Garden Thyme with the Creative Gardener

Gardens in Miniature

2012-01-23T13:49:00.026-05:00

One of the newer gardening trends is building a miniature garden. For those of you who enjoy miniature dollhouses and gardening as a hobby, this is a great project combining the love of both. Miniature gardens contain live plants, chairs, arbors, tools, rocks and patios just like a real garden. The plants that are used are small in size and kept pruned to stay small for the garden. The garden can be any size you want or have space for. I have seen some gardens that are growing in baskets and containers that can be placed on a table top outside or large raised gardens on the ground. It is up to you and your imagination on what you create.

After you decide on a size and design for your garden you will want to use good soil that will drain well. Fill your container or raised bed with soil and start creating your hardscape. Use small flat rocks for stepping stones, patios or walls in your garden. You can add waterfalls, stream beds and even ponds with real water in them. Use your imagination!

Add interesting shaped trees, shrubs and plants that are small in size with very small leaves. You can purchase small yews, boxwoods, alberta spruces or junipers for larger trees in your garden. Miniature roses, herbs like thyme and oregano, creeping jenny, sedums or moss can be used for smaller plants. Miniature hostas and small ferns can also be used in your garden.

Miniature hostas and ferns

Small flat stones make a simple stepping stone path with sand as the gravel in between the stones. Do you see the trimmed boxwood hedge?

A working waterfalls and stream in miniature

You can add small building in your garden just like the one in the picture. If you have houses from a Christmas village or building from a train set, these could also work.

After you have your garden hardscape installed and the garden planted you can add small tables, chairs, arbors, garden tools, flower pots and other items that would be found in a garden. You can add small figurines of animals, people or fairies that will make the garden their home. You can purchase items from local hobby shops and nurseries or create items for the garden from found objects around your home. I have found several garden related Christmas ornaments that could be used in my garden. Just keep in mind that everything must be in proportion in size to each other. After you have your garden completed, make sure that it is kept watered and fertilized regularly. To keep your plants in good shape, keep them pruned to maintain their size and shape during the growing season. Remember that some containers or plants may need protection from the elements during the winter.

I started picking up plants last fall for my miniature garden. I plan to build a raised garden bed for my miniature garden this spring. It will have a working waterfall, stream bed and small garden rooms just like my real garden. Designing the miniature garden is just like designing a large garden, but with less expense and work. It should be a fun project!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - January 2012

2012-01-15T18:16:00.009-05:00

I nearly forgot that it was Garden Blogger's Bloom Day! When you have snow on the ground you stop thinking flowers in the garden and spend your time looking at flowers in catalogues. I do have some plants in bud in the garden like Witch Hazel, Flowering Quince and Hellebores, but I am hoping that they wait till the weather improves some before flowering.

Inside the house I have been growing Hostas from seed and I have around 35 nice streaked Hostas for the test garden this year. I grow the Hosta seedlings under lights 24/7 from October to May.

The Orchids are blooming and still setting more buds for future flowers.

In the greenhouse, I carried over tropicals, geraniums and wax begonias that continue to bloom. They will be returned to the garden in the spring.

Happy Gardening everyone and have a great Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!

The Creative Gardener

The Worms Crawl In.....The Worms Crawl Out

2012-01-12T09:25:00.016-05:00

Last year I attended a class on how to compost using kitchen food waste and worms. After attending the class I was excited to give vermicomposting a try. I searched around online looking for a worm compost bin that would meet my needs and I purchased a four bin unit. The composter that I ordered did not come with worms and after looking around online again, I purchased my red wiggler worms. While wait for my worms to arrive, I prepared their new home per the instruction that came with the bin. In about two weeks my worms arrived in the mail. When I opened the mail box there was the typical assortment of junk mail and a small box containing my worms. I started sorting my mail in the house and I found dead worms in my mail. It seems that during the shipping of my worms there had been a mutiny and most of them had escaped. Out of the 100 worms that I ordered, I still had around 25 left. I am still not sure how they got out of a burlap bag and a sealed box, but they did. I am sure that the mail truck and everyone in the neighborhood had worms in their mail that day. I started my bin with fewer worms but to my surprise those few worms have populated the bin quickly. It seems that worms just eat, reproduce and make waste (if you know what I mean) and they have done a wonderful job. I have been surprised at how much they can eat and what they eat. My worms have been very busy and I am now on my second bin. This year I will use my worm castings as an organic fertilizer and soil conditioner for my vegetable garden. Should be a good year for tomatoes!

Happy Gardening!
The Creative Gardener

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Has Your Tree Been Slimed?

2012-01-01T12:46:00.001-05:00

If you ever watched the movie "Ghost Busters" then you have heard the saying of being "slimed". My poor sycamore tree has been slimed by slim flux. Slim flux or wet wood begins when the tree is damaged by poor pruning, freezing, broken limbs or other damage to the tree. Bacteria enters the open wound. Once the bacteria enters the wound it inhabits the tree. It can be inside the tree for a long time and not be noticed until the bacteria produces enough gas that it causes the sap to flow out the wounded area. Over time the sap continues to run and it turns a gray to white color on both sides of the wet area. It is not very attractive to look at on the tree and the ooze can have a bad odor to it. Once your tree has slim flux, there is nothing you can do to control it. At one time, people would insert drain tubes into the tree, but this is no longer done. Trees that can get slim flux are maples, mulberry, elms, paper birch, red buds, walnuts and sycamore trees. What can you do to prevent slim flux from infecting your tree? The best thing you can do is to protect your tree from anything that can damage the trunk, branches or root system. Always use the correct procedure to prune branches from your trees. You do not want to get "slimed".

Happy Gardening!
The Creative Gardener

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Winter Color for the Garden

2011-12-17T11:33:00.020-05:00

Winter is nearing and the garden is starting to die down. Gone are the days of beautiful flowers, lots of color, warmth and sunshine. The urns, ceramic containers and flower pots are now sitting empty till the return of warm weather. Maybe not! Add some color to your garden by making arrangements in those empty containers.

Many people like to decorate their containers for the holidays, but why not make arrangements in your containers that will last past the holidays and up to the return of spring. Take cuttings from evergreen trees and shrubs like spruce, boxwood, pine, holly, juniper and fir and arrange them in those containers. The nice thing about cuttings from evergreens is that they will hold up to the elements for most of the winter and add some color to a very drab garden. Remember to limit your pruning to a few cuttings per plant and in areas that will hide the cut. If you don't have evergreens in your garden try recycling cutting from discarded Christmas trees from your home or the neighbors after the holidays. Add pine cones, sprigs of winterberry or fresh fruit like apples, oranges or lemons for a burst of color. For additional color, spray paint small tree branches in red or white and insert them into the arrangement for height. After your arrangement is complete, add some moss on top of the soil to complete the look. Place your completed containers in your garden and you will have some winter color till the return of spring.

Happy Holidays!

The Creative Gardener

Here is a suggestion: Make arrangements in those bare window boxes, hanging baskets, woven baskets and even the metal watering can with evergreen cuttings. Add some bulbs to your containers for spring flowering color.

H. 'Ghost Spirit'

2011-12-07T10:51:00.007-05:00

This is a hosta that has an unusual color and pattern to it's leaves. It has become one of my favorites in the garden. H. 'Ghost Spirit' is a sport of H. 'Valentine Lace' and was registered with the American Hosta Society in 1999. It grows as a mound with blue-green misted leaves with a small margin of the blue-green along the leaf edge. This hosta grows to about 20 inches high and twice that size in width. The leaves are heart-shaped and will have a seasonal color change. In late June or July, it will grow scapes with beautiful lavender flowers that compliment the blue-green misted leaf color. This hosta is easy to find and one that you should enjoy in your garden!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

My hosta seeds are up and growing and I should be transplanting and culling very soon. I am very excited about some of my new seedling!!!

If you like hostas and would like to learn more about them, check out my blog "Discovering Hostas with the Creative Gardener".

Love Those Orchids!

