What Is The Least Favorite Plant in Your Garden?

For a long time now I have denigrated my Bradford pear tree.  It's smelly in the spring, although it looks nice.  It produces loads of inedible fruit that spawns offspring in my garden and everywhere else the birds decide to fly.  Bradford pear trees are generally weak trees that split because of their "V" shaped branch unions that cluster with more branches than a hydra has heads.  There are many, many, many reasons why you shouldn't plant these invasive ornamental Callery pear trees but they get planted anyway in gardens and landscapes by builders and homeowners looking for a cheap, fast growing tree that has an attractive and uniform appearance.  Remember looks aren't everything when planting a tree.

Obviously the Bradford pear tree is a good candidate for my least favorite plant in my garden.  I haven't brought myself to slaughter it yet, however that has never been far from my mind.  The size of our trees provides a privacy screen in the front yard that just can't be replaced quickly.  So I hesitate. The offspring of our trees sprout all over which won't stop should they be removed since the builder of our neighborhood planted two in EVERY front yard.  Good for cross pollination?  You bet.  Good for the sanity of gardener who has to weed them?  Not so much.

Last night we had wind like you wouldn't believe.  It sounded like O'Hare airport was in our backyard most of the day. I think I saw a lady on a bicycle fly by and there may have been a cow that mooed at me while flying past the window as well.  But amazingly the plants I would most like an excuse for removing are still standing.  They split in every other yard all the time, why not mine?  Which brings me to one of the many cosmic rules of gardening:

"Plants that you don't like (or don't want) are indestructible."

You've noticed that rule too haven't you?  It's always that one plant that you never get around to remove, feel bad for removing, or actually have a good reason for keeping but secretly despise that never, ever gets hit by pests, disease or acts of god.  It's indestructible!

I've told you about my most despised and least favorite plant in the garden, now tell us about yours!

Native Substitutes for Exotic and Invasive Plants

Today while browsing I checked the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council's website and found some very useful information for home gardeners. But first let me tell you why I was looking for it. I saw a post discussing Allan Armitage's view of native plants over at Garden Rant. To sum it up in three words: diversity is good! In my opinion as long as you don't invite invasive species to your yard that will take over the country (i.e. kudzu) then having a diverse ecology in your landscape is a good idea.

After reading that post I began to wonder about alternatives for exotic invasive plants. Natives tend to be hardier than exotic plants since they developed in the region and typically are more drought, disease, and pest resistant. While diversity is good there may be some good native alternatives for your landscape. The TNEPPC has some great resources available for free download to people interested in finding alternatives to the exotic and invasive plants many people commonly plant. Here is a pdf document that suggests alternatives to invasive and exotic plants: TNEPPC Native Substitutes. Download a copy and use it as a reference when planning your garden!

What were they thinking?

I had to drive our cat Amber to the vet today to get some tests done on her. She has kidney renal failure and we have to periodically see how her blood is. She's been doing really good but has lost her appetite recently.

While I was up in town I thought I'd drive around a few minutes to see what new developments had popped up. Shopping centers and housing developments are popping up all over the place in our area. I noticed in between one residential area and a shopping center there was a plant creating a great screen. In fact this plant could probably grow 20 feet high or more creating a very good sound barrier as well as the visual screen it was intended to be. Only one problem...it's Bamboo! Bamboo can send runners out all over and can quickly tack over an area. Putting it as close to a residential area may not have been the best of ideas. Bamboo is actually a grass and grows very, very fast. Sure it looks neat, it looks exotic but its problems could be huge. Some people who plant bamboo put in a very thick sheet of plastic to keep the runners from escaping. Sometimes this works. I doubt the contractors did that here though. There are also forms of bamboo that clump rather than run and these are much less invasive. Still bamboo is not native to Tennessee and you always have to be careful with exotic plants!

It's a good bet that some people in those neighborhoods will indeed find an unwelcome visitor in their future.

W8KSHUYGNVNZ

Miscanthis Sinensis Tassels Waving in the Wind

Though it is listed in the invasive plants list for Tennessee the very quality that makes Miscanthis sinensis so invasive makes it fun to have in the garden, the seeds!  Ornamental grasses of all kinds add great fall color interest with their seed heads or tassels that wave in the wind. This particular variety is 'Zebrinus' or Zebra grass.

