your desired autumn mood to life, whether you are looking for traditional autumn decor or something a little spookier for Halloween.
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Customer Appreciation Event: Lighted Pond Tour – Fri, Sept 28, 6-9pm
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Expect to find the unexpected…
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
to-do list Bulbs • Dahlias and other summer-flowering bulbs should bloom until frost. If you want to overwinter them instead of treating them like an annual, dig up the plants and cut off the top, at ground level. Let the plants dry for three days then put them in a cardboard box or paper bag. Cover them with vermiculite or peat and try to keep them from touching. Keep them somewhere cool but not cold; a basement is good. Pull them out next March and pot them up for a head start on next year. • Fall is the only time of year to plant flowering bulbs for a beautiful display of spring color. Tulips are the most popular variety, but also a favorite for squirrels and rabbits. If they’re an issue, try these instead: allium, crocus, daffodil, fritillaria, grape hyacinth, hyacinth, scilla, or snowdrops. No plant is totally safe if the critters are hungry enough, but these will be the least attractive. • Plant a mixture of bulbs with different bloom times so you’ll have a beautiful dis-
play of color from snow melt until June. Generally, the smaller bulbs are the first to flower. Larger bulbs produce larger flowers. Planting in clumps of 3, 5 or 7 will provide a more impressive display, rather than a row. • Bulbs like to be planted deep, rather than shallow. They should be planted in welldrained soil. They can be planted from late August until the ground freezes, usually late December. Plant as early as possible, after the temperatures drop below 60 degrees F consistently. Early planting allows more roots to develop and enhances total performance. Most varieties like full sun. If you’re planting under trees, remember most trees won’t be leafed out when the bulbs are blooming, so they should receive adequate light. • Watering is one of the most important steps to ensure that bulbs get off to a good start. Since roots start to grow almost immediately after planting, make sure they receive sufficient moisture. Water thoroughly after planting. Then, water whenever soil is dry 1-1/2 inches below the surface until the ground freezes.
Feature Task: Making a terrarium
1794 Pontiac Drive Sylvan Lake, Michigan 48320 DetroitGardenWorks.com 248-335-8089 Pontiac Drive is one block west of Telegraph on the north side of Orchard Lake Rd.
Terrariums were popular in the 1970s and they are making a comeback as people look for easy, low maintenance ways to enjoy plants in the home. Making your own terrarium is pretty simple. The ingredients: • Glass or plastic bowl, with no holes in the bottom, and an opening at the top. Nearly any container will work. Select one that’s decorative and unique, since it will be the focal point of the garden. Consider how easy or difficult it will be to insert plants and materials into the opening, and how tall the container is. The smaller the opening, the more challenging to plant. • Small rocks, colored stones or marbles to layer in the bottom • Potting soil • Plants with similar light and cultural requirements. Select an odd number of different varieties with different textures and colors. Similar to designing a container for outdoors, follow the “Thriller, Spiller, Filler” concept (without the Spiller). • Utensils for planting, and decorations if desired To assemble, start with a clean container. Layer an inch of rocks, pebbles or colored stones on the bottom of the container. Fill the container with potting soil about halfway. Arrange the plants in a pleasing manner,
taking into consideration how the terrarium will be viewed. Most plants have a front and a back. If the terrarium will be viewed from all sides, plant tall varieties in the center and shorter ones on the sides. If viewed from just one side, place taller plants in the back and shorter ones in the front. Use a variety of plants with different-colored leaves, shapes and textures to give your terrarium more interest. Depending on the size of the container, you may need assistance to reach the bottom of the container to plant. Knitting needles, chopsticks, or dowels work well to dig holes and spread soil. Add any desired decorations, such as an interesting stone. After planting, water the terrarium thoroughly with a moderate amount of water. The goal is to wet the soil, but not overwater to saturate the layer of rocks. Check the terrarium daily for water. Water when the soil is dry to the touch or sight (if you can’t reach it with your finger). If there is water visible in the layer of rocks, wait a few days before watering. The amount of water will depend on its location in your home, how wide the opening, and how much sun it receives. Place it in a location where it receives indirect sunlight. Fertilizer is not needed, as you want the plants to grow slowly. Prune plants, as necessary, to keep them small.
www.MichiganGardener.com | September/October 2012 | Michigan Gardener
9
ut t s check o , h e c it F w FallCreate a pumpokxinand much morEe! , FRE tery b our mys pt. 30, noon-3 e S Sunday,
• Fertilizing is important to keep bulbs blooming year after year. When planting, mix bone meal into the bulb hole and get plants off to a healthy start. Use a specially developed bulb food in the spring when new shoots begin to appear and then again in the fall. • Mulching is useful to maintain moisture and keep the ground from alternate freezing and thawing in the winter. Evergreen branches, hay, straw, pine needles, bark mulches, or tree leaves make good winter mulch. Make sure that none of these mat too heavily and end up shedding moisture rather than conserving it. Be sure to mulch only 1 to 2 inches deep. • When cleaning hanging baskets, cut off the flowers and stems, but keep the root-filled soil in the basket. These roots will make it easy to fill baskets with cut evergreen boughs and decorative stems for the holiday season. The roots provide an excellent anchor. Use this technique in any container that’s frost tolerant and can be left outside all winter.
• When planting, remember to score the roots on any plant grown in a plastic pot. Use a knife to cut the roots vertically (like cutting a two-layer birthday cake) about every 3 to 5 inches around the plant. Pruning the roots promotes new root growth and gets them growing out of the shape of the pot. • Be sure to plant the rootball at the same level it was growing in the pot. Plant too deeply and the ground will cause the bark to rot. In clay soils, leave up to 1/3 of the rootball above the ground. Roots can handle being exposed to air far better than the bark can handle being buried. • Use mulch to keep the roots cool and help maintain moisture. Keep 4 to 6 inches of space between mulch and the trunk of the plant. Piling mulch up around the stems of your plants so they look like little volcanoes is a bad practice. Although it’s commonly done, it is very harmful. Bark needs to be exposed to the air. The mulch keeps it wet and can cause it to rot. Too much rot and the plant can die.
Herbs
Houseplants
• Collect herbs and consider preserving some for the winter. Bundles of herbs, such as basil, oregano or sage, can be dried by hanging them upside down in a dry area. Once dry, strip the leaves off the stems and store in an airtight container.
• Bring houseplants back inside if they spent the summer outdoors. Plants will be less stressed if you do this when the inside and outside temperatures are about the same. • Some plants may continue to drop leaves until they become accustomed to their new home. As long as they’re getting some new growth, leaf drop is normal. • Remember, plants are used to a lot of sunlight when outdoors. Maximize the sunlight they receive inside by making sure the blinds, sheers, or curtains are open as much as possible.
Annuals
Lawn • Apply a final fertilizer treatment in mid to late October before the temperatures dip below 50 degrees F. The fall fertilizing is the most important to make sure the grass goes into winter healthy and strong. • It’s a good time to repair summer damage, and re-seed or sod the lawn. The soil is still warm enough for fast germination, while cooler temperatures mean frequent watering won’t be necessary to get the new lawn established.
Provided by the professionals at English Gardens.
Trees and Shrubs • Keep watering plants whenever necessary until the ground freezes, sometimes as late as January. • Give spring-blooming trees and shrubs a good dose of fertilizer. They need an extra boost this time of year to produce better buds and more flowers next year. Broadleaf evergreens will benefit from an application of a slow-release, soil-acidifying fertilizer to keep them healthy throughout the winter. • Fall is a great time to plant woody ornamentals. The cooler temperatures and increased rainfall help plants establish quicker and reduce the need for supplemental watering.
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Liven up your fall garden with our Proven Winners Specialty Annuals, Pansies, Mums, Ornamental Kale, Asters, Pumpkins, and more! Fall is the best time for planting. And it is a great time to pick out a tree while it is displaying its brilliant fall color! Come stroll through our huge inventory of top quality plants and make your selection. Our stock includes choice varieties as well as the newest to hit the gardening world.
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Have a question? Send it in! Go to www.MichiganGardener.com and click on “Submit a question”
Voles and moles in the lawn
Piechnik’s GREENHOUSE & GARDEN CENTER
QUALITY, LOCALLY-GROWN PLANTS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES
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Oakland County Market 2350 Pontiac Lake Road Waterford, MI 48328 248.858.5495 • DestinationOakland.com
I am looking for vole control in a lawn with irrigation. I need something safe as the home is in a subdivision with children and pets in the area. P.S., Jackson Make sure you have voles and not moles. Voles are essentially a mouse-like rodent, active day and night all year. They forage for seeds and grasses, gnaw bark on trees and shrubs, and breed year-round. They create extensive surface runways barely covered with turf with numerous openings. Vegetation may be clipped close to the ground near these openings. Voles are herbivores. Moles are insectivores. They spend the majority of their life underground, creating tunnels that disturb root systems and lift turf. They make opening mounds at only a few locations as they hunt for insect grubs and earthworms, their favorite. With voles, exclusion and habitat modification can reduce their damage. Eliminate weeds, groundcover, and litter around lawns and cultivated areas. Mow the lawn regularly. Mulch should be cleared at least 2 to 3 feet away from the bases of trees to prevent gnawing. Smaller saplings can be caged with 1/4-inch hardware cloth buried in the ground 6 inches to prevent burrowing under. There are repellents that use thiram but only afford short-term protection. The zinc phosphide toxicants are not safe in an area frequented by children and pets. For moles, trapping is most effective and practical. The greatest success comes in spring and fall, especially after a rain, by finding the main tunnel runs and setting traps. Overwatering your lawn with an irrigation system also brings soil invertebrates to the surface. Moles follow the food source, making the tunnels more visible. Reduce the amount and frequency of your watering, especially with fall approaching. Identify your pest and then you can determine your control.
Transplanting clematis
Hours Farmers Market • 6:30 a.m.–2 p.m. May through December— Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Year round—Saturday Flea Market • 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Year-round—Sunday
How do I move a very large, mature clematis plant? A.L., Canton, MI The best time to move a clematis is late winter (March), before bud break. Prune down the top growth to a pair of strong leaf buds on each stem to within two feet of the soil surface. Place bamboo stakes or sticks firmly in the soil near the base of the stems but not too close as to cause damage to the root base. Tie these stems carefully to the support. Leaving longer stems makes the plant top heavy while moving and can easily break the stems at the base.
Once the stem structure has been tied and braced, dig a circle around the root ball at least a spade depth. Make sure the soil is moist so it stays in a ball. Leave a root zone diameter about 18 to 20 inches. Go around the root ball several times to cleanly cut all the roots. Use your spade to get well under the roots and lift gently, placing the root ball on a tarp and keeping it moist. Ask a friend to help support the root ball with another spade. It is better to have the new location prepared and properly amended with compost and mixed-in 15-55 granular fertilizer. The rootball should be planted an extra 2 to 3 inches deeper than the previous location. Carefully backfill and tie the remaining stems to the new support structure. Keep the transplant evenly watered and moist during spring and summer dry periods. Add mulch around the base of the vine to prevent uneven moisture loss.