2011-12-01T15:24:00.006-05:00

Paphiopedilum Orchids

Recently I was looking at some old photos that I had taken of some orchids. I have always been fascinated with orchids. They are exotic, different and very beautiful. In my years of gardening, I have grown orchids and found them to be very enjoyable to grow. Orchids have always been considered hard to grow, very expensive to buy and difficult to find. Over the years, all that has changed. Orchids can be purchased at nurseries, hardware stores and retail discount chain stores at very reasonable prices. I just purchased a Phalaenopsis for $5.00 at the grocery store yesterday. They are not that difficult to grow and you do not have to have a greenhouse to grow orchids in. Orchids can be enjoyed in your home just like any other house plant. If you want to grow orchids or receive one for Christmas, take the time to learn about your plant. It is important to know the needs of your orchid plant. Different plants have different temperature, lighting, fertilization and watering needs just like other plants in your house or garden. If you provide your plant with what it needs you will enjoy beautiful flowers in your home or garden for years to come.

Miltonia Orchid

Cattleya Orchids

Do you grow orchids?

Please share your thoughts on growing orchids in the "comment" section.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Fall Comes to Sycamore Gardens

2011-11-08T16:03:00.000-05:00

It is that time of the year when the garden is slowly going to sleep for winter. Surprisingly for being November the garden is still showing lots of color and has many flowers still blooming. This is one of my favorite seasons in the garden because I now get to work in my garden. Yes, I am one of those few gardeners who gardens in the winter. With my garden maintenance business, I don't have much time to work on my own garden. I do add new plants during the growing season to establish them for winter, but most of the time the beds are not completed till late fall and into spring. I use this time in the garden for pruning, cleaning up leaves, adding hardscape and cleaning up the beds. I know that when March rolls around my garden becomes low on the list for work. My projects for this winter are adding more rocks around the flower beds, moving an arbor to a different garden, adding a new bird house on a post, and building the structure for the living wall that will be planted in the spring with sedums. I also have my hosta seeds planted and they are just starting to germinate. I will continue growing them inside the house under lights till spring when they will be moved to the garden. I am also propagating sedums for the living wall. You can see that my fall and winter will be busy with gardening. I took a walk in the garden and snapped what will be the last of the pictures of the garden for the year. We are expecting the killing frost at anytime. Hope you enjoy the photos!

Dogwood Tree

The Fairies in the Woodland Garden

Lots of mums blooming in the garden

'Sweet Autumn' Clematis seeds

The wonderful fall colors of 'Witch Hazel'

Happy gardening and have a wonderful fall!
The Creative Gardener

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - September 2011

2011-09-15T15:00:00.003-04:00

It has been a very busy year! I have not written on my blog as much as I would have liked to this year. With the garden business and a home remodel, there has not been much time left for writing. The business is now slowing down and I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel on the house. It is time to get back to writing. The garden has survived considering how dry it has been and that I have ignored the garden most of the season. Surprisingly the garden is still producing lots of flowers to share with you today.

Rose of Sharon in many different colors in the garden.

Iceberg Climbing Rose

Mums are blooming in every color.

Limelight Hydrangeas are in full bloom.

The Butterfly Bushes are in bloom in white, purple and pink.

I hope your garden is blooming and it brings you the joy that mine brings to me.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Check out my other blog "Discovering Hostas with the Creative Gardener" at
http://discoveringhostaswiththecreativegarde.blogspot.com/

The Columbus Park of Roses

2011-08-24T14:51:00.032-04:00

If you have heard the saying "stop and smell the roses" then make sure that stop is at the Columbus Park of Roses. The fragrance in this park was wonderful! The Columbus Park of Roses was constructed in 1952 and it contains 13 acres of gardens. The gardens include the Main Rose Garden, perennial and herb gardens, the Heritage Garden and an Earth-Kind Demonstration Garden. The main rose garden contains over 11,000 rose bushes of 350 different varieties. The normal peak times are mid-June and mid-September. I visited the garden in early August and still found lots of roses in bloom even considering how dry, hot and humid it has been in the Midwest. The Columbus Park of Roses is one of the AARS (All-America Rose Selection, Inc) approved gardens in the United States and one of the largest municipal rose gardens in the United States.
What I enjoyed about this garden was that you could view the garden from the top of an observation tower. You then could see the Italianate formal design with roses grouped in symmetrical beds. The tower was a great place to take pictures of the garden and to just enjoy the view. I did find lots of roses that I would like to add to my rose garden. With all the roses labeled it made it easy to take photos of the rose and label to help remember those special roses that I would like to have for my garden.

'Summer Fashion'

'Julia Child'

'Strike It Rich'

'Dream Come True'

'Double Delight'

'Blast Off'

'George Burns'

If you ever visit Columbus, Ohio stop for a visit to the Columbus Park of Roses. The Park of Roses is located in Whetstone Park and it is open from dusk to dawn. There is plenty of parking and the park admission is free. Enjoy your visit and stop and smell the roses!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

A Visit to Topiary Park

2011-08-08T15:33:00.020-04:00

Recently I had the chance to visit a very unusual garden in Columbus, Ohio. The garden is a topiary garden that is located in the downtown area. "Topiary Park" is a seven-acre park that is known for its topiary interpretation of Georges Seurat's famous Post-Impressionist painting of "A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte". In the photo above, you can see what the art work looks like. Now look at the next photo below and see the art come alive in topiary.

All the topiary forms are planted with yews (Taxus). The yews are trained to metal tube frames then trimmed to form the complete shape.

If you look carefully, you can see the frame work that supports the topiary.

Do you see a man sitting in a boat?

Do you see the gardener planting a plant in the pot?

Do you see the women, small child and the pet sitting on their laps?

I really enjoyed my visit to this garden. If you have the opportunity to visit Ohio, you might want to go to Columbus and visit Topiary Park. The park is free to visit and is open from dusk to dawn with plenty of parking on the street. The Topiary Park was dedicated in 1992 in what was the Old Deaf School Park.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

If you love roses, check back for my next post on a visit to "The Park of Roses".

Hosta of the Year for 2012

2011-07-06T10:49:00.002-04:00

It may only be July of 2011, but it is time to look forward to what is going to be new in 2012 in the hosta world. The American Hosta Growers Association had four hostas in the running for the "Hosta of the Year". The hostas were H. 'Guardian Angel', H. 'Rainforest Sunrise', H. 'Touch of Class' and H. 'Liberty'. And the winner for 2012 and one that is already growing in my garden is H. 'Liberty'. If you do not have this one in your garden, I would strongly suggest it. It is a beautiful sport of H. 'Sagae'. H. 'Liberty' grows as a vase shaped mound, with a blue green center and a 2 to 2 1/2 inch margin that changes from yellow to creamy white. It is a tetraploid with pale lavender flowers that bloom from late July to August. It has become a favorite in many gardens.

H. 'Liberty'

If you are looking for a new hosta to add to your garden, give H. 'Liberty' a try.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Tiarellas for Spring Color

2011-06-06T14:33:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite perennial plants for the garden is Tiarella or Foam Flower. I purchased one small plant several years ago called 'Running Tapestry' and over the years it has spread into a large patch. I have transplanted starts of it in several places in my garden and it never fails to provide lots of flowers in the spring. Foam Flowers have unique shapes, textures and colors in their leaves providing visual interest. Some have runners that remind you of strawberry plants and others are a clumping form. Tiarellas prefer rich, fertile soil that is damp. They thrive in dappled to shade conditions. The flowers are white to a light pink in color and they bloom for a long time in my garden. The flowers can be used as cut flowers. Tiarellas can be very happy in a hanging basket, in the ground or in a container. They look wonderful mixed into a container with other flowering plants as a filler.

The easy way to propagate Tiarella is by division or by growing them from seed.

This is one plant you should give a try in your garden. I plan to add additional new plants to my garden in the future in some of the newer leaf colors that are now available on the market.

Happy gardening and have a great growing season!

The Creative Gardener

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - May 2011

2011-05-15T09:17:00.014-04:00

This has been a good growing season for the garden this year. I had my concerns for the spring since we had been very dry last year. The plants are growing very well including all the weeds!

I have moved my tropical plants to the garden from the greenhouse. This is a Bougainvillea.

The Foam Flowers are blooming all over the garden.

The native plants are blooming like this Celandine Poppy.

