5 More Plants I Want in Every Garden!

On Monday I posted about 5 Plants I Want in Every Garden.  In case you missed it the post was about plants that should I ever move I will plant again in the new garden.  As several of the commenters pointed out it's hard to just pick five!  So today I'll add four more to my list.  Neither this post, nor the last one list these plants in any order of preference.  Every plant has a purpose and each has its own unique attributes that make it worthwhile in my garden and while I have favorites, I don't have a favorite!

So here are five more, maybe these posts will get you through until your mail order garden catalogs arrive!

Salvia   

Salvia is all over my garden.  The 'Caradonna's in front, 'May Night' by the mailbox, Salvia greggii in the back, Salvia coccinea in the self sowing areas, Salvia elegans (Pinapple sage) in the birdbath garden, and Black and Blue all over.  I added 'Hit Lips' this year along with a Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain'.  You can never have too much salvia!  And no I don't have any Salvia divinorum.

Viburnum

The 'Shasta' viburnum in the picture is an awesome plant but I like all my viburnums.  I have quite a few arrowwood viburnums as they are easy to propagate in addition to a Viburnum burkwoodii.  I also have a few snowball viburnums that layered off another plant.
 

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

The leaf shape, flower panicles, and fall color all make the oak leaf hydrangea worthy of my garden.  It can also tolerate more sun than other hydrangeas do. 

Sedum

What drought tolerant garden would be complete without a sedum?  In the picture is a dragon's blood sedum which unfortunately nearly died out last year. 'Autumn Joy', 'Blue Spruce', 'Xenox' and a few other miscellaneous sedums inhabit the gardens. Sedums are so easy to care for if given good drainage.

Russian Sage

You need a little space to grow Russian sage but it is one very cool plant.  Russian sage is another deer resistant plant which is absolutely necessary if you want to maintain your sanity in deer territory. It's beautiful, drought tolerant, nearly 100% deer proof, and in my garden!  How cool is that?

What plants will you always have in your gardens?

I Like the Islands!

Earlier this week I spent an afternoon outside with my oldest daughter who had a half day off from kindergarten. She was running around outside and playing on the swingset while her brother (our youngest) was napping in the stroller nearby. Since he rarely ever naps I was not even remotely tempted to tempt fate by moving him indoors and stayed outdoors looking for something to do. Let me just say that something to do is never far away!

What I ended up doing was completing a new island bed that I worked on earlier in the summer. I'm a big fan of using multiple island beds to break up the yard into smaller sections. Every time a new island garden is added it creates a new zone along with new pathways to walk down. I've always thought of pathways in the garden being just as important as the plants in the garden. The paths take you places and create a structure for organizing the garden. They can be as natural or as formal as you want them to be as long as they lead you onward through the garden.

Before this island was just a single viburnum (Viburnum dentatum). Then I added a yellow knockout rose I bought on a discount rack. I spaced it out several feet away from the viburnum with the intent to fill in the gap in between with mulch and other plantings later. A couple months passed by and I had a minor inspiration. I went over to my 'Husker's red' penstemon and used the easy propagation method for propagating penstemons. Then I brought 6 small rooted sprigs of penstemon and spaced them out between the viburnum and the rose. Eventually I'll have to move them when the viburnum spreads too wide but I enjoy having to do that since every time I move plants I end up with extras - funny how that works! I also divided a ponytail grass (Stipa tenuissima) into three sections and replanted it into a larger mass planting. Since I saw those for almost $4 a piece in the stores this year I may have saved myself $8 with that minor little task (They divide very easily.)

Here is the end result after dividing, planting and mulching.

By spring everything should be settled in and ready for new growth. There is a purple coneflower that was the result of an "I need to plant this somewhere, oh this spot looks good" moment. Usually when that happens I end up having to move it later! The bags of mulch that I used were broken open at the store and I received a discount for purchasing them and since most of the plants were free this small garden expansion cost less than $10. Originally the viburnum was also a discount rack find which I have been thrilled with each of the last two years. Who says discount plants don't work out?