Pruning Annabelle hydrangeas Heavy summer rains did a number on my well-established, best-blooming Annabelle hydrangeas. Can I cut them back and get a second bloom later in the summer? If so, should I cut them back hard, or leave some leaf growth? How much? M.N., Grosse Pointe, MI Annabelle hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) bloom on new wood. Many home gardeners grow them as hedges and cut them right to the ground in fall to avoid an unsightly mess. If the stems have been creased when they bent, chances are that stem will not revive. Prop up and stake any stems that have not been broken. They are surprisingly resilient. The compromised stems, however, should be cut down below the crease to the first pair of outward-facing leaf buds. This will still give the plant plenty of leaf growth to sustain itself into the cold weather. Once the plant is dormant, you can prune down the rest of the stems to 6 to 12 inches. Next year, plan to support the developing stems early in the season so that unexpected downpours do not damage the flower stalks. The prized large flower head becomes no better than a bowling ball on the end of a straw when it is saturated with water. It is not likely the plant will have enough energy to produce a second bloom this season. In fact, by late summer, you probably want to encourage winter storage reserves rather than blooms. Provide consistent water when the weather is dry and lightly fertilize with a granular acidifier. Fall is a critical time for flowering shrubs and trees as they store reserves in their roots to prevent desiccation.
www.MichiganGardener.com | September/October 2012 | Michigan Gardener
11 The Detroit Institute of Arts with the FRIENDS OF ART & FLOWERS present
Velvetleaf weed After new curbs were installed in our neighborhood, unknown plants (weeds?) have sprouted along the new curbs. Can you identify them (see photo)? J.S., Detroit, MI
The photo shows a seedling velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medicus), which is an annual weed. It produces seeds which can remain viable for 50 years in the soil. Also known as “China Jute,” it was brought into North America from southern Asia in the mid-1700s as a potential fiber and oil crop. Its coarse stem is composed of many linear strings that brought it to the attention of cloth manufacturers. However, it escaped from cultivation and now shows up in disturbed areas like your new curbs. It is very tolerant of a wide variety of soil types and degrees of moisture. A member of the mallow family, it can grow to five feet tall or more. This made it a problem for the crop production farmer, as it shaded out the preferred crop with its large, heart-shaped leaves. It also harbors pests and diseases detrimental to cash crops like corn, cotton and soybeans. Now it has become a nuisance weed in urban and suburban landscapes. Since it is not a heavy seeder, you could move it to a container and watch its development. The solitary yellow-orange flowers form on short stalks in the leaf axils. The fruit capsule is an interesting pod reminiscent of an oriental poppy. There actually are cultivated hybrids of the lowly abutilon that are heavy bloomers in late summer to early fall. Sometimes called “flowering maple” in the nursery trade and sold as annuals, they boast
ART TO LANDSCAPE
colorful flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Sprouts in lawn from removed trees
by W. Gary Smith
We have oriental locust tree sprouts growing in our lawn from the roots of a tree that was removed a couple years ago. What can we do to stop the sprouts? J.W., Livonia, MI Tree sprouts from buried roots is a characteristic of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Their extensive root systems can create an ongoing headache for homeowners long after the tree is gone. Simply mowing away the sprouts will never terminate the root’s sprouting stimulus. Black locusts were once planted extensively to fix nitrogen in the soil around farmland and as a source of nectar for pollinators. It was also an excellent source for fence posts and hardwood lumber. Unfortunately, locusts reproduce by root suckering, creating colonies of interconnected trees. Physical damage to roots and stumps only makes it sprout more. Mowing simply keeps the sprouts from spreading. The only effective control is the use of an herbicide containing triclopyr or glyphosate. Plan this procedure when it will be dry for at least 48 hours. Use the sprouts to locate the roots. Lift the lawn carefully back to reveal the root. Using a small handsaw or sharp knife, make several, deep V-notches in the root to expose the inner cambium. Using rubber gloves and a small paintbrush, saturate the cuts with herbicide. This puts the herbicide where it can be transmitted through the whole root system. Wherever you have a sprout, you have living root tissue under the turf that needs to be treated. Do not cover up the exposed wound with the grass or it will absorb the herbicide and die instead. Allow 36 to 48 hours for the herbicide to dry to contact and be absorbed into the root network.
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Mr. Smith is one of North America’s leading landscape designers specializing in botanical gardens and arboretums, as well as public art installations. He received the National Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers and a Design Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects.
LECTURE Friday, September 21, 2012, 7 pm Book signing after the lecture Free with admission to the DIA
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
Milarch Nursery Downy mildew takes CELEBR ATIN G 40 YE ARS
its toll on impatiens
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In 2012, professional landscapers, homeowners and garden center retailers have seen an escalation of the destructive foliar disease downy mildew (Plasmopara obducens) on common garden impatiens (Impatiens walleriana). Both vegetative and seed-raised nursery stock is vulnerable. This fungus-like disease was first reported in the U.S. back in 1942 but appeared only sporadically until recently. In the fall of 2011, symptoms were reported in California, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In January 2012, the disease was found on landscape impatiens in Florida. Dr. Colleen Warfield, corporate plant pathologist for Ball Horticultural Company, noted in December 2011 that cases of downy mildew were reported in the Niagara Falls region of Ontario, Canada. The Royal Horticultural Society in the U.K. discovered it for the first time in 2003 and suspected it arrived on imported commercial propagation material (seeds or cuttings). Damage was substantially reduced by improved control practices at commercial nurseries. Nonetheless, in 2011, controls failed in the U.K., most likely due to resistance to commercial fungicides. Infected plants were inadvertently sold. The disease is travelling, making it both a national and international concern to all retail nurseries, growers, professional landscapers, and home gardeners alike. The good news is that downy mildew is host specific and does not affect New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkerii) or other common annuals. The bad news is the spores are easily spread long distances via air currents and short distances by water splashing. This disease should not be confused with powdery mildew, whose symptoms appear on the top surface of leaves as a gray, powder-like coating. The primary downy mildew symptoms appear on the underside of leaves as a white, fuzzy-like growth composed of spores (see photo above). Optimum conditions are temperatures between 60 to 73 degrees F and a moist, humid environment. The weather patterns that occur in any given geographic area can set up conditions for this disease to take hold. What has researchers and the garden community especially concerned is the stealth factor of this disease. The time from infection to the appearance of symptoms varies greatly from 5 to 14 days, depending on the age of individual plant tissue, surrounding temperature, and humidity levels. That latent period between infection and visible plant symptoms means infected plants could be shipped or moved without even knowing there is a
Mary K. Hausbeck & Jeanne Himmelein
The primary downy mildew symptoms appear on the underside of leaves as a white, fuzzylike growth composed of spores. disease problem. This puts every plant retailer and wholesaler at risk of receiving infected plant material. In early 2012, production growers were advised of precautions to take and appropriate fungicides to use during the course of manufacture. Unfortunately, visible symptoms are the only clue to whether plant material is infected or not. If symptoms are not observed, there is no way to tell. There is a simple checklist of visible symptoms. Scrutinize impatiens for yellowish or pale green foliage. Watch for downward curling leaves or distorted leaves. Turn leaves over and check the undersides for white to lightgray fuzz, which is a key indicator of downy mildew. Emerging leaves may be small or the whole plant may appear stunted. Flower buds may fail to form. If these symptoms appear, the plant material should be removed and disposed of. They should not be composted. Even healthy-appearing plants adjacent to diseased plants should be discarded.
What you can do Preventative control and the use of alternative plants are the best approaches at this time. There is a wide range of commercial fungicides that can offer short-term protection in the plant production industry, but they need to be regularly reapplied throughout the season. The products available over the counter to homeowners provide little control. Professional landscapers and home gardeners can follow smart cultural controls to minimize the source of infection and also avoid creating an environment conducive to the development of the downy mildew spores. The weather is beyond our control. Sanitation is key. Before planting, and at season’s end, remove as much plant debris as possible, including stems, leaves, and roots. Mold spores reside in debris and soil. Inspect all purchased impatiens to see if any visible symptoms are present. Irrigate in early
www.MichiganGardener.com | September/October 2012 | Michigan Gardener
morning and never in the evening or at night. Use drip irrigation to avoid water on leaves. Downy mildew is a “water mold.” One of its prime transports is moisture. If an outbreak occurs, remove the infected plants and its neighbors immediately. Place all the debris, soil included, into plastic bags and seal them to avoid spreading the spores. Never compost them. Note where the outbreak occurred and avoid re-planting impatiens in those beds. Better still, plant alternative shade plants. Mary Hausbeck and Jeanne Himmelein of the MSU Department of Plant Pathology suggest begonias as a substitute. They have
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bronze or green foliage, and come in a variety of colors and hues. Also use New Guinea impatiens, which are unaffected by downy mildew. Coleus, with its unique foliage, also makes an excellent mass planting. Polka dot plant (Hypoestes) is a unique option. Pentas and annual vinca are two choices for sunnier spots. Avoid a monoculture mindset and plant 2 or 3 shade varieties. A monoculture increases the odds of having optimum conditions for a killing disease like downy mildew.
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
vegetable patch We help gardeners become professionals. Join us and we will show you how to make a living doing what you are passionate about!
The Year in Review Thursday, November 15, 2012, 6:30-9pm “The Year in Review” is an open forum where we share what we learned over the past growing season and discuss the gardening successes and problems that occurred (i.e. spring rains, hot summer, great/poor performing plants, etc.). Come join fellow enthusiastic gardeners for this lively, educational evening at the Spicer House in Farmington Hills.
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
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Autumn: Harvesting, planting, and preparing
Autumn in the vegetable patch is After cleanup, the second step Mary a busy time. Cold sensitive veggies in preparing the garden is to plan Gerstenberger such as tomatoes and peppers need ahead. Take note of where you to be harvested before first frost, or planted your different vegetables to extend their season, cover them this year so you can plan to rotate with a sheet or tarp on nights when a them to a new spot next year. Plantfrost is predicted. Cold tolerant plants ing closely related crops in the same such as radishes and lettuce can still part of the garden each year can be planted. Late in September is the lead to recurring problems with time to plant garlic cloves for next plant diseases as well as insect isyear’s harvest. More importantly, ausues. tumn is the time when garden cleanAutumn can be a hectic time in up as well as garden preparation begins. the garden as we harvest our vegetables and Good garden cleanup is fundamental to work at extending the growing season. Howhaving a healthy garden next year. Many ever, with a little extra effort now, we can types of fungal spores as well as insects can look forward to a quicker, better start to our overwinter in the leaf litter and soil. Plants garden in the spring. that showed signs of disease should be reMary Gerstenberger is the Consumer Hormoved from the garden along with any plant ticulture Coordinator at the Michigan State debris around them. Healthy plant remains University Extension in Macomb County, MI. can be composted or turned back into the soil For gardening information from MSU, visit to return their nutrients to the garden. www.migarden.msu.edu. The cleanup we do in the fall is the first step in preparing the spring garden. Not only The Macomb MSU Extension is offering a can the remains of our vegetable plants be Master Composter class. The six-week course dug into the garden, but autumn leaves and is held on Thursdays at the Macomb MSUE grass clippings as well. These help provide oroffice beginning October 4, from 6:30 to 9:00 ganic matter, which is important to good soil p.m. Cost is $45. Please register by September structure and healthy plants. Another way 30. For more information or to register call to provide organic matter and nutrients is to 586-469-6440. plant a cover crop such as oats or annual rye that can be turned into the soil in the spring. Call the toll-free Michigan State University A layer of compost can be spread over or tilled Lawn and Garden Hotline at 888-678-3464 into the garden as another option to enrich for answers to your gardening questions. and improve the soil.