If you are looking for a nice substitute for miscanthus that is also a native try switch grass (Panicum virgatum). I've added two switchgrass varieties this year to the gardens: 'Shenandoah' and 'Northwind'. Both of which are worthy plants in the landscape but are a little different in appearance than miscanthus. 'Shenandoah' has a nice reddish tint to its late summer and fall foliage with clouds of seeds. 'Northwind' is a strong upright plant with green foliage and airy seed heads. 'Shenandoah' is in our back garden near the greenhouse and 'Northwind' is near our mailbox garden (May 2008, August 2009).

Have you added any new grasses to your garden this year?

Growing Invasive Plants in the Garden

Honeysuckle

There are many plants that grow and have beautiful flowers or berries, but not all of them are something you want growing in your garden. In my gardening business, I spend lots of time pulling weeds and over the years you learn to identify many of the weeds that you remove from gardens. Many of the weeds that I remove are "invasive plants". Invasive plants are plants that grow quickly and aggressively displacing other more valuable plants. Most invasive plants are not native to North America. Nearly 25% of plants that we grow in our gardens and landscapes are non-natives. Most non-native plants are enjoyed in our gardens and landscapes and present no problems, like hostas. But some non-natives can destroy our gardens, landscapes and forest. Many invasive plants eliminate the plants that wildlife needs for food and shelter. Invasive plants destroy habitat for wildlife and rare or endangered plants. Invasive plants costs billions of dollars to control and eliminate from our forest and agricultural areas.

Garlic Mustard

I had a chance to see how quickly invasive plants can take over. Several years ago, a plant called 'Crown Vetch' was planted along the interstate highway. The plant was being used for erosion control. It was pretty with lacy leaves and pink clover like flowers, but it spread up the hill along the highway where it was planted and quickly spread across a parking lot around several office buildings into flower beds and the woods surrounding the buildings. Now it is everywhere and continues to grow and spread beyond, even crossing a busy street to the woods on the other side.

I also see many people growing Bush and Japanese Honeysuckles as landscape plants, even keeping them pruned and shaped in their landscapes.

In my area, we have many invasive plants. Here are just a few:

• Bush and Japanese honeysuckles
• Garlic Mustard
• Purple Loosestrife
• Oriental Bittersweet
• Autumn Olive
• Crown Vetch
• Reed Canary Grass
• Kudzo
• White Mulberry
• Purple Winter Creeper

What can you do? Learn about what plants are invasive in the area that you live. Then take a walk in your yard to see if they are growing there. Remove and destroy these plants and substitute a non-aggressive plant for your landscape. While you check out your own yard, check out your neighbor's yard. These plants can seed or spread back into your yard if left to grow. You might want to volunteer in local parks or forest areas to help in the removal of invasive plants. When you purchase plants for your garden, make sure that it is not invasive in your area. If the plant catalog says a plant is aggressive in it's growth, check it out before you purchase it. Many nurseries do sell these plants.

Do you have invasive plants in your state or country? Share those plant names with others in the comment section. List your state or country and the name of the plants.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Sweet Autumn Clematis

It's that time of year when the fall plants begin to start their show. One such plant is the Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora). This non-native clematis grows prolifically through the summer and gladly will climb any structure it meets then blooms in the fall. I picked up two of these on the discount racks and even though I know they can be invasive I gave into the temptation to plant it. The reason why is easy to see - the massive amounts of blooms! (which means massive amounts of seed) One is in our back deck garden and the other is planted up by the mailbox. 

Sweet Autumn clematis attracts the bees and the butterflies and adds an almost honeysuckle like scent to the air. In the picture below a single clematis was planted next to our deck and covered much of the railing as well as two hooks that I used to use to hang bird feeders - in one season! Given the right place this Sweet Autumn could be an asset to the garden. It needs somewhere to cover or sprawl where it won't effect other plantings - somewhere like an arbor, and that's where I'll be moving it this fall. I've noticed around town spots of this white flowering clematis blooming in the wild which does concern me but it definitely isn't to the level of other invasives like honeysuckle. According to the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council it's listed as a lesser threat similar to mint but definitely not to the level of kudzu and mimosa. I guess it's easy to get too much of a good thing!

What has been your experience with Sweet Autumn Clematis?

Garden Mistakes: Artemisia

Have you ever put something in the garden that you just shouldn't have? Maybe you thought "I don't have a better place to put this so I'll just stick it in here" or even "I'll stick this plant here and keep it trimmed back." I've thought both of those many times and made mistakes and the latter statement gets me all the time! One of my more recent mistakes was with an artemisia.