Yesterday I Robbed LOWE'S

Yesterday I was shopping at our local Lowe's home improvement store looking for weatherstripping for the garden shed. While there I casually sauntered over to the plant area (after picking up three rolls of foam insulation) to see what they had in stock. It's rare that I go to a store that has plants and don't take a look (unfortunately for the garden budget it's also rare that I don't bring something home!). It was there in the garden area that I spied the spoils that eventually came home with me:

3 Dwarf crape myrtles from the Razzle Dazzle Collection!

Not impressive at the moment but just wait until next summer!

Neat Idea: Take pictures of your plant tags (front and back) then save them in a folder on your computer to reduce clutter around the house! I should take my own advice!

A Montauk Daisy

Edit: Soon after buying the 'Montauk' daisy I propagated it!

and my favorite find Heuchera 'Southern Comfort'

I also came home with some ground cover sedums but forgot to take a picture of them!

Obviously I didn't steal anything from anyone but with the prices Lowe's had put on their plants it felt like I was robbing them blind. Each of those dwarf crape myrtles from the Razzle Dazzle collection was $0.25! Yes the decimal is in the right place. I checked to make sure they weren't dead by gently scraping a small piece of bark with my thumbnail until I found green underneath. They were alive and well but with a price like $0.25 I probably would have brought them home anyway in the hopes of the root systems coming back in the spring. The daisy was only 1.50 and the designer heuchera (really this thing is awesome) was...$2.50! A thief I am not but I'm never ashamed to take advantage of bargains like these!

Have you found any good deals lately?

Autumn Scenes from Cheekwood Botanical Gardens

Yesterday I traveled up to the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens to listen to Tina from In the Garden. She was doing a talk on Winter Gardening and all that it entails so we thought it would be a great opportunity for us to visit with her and check out the gardens while we were there. We also visited with Gail from Clay and Limestone at the meeting too. It's always fun to visit with other garden bloggers!

Cheekwood Botanical Garden has to be counted as one of Middle Tennessee's finest treasures. Their programs are always dynamic and interesting like the Chuhuly exhibit last year or the treehouses this year. Unfortunately the light was beginning to fade when we arrived at 5:30 PM and my pictures will be somewhat less than what they could have been with the right lighting but I think you'll be able to see some of awesome job that the Cheekwood crew does.

From where I entered the garden I saw this display.  While still pumping out the blooms some of the flowers had fallen.

Just beyond that display was this group of mums planted enmass.  They used a combination of cannas and Salvia leucantha as a backdrop.

 On the opposite side of the walkway the mums were backed by 'Black Pearl' ornamental peppers.

And further down the coleus served as the backdrop.

Down the sidewalk was this covered walkway area.  Mums lined the pathway on both sides with plantings of elephant ears accenting the shady areas. There were various scarecrows around the gardens on display.  The one to the left was Mama Lama.

At the end of this garden was this tall planter back with arborvitae and ornamental grasses...and of course - more mums!

Cheekwood had treehouses on display this year which have since be moved except for this one.  If I remember correctly it was the Walden Tree House.  I would love this in our backyard - maybe even more than my kids would!

I'll share some more pictures from Cheekwood later this week including some shots of their Japanese Garden and a couple water features!

Wrong Plant Wrong Place

When we first moved into our house back in 2007 and were discovering what our garden had in it we found very little.  A nandina, a couple cedars, some reblooming daylilies, and a teeny tiny spirea were all the plants that were there. Not much to start a garden with but I was excited about the challenge.  The spirea had been cut back to nearly nothing.  It was so small that when it sprouted colorful yellow and red tinted leaves I wasn't sure what it was.  I dug up the little shrub and replanted it in another spot along our sidewalk so that I could plant tulip bulbs in the spirea's original location.  That was five years ago.