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healthy lawns The effects of milky spore on Japanese beetles
Adult Japanese beetles feed on flowers and be the catalyst and it is drawing attention from leaves during midsummer. During this time Metropolitan Chicago and Metropolitan Dethe beetles mate and the females lay eggs in troit, both of which have endured consistently the soil. The eggs hatch in late summer, and rising populations over the past 2 decades. In these larvae (grubs) then feed on grass and 2010, some areas of Chicago experienced such plant roots. During fall’s cooler temperatures, high volumes that people just crossing a sidethe grubs go deeper in the soil and they slow walk were swarmed with Japanese beetles. their feeding during winter. Fortunately for Metro Detroiters, the populaMilky spore is a disease that affects the tions have started coming down, but they are grubs of Japanese beetles. When the grubs are still thriving in certain parts of Wayne, Oakclose to the surface and actively feeding in late land, and Macomb counties. summer, they are vulnerable to infesThere might be a correlation with tation by milky spore. As they feed, the above average precipitation we Steve grubs swallow the spores in the soil. Martinko have received over the last few years. This activates the reproduction of Once applied to the soil, milky spore bacteria inside the grub. Once a grub needs to be watered in, where it reis infected, it is killed through biologimains active for many more years. cal means within 1 to 3 weeks. The At the same time, Japanese beetles grub then decomposes, which releasare far more active on wet lawns es a huge number of new spores into compared to dry lawns, making acthe soil, thus affecting future grubs in tive grubs more likely to come into the area. contact with and ingest any milky An important benefit of milky spore that is present. So considering spore is that it’s non-toxic to huhow wet our seasons have been since mans, pets, and other non-target organisms. 2009, the insect’s decreased activity parallels Milky spore also has a couple disadvantages. with the prime conditions for milky spore conIt is expensive and relatively slow-acting, so trol. This is especially evident in those areas in it takes years to begin decreasing Japanese southwestern Michigan that have milky spore beetle populations. well established in the soil. Milky spore reIn the past few years, there has been a sigsearch by leading universities is essential for a nificant decline in Japanese beetle numbers complete understanding of the biological Japathroughout Michigan, especially from Grand nese beetle controls being made today. Rapids to Battle Creek. No one can be sure Steve Martinko is the owner of Contender’s Tree what exactly triggered this significant populaand Lawn Specialists in Oakland County, MI. tion decrease. Many consider milky spore to
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
how-to Understand fertilizer labeling
There are many different types of fertilizer. Some are labeled especially for flowers, vegetables or trees. Other formulations claim to be specifically for evergreens, lawns, roses or acid-loving plants. Within each category are fertilizers that are organic, chemical, water soluble, slow-release, and fast-acting. Here are some tips on how to choose the right fertilizer for your situation. First, find out what nutrients Steve are already present in your soil. Nikkila For that, do a soil test through your county’s Michigan State University Extension or go to www.msusoiltest.com for more information. The results you receive from the Extension will recommend a type and amount of fertilizer for the category of plants (vegetables, shrubs, flowers, etc.) you listed on the form that you submitted with the soil to be tested. If you do not have a specific soil test, treat your soil as average. You should then use a balanced, complete fertilizer. Balanced fertilizers have roughly equal amounts of the three main nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Complete fertilizers have all three ingredients. You can know it’s balanced and complete by reading the ingredients label and seeing that it lists equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, such as 3 percent, 3 percent, 3 percent. Fertilizer is often named for these quantities: 3-3-3, 5-5-5, 10-10-10, etc. Lawn fertilizer may be a special case. Because we cut grass so frequently, it requires more nitrogen than other garden plants. As such, many lawn fertilizers are not balanced—by design, they have a higher percentage of nitrogen than the other nutrients. Most also have no phosphorus, since as of January 1, 2012 it is against the law in Michigan to fertilize lawns with available phosphate (phosphorus), unless the lawn is brand new or a soil test result specified phosphorus is needed. For more information, visit http://snipurl. com/24sgsØu. Next, decide between a fast-acting and a slower, longer-lasting fertilizer. Whether you are buying a specific formula based on a soil test or estimating by using a complete, balanced formula, there will be products in your category that act slowly and others that dissolve immediately and move directly into plants’ roots. Choose a slow-release fertilizer to decrease your workload, since it can be applied less often, but expect to pay more
for it than a quick-release fertilizer. Choose a quick-release formula (like one of the blue powders meant to be mixed in water) if you can apply it more frequently and want to decide as you go which plants most need it based on their growth. Slow-release fertilizers that are also organic (because they are made from plant or animal byproducts such as kelp or manure) also tend to improve soil quality. They supply nutrients for the plants plus carbon that helps the soil become crumbly. Finally, choose the fertilizer that provides the best value for your dollar. Usually, nitrogen is the most expensive ingredient in a fertilizer. So check the value by comparing the price of the nitrogen in the product you are considering. Any 10-#-# fertilizer contains 10 percent nitrogen. If you see two different brands of 10-1010 and one costs $10 but the other costs $8, the second one is the better value, everything else being equal.
This fertilizer is balanced and complete because it contains equal amounts of all three of the major nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Text and photos by Steven Nikkila, who is from Perennial Favorites in Waterford, MI (E-mail: hortphoto@gmail.com).
These labels have terms that tell you if the fertilizer is fast or slow release. Look for “urea” or “water soluble” for fast release and “water insoluble” for slow release. Above: The Turf Builder is almost all fast-release nitrogen. Bottom left: The Bulb-tone fertilizer is half fast-release and half slow-release. Bottom: The Miracle-Gro is more fast-release (urea and ammoniacal nitrogen) than slow-release (nitrate nitrogen).
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
tree tips Humates: How they benefit your soil and plants In a previous article, we talked about fertilizers and the effect they have on plants. But walk into any garden center and there is a lot more than just fertilizers available to help your plants grow. What are these other products and how do they enhance the growth process? The choices are many and it would be impossible to explain them all in one article, but one common component in many of them is humates. Simply put, humates are the byproduct of dead or decaying plant parts and can be as basic as rotting grass clippings in your compost pile or peat from a bog, or as complex as coal buried for thousands of years deep within the earth. However they are derived, they all are composed of a dense mass of carbon that is very insoluble and stays put in the soil. They provide both resources and a medium for soil biology to live on and feed from, slowly breaking it down to forms that plants can use. So, in a most basic sense, they support soil biology. Furthermore, when humates are exposed to acid or base materials in Steve Turner the soil, they change and become much more. When exposed to base (alkali) materials, they release hydrogen and the newly available space becomes electrically charged sites that can attract and hold metal elements like iron, copper, etc. Not only do they hold them, they bind them into chelated forms that allow plants to uptake the elements into their roots and use them. This is what we call humic acid. Even though it is not actually an acid, it has many benefits to plants. In fact, its presence helps determine soil fertility. The more humic acid, the more fertile the soil. Desert and sandy soils have very little, while forests and properly managed agricultural soils have an abundance. We can see this with our own eyes—the darker the soil, the more humates it contains. Not only does it hold more nutrients, but it attracts more solar heat from the sun and is able to warm up faster in the spring and stay warmer in the fall, extending the growing season. Plus, the silica in humates can attract and hold solar energy like mini solar panels and later transfer this energy directly to plant cells that need it most, thus aiding the plant in photosynthesis. There are even more benefits. Not only do humates store nutrients, feed microorganisms, attract and hold heat and energy, they also hold water and increase airspace in the soil. A soil with as little as 3 percent humates can hold up to 10 times more water than soil without. Besides absorbing water, they transform it into a gelatin-like form that resists evaporation and holds the water until plants
need it. The space left over after the water is consumed allows for more air to enter in its place and loosen up the soil, thus creating better soil structure. In addition to retaining more water, humates change the chemical properties of it, making it more liquid and allowing it to enter cell walls easier. Water filtered by humates closely resembles water freshly melted from a glacier in that it is very pure and liquid, and holds an electrical charge—quite simply, it is alive. In fact, that is a great way to describe what humates do: they bring soil to life by supplying and regulating its resources to best maintain the life it supports. Not only do humates hold nutrients, they hold them in specific orders that best maintain optimal conditions for plants and soil organisms. If there is too much of one, they will store it until needed. They will even lock up heavy metals and pesticides that, if left in soluble form, can damage plants. Humates are even being used to lock up and store radioactive particles in the soil left from the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in Russia. Likewise, they are used to clean up industrial sites polluted by heavy metals and agricultural areas contaminated by persistent pesticides. They can dramatically reduce the amount of pesticides absorbed by crops. Seeds soaked in humic acid before planting or seedlings watered with it have more root mass and much less mortality in nursery production. Humates are often used when applying fertilizers because they help prevent leaching and help convert the fertilizer to more plant-friendly forms, thus providing more benefits from reduced rates of fertilizer applications. Most organic fertilizers contain some form of humates in their mix, but only a handful of synthetic fertilizers are blended with humates to improve their performance. That said, humates can be mixed with almost any liquid fertilizer to help enhance it. Besides humic acid, there are other forms of humates that we did not cover. Fulvic acid is created when humates are exposed to acid. Humus (organic matter) and humin are what’s left after removing both humic and fulvic acid from humates. They all have similar benefits but each has different advantages that might make one more desirable than the other. That said, humic acid will be found in the widest variety of products at your local garden centers. All of these forms are just more pieces of a much bigger puzzle when it comes to enhancing the soil for your plants. Steve Turner, Certified Arborist, is from Arboricultural Services in Fenton, MI.
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33866 Woodward at Adams • Birmingham 248.644.4411 • blossomsbirmingham.com
NEW this year: Miniature gardening! We have many plants & accessories!
Bonsai – We are Michigan’s largest bonsai nursery with over 2,500 indoor and outdoor bonsai trees!
Indoor: Ficus, Fukien Tea, Bougainvillea, and many more. Outdoor: Maples, Junipers, Korean Hornbeam, Dawn Redwood, Larch and many more. We have something for everyone: From $3 starter plants up to $6,000 very mature, exceptional bonsai trees • Japanese & Chinese pots • Tools • Wire • Soil • Mud Men • Ongoing classes WATER GARDENS Hardy & Tropical Aquatic Plants: Water Lilies • Bog Plants Pond Supplies: Filters • Pumps Pond Liner • Fish Food Fish: Shubunkins • Fantails • Domestic Koi • Imported Koi From Japan • Crawfish & Tadpoles
8930 South Custer Rd. (M-50) Monroe, MI 48161
734-269-2660
5 mi E. of Cabela’s on M-50 • M-F 9-5 Sat 9-4
• Huge stones • Sculptures • Fountains • Asian decor • Found artifacts • Garden Décor
See our Bonasi and Water Garden photo gallery at www.FlowerMarketDundee.com
M-59
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
Columbiaville, Davison
Bay City, Clio, Gladwin, Midland, Roscommon, Saginaw
North Branch
Lapeer
Emmett Imlay City
Flushing Lennon
Port Huron
Hadley Dryden
Grand Blanc
Flint
Bancroft, Owosso
Metamora
Fenton
Almont
Oxford
Ortonville
Addison Twp.
Orion Clarkston Hartland
White Lake Highland
East Lansing, Fowlerville, Grand Rapids, Haslett, Lansing, Mason, Williamston
Holly White Lake Waterford
Commerce
West Bloomfield
New Hudson South Lyon
Whitmore Lake
Novi Northville
Rochester Hills
Auburn Hills Bloomfield Hills Birmingham
Sterling Hts.
Southfield Oak Park Ferndale
Detroit
Canton Wayne
Dearborn Dearborn Heights
Ypsilanti
Taylor
Saline New Boston
Tipton
Clinton Twp.
Livonia Redford
Belleville
Tecumseh
New Baltimore
Utica
Troy
Westland
Ann Arbor
Macomb
St. Clair Roseville Shores Madison Royal Oak Heights Warren
Plymouth
Cement City, Chelsea, Jackson, Stockbridge
Shelby Twp.
Berkley
Farmington Hills Farmington
Dexter
Ray
Rochester
Pontiac
Walled Lake Wixom Brighton
Washington
Oakland
Sylvan Lake Milford
Howell
Manchester
Lakeport
Romulus Brownstown Twp.