Don't get me wrong there are several artemisia varieties can be great or even awesome plants. I love 'Powis Castle' with it's large fluffy mounds of silver foliage and I like 'Silver Mound' also (I would rate it higher if only it wouldn't flop open in the middle). Both of which I'll keep in my garden and neither one is invasive to any degree. In fact I'd be happy if they did spread around a little more! The mistake I'm talking about is with the artemisia that was pawned off on my at a plant swap. You see, I knew the reputation of other artemisias to spread and yet I took the plant home anyway. Once it was home I should have planted it somewhere where it had space to grow and spread without taking over other plantings. Did I? Of course not! I planted it in and among the plants of my deck planting bed. Other plants like boxwoods, caryopteris, a daylily or two, an 'Oranges and Lemons' gaillardia, and probably one or two other plants have now been engulfed by this silvery colored monster artemisia.

And to think this thing started off as a small stem of a plant. Once I get the chance I'll be removing this thug of an artemisia. It's just one of many plants I've decided needs better homes - maybe even in other states.


What does this teach me? Know the plant and put it in the right place for its growth habit! Will I do that?

Without a doubt...

I'll screw up again!

But sometimes mistakes are what makes gardening fun and interesting, or does it just seem that way to me?

What was the last mistake plant you planted?

Morning Glories

Could there be anything so easy to grow as a Morning Glory (Ipomoea)? Once a seed sprouts the vine will happily climb whatever structure it lies adjacent to whether it be a tree, shrub, trellis or post. It's not picky!

Of course there is the issue of Ipomoea invasiveness. Morning Glories are rapid growers and self seeding phenoms. They can quickly overtake trellises and arbors which makes them a good choice to use for an annual vine to cover your structures. Use them with care becasue they will spread. To help control your Morning Glory plant it in a pot then keep a watchful eye on where the vines travel. You could also pinch off the spent blooms before they go to seed. Another idea would be to collect the seed when the flowers turn into brown pods, then store the seeds so that you may put them where you want them and not where Ms. Ipomoea would like to grow.

If by some chance, OK really a 100% chance, you miss a few seeds and a new plant sprouts that you don't want in your garden pull it up quickly before the roots are too deep. They can be controlled with vigilance. This particular morning glory was transplanted into a pot from somewhere else in the yard. I made sure last fall to collect as much of the seed as I could and I've had very few seedlings appear.


As you can see I've been training our Morning Glory to grow around our front porch railing. As it grows I'll continue to weave the ends of the vines around the rails. Occasionally I'll pinch the growth tip to encourage more branching for thicker coverage.


The heart shaped leaves and light blue flowers of the Morning Glory can be a welcoming site to greet visitors to our home.



I've noticed that the hummingbirds seem to like sipping nectar from morning glories. Morning glories come in quite a few colors and are related to other plants like the moon flower which only blooms at night. The two blooms in the picture below are volunteer morning glories that are very common around our yard.


I know a lot of gardeners view morning glories as invasive weeds. I think of them more as invasive flowers. Fun to look at but in need of a watchful eye.

Randomness Around the Garden

This was one of those weekends where my garden time was fairly limited. I still managed to get outdoors some and accomplish a few little things. The biggest task was putting together the garden cart for my mower. It took almost two hours. That's probably where most of my outdoor time went but when it comes to paying the store $20 or doing the job myself I'd rather keep the money in my pocket! I did take a few minutes to photograph some of what's going on in the garden.

The self-sowing celosia is looking great! This particular flower is almost in the shape of a crown. I planted celosia two years ago here and it has taken off.  Be warned because it could become invasive if you allowed it to run amok. Of course it's easy enough to control with just a little bit of manual labor.

The crape myrtles are well into their blooming period. They really like it hot! This one is planted next to our arbor which frames the entry into the side garden.

My miniature sea of liriope! Liriope is used very often as a ground cover and for good reason. It's drought tolerant, almost no care is needed, and it looks pretty good when planted enmass.

This gaillardia was a self-sown offspring of an 'Oranges and Lemons' gaillardia. I've mentioned this particular gaillardia before but its fantastic red and yellow colors always make it worthy of revisiting.