Today this is how that little itty bitty spirea now looks:

My spirea is now at least 3 feet around.  I'm sure that you noticed that the sidewalk to the left has lost about a foot of walking space.  If you look beyond the spirea to further down the sidewalk you'll see some other plants hanging into the walkway.  I love the look of plants that envelope a little bit of the hardscape.  They soften the edges and make things more natural but they need to be limited or sized correctly so that the plants don't take a way the pathway and make it difficult for people to walk.

I have two options:

1. Trim it.
2. Move it.

Trimming isn't the best option since the branches will regrow so it looks like moving it this fall to another spot is the best choice.  I'll wait until later in the fall to attempt moving the shrub but we'll add this to the ever growing things to do lists.  I'm sure I'll take the opportunity to propagate a few more spirea before the move - just in case!

What plants have you planted in the wrong place?

What I'm Growing on the Porch

For several years before we bought our house we lived in an apartment.  I still had the gardening bug and couldn't resist planting a vegetable garden in pots on the porch.  While today I have ground to plant in I still utilize the porch and deck on our house to grow a few plants.  Here's a look at a few porch and deck plants we're growing.

I planted the coral red honeysuckle but the blue morning glories were volunteers.  Morning glories are beautiful plants but can be very prolific if allowed to go to seed.

I plant moonflowers every year.  The extremely large white flowers that open in the evening are fragrant.  I planted 3 of these along the front porch but they did not all grow as I had hoped!

Vine plants work great on the porch rails but that isn't all you'll find on our porch.  Check out this Japanese maple called 'Beni Schichihenge' I bought this year. 'Beni Schichihenge' sports variegated foliage.  I put it in a pot since I wasn't sure where I really wanted to plant it yet.

The front porch also has quite a few of my propagated plants.  Hydrangeas, variegated weigelia, beautyberry bushes, heuchera, and mums.  There are also some hostas that I've potted up and haven't planted yet in their new homes.  I have a good area for that now so I should get out there and let them get settled in before the cold weather gets here.

These heucheras were made from one small segment of a stem that I cut into severn pieces.  I made sure each piece had a portion of the stem and one leaf.  All but two have put out new leaves since the cuttings were made.


Here are some hostas I ordered earlier in the year. To the right side of the photo are several 'Longwood Blue' caryopteris plants I propagated.  The caryopteris row is in boom right now but I'm afraid we're getting too much shade over there for them to stay in that spot.  To insure I don't lose a plant when transplanting  I make a few cuttings and plant them where I want them.

Mariessii hydrangea is a variegated hydrangea variety with lacecap flowers.

Here is a variegated weigelia.  I bought the plant last month on the discount rack and planted it.  I made two cuttings from it then the main plant died!  That's why I like plant propagation!

I use the back deck for potted herbs that enjoy more sunshine than the north facing front porch gets.  the back porch holds three types of mints including apple, orange, and a mystery spearmint I found growing wild.  That mystery mint has some of the best spearmint flavor I have ever tasted!  I normally plant mint in easily controlled areas since it typically spreads like wildfire.  This fall I hope to build a  couple raised beds in the yard just for our mints and other herbs.

The back deck also is home to our potted stevia plant.  I was amazed that this tender perennial came back last winter.  I fully expected it to succumb to the cold winter - but it wasn't a cold winter.  I'm not taking any chances with it this year.  Since my stevia is in a pot I can bring it indoors to overwinter.

Our chives, which are now flowering, are on the back deck too. Very convenient to the kitchen!

Don't let the fact that you only have a deck or porch for your outdoor area limit your gardening experience.  Lots of plants are easily grown in pots!

Red, White, and Blue in my Garden for Independence Day

Before I show you the red, white and blue in my garden for this July 4th I'd like to take a moment to thank all the veterans and serviceman who have made our freedoms possible (Thanks Dad!). While Independence Day is a celebration of our declaration of freedom from Great Britain many have given their time and their lives to maintain those freedoms. Without the sacrifices of those people our lives would not be as they are today. We are really fortunate to live and garden where we do!