Southgate Trenton Grosse Ile
Rockwood, Monroe
Eastpointe
Grosse Pointes Dearborn Fairlane Gardens Westborn Flower Mkt Dearborn Heights H English Gardens 22650 Ford Rd, MI 48127 313-278-4433 www.EnglishGardens.com Detroit Allemon’s Landscp Ctr H Detroit Farm & Garden 1759 20th St., enter on 21st, MI 48216 313-655-2344 www.detroitfarmandgarden.com Dexter Dexter Gardens H Fraleigh’s Landscp Eastpointe Ariel’s Enchanted Gard H English Gardens 22501 Kelly Rd, MI 48021 586-771-4200 www.EnglishGardens.com
A collection of stores and gardens to shop and visit. Please call ahead for hours, as they may vary from season to season. h Denotes MG Advertiser Addison Twp H Yule Love It Lavender Farm Almont American Tree Ann Arbor H Abbott’s Nurs Ace Barnes Hardware Downtown Home/Gard H English Gardens 155 N. Maple Rd, MI 48103 734-332-7900 www.EnglishGardens.com HillTop Greenhse/Farms Lodi Farms H The Produce Station Turner’s Greenhse/Garn Ctr Wild Birds Unltd Auburn Hills Drake’s Landscp & Nurs H Haley Stone H State Crushing Bancroft Grand Oak Herb Farm Bay City H Begick Nursery & Garden Center 5993 Westside Saginaw Rd., MI 48706 989-684-4210 www.begicknursery.com
Belleville Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice Pinter Flowerland Zywicki Greenhse Berkley Garden Central Westborn Flower Mkt Bloomfield Hills Backyard Birds Birmingham H Blossoms 33866 Woodward Ave, MI 48009 248-644-4411 www.blossomsbirmingham.com Plant Station Tiffany Florist Brighton H Beauchamp Landscp Supp H Bordine’s Brighton Farmer’s Mkt Cowbell Lawn/Gard H English Gardens 7345 Grand River, MI 48114 810-534-5059 www.EnglishGardens.com Grasshopper Gardens H Meier Flowerland Brownstown Twp Elegant Environ Pond Shop Ruhlig Farms & Gard
Canton Canton Floral Gardens Clink Nurs Crimboli Landscp/Nurs Keller & Stein Greenhse H Wild Birds Unltd Cement City H Hallson Gardens Chelsea H Garden Mill The Potting Shed Clarkston H Bordine’s Country Oaks Landscp I Lowrie’s Landscp H The Pond Source Clinton Twp H English Gardens 44850 Garfield Rd, MI 48038 586-286-6100 www.EnglishGardens.com H Tropical Treasures Clio H Piechnik’s Greenhouse Columbiaville Hilltop Barn Commerce Twp Backyard Birds Zoner’s Greenhse Davison H Wojo’s Gard Splendors
Semrau Gard Ctr Farmington Backyard Birds Farmington Hills Angelo’s Landscp Supp Farmer John’s Greenhse Loeffler Stone Ctr H Steinkopf Nurs Fenton H Gerych’s Flowers/Gift H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm Ferndale Casual Modes Home/Gard Green Thumb Gard Ctr Flushing Flushing Lawn/Gard Fowlerville H Arrowhead Alpines Gladwin H Stone Cottage Gard Grand Blanc H Bordine’s H The Weed Lady 9225 Fenton Rd, MI 48439 810-655-2723 www.theweedlady.com Grosse Ile H Westcroft Gardens Grosse Pointe Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Meldrum & Smith Nurs Grosse Pointe Woods H Wild Birds Unltd Hadley H Le Fleur Décor
Hartland H Deneweth’s Garden Ctr Haslett H Christian’s Greenhse H Van Atta’s Greenhse Higgins Lake The Greenhouse Highland Colasanti’s Produce/Plant H Fragments H Highland Garden Ctr One Stop Landscp Supp Holly H Rice’s Garden Ornaments Howell H Howell Farmer’s Mkt Penrose Nurs Howell H Specialty Growers 4330 Golf Club Rd, MI 48843 517-546-7742 www.specialtygrowers.net Imlay City Earthly Arts Greenhse Jackson The Hobbit Place Schmid Nurs/Gard Lake Orion Lake Orion Lawn Orn H Orion Stone Depot H Wojo’s of Lake Orion Lapeer H Iron Barn Gard Ctr Lennon Krupps Novelty Shop Livonia Bushel Mart Superior Growers Supp Westborn Flower Mkt Macomb Altermatt Greenhses Boyka’s Greenhse H Deneweth’s Garden Ctr H Elya’s Village Gardens Landscape Source Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Wade Nurs H Wiegand’s Nursery 47747 Romeo Plank Rd., MI 48044 586-286-3655 www.wiegandsnursery.com Madison Heights Green Carpet Sod Manchester McLennan Nurs Mason Wildtype Nurs Metamora Gilling’s Nurs Milford One Stop Landscp Supp Milford Gardens H The Pond Place Monroe H The Flower Market New Baltimore Meldrum Bros Nurs New Boston H Gorham & Sons Nurs Grass Roots Nurs Mums the Word New Hudson H Milarch Nurs North Branch H Campbell’s Greenhse Oldani Landscp Nurs Northville H Gardenviews Novi H Dinser’s Greenhse Glenda’s Gard Ctr Stone City H Wild Birds Unltd Oak Park Four Seasons Gard Ctr Oakland Goodison Farms Daylilies Ortonville Country Oaks Landscp II H Wojo’s Greenhse
Owosso H Everlastings in Wildwood Oxford Candy Cane Xmas Trees Oxford Farm/Gard Plymouth Backyard Birds Graye’s Greenhse Lucas Nurs H Plymouth Nurs Plymouth Rock Rock Shoppe H Saxton’s Gard Ctr Sparr’s Greenhse Pontiac H Goldner Walsh Gard/Home Ray Van’s Valley Greenhse Redford Pinter Flowerland Seven Mi Gard Ctr Rochester H Fogler’s Greenhse H Haley Stone Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr Rochester Hills H Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr 3820 West Auburn Rd, MI 48309 248-852-2310 www.auburnoaksnursery.com H Bordine’s H English Gardens Patio Shop Shades of Green Nurs Wild Birds Unltd Rockwood H Marsh Greenhouses Too 31820 W. Jefferson, MI 48173 734-379-9641 www.marshgreenhouses.com Romulus Block’s Stand/Greenhse H Kurtzhals’ Farms H Schoedel’s Nurs H Schwartz’s Greenhse Roscommon The Greenhouse Roseville Dale’s Landscp Supp World Gardenland Royal Oak H Billings Lawn Equip H English Gardens 4901 Coolidge Hwy, MI 48073 248-280-9500 www.EnglishGardens.com H Wild Birds Unltd Saginaw H Abele Greenhse Saline H Nature’s Gard Ctr 6400 E. Michigan Ave., MI 48176 734-944-8644 www.naturesgardencenter.com Saline Flowerland Shelby Twp Diegel Greenhses Eden Gard Ctr H Hessell’s Greenhse Maeder Plant Farm Potteryland H Telly’s Greenhouse 4343 24 Mile, MI 48316 248-659-8555 www.tellys.com South Lyon Hollow Oak Farm Nurs Southfield 3 DDD’s Stand H Eagle Landscp/Supp Lavin’s Flower Land Main’s Landscp Supp Southgate H Ray Hunter Gard Ctr St Clair Shores Hall’s Nurs Soulliere Gard Ctr Sterling Heights Decor Statuette H Eckert’s Greenhouse Flower Barn Nurs Prime Landscp Supp Stockbridge Gee Farms Sylvan Lake H AguaFina Gardens Intrntl H Detroit Garden Works
Taylor H Beautiful Ponds & Gardens 20379 Ecorse, MI 48180 313-383-3853 www.skippysstuff.com H D&L Garden Ctr H Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp Tecumseh Mitchell’s Lawn/Landscp Trenton Carefree Lawn Ctr Troy Maeder’s West H Telly’s Greenhouse 3301 John R Rd, MI 48083 248-689-8735 www.tellys.com Tom’s Landscp Nurs H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store Utica Dale’s Landscp Supp Stone City Walled Lake H Suburban Landscp Supp Warren H Beste’s Lawn/Patio Supp Garden Ctr Nurs Young’s Garden Mart Washington Landscp Direct Rocks ‘n’ Roots Waterford Hoffman Nurs H Merrittscape Wayne Artman’s Nurs West Bloomfield H English Gardens 6370 Orchard Lake Rd, MI 48322 248-851-7506 www.EnglishGardens.com H Planterra Westland Artman’s Westland Nurs H Barson’s Greenhse Bushel Stop Panetta’s Landscp Joe Randazzo’s Nurs White Lake H Bogie Lake Greenhse Mulligan’s Gard Sunshine Plants Whitmore Lake H Alexander’s Greenhses Williamston H Christian’s Greenhse Wixom Brainer’s Greenhse Angelo’s Landscp Supp Milford Tree Farm Ypsilanti Coleman’s Farm Mkt Lucas Nurs Margolis Nurs Materials Unlimited
Gardens to Visit Ann Arbor H Matthaei Bot Gard/Nichols Arb Bloomfield Hills H Cranbrook Gardens Dearborn Arjay Miller Arboretum at Ford World HQ Henry Ford Estate Detroit Anna S Whitcomb Conservtry Dryden Seven Ponds Nature Ctr East Lansing H MSU Horticultural Gardens W.J. Beal Botanical Gard Emmett H Sunny Fields Botanical Pk Flint Applewood Grand Rapids Frederik Meijer Gardens Grosse Pointe Shores H Edsel & Eleanor Ford Hse Lansing Cooley Gardens Midland H Dow Gardens Novi Tollgate Education Ctr Royal Oak Detroit Zoo Tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens
www.MichiganGardener.com | September/October 2012 | Michigan Gardener
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Stone Cottage Gardens Specializing in Hybrid Daylilies
Huge selection of daylilies, hostas, ferns, perennials, grasses, vines, herbs, groundcovers & Felco pruning tools ~ Garden art & accessories ~ Going “Up North” for the weekend? Check the Michigan Gardener calendar or our website for special events Open May 1 - Oct. 13 Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 9-4 or by chance or appointment
3740 West Willford Rd. Gladwin, MI 989-426-2919 www.stonecottagegardens.com
The Complete Gardener’s Guide by Simon Akeroyd, Zia Allaway, Helena Caldon, Martyn Cox and Jenny Hendy The Complete Gardener’s Guide (DK Publishing, 448 pages, $30.00) is designed for beginner and experienced gardeners. It provides practical techniques, inspirational ideas, and problemsolving advice to make and maintain a garden of any size. Design ideas include family gardens, wildlife havens, easy care gardens, patios, ponds, raised beds and more. The section on planting includes perennials, shrubs, grasses, bulbs, water gardening, annuals, and general color and texture ideas. A vegetable crop planner and 37 vegetable and fruit types are reviewed. Care advice includes watering, feeding, containers, displays, pruning, propagating and more. Weeds, problems, pests, and diseases are also discussed, including A to Z lists of common pests and diseases. Plant chooser advice covers climbers, rock plants, conifers, trees, soils, bulbs, perennials, water plants and more. Over 1,000 photographs illustrate every aspect of practical gardening. The integration of text and pictures helps readers learn what to do with each gardening task.
The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year No Matter Where You Live by Niki Jabbour The author of The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener (Storey Publishing, 248 pages, $19.95) suggests that it is possible to make every month a vegetable-gardening month. By using the techniques described and creating some protective structures, gardeners are able to use cold frames and mini hoop tunnels to get a jump on spring, harvest warm-weather crops weeks earlier, plan for succession to continue the harvest through the summer into the fall, and keep harvesting straight through winter. Part 1 discusses how to stretch the growing season by getting the timing right, intensive planting, growing into winter, and designing productive gardens. Photos and diagrams help explain all of these concepts. Part 2 focuses on growing the right crops. Lists and descriptions of year-round vegetables and herbs are provided, along with planting calendars and the author’s favorite varieties of each type of food. The book concludes with appendixes on building a cold frame, succession planting, interplanting, and seed resources.
Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives by Evelyn J. Hadden If you are looking for ideas to re-think your yard, consider eliminating and replacing it with a low-maintenance living carpet. Beautiful No-Mow Yards (Timber Press, 252 pages, $24.95) provides options that reduce yard work and add a sustainable outdoor space. The book is divided into three sections: design inspiration, how to get there, and choice groundcover plants. Replacing lawn with low-growing plants and groundcovers provides color, diversity and seasonal flowers. Another option is to plant slow-growing lawns that are less demanding. The author also discusses four places that are the best areas to convert a lawn to a garden that would require less water, time and resources. Providing diversity to a landscape even encourages creative play for children. Uneven textures and colors, aromas, and a variety of shapes increase brain growth. These conditions also promote wildlife.
ask for it at your local garden center
Classified Ads POISON IVY – We get rid of it! That’s all we do. Call us—we are experts at identifying and removing poison ivy from your property, from single homes to large parks. Licensed and Insured. Poison Ivy Control of Michigan. 248-842-8095. www. poisonivycontrolofmichigan.com. NEED A HAND? Call “The little gardener that could.” 15 yrs experience at Botanical Gardens. FREE Estimates. Pat: 586-2149852, agardenspace.com. DO YOU ENJOY SCRAPBOOKING? Then pick up a copy of Michigan Scrapbooker magazine. It’s free! Visit MichiganScrapbooker.com for more info and to sign up for the free Michigan Scrapbooker e-newsletter. Join the conversation at facebook.com/ MichiganScrapbooker. MICHIGAN GARDENER E-NEWSLETTER - Sign up for our free e-newsletter! Go to MichiganGardener.com and simply enter your e-mail address. Need help? Have help to give? Big event coming up? Have some items to sell? Need a cost-effective way to promote your business? Use Michigan Gardener Classified Advertising to let readers know! Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Classified Advertising.” Deadline for the November/December 2012 issue is October 19.