I didn't plant this artemisia here but it doesn't look too bad. I believe it's 'Silver King'.  I may not know 100% which variety it is but I can tell you it is extremely invasive. I really prefer 'Silver Mound' or 'Powis Castle' artemsias which are much more self contained. Unless you have a ton of area to cover I wouldn't recommend 'Silver King'. This patch of artemsia tagged along as a small root with a daylily I moved last year. It does look good though with my rudbeckia.

Do you remember my 'Trombetta' squash from the other day? Here it is with some of the other harvest from the vegetable garden over the weekend. I'm planning on frying up some squash medallions with this extra long squash.  It's about a half-dollar size in diameter and about two feet long. I think I let it grow two to three days longer than I should have. We'll just have to see how it tastes to know for sure!

How was your weekend?

Life has Changed on the White River

In today's Indianapolis Star, there was an article on the front page about the White River. I live on the White River and in the area that the article was written about.  That article is the reason for today's blog.  When we moved to our current home, we wanted to live near water. We found a wonderful river property with lots of possibilities that was perfect for us. It was in the city with all the conveniences, but if you were to see the area that we live, you would think you were living far away from the city. Guest who visit us are always amazed that this area exist in the city.

People who live on the river are called "River Rats".  I am proud to be a River Rat. I take great pride in the river and I am a steward of the river we live on.  I enjoy the animal life, boating and peace that one finds on a river. We sometimes have our problems on the river, like the annual flood, but you learn to live with flooding because of the love of the river and what she gives back.

I know that every year, the river will flood and that my gardens will be flooded. It is normally one week in the late winter to early spring.  As a gardener, I have learned that chemical usage in the gardens could damage the life in the river during a flood. I try to do my share by not using chemicals in my gardens or on my lawn.  I have found that my gardens look just as nice and seem to have less problems as those who do use chemicals. 

My grass is green, but as you can see it contains lots of weeds. I have learned, as most people on the river, that you just live with nature and what she gives you. Flooding always brings lots of weed seed. I have my share of insect damage, disease and weeds in my lawn and garden, but I prefer to deal with those problems without the use of  chemicals. Proper gardening techniques can take care of many garden problems and accepting the fact that lawns and gardens are NOT perfect.

Life on the river has been good, till things started changing three years ago.  These photos were taken four years ago on the river from the same location.

 Nice clear water for the wildlife to enjoy.

The river that we enjoy is now being taken over by an invasive aquatic plant called Eurasian Water Milfoil.  Each year it has spread and continues to take over the river.  The weed starts growing like most perennial plants when the temperatures warm and it continues to get bigger till it lies across the surface of the water. Then comes the algae and Duck Weed that starts growing on top of the Milfoil turning the surface of the river lime green. Eurasian Water Milfoil is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa and is very invasive. It prefers to grow in slow moving or standing water and has long been used as a plant for fish tanks.  According to the article in the newspaper, Milfoil was dumped into a pond in Washington D.C. in 1942.  It since has spread over 8 years in the Midwest and several Western states.  It has made boating and other water activities on the river a challenge due to it's growth in the water. The algae that grows with the Milfoil, enjoys the sunlight, warm weather, slow water and nutrient sources that are found in fertilizers that are used on lawns and gardens.

Currently the Milfoil has spread for miles in both directions from our boat dock, leaving only the channel open for boating. Each winter it dies to the river bottom, only to return the next year worse than the previous year.

We have been told the best way to control it (if that is even possible) is to hand weed and compost the plant. Weeding the garden is bad enough without having to weed the river!

I have my concerns as to what will happen to the White River.  I would not want to drink this water in the picture nor would I want to swim in it. Time will tell what will happen with the growth of this plant and how the river and the life around and in the river will change.

I do believe that we all need to be more conscientious about how we care for our lawns, gardens and even what plants we purchase for our gardens. Over the years, I have seen people misuse garden chemicals, cultivate invasive plants and in general not be responsible for what Mother Nature has given us. When it becomes a problem in your own backyard it may be to late to make change.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Why You Shouldn't Plant a Bradford Pear Tree But Some People Do Anyway

The Bradford Pear tree (Pyrus calleryana). Sure it looks nice but it's one tree that people should stay away from planting in their yard. At first glance you might wonder "why shouldn't I plant them?" They have a great shape, they grow fast, and they flower profusely in the spring. Unfortunately for the homeowners who plant them all is not as it seems. There are several reasons to avoid them.