Into the Garden!


The Red

The red stems of a 'Palace Purple' heuchera in our corner shade garden. They almost look like fireworks!

A red flowering annual verbena.

The red foliage of coleus.

A red zinnia. Zinnias are very easy plants to care for in the garden. If they wilt give them water. If they go to seed deadhead them. I didn't buy any zinnias this year since I saved the seed from last year's bunch.


The White

A white caladium. Caladiums are annuals here in Tennessee. I wish they could overwinter better, but you can dig up the bulbs and save them for the following spring. I didn't do that last year and just bought new ones. (They were discount plants.) They are great foliage plants and look stunning with variegated hostas and heucheras, at least I think so!



A white impatien. This little flower has seen a little too much of the sun and not quite enough water but it is still flowering white. I had quite a few more but apparently rabbits like impatiens.


The Blue

Unfortunately I don't have much of blue in the garden so you will have to settle for bluish. I've found that true blue isn't here in my garden yet but I'll definitely add some in the future.

Here is one Salvia nemorosa that I propagated this spring. I'm happy with the growth it's shown in just a couple months. I could have shown another more mature salvia but I wanted to show you how quickly the cuttings are coming along. By fall they should look like any other salvia in my garden, just slightly smaller!


This is another kind of blue flower, Nepeta faassenii or 'Walker's Low' Catmint. I really like this plant! Catmint has some pest resistant properties that are quite interesting. Catmint roots very easily from cuttings.


I wish I had more blue in the garden. At least on sunny days I can look up and see those blue skies!

I hope everyone, everywhere has a great July 4th!

One Small Step

This afternoon the temperatures dropped enough for work outside to become "feasible." Not ideal in any sense of the word simply feasible. Add to that this cough, sinus drainage, and a mild case of pink eye and you would think I would just stay indoors and rest. Not so for this dedicated (or dumb) gardener!

My oldest daughter accompanied me outside this afternoon to plant a few plants that I haven't had the time to add to the garden until now. Yes this is another instance of the dedicated (or dumb) gardener planting plants in almost 90 degree heat but it had to be done eventually. It's one small step to reclaiming the garden from the June heatwave and the episodes of ailments that have been floating around our house.  The good thing about each of these three plantings is that their locations are all somewhat to completely protected.

The first to go in the ground was my variegated lacecap hydrangea ('Mariesii Variegata'). It's now in the garden next to the arbor. It's fairly protected which should suite it fine since on one side is our front porch and the other a young Japanese maple.

The next plant was an Alabama Sunset Coleus that I found for $0.50 last week. It's near the arbor too. When this growing season comes to a close I'll propagate a few and try to overwinter them in the garden shed.

'Sum and Substance' Hosta was the third plant I added to the garden today. I brought it home from the hosta garden tour a couple weeks ago. I'm playing with fire here since I have deer and hostas are on their favorites list but I had to add this large leaved beauty. It's foliage is a chartreuse green that should look very nice underneath the 'Forest Pansy' Redbud.

Adding plants in the summertime isn't always the best idea but it can be done as long as the plants are watered frequently. I definitely wouldn't advise transplanting plants during the summer since that is best left for fall when the temperatures are much more forgiving. I have a hole slew of plants that need moved but now is the time for list making and definitely not the time for transplanting.

A Note from Dave: Posting and commenting will most likely be more irregular than usual over the next several days. Our new addition will be here any time...!

After the Plant Swap

If you weren't there, you should have been! The rains didn't keep the die hard swappers away and in fact the rains themselves dissipated soon after the swap began giving way to a pleasant overcast morning. Later in the morning it changed to sunny skies and everything went great. The swappers were very generous, some of whom were just giving plants away! There's a lot that can be said for the generosity of gardeners.