Orion Stone Depot Your one stop to beautify your home!
NEW!
What better way to enjoy your outdoor living area than to gather around a beautiful fire pit with friends and family? The Rosetta Fire Pit transforms your outdoor space into an inviting, warm retreat. Precast concrete is fire-safe and engineered to last. • Beautiful natural stone texture, fire safe • Fast installation, no waste • Kit contains all components: stones, caps & steel ring
9 varietiesMULCHES: of premiumDecorative mulches Stone • Flagstone 9 VARIETIES OF PREMIUM decorative stone ••flagstone • wallstone topsoil&• sand • gravelWalls Wallstone • Topsoil Sand • Gravel • Brick•Pavers Retaining Stone • Slabs Steps••slabs Boulders brick pavers &Natural retaining wallsPavers • natural stone&pavers & steps • boulders
4888 Joslyn Road - Orion, MI 48359 (1/2 mi North of I-75.)
(248) 391.2490 Orion www.orionstone.com
stone depot
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
Look for Allen Park ACO Hardware Almont American Tree Ann Arbor H Abbott’s Landscp Nurs Ace Barnes Hardware Downtown Home & Gard H English Gardens HillTop Greenhse & Farms Larry’s Mower Shop Lodi Farms H Matthaei Botanical Gard H The Produce Station Turner’s Greenhse/ Gard Ctr Wild Bird Ctr Wild Birds Unltd Auburn Hills ACO Hardware Drake’s Nurs H Haley Stone H Oakland Community College H State Crushing Belleville Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice Hollow’s Landscp Supp Pinter Flowerland Zywicki Greenhse Berkley Garden Central Birmingham ACO Hardware H Blossoms MT Hunter Neighborhood Hardware H Plant Station Tiffany Florist Watch Hill Antiques
at these fine locations: English Gardens H English Gardens Michigan Koi MSU ExtensionMacomb Cty H Tropical Treasures
Howell H Howell Farmer’s Mkt Penrose Nurs H Specialty Growers
Clio H Piechnik’s Greenhse
Lake Orion Lake Orion Lawn Ornaments H Orion Stone Depot H Wojo’s of Lake Orion
Commerce Twp Backyard Birds @ ACE Hardware Zoner’s Greenhse Davison H Wojo’s Garden Splendors Dearborn ACO Hardware Fairlane Gard Dearborn Hts ACO Hardware H English Gardens Detroit H Detroit Farm & Gard Detroit Gard Ctr Dexter Dexter Gard H Fraleigh’s Nurs Eastpointe H English Gardens Farmington ACO Hardware Farmington Hills ACO Hardware Farmer John’s Greenhse H Steinkopf Nurs Weingartz Fenton H Gerych’s H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm Ferndale Casual Modes Home & Gard Green Thumb Gard Ctr
Bloomfield Hills ACE Hardware Coastal Outdoor Living Space
Fostoria H Iron Barn Iron Work
Brighton H Beauchamp Landscp Supp H Bordine’s H English Gardens H Grasshopper Gardens Main’s Landscp Supp H Meier Flowerland
Gladwin H Stone Cottage Gardens
Brownstown Twp Ruhlig Farms & Gard Canton Canton Floral Gardens Clink Landscp & Nurs Crimboli Nurs Keller & Stein Greenhse H Wild Birds Unltd Chelsea H Garden Mill The Potting Shed Clarkston ACE Hardware ACO Hardware H Bordine’s Country Oaks Landscp Supp I Lowrie’s Landscp The Birdfeeder H The Pond Source Weingartz Clawson ACO Hardware Clinton Twp ACO Hardware
Fowlerville H Arrowhead Alpines
Grand Blanc H Bordine’s H The Weed Lady Grand Rapids Meijer Gardens Grosse Ile H Westcroft Gardens Grosse Pointe ACE Hardware Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Meldrum & Smith Nurs Grosse Pointe Shores H Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Grosse Pointe Woods H Wild Birds Unltd Hadley H Le Fleur Décor Hartland H Deneweth’s Gard Ctr Haslett H Van Atta’s Greenhse Highland ACO Hardware Colasanti’s Produce & Plants H Fragments Holly H Rice’s Garden Ornaments
Imlay City Earthly Arts
Livonia ACO Hardware (5 Mi/ Middlebelt) ACO Hardware (6 Mi/ Newburgh) Bushel Mart Superior Growers Supp Macomb ACO Hardware Altermatt’s Greenhse Boyka’s Greenhse H Deneweth’s Gard Ctr Elya’s Village Gard Landscape Source Olejnik Farms H Wiegand’s Nursery
Ray Van’s Valley Grenhse
Flower Barn Nurs Prime Landscp Supply
Redford Pinter Flowerland Seven Mi Gard Ctr
Stockbridge Gee Farms
Rochester Casual Concepts H Fogler’s Greenhse H Haley Stone Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr Rochester Hills ACE Hardware ACO Hardware H Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr H Bordine’s Bordine’s H English Gardens Patio Shop Shades of Green Nurs Wild Birds Unltd Rockwood H Marsh Greenhses Too
Sylvan Lake H AguaFina Gardens Interntl H Detroit Garden Works Taylor H Beautiful Ponds & Gard H D&L Garden Ctr H Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp Tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens Trenton Carefree Lawn Ctr Keck Hardware
Troy ACO Hardware Maeder’s West Romulus H Telly’s Greenhse H Kurtzhal’s Farms Telly’s Greenhse H Schoedel’s Nurs Madison Hts H Schwartz’s Greenhse The Home & Gard Shop Green Carpet Sod Tom’s Landscp Nurs Roscommon Midland H Uncle Luke’s Feed The Greenhouse H Dow Gardens Store Roseville Milford Utica Dale’s Landscp Supp ACO Hardware Dale’s Landscp Supp World Gardenland Milford Gardens Stone City One Stop Landscp Supp Royal Oak Weingartz H The Pond Place ACO Hardware Warren Billings Lawn Equip Monroe H Beste’s Lawn & Patio H English Gardens H The Flower Market Young’s Garden Mart English Gardens New Baltimore Washington Frentz & Sons Meldrum Bros Nurs Landscape Direct Hardware Van Thomme’s Miller’s Big Red La Roche Greenhses Manus Power Mowers Greenhse New Boston Rocks ‘n’ Roots H Wild Birds Unltd H Gorham & Sons Nurs Waterford Saginaw Grass Roots Nurs ACO Hardware H Abele Greenhse & Mums the Word Gard Ctr Breen’s Landscp Supp New Hudson Jacobsen’s Flowers Saline H Milarch Nurs Junga’s ACE Hardware Waterford North Branch H Nature’s Gard Ctr H Merrittscape H Campbell’s Saline Flowerland Wayne Greenhses Shelby Twp Artman’s Nurs Oldani Landscp Nurs Diegel Greenhses West Bloomfield Northville Eden Gard Ctr H English Gardens Begonia Bros H Hessell’s Greenhses H Planterra H Gardenviews Maeder Plant Farm Whole Foods Novi Potteryland Westland ACO Hardware H Telly’s Greenhse ACO Hardware H Dinser’s Third Coast Garden Artman’s Westland Glenda’s Gard Ctr Supp Nurs Tollgate Education Ctr South Lyon H Barsons Greenhses H Wild Birds Unltd ACO Hardware Bushel Stop Oak Park Hollow Oak Farm Nurs Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Four Seasons Gard Ctr Southfield Panetta’s Landscp Supp Ortonville 3 DDD’s Stand White Lake Country Oaks Landscp ACO Hardware H Bogie Lake Greenhse Supp II H Eagle Landscp & Mulligan’s Gard Ctr H Wojo’s Greenhse Supply Sunshine Plants Lavin’s Flower Land Owosso Whitmore Lake Main’s Landscp Supp H Everlastings in the H Alexander’s Wildwood Southgate Greenhses H Ray Hunter Gard Ctr Plymouth Williamston Backyard Birds St Clair Shores H Christian’s Greenhse Lucas Nurs ACE Hardware Wixom H Plymouth Nurs ACO Hardware Angelo’s Landscp Supp Plymouth Rock & Supp (Harper/13 Mi) Brainer’s Greenhse Rock Shoppe Greenhouse Growers H Saxton’s Gard Ctr Hall’s Nurs Ypsilanti Sideways Soulliere Gard Ctr Coleman’s Farm Mkt Sparr’s Greenhse Lucas Nurs Sterling Hts Pontiac Margolis Nurs ACO Hardware H Goldner Walsh Materials Unlimited Decor Statuette Gard/Home H Eckert’s Greenhse Schmidt’s Antiques
calendar September / October / November
H Denotes Michigan Gardener advertiser Essentials of Blanching & Freezing Tue, Sep 4, 5:30-7pm, Flint. At MSU Extension Office. $15. Register: http://events.anr.msu.edu. 810-244-8512. Rhubarb Leaf Concrete Bowl with Optional Fountain Class Sat, Sep 8, 10am, Ortonville. By Garden Angel Art Works at Wojo’s Greenhouse. Register: 248-627-6498, www. GardenAngelArt.com Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Sep 8, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com. Dahlia Society Show Sat, Sep 8, 11am-5pm & Sun, Sep 9, 12-4pm, West Bloomfield. By Southeastern Michigan Dahlia Society at Orchard Mall. Displays, Q&A, FREE. hye3@att.net. Homegrown Festival Sat, Sep 8, 6-10pm, Ann Arbor. At Farmers’ Market pavilion. Food, kids activities, market, demos, panel discussions, auction, music. www.homegrownfestival.org. Fall Rose Show Sat, Sep 8, 1-5pm & Sun, 11am-5pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. FREE. Entries accepted Sat, 8-10am. www.meijergardens.org, 616-975-3155. Heirloom Tomatoes Sat, Sep 8, 1-4pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. FREE w/admission. Demos, family activities, samples, vote for your favorite. www.meijergardens.org, 616-975-3155. Bromeliad/Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale Sat, Sep 8, 10:30am-4pm, Ann Arbor. By SE MI Bromeliad Society & MI Cactus & Succulent Society at Matthaei Botanical Gardens Greenhouse 3. FREE lectures & demonstations at 1 & 2:30pm. 248-380-7359, pgoff@ wideopenwest.com. Midland Daylily Sale Sat, Sep 8, 7am-noon, Midland. By Central Michigan Daylily Society at Midland Farmers Market. www.daylilies.me. H Fall Container Gardening Sat, Sep 8, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5 plus materials. www. tellys.com, 248-689-8735. H Late Blooming Perennials Sat, Sep 8, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735. Create a Backyard Bird Habitat Mon, Sep 10, noon, Mt. Clemens. By Mt. Clemens Garden Club at Mt. Clemens Library community room. Presentation by English Gardens, $5. Register: 586-436-0700. Attract Butterflies to Your Garden Tue, Sep 11, 7:30pm, Milford. By Huron Valley Audubon Society at Kensington Park Nature Center. www.ButterfliesInTheGarden.com. H The Chicken & The Egg, a Cooking Class Wed, Sep 12, noon-1:30pm, Leonard. By Yule Love It Lavender at White Horse Inn. Register: 810-678-2150.