I really look forward to the Virginia Bluebells blooming in the spring.

This lilac never had bloomed until I moved it last year.

This dwarf lilac smells great and is loaded with flowers.

This Rhododendron was a Mother's Day gift from my son. It adds lots of color to the garden.

The Weigelas have been loaded with flowers this year.

I hope you enjoyed the blooms and have a great Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Spring Brings the Blooming of the Forsythia

2011-04-20T14:16:00.009-04:00

Every March and April, my garden lights up with the blooming of the Forsythia. The masses of yellow flowers is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner. Forsythia bloom on leafless branches and the colors of different Forsythias can range from pale yellow to a light orange. The flowers have four lobes or petals. In my area, many people prune their Forsythia bushes into round shapes. In my garden they are allowed to grow into that wonderful large unkempt look that Mother Nature intended. Forsythias do not require much in maintenance and you should avoid excessive pruning. Pruning should be done after flowering by cutting some of the old or unproductive shoots to the ground. Forsythia are easy to grow and any garden soil will do. They prefer full sun but can thrive in partial shade. In my garden, some grow in full sun and others in part shade. The ones in sun produce a few more flowers than than those in part shade. There are Forsythias that range in size from dwarf to about 10 foot in height and you should be able to find a Forsythia that works in your size of garden. I have seen a Forsythia with variegated leaves in a catalogue that I would like to add to the garden in the future. Since Forsythia have plain green leaves, a variegated shrub would provide additional interest for the garden. Forsythia bushes are easy to propagate by layering or taking cuttings if you want to start more for your garden. I always look forward to the blooming of the Forsythia every year because it shows that spring is on the way and the gardening season has just begun.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The Return of Spring - 2011

2011-04-09T10:21:00.020-04:00

Spring has returned to "Sycamore Gardens". The tulips are starting to bloom.

The grape hyacinths are full of flowers.

This hellebore has been blooming even when we had snow.

I am very excited about this shrub. This is a lilac called "Sensation". This is the first time it has produced flower buds. It has been a seven year wait that is about to end.

The flowering quince in the gardens are showing colors of pink or red depending on the cultivar.

Some of the hostas are really up and growing and others are still waiting for warmer days.

These little primroses are full of flowers.

The wild flowers are blooming in the lawn in large patches of white that looks like snow.

The Cleveland Pears are starting to flower along the drive.

Life is starting to renew itself in the garden. We have a nesting Canada Goose on the roof of the cabin on our property. She has been on the nest for over 2 weeks now.

The ducks on the river are mating up for the breeding season.

The toads are retuning to the ponds for mating. They have started singing at night and will continue for about three weeks. Then the tadpoles will hatch and turn into toads that will start eating the slugs and snails that would eat my hostas.

It's nice to see life retuning to the garden once again (except for the large amount of weeds that are appearing)!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The "New Dawn" Rose

2011-03-23T11:31:00.011-04:00

I have always admired roses. Over the years I have planted lots of roses, but always felt disappointed that they never looked the way that I had hoped they would for my garden. I pictured these beautiful roses on arbors, going up a tree or just this mass of fragrant flowers on this huge healthy bush. I started finding roses to be high maintenance and not worth the effort. I really did not care for or have the time for using sprays to control diseases.

Several years ago, I worked at a customer's home where she had beautiful roses trained on the side of her house. They were even growing up and over the roof. These were the roses that I wanted in my garden. I also had admired the roses that I had seen in several books written by P. Allen Smith. He wrote about the "New Dawn" rose in the book and I thought I would give it a try. I placed an order for it and waited for it's arrival. When it came it was small but what a fast grower. The picture above shows the rose in it's third year in the garden. Each year it gets bigger and better. Naturally I did purchase a second one for the garden last year.

"New Dawn" is a climbing rose that was patented in 1930 (the very first rose to get a patent) and it grows in zones 5-10. It has fragrant pale pink double blossoms in early summer that really puts on a good show of flowers. It also is a repeat bloomer. "New Dawn" has glossy foliage on canes that can grow to 25 feet. What I really like is that it is low maintenance and disease resistant. It also provides rose hips for winter interest and food for the squirrels and birds.

I now have changed my view of growing roses. I look for old garden roses and species roses that grow on their own root systems. I look for plants that are disease resistant, low maintenance and vigorous growers. Living in a home that is over 100 years old, I think that old roses work best for my landscape. I just ordered two more roses for the garden this year. One is "Cecile Brunner" and the other is "Buff Beauty". I guess the right roses can change your mind on growing roses.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Photo Tour of the Indiana Flower and Patio Show

2011-03-17T10:38:00.018-04:00

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The Fragrance of the Mock Orange

2011-03-07T12:13:00.001-05:00

I always look forward to the blooming of my Mock Orange each year. It fills the garden with the fragrance of orange blossoms on those warm evenings. Mock Orange or Philadelphus is a beautiful flowering shrub for the garden. The white flowers bloom in June or July and cover the plant fully in white. Flowers are single, semi double or double blossoms depending on the cultivar. This shrub is very adaptable to many soil types but does prefer a moist well drained soil. Mock Orange does benefits having a sunny location in the garden but it can do very well in a lightly shaded area. If you prune this shrub, prune after it blooms and lightly thin out the shrub of old branches at ground level by a third each year when mature. Propagation of this shrub is very easy by cuttings. Mock Oranges come in several different sizes from dwarf to 10 feet tall depending on the cultivar. Mock Oranges range from zone 2 to 9. If you plant several together they can make for a wonderful hedge or dwarf varieties can be used in a rock garden. This is a stunning plant to add to a all white garden.

If you are looking for a shrub that is colorful and fragrant, give Mock Orange a try in your garden.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Great Color and Great Texture

2011-02-21T12:02:00.004-05:00

When I was a little girl we had a Sumac in our yard. It was not very tall but it spread out very wide. We never knew what the shrub was, but it was very old and always called the "crooked tree". It offered hours of fun, bouncing and climbing on the limbs that bowed to the ground. The color in fall was stunning in colors of red, yellow and orange. The leaves were very soft to the touch. When we moved away from the house, I still remembered all the fun that we had playing on the limbs. It wasn't till I started gardening that I found out that the tree was a Staghorn sumac or Rhus typhina and a shrub. In my area you do not see many of them and I have never seen one as big as the one that grew in our yard. Several years ago I came across a Sumac in a local nursery called 'Tigereye Bailtiger'. I knew I had to have this one for my garden. The 'Tigereye Bailtiger' Sumac stays a nice lemon lime color during the summer then turns to those stunning colors that I remember as a kid.
Sumac's are easy to grow and prefer a sunny location. Any reasonable garden soil will work.
The 'Tigereye Bailtiger' grows to about 6 feet tall and wide. The female plant will produce a flower head that is hairy and dark red, which is a nice contrast to the foliage color. Sumac's do prefer a moist but well drained site. Be aware that this plant suckers and can be invasive in some areas. It can also have several different disease and insect problems like canker, powdery mildew, wood rot, scale, etc. I have not experienced any problems with mine as of yet. It is easy to propagate by cuttings, suckers or seeds. I really do enjoy the color and texture of Rhus typhina in the garden and remembering all those childhood days playing in the Sumac.

Did you Know - That Rhus typhina is a North American native shrub?

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The 2011 Hosta of the Year

2011-02-01T02:55:00.005-05:00

The “Hosta of the Year” for 2011 is a plant that many gardeners have already in their gardens. The hosta plant of the year is H. ‘Praying Hands’. It was registered with the American Hosta Society in 1996 by Gerald Williams of Minnesota. H. ‘Praying Hands’ grows to about 16 inches high and 30 inches wide as a mound. It is known for its unusual narrow twisted, cupped lengthwise leaves that are green and edged in white. It has lavender flowers that bloom in July to August. H. ‘Praying Hands’ parentage is unknown but it is a hosta that you will not forget and is easy to identify in a garden. The original parent plant was “found” at a nursery as an unlabeled sport. This is a hosta that is easy to find and available in most nurseries at a reasonable price.