What is wrong with a Bradford Pear Tree?

These trees are extremely over planted. This may just be my own personal opinion but when a plant is planted everywhere I like to avoid it. In our neighborhood the builder deposited 2 Bradford pear trees in each front yard. Everywhere you go you see these pear trees planted and not just by people. The birds help to deposit the seeds in various places and you end up with Bradford pear trees in wild areas where they shouldn't be. This tree has actually landed itself on the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council's watch list of invasive plants. That's reason enough for me not to plant it in my yard!

Do Bradford Pear Trees Smell Bad?

Yes, yes they do! Here you can see one of our Bradford pear trees in the morning sun as it is about to bloom. The tree does look pretty in the spring when the blossoms are in full bloom. It stands in your yard like a giant Q-tip. But its wonderful bathroom utensil-like appearance is not all you get, an extremely odoriferous aroma tags along as well. The smell is reminiscent of rotting flesh or bad fish left for too many days in the hot sun. I won't elaborate any further but the smell is very unpleasant!


If you only have one or two of the trees planted the smell is tolerable, but when planted en mass the trees are overpowering.

What is the Worst Problem with a Bradford Pear Tree?

By far the worst problem associated with Bradford pear trees is the weak wood. Because of their fast growth and tight branching pattern they split very frequently in high winds. I joke about it and say "is that where pear halves come from?" If you plant a Bradford expect for it to eventually fall to the winds. Fortunately that hasn't happened yet to our two trees yet but when it does split we will replace it with something much better. For a replacement tree my vote goes to the Yoshino Cherry. It flowers white in the spring and doesn't have the negative problems that Bradford pears do. It doesn't flower at exactly the same time but one or two weeks difference wouldn't bother me at all.

Are there alternatives to Bradford Pear Trees?

You should definitely plant a tree but choose something other than the Bradford pear. Of the ornamental flowering trees I really like the cherries but you may be able to find a good substitute by talking to your local nursery. Although you may want to ask them their opinion of the Bradford pear first!

Other Bradford Pear Planting alternatives:
Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Redbud 'Royal White' (Cercis canadensis)
from the TNEPPC

Read about my favorite alternative to the Bradford pear tree: the Yoshino Cherry Tree.

Bradford Pears Breaking Buds

I bet when you read the first three words "Bradford Pears breaking" you immediately though of another kind of breaking. One of the reasons they are on my least favorite ornamental tree list is because the trees frequently break in storms. These trees grow so fast that the wood suffers and they just can't muster the strength to hold out through heavy winds. That being said they can be very attractive, to the point of everyone having two in their front yard as they do in our neighborhood! The builders went crazy with the cheap, easy to plant, fast growing pear trees. If only they knew what they were doing!

These trees are even becoming invasive here in Tennessee. But they sure are pretty, so let's plant them anyway. And they stink too, let's plant more! When in bloom their blossoms reek of a rotting flesh smell that seems very attractive to the bees. At least someone enjoys them.

If you can enjoy one from a distance please do, just don't get too close, stand downwind, or plant one in your neck of the woods!


Related Post:

Why You Shouldn't Plant Bradford Pears But Some People Do Anyway

Euonymous fortunei, a Portrait of an Invasive

Have you ever wondered why some plants are considered invasive? It's usually because if the growing conditions are even slightly favorable they take over. Invasiveness can be due to a number of traits like rapid growth, prolific reseeding, and rooting vine habits. Euonymous fortunei is one such plant in which I have observed to have at least two of these traits. It demonstrates rapid growth which by itself doesn't doom it to the invasive list, but it also shows the ability to root anywhere, anytime, and anyhow!

It's variegated leaves make it attractive to plant in foundation gardens but if you look closely you will see a patch of aerial roots. These roots are capable of making a new plant where ever they may find suitable soil. Many plants that tend to have vine-like growth have the ability to root like this. The roots can help anchor them to other surfaces which aids them in their quest to conquer walls, fences, and other solid surfaces. Think ivy. This particular Euonymous is 'Emerald Gaiety' which is "supposed" to be a shrub form. Guess what? Someone forgot to tell it that! We have two in our sidewalk garden that I must keep well trimmed or else they will take over the world! Maybe not in the way kudzu will, a little slower perhaps, but you get the point.

This is one of those plants that is probably better left on the store shelves. It looks nice, but sure doesn't play that way!


Pictures with tulips are from Spring of 2008