For information about Public Gardens, please visit MichiganGardener.com. Click on "Resources" then "Public Gardens." Putting Your Garden to Bed Wed, Sep 12, 11:45am-2:30pm, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at Big Beaver United Methodist Church. Speaker. $7, light lunch. Register: 248-642-7277, www.TroyGardenClubMI.com. Introduction to Honey Bees & Beekeeping Thu, Sep 13, 6:30-8:30pm, Novi. By MSU Extension Oakland County at MSU Tollgate Education Center. www. oakgov.com/msu, 248-858-0887. Land & Water Preservation Open House Thu, Sep 13, 6:30pm, Pontiac. By Six Rivers & Clinton River Watershed Council at Goldner Walsh Nursery. Keeping Your Garden Fresh Thu, Sep 13, 10am (meeting), 1pm (program), Shelby Twp. By Shelby Gardeners Club at Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center. FREE. 586-781-4693. Fall Gardening Tips Thu, Sep 13, 7pm, Ferndale. By Ferndale Garden Club at Ferndale Community Center. 248-541-6427. Chrysanthemums & More! Fri, Sep 14, 9am-5pm, through 10/28. Display, tours, more. 616-957-1580, www.meijergardens.org. Watergardens & Ponds Sat, Sep 15, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com. Rosedale Park Home Garden Tour Sat, Sep 15, 10am-4pm, Detroit. At North Rosedale Park Community House. Tour & luncheon: $25 Tour only: $15. www.northrosedalepark.org, 313-835-1103. Dehydrating Your Harvest Sat, Sep 15, 10am-noon, Ann Arbor. By Project Grow at Leslie Science Center. $10. Register: www.projectgrowgardens.org. Herb & Gourd Fest Sat, Sep 15, 10am-5pm & Sun, 12-5pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. FREE w/paid admission. Displays, demos, samples. www.meijergardens.org, 616-975-3155. H Weed Identification & Control Sat, Sep 15, 1pm, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735. H Preserving the Herbal Harvest Sat, Sep 15, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735. Sustainability Dinner Sun, Sep 16, 5-8pm, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope. Tour innovative green features of headquarters & urban farm, $45. amanda@growinghope.net, 734-330-7576.
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www.MichiganGardener.com | September/October 2012 | Michigan Gardener
H Pestos to Know & Love Thu, Sep 20, 6:30pm, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735. H Art to Landscape Lecture Fri, Sep 21, 7pm, Detroit. At the Detroit Institute of Arts. Landscape design lecture & book signing by W. Gary Smith. www.dia.org, 313-833-7900. Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Sep 22, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com. H Farmgirl Revival Sat, Sep 22, Leonard. At Yule Love It Lavender. www. yuleloveitlavender.com, 248-628-7814. Growing with Master Gardeners Conference Sat, Sep 22, 9am-4pm, Dearborn. By Master Gardener Association of Wayne County at U of M Dearborn Campus EIC. $35, 4 speakers. www.mgawc.org. H Fall Lake Fish Day Sat, Sep 22, 1-2pm, Milford. At The Pond Place. Advance order required by noon, Wed, 9/19. Bring coolers to transport. www.pondplace.com. H Gardening with Ornamental Grasses Sat, Sep 22, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735. Hybridizing for Young & Old Mon, Sep 24, 7pm, Birmingham. By Metro Detroit Hosta Society at First United Methodist Church. Speaker & silent auction. Hgold2843@comcast.net. Meadow Brook Garden Club Speaker Fri, Sep 28, 9:15am, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Garden Club at Meadow Brook Hall Family Garage. Speaker regarding The Garden of Healing & Renewal. $5. 248364-6210, www.meadowbrookhall.org. Lighted Pond Tour Fri, Sep 28, 6-9pm, Milford. At The Pond Place. www. pondplace.com. Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Sep 29, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. www. rocksnroots.com. Pebblestone Planter Box Sat, Sep 29, 10am, Fenton. At Gerych’s Floral/Events & Greenhouse. Create a planter box, $55. Register: 810629-5995, www.gerychspartyrental.com. Perennial Plant Exchange Sat, Sep 29, 9-11am, Royal Oak. By Royal Oak Garden Club at Mahany Meininger Senior Center. Inside. FREE. bdawes32@yahoo.com. Cobblestone Planter Box Class Sat, Sep 29, 10am, Fenton. By Garden Angel Art Works at Gerych’s Flowers & Gifts. Create a wood planter box. Register: 810-629-5995. www.GardenAngelArt.com/ Classes. H Dill Wreath Workshop Sat, Sep 29, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735. Beginning Bonsai Techniques Sun, Sep 30, 2pm, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club of MI at Telly’s Greenhouse. 3 demos for beginners, experienced, bring-your-own. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com. H Harvest Fest Sat, Oct 6, 11am-5pm, Macomb. At Ray Wiegand’s Nursery. Scarecrow Making Contest: Oct 7 at 2pm. www. wiegandsnursery.com, 586-286-3655. H Spring-Blooming Bulbs Sat, Oct 6, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735. Earthwork Urban Farm Presentation Thu, Oct 11, 7pm, Ferndale. By Ferndale Garden Club at Ferndale Community Center. 248-541-6427.
Advertiser Index Abbott’s Landscape Nursery..........13 Abele Greenhouse & Gard Ctr.........5 Aguafina Gardens International.............................................19 Assoc. of Prof Gardeners..................14 Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr........................17 Barson’s Greenhouse..........................19 Beauchamp Lawn & Landscape......7 The Pond Place..........................................7 Blossoms....................................................19
Bogie Lake Greenhouses...................15 Bonide.......................Inside Back Cover Bordine’s...........................................Page 3 Detroit Garden Works.........................8 DIA Friends of Art & Flowers............11 Eckert’s Greenhouse..............................5 English Gardens........Inside Frt Cover The Flower Market................................19 Fraleigh’s Landscape Nursery....... 18 The Garden Company..........................7 The Garden Mill.......................................11 Garden Rhythms....................................13 A Garden Space.......................................9
Fall Bonsai Show Sat, Oct 13, 9am-5pm & Sun, 11am-5pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. FREE w/paid admission. Display, vote on trees, hands-on discovery cart. www.meijergardens.org, 616-975-3155. H A Man Named Pearl Event Sat, Oct 13, 9am or 1pm, Fenton. At Gerychs Floral Greenhouse. Live topiary creations by nationally-known plant sculptor Pearl Fryar. $50 VIP ticket & show, includes reception on 10/12, photo opp, autographed DVD. Register: 810-629-5995, www.gerychsflowers.com. H Harvest Fest Sat, Oct 13, 11am-5pm, Macomb. At Ray Wiegand’s Nursery. Pirate Scavenger Hunt. www.wiegandsnursery. com, 586-286-3655. H Indoor Miniature Gardening Wokshop Sat, Oct 13, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5 + materials. www. tellys.com, 248-689-8735. H The Art of Fall Garden Clean-up with Janet Macunovich Sat, Oct 13, 1 & 3:30pm, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys. com, 248-689-8735. Economic Development Dinner Sun, Oct 14, 5-8pm, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope. Learn how food & agriculture can be part of Ypsilanti’s future, $45. amanda@growinghope.net, 734-330-7576. Prodigious Pumpkins Sat, Oct 20, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. FREE w/paid admission. Giant pumpkins, scavenger hunt for families. Cooking demos at 1:30 & 3pm. www.meijergardens.org, 616-975-3155. H Harvest Fest Sat, Oct 20, 11am-5pm, Macomb. At Ray Wiegand’s Nursery. Gourd decorating contest: Oct 21, 2pm. www. wiegandsnursery.com, 586-286-3655. H Overwintering Bulbs & Plants Sat, Oct 20, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. www.tellys.com, 248-689-8735. Mum Day & Fall Family Day Sun, Oct 21, 1-4pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Free, w/admission. Demos, tours, family activities, more. www.meijegardens.org. Hypertufa Head Planter Sun, Oct 21, 11am, Fenton. At Gerych’s Floral Greenhouse. $50. Register: 810-629-5995, www.gerychsflowers.com. Digging to China Fri, Oct 26, 9:15am, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Garden Club at Meadow Brook Hall Family Garage. Presentation of 30,000 plants from China. $5. 248-364-6210, www. meadowbrookhall.org. H Harvest Fest Sat, Oct 27, 11am-5pm, Macomb. At Ray Wiegand’s Nursery. Pumpkin Carving Contest-10/28, 2 pm. www. wiegandsnursery.com, 586-286-3655. H Succulent Container Workshop Sat, Oct 27, 10am, Troy. At Telly’s. $5 plus materials. www. tellys.com, 248-689-8735. Pine Presentation Sun, Oct 28, 2pm, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club of MI at Telly’s Greenhouse. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com. Clematis for Small Spaces Mon, Oct 29, 7pm, Birmingham. By Metro Detroit Hosta Society at First United Methodist Church. Speaker. Hgold2843@comcast.net. H The Year in Review Thu, Nov 15, 6:30-9pm, Farmington HIlls. By Assoc of Prof Gardeners at Spicer House. Open forum discussion. $5. www. associationofprofessionalgardeners.org, 248-828-2978. Bonsai Winter Protection Sun, Nov 18, 2pm, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club at Telly’s Greenhouse. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com. Christmas & Holiday Traditions Around the World Tue, Nov 20, through Jan 6, 2013, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Decorated trees, displays, lights. www.meijergardens.org.
Gerych’s Distinctive Flowers/Gifts.............................................5 Guardian Tree Experts........................17 Haley Stone Supply................................11 Hidden Lake Gardens..........................15 Howell Farmer’s Market................... 18 Michigan Nursery/ Landscp Assoc........................................17 Milarch Nursery.....................................12 Nature’s Garden Ctr..............................9 Oakland Cty Farmers Market........10 Orion Stone Depot................................21 Piechnik’s Greenhouse......................10
Plymouth Nursery...................................7 The Pond Source....................................13 Specialty Growers.................................17 State Crushing.........................................12 Steinkopf Nursery...................................9 Stone Cottage Gardens......................21 Telly’s Greenhouse................................4 Tropical Treasures................................14 Uncle Luke’s Feed Store..................... 18 The Weed Lady......................................15 Wiegand’s Nursery...............................6 Wild Birds Unlimited............................13
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Precipitation July 2012
Normal Monthly 3.37 3.32 2.84
Normal Yr. to Date 19.43 17.38 17.86
Detroit Flint Lansing
Actual Monthly 3.67 3.55 1.75
July 2011 Deviation from Normal +0.30 +0.23 -1.09
2012 Year to Date: Jan 1 - July 31 Detroit Flint Lansing
Actual Yr. to Date 16.71 18.56 14.86
Normal
Actual Monthly 7.66 6.43 4.76
Monthly 3.37 3.32 2.84
Deviation from Normal +4.29 +3.11 +1.92
2011 Year to Date: Jan 1 - July 31
Deviation from Normal -2.72 +1.18 -3.00
Normal
Yr. to Date 19.43 17.38 17.86
Actual Yr. to Date 28.33 29.33 24.81
Deviation from Normal +8.90 +11.95 +6.95
Temperature July 2012
July 2011
Detroit Flint Lansing
Normal Avg. High 83.4 82.0 82.1
ACTUAL Avg. High 89.6 89.2 90.0
Deviation from Normal +6.2 +7.2 +7.9
ormal N Avg. High 83.4 82.0 82.1
ACTUAL Avg. High 89.3 88.8 87.5
Deviation from Normal +5.9 +6.8 +5.4
Detroit Flint Lansing
Normal Avg. Low 63.6 59.1 58.4
ACTUAL Avg. Low 68.4 63.1 65.5
Deviation from Normal +4.8 +4.0 +7.1
ormal N Avg. Low 63.6 59.1 58.4
ACTUAL Avg. Low 69.3 64.8 64.9
Deviation from Normal +5.7 +5.7 +6.5
Data courtesy National Weather Service
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Mastering The Mix How to design a mixed border
A mixed border is a garden area that combines shrubs, perennials, bulbs, grasses, trees, and other elements in a cohesive planting.
by Kate Redmond
H
ave you ever tried to develop the “recipe” for a mixed border? Here are some tips from the pros to help create this iconic garden style. Let’s be clear on what it is—a mixed border is simply a garden space that combines shrubs and perennials in a cohesive planting. It may also include bulbs, grasses, trees, and other elements. This distinguishes it from other garden styles (such as a perennial, rose, or herb garden). Why is a mixed border a good choice for a residential landscape? It is more visually interesting, offers year-round appeal, and requires less maintenance than many other garden styles. The first step is listing the factors to guide development of your mixed border (designers might call this the “Design Program”). It identifies your vision or wish list, space limitations or opportunities, the desired func-
Photos by Karleen Shafer
tions, your budget, the maintenance commitment you can comfortably make, and other factors unique to your situation. For example, Karleen Shafer, from Landscape Design & Associates, and her client included the following points (and others) in their Design Program (see accompanying photo and plan): a place large enough for entertaining groups, but also secluded enough for only two people; unique plantings; a moss garden; and a colorful, changing view from the dining room window. The planting they created illustrates a well-designed mixed border. Using your own Design Program as a reference, you can employ some steps that landscape designers use. Each step has been the subject of many written works, and would require much more space than this article provides, so they are summarized here: 1. Choose the location. Consider the view from all vantage points, both inside and outside of your home, and how your chosen location relates to the view beyond it. A sunny spot will offer the widest variety of planting opportunities, but one sited near existing trees comes with a ready-made backdrop.