If you like hostas, then check out my new blog "Discovering Hostas with the Creative Gardener". The new blog is dedicated only to hostas, designing with hostas and growing them from seed to mature plant. The link to the site is on the right side.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Tri Color Beech Tree - What a Beauty!

2011-01-24T13:29:00.002-05:00

One day I was going to visit the garden of one of my customers. I was told that the garden was small with lots of roses. When I arrived at her home, there in her front yard was the most spectacular tree that I had ever seen. From the distance it looked like a large pink dogwood in full flower until you got up close to it. I knew that I wanted that tree in my garden! The tree was a Tri Color Beech or Fagus Sylvatica 'Roseo-Marginata'. This tree is used as a specimen tree due to its variegated leaves of pink, green and white which turn to a copper color in the fall. It grows in Zones 4-7 and can grow to a height of 24-40 feet tall. When planting a Tri Color Beech, plant young trees in part shade. This tree can take full sun, but you may burn the leaves depending on your zone. Several things to remember about this tree is that it is a slow grower and has a fibrous root system. Some plants and grass will not grow well under a mature Tri Color Beech. It prefers well-drained soil that is slightly moist and slightly acidic, but it will tolerate a wide range of soil types. To establish a new tree, remember to water it regularly for the first two years. Tri Color Beech trees do produce beechnuts which are mildly toxic. You may have to shop around for this tree because it is not always available at all nurseries. The Tri Color Beech is a beautiful tree and I did find one for my garden. It was small, but worth the price. I know it is a slow grower and I just hope that I live long enough to see it reach it's full mature size!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

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Adding Warmth to the Garden with a Fire Feature

2011-01-13T13:04:00.004-05:00

Imagine sitting around a warm fire in your garden in the fall. It is dark outside and the fire makes a warm orange glow in the garden. The fire crackles and pops as the smell of the wood makes you think of your childhood and camp outs with your family. You sit around the fire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, telling and sharing stories with your children. Sitting around a fire can be very relaxing and what a great way to have quality time with your family and friends.

If you have been thinking about adding a fire feature to your garden, here are some ideas. Some of the photos are combinations of water and fire which is a new look in garden design.
Some of these projects are easy to build and others may require some expert help in their construction. Some of the pictures below are wood burning or gas logs depending on how much you want to spend on the project. You can also buy precast cement fireplaces that come in pieces. Each piece is stacked to form the fireplace. After the fireplace is assembled you can cover it with the stone of your choice. Check around at local stone centers in your area for precast cement fireplace kits.

The back of this fire pit is steel with a flower cut out

This fire and water feature is made of cement block available at most local hardware stores.

A simple water and fire feature for the garden that is inexpensive to make.

I hope that I gave you some ideas on fire features for your garden. It is early in the year and a good time to start planning before fall arrives.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

New Book for Small Hostas

2011-01-09T08:28:00.000-05:00

If you want to grow small hostas, I have the book for you. "The Book of Little Hostas" was on my Christmas wish list this year and I got my wish. I have very much enjoyed reading this book and found many good ideas that I plan to use. "The Book of Little Hostas" was written by Kathy Guest Shadrack and Michael Shadrack with Diana Grenfell as the Consultant editor. The book contains information and photos of over 200 small and mini hostas available on the market. It also contains good information on collecting, growing and caring for these very small hostas.

Small hostas grown in a hypertufa bowl

I enjoy growing the large hostas, but I have recently started collecting small hostas. Small hostas look wonderful when planted with other small hostas in the garden as a collection or by planting them in containers. There are many creative ways to plant small hostas and this book shows many good ideas. If you live in a retirement center or apartment where you only have a deck, patio or balcony, here is a wonderful way to garden that is easy to do and easy to maintain. If you love hostas, check out "The Book of Little Hostas".

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The Garden in Review 2010

2011-01-06T13:09:00.006-05:00

"Sycamore Gardens" is the name of my garden. It is nestled in a grove of Sycamore trees along the White River.

Looking out the window at the garden this time of year makes you feel that the garden is pretty brown and dead. The nice thing about taking pictures of your garden during the growing season is that you can look back and still enjoy your garden again. The 2010 growing season started out with lots of rain and everything grew very well, but I did have some disease issues that I had not had in the past. Then came the dry spell with very little rain. The dry spell lasted for several months and the garden, soil and plants looked pretty sad. Looking over the past seasons weather problems the garden seems to have survived and right now I am getting a rest from dragging garden hoses and watering cans around the yard. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the 2010 year.

Winter in the garden

The Rose Garden

The Woodland Garden

The Hydrangea Garden during the blooming of H. Venticosa.

I have already started making my plans for next years garden. I hope to add more historical or antique roses, more mums and add rock around the flower beds. Today is a good time to plan and dream about next years garden while the snow is flying outside my window and those garden catalogues are arriving in the mail.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Designing the Woodland Garden

2011-01-03T12:09:00.024-05:00

There is nothing more relaxing than to take a walk in a woodland garden. It's nice to watch birds and other wildlife that find the woodland garden their home. The woodland garden is a garden that can have more of a relaxed unkempt feel than other types of gardens. If you have a wooded area and have been thinking about starting a woodland garden, here are some suggestions to get started. Clean up and clear out all unwanted trees, shrubs and vines from trees. Watch out for and remove any invasive plants. After the area has been cleared, you might want to consider testing the soil and amend the planting areas if possible or as needed.

Every garden needs an entrance. An entrance welcomes and helps direct garden visitors to explore the garden or garden room. In my garden, I wanted something simple and rustic in design. I created my entrance area to the woodland garden by making an arbor made of three landscape beams. I added hanging baskets to the ends where I can plant seasonal annuals for color.

At the beginning of the entrance, have a pathway that will lead visitors through the garden. Garden paths can be stepping stones, gravel or mulch for a more natural look. I use gravel on my garden path due to the fact that my garden is in a flood plain. The gravel stays in place during spring floods. You can mulch your woodland garden if you wish. Mulching will help maintain moisture in the garden during those hot summer days. I prefer to use leaf litter in my garden, due to flooding and that it looks more natural for a woodland setting.

Virginia Bluebells

Woodland gardens do not require much in garden statuary. Simple items that you would find in a wooded area work the best. I use driftwood, interesting rocks and small animal or mushroom garden art that can easily be hidden in and around plants. The woodland garden is a great place to add a bench for resting and enjoying the wildlife. Don't forget to add birdhouses and feeders for the birds.

Eastern Redbud

In designing your garden you may want to limb up mature trees. This will allow for more light into the garden for new shrubs, trees, perennials and bulbs that you will want to add. When planting trees, consider adding small understory trees that will give seasonal color to the garden. Trees like Eastern Redbud and Dogwoods add flowers, fruit and seasonal color for the garden.

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Plant shrubs like Oakleaf Hydrangea, Viburnums, Kerria, Witch Hazel and Fothergilla for flowers, seasonal color and interest to the garden. Some shrubs can provide food for birds.

Celandine Poppy

Every woodland garden needs natives. Native plants can be purchased in catalogues, nurseries and from local organizations. Suggestions of good native plants would be Celandine Poppy, native ferns, Wild Columbine, Wild Geranium, Trillium, Solomon' s Seal, Mayapple, Dutchman's Breeches, Virginia Bluebells and Ginger. Check to find out what native woodland plants grow in your area. Never dig up native plants from local woods or parks for your garden.

Foamflower

I like to add perennials to my woodland garden for season color. Some natives are nice for spring but are not as exciting during the summer. I like to add Foamflower, Coral Bells, ferns, hostas, Variegated Solomon's Seal and assorted flowering bulbs. Remember that hostas and ferns may need additional watering in the woodland garden during the summer.

Variegated Solomon's Seal

Ferns are a "must" for the woodland garden. There are many different types you can find in wonderful colors, sizes and textures. Purchase ferns that are natives and new introductions for their unusual color and interest. Look for ferns that will remain up and green even during the winter. Keep ferns watered in the dry times of summer or they may go dormant on you.

H. 'Gold Standard'

Hostas are wonderful plants for the woodland garden. They come in many different sizes, shapes and colors. Hostas can provide lots of color in a very shaded woodland garden. They will need watering during the hot time of the season.