I came home with quite a few things all of which would be impossible to list but here are a few of the plants I'm excited to find.

Kerria, 'Six Hills Giant' Catmint, two other catmints - lower growing, Salvia Black and Blue (a hummingbird magnet), several varieties of irises, tiarella (foamflower), several herbs, two heirloom tomatoes: Mr. Stripey and another I can't remember (I really should write these things down!), and several other fun and exciting plants for the garden!

I'll show you what I came home with as I find locations for them in the garden.

Coming up this week: A landscape remodel of my parent's garden.

Plant Swap Tomorrow

The Middle Tennessee Plant Swap is tomorrow. I'll write more about it later. Here is what I'm bringing:

4 Russian Sages
2 Red Twig Dogwoods
14 Japanese Dappled Willows (Salix integra)
12 Euonymous fortunei ('Emerald Gaiety')
4 Blue Spruce Sedums
8 Purple Leaf Plums
4 Nandinas (courtesy of the birds)
2 Chrysanthemums of an unknown color and variety.

I'll tell you about what I bring home on tomorrow evening or Sunday, this should be fun!

6 New Plants in My Garden

I'm a sucker for cheap perennials - annuals too for that matter. If I go to a nursery I look first at the shrubs and trees just to look - to see what they have. Then I hang out and hover over the perennials, herbs, and even the annuals. I gravitate to the cheap prices marked on perennials and annuals that will grow to nearly full size in one season. Those 4 inch pots are like a magnet for this gardener! Today my attention was caught by six little plants that I'm pretty excited about: Coleus 'Rustic Orange', Ornamental Pepper 'Black Pearl', Catnip, Pineapple Sage, Salvia 'Mystic Spires', and Cinnamon Basil.

The coolest of the bunch (in my opinion) is the coleus. The leaves are an orange shade with burgundy hues mixed in. This coleus seems to glow in the light.

I'll be propagating more 'Rustic Orange' coleus using the water method since it isn't protected by a plant patent. Coleus is really a perennial but isn't a fan of our winter cold. I overwintered some (of a different kind)  as a houseplant last year effectively and put it back out into the garden this spring.

Here are my other purchases in order from the left to right:

'Mystic Spires' Salvia - I buy this one every year. Once the greenhouse is finished up I hope I can over winter some cuttings to keep from having to purchase it each year. It's a perennial but isn't hardy here in zone 6b. Some plants are worth buying each year aren't they?

Pineapple Sage - Pineapple sage is both and herb and an attractive perennial. The leaves can be used in cooking and have a faint pineapple scent to them. I think plants that encourage you to touch them whether through the texture or a scent enhance the garden experience!

Catnip - (Catnip isn't the same as catmint but they are related.) I was intrigued by a recent article in the Tennessee Gardener magazine where Cindy Shapton explained that there was a chemical in catnip that was an extremely effective mosquito repellent. I figured we could make a tea from it and see if it helps repel those nasty bloodsuckers. Both my wife and my oldest daughter swell up where they are bitten by mosquitoes. If nothing else we may be seeing a lot of kitties in our future! (Catmint probably has the same effect.)

Cinnamon Basil - This basil has a scent/taste of cinnamon to it. We used it last year in our pestos some and it was just a unique basil I wanted to have around. Basil is good for repelling flies. I only bought one but intend to propagate a few more basil plants for the garden.

'Black Pearl' Ornamental Pepper - Peppers are perennials that can't take the cold and either need to be treated as annuals or brought inside. 'Black Pearl' is attractive enough to go the extra mile and try to overwinter it indoors. I planted it in a pot so that it could be easily moved. The peppers are edible but extremely hot - I've not tried it myself this is just what I've heard! (I'll probably be too chicken actually to try it!)

That's it for now! I think I need to restrain myself for the next two weeks on plant purchases since there is a plant swap coming up. You can find all sorts of neat plants at swaps.