The professional landscape drawing for the mixed border shown above illustrates both plants and hardscape elements.
www.MichiganGardener.com | September/October 2012 | Michigan Gardener
Don’t forget those things that are not always all, be careful to avoid using too many varietvisible—winter winds, natural wet or dry ies—it will likely result in an unsightly jumble. spots, potential safety or drainage issues, un9. Select the smaller plants—the perenderground root zones or utilities to avoid, etc. nials, bulbs, and grasses. They are the fabric 2. Establish an outline with a rope, hose, that weaves the composition together. Conor paint. When the marking is done, ensure firm that they maintain your color theme and that the overall size and shape is pleasing to reinforce the other design principles (see #4 the eye; that it doesn’t present obstacles to above). Identify a focal point to which the navigation, lawn mowing, or piling of snow; other elements may relate—then consider and that it is in scale with the overall prophow to strengthen it. Remember that some erty and nearby buildings. perennials are evergreens too, like bergenia, 3. Measure the outline and reduce it to Christmas fern, and many sedges (Carex). a sketch. You’ll find that a scale of 1/4 inch or Others have foliage that dries attractively 1/8 inch per foot will ease installation by en(many grasses) or flower/seed heads that they abling you to use a measuring tape to relate hold into winter (like some sedums). Select the sketch to the site at planting time. Make plants with long bloom times, and plan the several copies of the sketch to use as you try bloom succession so one takes over as anout various compositions on paper. other fades. Plan for the tallest plants in the 4. Prepare for the design task by beback (or the center, if an island planting), and coming comfortable with the design prinfor groups or masses of individual plants. ciples that lead to a successful composition: Consider that pastel colors appear to recede, Unity, scale, balance, repetition, form, color, while bright colors advance. Above all, keep texture, and contrast. A professional designsimplicity in mind—limiting the number of er will incorporate these principles in their varieties will heighten the visual impact. plans. You can learn about 10. Include a surprise, them from books and magalike hellebores or very earlyzines, by consulting a land- Select the plants, blooming bulbs for winter, scape designer, or by visitautumn crocus (Colchicum) beginning with the ing well-designed gardens. for fall, and some fireworks, 5. Gather reference largest—the shrubs, like the maiden grass (Missources to help create the canthus) in the main photo, design. Several plant search which are the “bones” or a plant with blooms held tools can be found at the of your border. For the high like torch lily (Kniphowebsites of plant growers to fia), tall phlox, or Oriental help you identify the right garden to flow, there lily. If including garden art, plants for the right places, must be repetition. a birdbath, or a built strucbloom times, and aesthetic ture, ensure it fits the space factors. and theme. 6. Identify existing plants that can be 11. Purchase and install the plants. Recused in the border. Also identify those that ognize that you won’t find everything in one should be removed, relocated, or put up for place. Thus, the various nurseries listed in adoption. Michigan Gardener will serve you as a com7. Prepare the soil based on a soil test. bined resource. Place the plants according to Remove grass and weeds, adjust the grade if the plan you’ve developed and, over the next necessary, add amendments, and decide how couple of days, move the pots around to optiyou will water the area. mize sun/shade exposure and the view from 8. Select the plants, beginning with the all angles. If you will need access inside the largest—the shrubs, which are the “bones” of border for maintenance and do not yet have it your border. For the garden to flow, there must in your plan, make space for a path of mulch be repetition; note the repeated evergreens, or stepping stones. grasses, viburnums, and hibiscus in the ac12. Add the finishing touches—edging (a companying plan. In choosing shrubs, rememspade-cut edge is both thrifty and attractive) ber that evergreens are a mainstay, and can be and mulch. Place some comfortable seating in most appealing when snow-covered. Do your or near your new mixed border—you surely research carefully, since the large plants will will deserve to relax and enjoy the beautiful be the most difficult to replace if they do not scene you’ve created! succeed. It’s wise to focus on the tough beauKate Redmond, APLD, is the owner of Lifestyle ties, which include cultivars of many native Landscapes in Pleasant Ridge, MI. The Asshrubs, like the witch hazels and viburnums sociation of Professional Landscape Designers in the plan. Where space is tight, use upright (APLD) is an international organization dediforms, like Alberta spruce. Be aware of the cated to promoting the highest standards for the ultimate size of the shrubs and the shade patlandscape design profession (www.apld.com). terns they will create. For flowering shrubs, consider personal favorites as well as the Karleen Shafer is the owner of Landscape newly-developed rebloomers, particularly in Design & Associates in Howell, MI. hydrangeas, lilacs, and butterfly bushes. Above
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A path is an important element to include in your mixed border to allow maintenance to be done and to minimize soil compaction throughout the border.
A mixed border is more visually interesting and requires less maintenance than other garden styles.
A well-designed mixed border offers year-round appeal.
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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
plant focus
Siberian Squill B
Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener
The crisp blue of Siberian squill flowers is striking.
www.DigDropDone.com
The blue flowers often have a darker blue stripe on the petals.
ulb planting season is upon us, and inSiberian squill contains toxins that will deter evitably we will find ourselves searchsquirrels, deer, and rabbits. ing through the local garden cenIdeally, the soil should be rich in organic ter’s packages looking for the perfect spring matter and well-drained so that the soil below bloomers. Some of these bulbs only last for a the bulb does not hold water. A bulb fertilizer few years. Others can’t tolerate shade. Some such as Bulb-tone or Bulb Booster should be will be devoured by squirrels, deer, and rabincorporated in the soil below the bulb. Plant bits. And a few might not even be hardy in in masses with bulbs about 2 to 3 inches apart Michigan. One of the most adaptable, duraand about 2 to 3 inches deep. For a more natuble, easy-to-grow, and rabbit-resistant bulbs is ral look, cast a handful of bulbs into your bed Siberian squill (Scilla siberica). It is one of the and plant them where they land. Masses of most prolific bulbs available and certainly one Siberian squill can be propagated in spring of the most shade tolerant. shortly after flowering is complete. Once the These tiny bulbs can spread to produce foliage has withered, dig up the bulbs, sepamasses of star-shaped flowers that rate them, and replant. droop like bells on upright spikes. Most sources offer the naturally George They grow about 4 to 6 inches tall occurring species Scilla siberica, but Papadelis and flower from late March to early there are two cultivars that may April—before any other bulbs exalso be found. There is a pure white cept for snowdrops (Galanthus). form that is simply called ‘Alba.’ Plant this scilla in the fall to ensure This variety can provide a brighter that you’ll have weeks of spring and more elegant alternative to the color. species, especially in the shade. A Like most of the squills, Siberian deeper blue, slightly more vigorous squill bulbs hail from the Meditercultivar called ‘Spring Beauty’ may ranean area and Turkey, where also be found. they inhabit open meadows, woodI know there are gardeners who lands and alpine slopes. An impressive mass are occasionally frustrated by spring-bloomof Siberian squill can form quickly on its own, ing bulbs that are eaten by squirrels or bulbs as it creates small bulblets and also self-seeds that fizzle out after just a year or two. Siberiwith abandon. This bulb promises to produce an squill will form long-lived, critter-resistant flowers for years and years. In fact, some colonies that can grow in a broad range of parts of the U.S. consider this bulb invasive. soils and exposures. Try some in your perOnce established, Siberian squill will tolerennial borders. Or try some in front of your ate poor, dry soil as well as any other springevergreens. You may find that Siberian squill blooming bulb. They bloom best in more sun, gives you everything you could expect from a but will continue to flower in light shade, esspring-blooming perennial bulb. pecially when the shade is produced by decidGeorge Papadelis is the owner uous trees. Like daffodils, bluebells (Hyacinof Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, MI. thoides), and spring snowflakes (Leucojum),
www.MichiganGardener.com | September/October 2012 | Michigan Gardener
27
Siberian Squill
www.johnscheepers.com
Botanical name: Scilla siberica (SILL-ah sy-BEER-ih-cah) Plant type: Perennial bulb Plant size: 4-6 inches tall and wide Habit: Clumping and massing Hardiness: Zone 2 Flower color: Blue; one white variety Flower size: 1-inch wide Bloom period: Very early spring Light: Sun to light shade Soil: Well-drained Uses: Massing, naturalizing Remarks: Blooms earlier than any other bulbs except snowdrops. Resistant to squirrels, deer, and rabbits. Can be naturalized in the lawn; blooms will occur before the grass needs to be cut in the spring.
‘Spring Beauty’ is a slightly more vigorous cultivar that produces deeper blue flowers.
www.DigDropDone.com
Siberian squill spreads to form naturalized masses of flowers.
www.oldhousegardens.com
The nodding flowers of Siberian squill.
www.johnscheepers.com
‘Alba’ is a pure white form of Siberian squill.
www.DigDropDone.com
Siberian squills grow 4 to 6 inches tall.
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Left: Fast-moving water takes its load of sediment to the toe of the hill. Right: Look closely at the water’s trail and see that the fast center of the stream carried its soil particles all the way down, but the slower moving edges dropped their sediment. That was only a slight change in speed but it accomplished a worthy thing. You can certainly slow water enough to prevent losing all that soil. Janet’s Journal continued from back cover aiming water to land on your test objects. Compare the flow patterns below the objects to the unobstructed flow. You’ll probably see more but smaller streams running downhill there because the objects split the flow, modifying the water’s speed and force. It runs gentler, slower. Finally, cut some trenches or ledges into your test hill. Follow the contour—cut a line at right angles to the straight downhill flow— and a different angle. Then pour or sprinkle again. Watch for what slows and redirects the water.
Play gets serious in terra-forming a slope Now that you have firsthand experience with the effects of deep, airy cover and crosshill speed bumps, you can apply it on an inclined garden. We start with reshaping the surface to slow water’s course and allow more of it to be absorbed. Loosen the soil where it’s compacted. Add organic matter that will provide humus and microbial glue as it decays. Both are key ingredients in building soil crumbs that resist erosion. Pat the loosened, enriched soil back in place but don’t smooth it. An incised or corrugated surface is better for slowing water and trapping its sediment. In addition, it gives mulch a better purchase on a slope. Create speed bumps that follow the hill’s contour lines. Form them to jut out and give water a place to slow and soak in. You can cut into the hill to make terraces large or small. You might retain the bottom face of each of these speed bumps with a temporary or permanent structure.
Retaining walls Do you need a retaining wall to keep your speed bump intact? Gravity, water and wind will always work to erode a bump over time, but if it’s a rela-
tively gentle bump and the hill’s grade is not severe, it can last until vegetation fills in to buffer the erosive forces. For larger bumps and steeper hills, a retainer is a good idea, yet there too it may only be needed during the time the plants are becoming established. Permanent walls are definitely needed where a hill will bear the weight of a building (sitting on it or within the 10 feet back from the crest), or support a road or heavily traveled path. The side of that hill may have a much greater tendency to bulge than otherwise. Any terrace there should have its downhill face bolstered by a wall of rock, brick, wood or some other hard material. There are three things to keep in mind if you build a retaining wall: • One, make it tall enough to help the bump behind it accomplish its purpose of catching and absorbing water. If the wall’s top is lower than the soil it retains, then water will spill over rather than soaking in. • Two, lean the wall back into the hill so it will be the most stable against the inexorable push of the hill. • Three, create seep holes in the wall or place a drain behind it to provide excess water a way out. Otherwise it will add its weight to the hill’s push on the wall and add pressure with its expanded volume when it freezes in winter. Yet even a relatively steep hill can be stabilized with vegetation alone. Many building codes dealing with landscaping around homes and along highways note that grades up to 1.5:1 (see diagram on page 29) can be stabilized with vegetation alone. So you can have the increased erosion control of terraces without the cost of permanent retaining walls. Cut benches or steps into the hill, then plant them as-is, or place temporary, biodegradable retainers along their bottom face. The steps will help control erosion just until the plants become established.