A water feature can become a beautiful focal point in your garden. A pond with a stream bed looks wonderful and will attract wildlife. If you do not have access to electricity for your water feature, try adding a dry stream bed instead.

I hope that I have given you some ideas on how to design a woodland garden for your yard. These cold winter days are great times to get inspired and start drawing and designing your garden for spring.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

How to Buy Healthy Plants for Your Garden

2010-12-21T12:28:00.006-05:00

If you are a gardener your favorite place to visit is a garden center or nursery. You can't resist all those beautiful plants and you will most likely go home with several new plants for your garden. When nursery stock arrives at the garden center it is at it's best in growth and appearance. The plants are displayed in an attractive way to encourage you to buy them. But how do you know that you are getting a healthy plant that will thrive in your garden when you take it home? Here are five simple steps in selecting plants at the nursery to ensure that you are getting a healthy plant.

1. Pick a plant that has buds rather than open flowers. If the plant is already flowering, those flowers will soon be gone and if you have buds you can enjoy the flowers longer.

2. Consider buying fall blooming plants in the spring rather than the fall. Your plants will have more time to establish during the growing season and will be ready to go dormant by winter. I prefer to buy smaller mums for my garden in the spring and in the fall I have nice large plants that are full of blooms and that are established in the ground before the first snow comes.

3. Always purchase a plant with a plant label. You need to know how much sun or shade your plant will need, water and soil needs and most important how tall and wide a plant will grow. It's also important to have the full botanical name for the plant and zone information. Always read the plant label for proper planting and follow those recommendations.

4. Take a look at the root system. Carefully remove the plant from the pot and inspect the roots. If the roots are badly discolored, mushy or the pot is very full of roots this may not be a plant for you. When the pot is overly full of roots and you can hardly see the soil, the plant is root-bound. Roots should be healthy looking with some roots being white in color. Avoid plants that have excessive amounts of roots coming out of the drain holes of the pot.

5. Look for plants that are full and healthy looking. Always inspect the plant for disease and insect damage. Look for good branching of the plant and new growth. If you buy plants at the end of the season always inspect them carefully before buying. They may not look as healthy or may be showing some signs of stress from being in a garden center all season.

If you choose healthy plants with flower buds and a good root system from your nursery, then you can be confident that you will have a good plant for your garden.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Hellebores for Early Garden Color

2010-12-08T10:33:00.008-05:00

I always know that spring is on the way by the blooming of the hellebores. On winter days you can find their leaves and flowers peeking up and out of the snow. These perennials are wonderful plants for the shade garden. My favorite Hellebores are H. orientalis (Lenten Rose) and H. niger (Christmas Rose). The Christmas Rose grows in zones 4-8 and has white flowers and shiny dark-green foliage that stays on during the winter for winter color in the garden. It grows from 12 to 18 inches high and blooms during January or February. The Lenten Rose grows in zones 5-9 and it blooms in early spring. It comes in many different sizes and colors with foliage that is oval shaped with a serrated edge. Both plants keep their foliage in my garden during the winter, but by spring the foliage does show winter damage which can be easily pruned away. Hellebores prefer rich soil that stays moist but is well drained. They are slow to establish, but once they do, they can tolerate some dryness. They can be propagated by seed or division in the fall or early spring. Be aware that seedlings may not come true to parents. Hellebores are deer resistant for all you gardeners who have deer problems. If you have not tried growing hellebores, I would suggest both the Christmas Rose and the Lenten Rose for early color to the garden.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The gardening season has finally ended for me and it is time to get back to gardening writing again. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

How to Make Plant Markers for Your Garden

2010-11-05T14:08:00.004-04:00

Here's an easy to make garden project for you. If you like to label your vegetables or flowers in your garden, then you know how expensive it can become to purchase plant markers. If you have old vinyl or aluminum window blinds, those slats can make wonderful plant markers. The vinyl or aluminum is easy to cut with scissors and you can cut them to any size you desire. The plant marker in the picture is a two inch vinyl blind slat that has been cut to size with scissors. A pointed end was added to make sticking it into the ground easier. You can write on the slats with permanent markers or use a labeling machine for a professional look. Slats come in several sizes from 1/2 inch to 2 inch and will hold up against the weather. Remember that the next time you replace those old blinds or shorten your new blinds that those slats can be recycled into something useful for the garden.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The Hosta Seedlings - One Year Latter

2010-10-18T17:51:00.013-04:00

One year ago, I started my first hosta plants from seed. Over the winter, I grew them under lights 24/7 until they were ready to be planted in the garden in spring. I grew around 1500 seedlings and slowly culled them down to about 50 seedlings. These seedling represented traits that I was looking for in a hosta plant. The seedlings went to the test garden for their first year outside this past spring. You can see the seedlings in the photo taken back in October 2009 to the right in "What's Growing in My Greenhouse".

Several of my favorite seedling were given garden names and I hope that they will continue to show possibilities in future years. Some of these plants bloomed their first year and produced seed. I plan to grow the seed during this winter to produce a second generation.

If you have not tried growing hosta from seed, you should give it a try! It is fun and it keeps us gardeners playing in the dirt inside the house during those cold winter days.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Check back for my next post on how to make plant markers for your garden by recycling old window blinds.

Planting Bulbs for Spring Color

2010-10-18T14:53:00.006-04:00

It's that time of the year that you start thinking about the garden for next year and what better time to plant bulbs for that wonderful spring color. Nothing says "spring" like blooming Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths and Crocus. Spring color starts with fall plantings of bulbs. Bulbs can be planted in large drifts, planted in perennial beds, under spring flowering trees or naturalized in your lawn. Bulbs can also be added to containers and forced for use inside your home or outside in your garden for a burst of spring color. When purchasing bulbs, select bulbs that have different bloom times to keep the garden blooming for a longer period of time. Make sure that the bulbs you select are fresh and hard and not soft or dried out.

When planting bulbs, wait till the soil temperature is below 60 (F) degrees. Spring flowering bulbs require a period of winter cold for blooming. Make sure that your bulbs have good drainage with a pH between 6 and 7. If you are planting drifts of bulbs, the following guide will help determine the number of bulbs per square foot that you will need to achieve the look that you want.

Daffodils - 3 to 4 bulbs per square foot

Tulips - 5 bulbs per square foot

Hyacinths - 5 bulbs per square foot

Crocus - 15 bulbs per square foot

Miniature Tulips - 7 bulbs per square foot

Miniature Daffodils - 6 bulbs per square foot

Plant you bulbs at the recommended depth on the package. You can also add 2-3 inches of mulch over your planted bulbs to help protect the bulbs from the winter cold. The addition of bulb food will help your bulbs get off to a great start when spring arrives. If the season has been dry, as it has been in my zone 5 garden, you may want to water as needed.

If you live in an area where you have deer and rodents, remember that they will enjoy your Tulip and Crocus bulbs as their meal. Plant these bulbs close to your house or use special wire containers to protect your bulbs. You might just want to consider planting bulbs like Hyacinths and Daffodils instead. If you have not started planning or planting your spring garden yet, get started now while bulbs are fresh and the selections are still good in the stores.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Protecting Your Plants During Drought

2010-09-26T18:18:00.010-04:00

This Dogwood's flower buds have died and the leaves show stress from lack of water.

This year my zone 5 garden experienced a very dry growing season. We started the year out with lots of rain and the garden was growing great. Then we started getting less rain or a light shower that was not enough to wet the ground. August was the driest in over 100 years in my area. Many flowers, trees and shrubs have been stressed from the lack of rain. We are now having "no burning" bans due to the lack of rain. It seems that everyday the news on TV is about corn and bean fields catching on fire.

If you live in a zone that has been experiencing drought, watch your trees and shrubs for water. I have been seeing many shrubs and trees with curling leaves or loosing their leaves due to lack of water in many landscapes. It is not good when the small limbs "snap" due to die back. Take a look around your landscape and if you are seeing problems, start watering before it is to late. Check closely on shrubs or trees that are growing under larger trees. I would suggest putting your garden hose at the base of the tree and allow the water to run for about 1/2 hour slowly. If your soil is really dried out, and you run the water fast it will run off the top of the soil and not go where it is needed most, the roots of the tree or shrub. Repeat the procedure several times a week as needed based on rainfall in your area.

This Burning Bush will not be red in color for fall this year.

Now is the time to make sure that your trees and shrubs are healthy and strong for that long winter to come. Remember to continue to check on them during the winter for water if we a have a dry winter and don't be surprised that some trees and shrubs may still have problems come next year.

Happy Gardening and hope for rain!

The Creative Gardener

Orphaned Wildlife in the Garden

2010-08-22T11:42:00.004-04:00

The other day, I was gardening at a customer's home. While working in the garden I kept noticing a very bad odor. After looking around I discovered a dead opossum in the hosta bed. The mother opossum had probably been dead for a couple of days. Next to her body was this little face peering up at me. Being a animal lover I really felt for this little baby. It has been hot in the high 90's and we have had little rain. The next question was what to do with the baby.

If you ever find a baby animal in your yard, the best thing to do is observe the animal from the distance. Most baby animals that you see in your yard alone are not orphaned. The parents are near by searching for food and they will return. If a parent does not return over a long period of time or you know that the parent is dead, only then take action. I know that many people want to help a baby by trying to care for it themselves. You can actually be doing more harm than good. The best thing you can do for a baby mammal or bird is to take it to a local licensed animal rehabilitator and let them care for the animal. In Indiana, wildlife is protected by law and you cannot keep the animal. You can find a licensed animal rehabilitator by

Calling a local veterinarian

Call the Department of Natural Resources in your area

Look in the phone book or try searching on your computer for a local rehabilitator

Always remember that even baby animals can bite, carry disease and insect pest. You may want the professional to pick up and remove the animal for you.

What happened to the baby opossum that I found? The baby is now safe in the hands of a trained rehabilitator and when it grows up and can survive on it's own, it will be released back to nature again.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Many animal rehabilitators will always appreciate a small donation of money, food or supplies to care for wildlife. Please make a donation.

Hosta Crown Rot

2010-07-25T19:06:00.001-04:00

You walk outside to your garden to see how your garden is growing when you stop in your tracks. That beautiful hosta that looked healthy several days ago is now sprawled out on the ground with browning leaves. With careful inspection you find that the stems at ground level are no longer attached to the plant. Your hosta has crown rot! Crown rot is a fungal disease caused by Sclerotium rolfsii and it can severely damage established hostas within a week. Crown rot was normally found in the southern United States, but it is now found in Midwest gardens. Crown rot starts during prolonged hot, humid weather. In my zone it has been very hot, very humid and with lots of rain. Perfect conditions for this disease.

The bottoms of the petioles are brown, mushy and you will find some small white to rust colored spheres, called sclerotia, which are about the size of a mustard seed. Sclerotia can survive cold winters. Also present will be fluffy white threads (mycelium) on the crown of the plant and the soil. Mycelium produces sclerotia. There is no dormacy period for sclerotia and it can be dormant in the soil for years till the conditions are just right. When S. rolfsii mycelium comes in contact with a plant, it produces oxalic acid that destroys the tissue of the petioles of the plant which causes the hosta to collapse on the ground. Crown rot is spread by purchasing plants containing it or trading plants with fellow gardeners that are infected. Sclerotia can spread on your shoes or tools and spread to other parts of the garden. It can also spread by rain splash or irrigation splash.

How do you get rid of S. rolfsii? You can slow or stop the spread by:

Carefully inspecting plants that you purchase or trade with others.
Practice good sanitation habits in the garden to reduce it's spread. Clean up damaged leaves and discard in a plastic bag to the trash. Do not compost leaves. Clean up all your hosta leaves after the first frost.
Provide a mulch free zone of several inches away from the crown of your hosta.
Clean and sanitize gardening tools used around diseased plants. Dipping tools in a 10 percent bleach solution for a few minutes will kill S. rolfsii.
You can dig down 8 inches and remove the soil from the contaminated area and replace with new soil.
Apply a fungicide recommended for S. rolfsii and that can be used on hosta plants.

Be aware that S.rolfsii also effects over 200 other plants and not just hosta.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

"Black Lace" in the Garden

2010-07-05T10:14:00.007-04:00

Several years ago, I started adding plants with dark colored leaves to the garden. One plant that I added was Sambucus nigra "Black Lace". This plant was developed from the Elderberry plant. It has a beautiful finely cut leaf that reminds you of a Japanese Maple. The leaf color is dark purple to a near black. It grows in zones 4 to 8 and prefers sun to part shade. I grow mine in the sun for the best color. It needs plenty of space to grow to reach it's full size of 6 to 8 feet. In the late spring it produces a light pink colored flower. I added this plant to my garden 5 years ago and since then, I have added three more for the great color that they provide to the garden. I grow my "Black Lace" mixed into my perennial borders. They look wonderful with roses, day lilies and other flowering perennials. Sambucus nigra is a very easy to grow plant that gives a lot of color to the garden and works well at showing off the colors of all your other flowers in the garden as well.

Do you like plants with dark colored leaves for your garden? Share your favorites in the comment section.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - June 2010

2010-06-15T05:34:00.002-04:00

Oakleaf Hydrangea

It has been a great year for the garden. With the early warm up this year and lots of rain, the garden has a very lush look. The weeds are growing faster than I can weed them out.

I have been seeing plants bloom in the garden that have never bloomed before. On the down side it is now very humid makings it hot to work in the garden and the mosquitoes are becoming a problem. The joys of gardening!

The hydrangea garden in full bloom

Knock Out roses
Blushing Bride Hydrangea

Have a great bloom day and happy gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Peonies in the Garden

2010-06-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

The other day I was working in my garden when a sudden breeze filled the air with a wonderful fragrance of the peonies that were in bloom. Peonies always reminds me of my childhood when my mother grew them in her garden. If you have not grown peonies, you should give them a try. The flowers are beautiful and they come in a single or double blossom in colors of pink, white, red and purple that bloom in early summer. Peonies or Paeonia need full sunlight or semi-shade with protection from strong winds. It is also helpful to put a wire ring around the plant when it first starts growing to help support the weight of the flowers. You will know what I mean after a heavy rain! Peonies prefer well drained soil enriched with cow manure or compost. Peonies are easy to propagate. Propagation is by division in the spring or fall. Take care not to break the brittle roots when dividing. Each division must have roots and dormant growth buds. Crowns should be planted 1 inch deep in the soil and spaced about 20 inches apart. Peonies can be grown from seed but it will take 4 to 5 years before they bloom. Plan to purchase plants instead of growing from seed. A general fertilizer should be applied in the spring and if you mulch, keep the mulch away from the crown.

Always remove spent flowers and allow the foliage to die down naturally before trimming it back. Peonies do have some problems in the garden. Watch for Botrytis or gray mold. It can cause rotting of the stems and leaf bases. If you find this problem, you should destroy the affected foliage. Try to improve air circulation and drainage around the plant and apply a fungicide to the plant.

Peonies are great to cut and take inside the house to enjoy. Keep the flowers in a cool part of the house and change off the water every other day. Now enjoy the wonderful fragrance throughout your home.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The Many Colors of Hosta

2010-05-15T17:41:00.015-04:00

H. June Fever

One plant that I have grown to appreciate in my garden is the hosta. This plant is easy to grow and comes in many colors that can enhance any garden. Many people like to grow only hosta in their gardens. They plant drifts of the same hosta and mix them with other drifts of hosta in different colors. I like my hosta mixed in with shrubs, trees, annuals and perennials of many different colors. Playing the hosta leaf color against other plant colors make them a striking addition to any garden. Just take a look at the many colors of hosta.

H. Antioch

H. Whirlwind

H. Halycon

H. Patriot

H. Liberty

H. Gold Standard

H. Elvis Lives

If you have not tried hosta in your garden, this might be a plant for you!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - May 2010

2010-05-15T10:51:00.005-04:00

Happy Gardening from the Creative Gardener!

A Professional Look in Mulching

2010-04-25T17:48:00.008-04:00

This spring has been milder and warmer than normal for my Zone 5 area. My gardening business has been very busy with garden clean up and mulching. Business is much better this year than last and I hope that it means that the economy is improving. Most people are just eager to be outside again after those long months of winter.