The lower serration in this hill sketches a contour line. It slowed and absorbed much more water than the angled trench.
Choosing plants Vegetation alone can stabilize a slope. You’ve played with water and seen the dramatic effect foliage can have in breaking water’s force. When you decide what to plant, do it with an eye to what will best cushion the force of falling water; i.e., plants able to grow well on the site, with spreading tendencies and relatively dense foliage. A combination of taller, shrubby plants and lower groundcovers increases the overall density of your hill’s water-interception layer. Native plants are a very good choice for erosion control since they are adapted to the local climate. They have the ability to establish and spread with less supplemental water. Choose for variety below ground as well as above. Aim for a combination of differentlyrooted plants, from dense shallow mats to single, deep roots and including spreading woody roots. Between them they will make the sur-
face more porous and link the deeper and more shallow layers. Use a resource such as www. perennialresource.com or www.premiumplants.net (click on “Plant Selector” and “Erosion Control”) to identify suitable groundcovers.
Planting As you set plants or place other objects, view them as the obstructions you placed during playtime. Position all garden elements, from plant to rock or path, to counteract erosion rather than encourage wash-outs. As you plant, create a miniature shelf for each plant so there is a level area behind and next to it where some water can soak in. The depression will fill with sediment over time, but will first serve its purpose in helping the plant become established. If you plant bare root, spread the roots wide. Plant in rows along a contour line, staggering the plants in each row to align them with
www.MichiganGardener.com | September/October 2012 | Michigan Gardener
cut 4-10' bench
fill
6-12"
3-4' step
serration
Creating cross-hill speed bumps is called terracing. Terrace builders distinguish it as a bench (4 to 10 feet deep), a step (3 to 4 feet), a serration (6 to 12 inches), or slits and scratches (microtopography).
When you scrape away soil to make a terrace, stack that loose soil just above or just below to extend the terrace.
retainer cut
w at e
w at e
r
29
fill
r
retainer
A terrace should be wide and either level or tipped back into the hill (“reverse grade”). Water falls there, slows and has time to be absorbed.
3:1 33%
“dead man”
2:1 50%
1.5:1 67%
1.25:1 80%
Slopes are described by the relationship between horizontal distance covered and change in elevation. The angle at the left covers a run of 3 feet as it climbs 1 foot higher, so it is described as a 3:1 grade, or as a 33 percent grade (1 divided by 3) or simply a 33.
drain draws water off
Wall battered and anchored with a “dead man” or tieback. The dead man extends back from the wall at right angles, buried in the terrace. A perforated pipe collects water from behind the wall and a solid drain pipe empties that water at the base of the hill. Alternatively, seep holes might be provided at intervals along the base of the wall to release excess water.
This hill rises above its boulder reinforced toe at 2:1 (50 percent grade), then becomes steeper (67 percent). We’ve successfully retained it for decades with mixed groundcovers, shrubs and trees.
The engineers of this highway shoulder renovation in hilly Riverside, California might consider a southeast Michigander’s embankment retained with stone walls to be overkill. A drain runs along the single terrace in a tall slope held in place with vegetation.
gaps in the rows above and below. Mulch well between plants. On very steep slopes, you can place and anchor a biodegradable mat or an erosion control mesh before planting. Such mats are woven from straw, coir, excelsior, and other tough but temporary materials. Mesh is very lightweight but strong and becomes a part of a groundcover’s root system. Both are available through landscape supply companies al-
least 4 inches deep and 8 inches wide, be anchored well elsewhere with pins, and must overlap each lower section by one foot to keep the fabric from being undermined by water’s flow. Once undermined, it will be dragged downhill, shearing off or smothering plants as it goes and taking its covering mulch with it. Tend hillside plantings well until the foliage meets to cover the ground. Irrigate care-
though you may have to request them specially. If you choose to use landscape cloth (also known as weed mat or weed barrier) to cover the ground between plants on a hill, keep two things in mind. One, it is not the first choice of professionals skilled at erosion control. That choice goes to biodegradable materials plants can eventually grow through. Two, fabric must have its top edge buried in a trench at
fully but steadily. Watch for and counteract wash-outs with redirection of water, filling gullies, or relocation of plants. Remove or kill weedy competition. Give special attention to the plants on and just above the hill’s crest, which will do the most to slow water heading for the hill’s face. continued on next page
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straw bale
picketed log
brush bundle in trench with live stakes driven into root
Top: Terraces can be retained with temporary walls meant to last only until vegetation covers the slope. Here at the Explorer’s Garden in Pitlochry, Scotland, peat blocks and artistically placed stone hold terraces waiting to be planted. Above: Other temporary retainers: Baled straw, picketed logs, and contour wattle—bundles of brush set into trenches and staked with live shrub cuttings that will root.
Above: In an area that does not have to support the weight of a building or roads, vegetation alone can stabilize a slope as steep as 1.5:1. Carve a crater behind/uphill of each plant you place on a hill, so water can soak in there. This depression will fill with sediment over time, but will first serve its purpose in helping the plant to become established. Right: Plant in rows along contour lines, staggering the plants in each row to align them with gaps in the rows above and below. Mulch well between plants.
Low angle sun strikes slope more directly: slope absorbs more heat. Watching for erosion is a part of normal maintenance on a hill. If you create a switchback path, expect to see run-off at the turn. If you cannot block it or catch it where it can soak into the hill, then make a catch basin here that empties to the toe of the slope via solid drain tube. If a hill faces south or west, it will warm up earlier in spring and dry out more rapidly. Mulch can slow evaporative water loss and moderate soil temperature, so plants grow better in a mulched bed. To insure that plants are protected from the first days of spring and can take advantage of that important growing season, renew the mulch on a south- or westfacing hill in fall rather than waiting until spring. The evening after we planted this very steep hill, there were torrential rains. We drove to the site in the dark and shone our headlights on the hill to watch how water treated our speed bumps—some permanent retainers, others temporary. We were nervous about putting them to the test so soon, but relieved to see them work, and glad to know they still hold now, over 20 years later.
continued from previous page
as it has airy layers. The best cushion against water’s impact is mulch that can knit together into a light, tangly mass. Large wood chips are thus less effective and more likely to wash out than pine needles, since the needles can lodge and be an anchor in even the tiniest soil crevice, can tangle with other needles, and be more quickly held together by the fungal threads that are part of decomposition. Shredded hardwood bark would be acceptable also.
Mulching
Ongoing maintenance
Mulch is essential on a hill. When you select a mulch, think of what the sponge did to slow water in our playtime. Mulch is that sponge, taking and breaking the force of falling water and reducing its velocity before it reaches the soil, dividing and slowing it as many times
Pay attention to water. When you irrigate a sloping garden, notice how long after you begin that water begins to stream downhill. If you see that happening before sufficient water’s been applied to wet the soil around the plants, slow the rate of application, or apply
smaller amounts more frequently. The key is to avoid overwhelming the plants’, mulch’s, and soil’s capacities to absorb the water. Feed the soil with organic mulch and, if you fertilize, slow-release, carbon-based organic materials such as manure, fish meal, feather meal, etc. Mulch and organic fertilizers add humus to the soil, which helps soil particles aggregate into very stable but airy crumbs. Crumbly soil resists erosion and allows quick infiltration. If the hill faces south or west, it will warm up earlier in spring and dry out more rapidly. Mulching that hill in fall is a better tactic than the customary spring mulching. Keep your speed bump playtime in mind as you walk in a hillside garden. Create crosshill paths rather than straight or tightly angled tracks up and down, which can become sluices. If you do see a path becoming a watercourse, apply some brakes in the form of steps or logs embedded across the path. If severe erosion threatens along a path, install catch basins and drains at intervals, such as at each switch-back or landing. One day a few years from now when your plantings have established in a hill and friends say, “Wow, that is a really neat hill,” you can tell them, “Thanks! I first started playing around with it...” Janet Macunovich is a professional gardener and author of the books “Designing Your Gardens and Landscape” and “Caring for Perennials.” Read more from Janet on her website www.gardenatoz.com.
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| September/October 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
janet's journal
Anti-gravity gardening: Planting on a hill A change in elevation can be beautiful and thus be an asset in a landscape. It can also be a pain in the tush to plant and tend. If you’ve been frustrated by an inclined garden or are planning to plant a hill and want to avoid wasting time and materials, consider these tips about directing water, choosing plants best suited for sloping ground, and modifying your maintenance to suit the site.
Go with the flow
note how it behaves along its way from crest to foot of a hill. Afterward you can apply what you’ve seen to meet the overall goals, which are to find ways to: • Cushion water’s impact • Slow its flow • Bind what’s on the slope against the force of the flow • Provide lots of places on the hill that can brake what must move
How to play How water behaves on a slope is elemental, Create or locate a bare hill. Even a mound yet often overlooked or misunderstood. To of soil waiting to be spread over a new garden succeed at hill-planting, take a few minutes to will do. If it is loose soil, pat it down a bit beunderstand how water flows and what it does fore you start in on it. Firm it as a kid would a along its route. Then you can direct it from sand castle, including all the lumps and finger the get-go. Everything that comes afterward impressions. is easy. Next, fill a watering can or bring a hose Easy, and also fun. Play with water as you to the top of the slope. Pour gently plan or plant and you might reconfrom the container from side to side nect with the kid from way back Janet along the crest of the hill or sprinwhen—the one whose favorite Macunovich kle the crown until water begins to summer days involved a hose and run down the face. permission to use it. Notice that some of the water Even on a very gentle slope, soaks in, while the rest takes the anything loose will gravitate to straightest course downhill, buildthe bottom. On the surface, what’s ing up a muddy bow wave that not anchored will roll, especially leaves a puddle of a decidedly difif water strikes it with force. That ferent color at the foot. includes particles of clay, sand or Place objects on the hill—pound loam that are only loosely bound to in a stake, place a pebble on the surother soil crumbs. These bits slide face, lay a stick across the grade. Pour again or float when water runs over or through and watch the soak, flow, and muddy deposits them, bumping and loosening others. Unless change. we plan to secure these particles, or slow and Notice how water dams up behind protrap what’s washed out, all of it ends up at the truding objects. Look close and see that it foot of the hill. first slows and soaks in. When it accumulates The loss is greater than the sum of the faster than it can be absorbed, the excess falls washed-out grains. In the gaps left behind, with increased momentum around the edges roots become exposed, so plants are underof the obstruction, carving gullies. Notice mined or dislodged and die of exposure. As the how little water it can take to shift a pebble gaps enlarge and deepen into gullies, more wadownhill, if it’s in line with a stream. ter rushes there, hurried past where it should Now place on the hill an absorbent cloth, have soaked in. Other plants above the washa sponge or a fresh leafy sprig from a shrub or out grow poorly or fail from lack of water. garden plant (press its stem-end into the hill). That’s why your first objective in makPlace at least some of these items on the crest ing a garden on a hill is to let water run and or brow of the hill. Pour or sprinkle again, P h oto g r a p h s by S t e v e n N i k k i l a
Janet’s Journal continued on page 28
If you have had trouble getting plants to grow well on a hill, you may see this kind of display and think the pros at botanical gardens know some magic tricks. Not so. You can modify your soil preparation and planting techniques for slopes just as they do, with the same success. Read on!
In this situation the gardener asked, “What can I plant there, where water washed everything out?” The answer is, “Nothing. A plant will be washed out there before it can take, just as the mulch is being washed away.” The gardener who’s played with water on a bare hill will know planting will be possible, but to first ask a different question: “How can I spread that water out, slow it down, and make the ground absorb more of it?”