This year I have spent more time mulching than I ever have. Mulching helps to retain moisture in the soil and reduces weeds. It adds nutrients back to the soil as it breaks down and it really makes for a clean attractive garden after it is down. In the Midwest, people mulch their gardens with mulch made from shredded hardwood, cypress, pine or cedar. Mulch can be purchased in colors from black, dark brown, gold or red depending on your personal taste. If you want to mulch your garden and have a professional look after you are done, here are some simple rules to follow.

Cut your grass before mulching. Many people fertilize and the grass grows tall and hides the edges and lines of the garden beds.

Edge the garden beds to give them a clean crisp look.

Clean up the beds by raking out old leaves, trash, and shrub clippings. Cut back last years dead perennials. If your shrubs need or can be pruned, now would be a good time.

Remove all weeds from the garden beds. You may want to add fertilizer or weed preventer in the beds before mulching.

Mulch the beds. I prefer to use a nice dark hardwood mulch at 1 to 2 inches deep in my garden beds. The color looks more natural and it shows off the plant colors far more. Keep the mulch away from stems, crowns and branches of plants. Never do volcano mulching around the trunk of your trees. Volcano mulching will damage your trees over time. You can buy mulch in bags of 2 to 3 cubic foot or buy it in bulk where it is sold by the cubic yard and delivered to your home. It you have not started your spring clean up and mulching, now is the time. Have a great gardening season!

Tip: Did you know that you could buy mulch with a weed preventer already in the mulch?

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Grape Hyacinths

2010-04-05T12:18:00.003-04:00

You always know that spring has come when the Grape hyacinths start to bloom in the garden. They always add that beautiful splash of blue, mixed in with the colors of the tulips and daffodils. Grape hyacinths or Muscari armeniacum bloom in my zone 5 garden in April. The foliage looks similar to grass and the plant grows from about 6 to 9 inches tall. It's the flowers that really draws attention to this little plant. The deep blue flowers look great in a mass planting, in rock gardens, woodland gardens, as a companion plants to other spring flowering bulbs or for naturalizing. They grow in zones 3-10. Grape hyacinths grow in full sun or light shade in locations with rich, well-drained soil. Plant the bulbs in the fall about 3 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart. Grape hyacinths will thrive if left undisturbed and will multiply rapidly.They will benefit from the addition of some 12-12-12- fertilizer. The bulbs can be purchased at garden centers, nurseries or from online nurseries.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The Indianapolis Flower and Patio Show

2010-03-21T12:06:00.014-04:00

I hope you enjoyed the show and got a few new ideas for your garden.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Indianapolis Home and Flower Show

2010-03-11T15:41:00.010-05:00

Now is that time of year when all the local garden shows begin. It is always nice after a cold winter to attend a flower show. You can enjoy the flowers and the smells of spring in the air. It is a great time to get new ideas and start making plans for the garden. This was a new show to Indianapolis called the "Indianapolis Home and Flower Show". Enjoy the pictures!

This hall was filled with flowers from all around the world.

Happy Gardening and I am off to another flower show!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

Growing Hostas From Seed - Update

2010-02-25T13:21:00.010-05:00

One week - October 2009

In a earlier blog, I wrote about starting hosta plants from seed. Here is a update of the progress of the plants.

Two weeks

One month - November 2009

February 2010

I enjoyed growing the plants this winter. It helped make those cold winter days go faster and now I have several hundred new plants to grow in my garden this summer. Remember that hosta plants grown from seed will not look like their parents. That just makes growing hostas from seed fun and more interesting.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

Mothers Nature's Garden Designers

2010-02-16T14:16:00.008-05:00

I enjoy designing and planting my garden. Like most gardeners, I have this vision of what it will look like as it grows and matures over many years. I have learned that I may have a plan but so does Mother Nature! Mother Nature has this way of making the best made garden plans change.
Some years weather can be bad. Hail takes out the hosta beds and I have nice shredded leaves or leaves with holes in them for rest of the growing season. There are years it is dry and the plants show the lack of rain. Other years we have a lot of rain and the plants look great, including all the weeds. Bad weather can also bring out all the different disease problems in the garden.

There are years that the insects chew up plants leaving ragged leaves. I have found that having a pond helps keep most of my insects problems under control. The fish eat the mosquitoes and the toads that breed in the pond every year, keeps the slugs and other insects under control in the garden.

My favorites are the animals that live in my garden. The moles uproot my new plantings leaving them to die on top of the ground or they make nice tunnels underground that ruins my newly planted grass. Those cute little squirrels that roam in my garden may be cute, but sometimes they are pest. Every year I plant bulbs to find them dug up, with bites taken out of each of them. When I plant a new tree or shrub they always have to nibble on the bottom of the trunk or branches. I think that the squirrels sit in the trees just waiting for me to leave after I have just planted my new prized plant. Several years ago, I had a mother fox with three pups. I learned not to water my plants with fish emulsion. Every pot that had been watered with fish emulsion in my garden was dumped over. Mom and the pups shredded all my potted plants in search of a meal of fish that they never found. I never have trouble with mice or shrews due to a family of owls and the neighbor's pet cats. I am not even going to touch on the subject of pets in the garden! That is another story.

As a gardener, you figure that there is always next year for the garden. As much as I seem like I am complaining about the animals that live in my garden, I can't imagine my garden without them. The animals in my garden add the sights and sounds that make the garden a peaceful haven. They help make my garden what it is. I like to think that the moles aerate my soil making it better to grow in. My garden is on a property that is over 100 years old. The moles leave many treasurers of broken pottery, china and other lost valuables on top of the ground as they tunnel giving me a glimpse of the history of my property. I am always reminded of just how good squirrels are in gardening. Think of all the new trees that they plant across this great country, including the trees that you find growing in your houseplants that were outside during the summer.

Garden designing is fun and I enjoy watching my garden change from year to year. I may design the garden, but with the help of Mother Nature's garden designers it will be a pretty special garden!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

The Heavenly Scent of Hyacinths

2010-02-11T06:10:00.002-05:00

Have you ever walked into a room that contained a pot of blooming hyacinths? What a heavenly smell! It is a smell you never forget and it always reminds you of spring. For many of us who live in cold climates, forcing hyacinths bulbs is a way to pass the winter and remind us that better weather and spring are just around the corner. Forcing hyacinths bulbs is easy. Take several bulbs and pot them up in a flower pot containing moist potting mix with fertilizer. Chill the bulbs at a temperature of 35 to 45 degrees for 13 to 15 weeks in your refrigerator. Check the bulbs during this period for moisture and the start of growth. Once the bulbs are showing growth, move them to a bright window in your home. Home temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees is perfect. Now just wait for the bulbs to continue to grow and produce those flowers that will fill your house with that sweet perfume.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

Old Man Winter Brings Signs of Spring

2010-02-06T11:37:00.017-05:00

Old Man Winter blew into Indiana again bringing lots of snow. It snowed all day yesterday, but today when the sun came out it was beautiful. It was time to take a walk in the garden to view the artistry of Mother Nature.

The best part of my garden walk was finding that my Witch Hazel shrubs were starting to show signs of blooming. Spring is on the way!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

A Visit to Irwin Gardens

2010-02-01T14:35:00.014-05:00

This is a beautiful garden to visit. It is called Irwin Gardens and it is located in Columbus, Indiana. It once was a private home that now is a Bed and Breakfast called The Inn at Irwin Gardens. The home was completed in 1864 with the gardens added in 1910. The gardens were designed from a garden in Pompeii, Italy. The entire property takes up one city block in Columbus.

If you ever have a chance to visit Columbus, Irwin Gardens would be a wonderful place to see.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

Love Hostas? - Then You Will Love "The Hostapedia"

2010-01-27T09:38:00.012-05:00

Normally I do not write on books, but The Hostapedia by Mark R. Zilis has become the most used book in my gardening library (and it is starting to look the part). I grow hostas and I have been learning how to hybridize them. I purchased this book for many reasons. The main reason being to learn more information on each individual hosta that grows in my garden. The Hostapedia contains over 7,400 informational descriptions of hostas all listed in alphabetical order. I have not found a hosta in my garden, customer's gardens or the local nurseries that were not in this book. The book contains growing information from starting from seed to the mature plant. The information on hybridizing has been excellent for someone like myself, who is learning. The Hostapedia includes information on developing new hostas, patents, trademarks, breeder rights and how to register that new hosta plant. Did I mention photos? The Hostapedia has over 1,897 colored photos and has helped in identifying my plants along with increasing my wish list for new plants. The Hostapedia is a great reference book and with all that information, it is also a HEAVY book (1,125 pages). If you are looking for a new book to add to your gardening library, I would suggest adding The Hostapedia by Mark R. Zilis.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

Share Your Favorite Gardening Tips

2010-01-27T09:28:00.002-05:00

We all have them. Those tips, short cuts and ideas that make gardening easier. I am developing a blog post on gardening tips. If you have a favorite gardening tip that you would like to share, please leave your gardening tip and name in the comment section.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Garden Stepping Stone Project

2010-01-22T10:44:00.011-05:00

Here are some cute stepping stones that you can make for your garden. The items that are used can be "found" items from around the house or the children's toy box. If you look at the stepping stones you can see rocks, marbles, buttons, shells, rubber snakes and insects, foam cut outs, beads, tools and even a dog leash. The stepping stones can be themed around your garden area. You might want to use bugs, insects and toys for a children's garden or bugs, fish and toads around a pond. There are limitless ideas for these stepping stones.

Here is how you can make them for your garden.

1. Use old metal round, square or rectangle cake pans, plastic dish pans or plant saucers for the form. Make sure that you use a piece of plastic over your work area. I would suggest that you also use disposable gloves to protect your skin.

2. Spray the inside of the form with spray cooking oil. This will help the cement to release from the form when it dries.

3. Mix up some Quikrete cement using 1 part cement to 5 parts water. The mix should be the thickness of a brownie mix.

4. Fill the form about 1 inch deep, then level and smooth the cement. Add a piece of screen wire over the cement that has been cut 1/2 inch smaller than the form. Add another 1 to 1 1/2 inches of cement over the screen. Smooth and level the cement. Tap the sides of the form to remove air bubbles.

5. Allow the cement to set for about 30 to 60 minutes then add your decorations. Lightly push them down into the moist cement.

6. The stepping stone should dry for 2 to 3 days, then you can remove it from the form.

7. Your stepping stone needs to dry 1 week before taking it outdoors. I would suggest applying a coat of clear cement sealer to help preserve your new stepping stone before you move it to the garden.

Hope you have fun with this project and Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to "pick".

The Gardens of Garfield Park

2010-01-19T10:55:00.010-05:00

For those of you who are in cold climates, it is nice to see something green and growing. This was a visit to a local garden in my area. Garfield Park is a 136 acre park located on the south side of Indianapolis, Indiana. The gardens are three acres of European classical formal in style. They were designed by German landscape architect George Edward Kessler in 1916. The park consist of the sunken gardens and a beautiful 10,000 square foot conservatory of lush tropical plants.

Hope you enjoyed the garden tour and if you visit Indianapolis you might want to see the gardens at Garfield Park.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

Ideas for Garden Ponds

2010-01-14T10:34:00.001-05:00

Ponds can come in all sizes and shapes for the garden. Ponds come as kits with pumps, filters and liners, prefabricated ponds or purchased as individual pieces depending on your needs. Installation does take time and some digging, but even the amateur can install a small garden pond. There is a pond for every price range.

This is a pondless pond and it is nice if you have pets, small children or limited space. This pond is easy to install.

Lights add interest to the pond at night.

If you have the space, add a streambed to your pond to give it a natural look.

Add a waterfalls to your pond for that wonderful sound effect.

Ponds can be made of cement block and liners.

Add different sizes of rock and small river rock for a natural look.

Add a little wimsey!

Cover the liner edge with rock and the bottom of the pond with small river rock. Conceal the liner as much as possible.

Add shrubs, moss and assorted perennials to accent your pond.

Moss covered rocks add a natural look.

Add limbs, driftwood and other nature related items around the pond for a natural look.

Ponds attract wildlife into the garden and also add winter interest.

If you would like to install a pond into your garden, spend some time reading on installation and maintenance. Check on city codes, zoning or home association rules before installation along with where underground utilities are located before digging. If you are using a pump, remember that you will need electricity to that area. If you want to maintain fish during the winter, make sure the pond is deep enough. Now is a good time to start investigating for spring installation.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

'Annabelle' Hydrangea in Pink!

2010-01-10T18:19:00.013-05:00

Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners - http://www.provenwinners.com/

For those of you who love those beautiful white 'Annabelle' Hydrangeas, you will be happy to hear that Proven Winners now has a pink one named 'Invincibelle Spirit'. I love hydrangeas and I have many different varieties in my garden. 'Annabelle' has always been my favorite because it always produces lots of flowers even if the winter has been very cold. The flowers are huge and provide color for a long time in the garden. When I heard about 'Invincibelle Spirit', I had to check it out. I found a local nursery that will have it available this spring and it is at the top of my wish list for my garden this year.
'Invincibelle Spirit' also produces large flower heads that are just a bit smaller than 'Annabelle'. It grows in zones 3-9 and can take sun to part shade. It is very hardy and easy to grow. It produces large pink blooms from mid-summer till frost. Buds are produced on new wood, so winter die back will not keep it from producing all those beautiful flowers. It grows from 3 to 4 feet tall and wide.

Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners - http://www.provenwinners.com/

If you would like to know more about 'Invincibelle Spirit' and all the other Proven Winner plants, check out their web site on my gardening links.

Happy Gardening !

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick.

Water Feature Ideas for the Garden

2010-01-08T11:00:00.034-05:00

It is always relaxing to walk in a garden and to hear the sounds of water. Not only is it relaxing to the soul but the sounds of water also attracts the wildlife to the garden. If you have been thinking about adding a water feature to your garden, here are some ideas from recycled to the elegant and elaborate.

You can make a nice water feature by using cement block available at most hardware stores. You will see the block used again in additional pictures.

Large urns make beautiful water features.

Just a simple cast cement birdbath water feature.

Three stacked stones make up this pondless water feature.

A combination of stone and river rock with upright stones that have been drilled make up this pondless water feature. The moss on the stones helps age the water feature.

Add a light to your water feature for viewing at night.

What a great way to turn your storage shed into a water feature.

This water feature is a prefabricated pond sunk into the ground with a bird bath as the fountain.

Add some fire and water together for the garden.

Large ceramic urns make nice water features and they come in all size, shapes and price ranges.

This water feature makes good use of a recycled grate.

This is a small sunken container with a split log for the water to run down. This would be nice for a woodland garden.

For those who like the unusual and recycled, here is a bathtub with mosaic work on the sides. Note the shower head delivers the water to the tub. This would be great for the eclectic garden.

Three cast iron urns standing in a pond make up this water feature.

A wall fountain can be self contained as a water feature or as a feature in a much larger pond.

How about a nice bronze water feature for the garden.

I hope you found some ideas that might work in your garden for next year!

Happy Gardening and check back for my next post on a "pink" Annabelle Hydrangea for your garden.

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

How to Plant Containers

2010-01-04T11:14:00.018-05:00

"All gardening is landscape painting" - William Kent

In my last post I showed different ideas and plant combinations for outdoor containers. Now we take a look at how to plant and achieve the look that you want for your containers.

First pick a container that will give you style or color to the plants that you are going to add. I like cement, metal, fiberglass or heavy ceramic over plastic. Heavier containers have more weight and that prevents the container from being dumped over by animals or high winds. Heavier containers also protect the roots of plants that might overwinter in the container. Make sure the container has good drainage. Many containers do not have drain holes and if you have a hard rain you might find your plants drowning in water. Drain holes can be made by using an electric drill and a drill bit for masonry, wood, plastic or ceramic depending on your container. The addition of a small piece of screen wire or a paper coffee filter over the drain hole helps keep insects from entering the soil by way of the drain hole. Next, I add pieces of rock or broken flower pot pieces around the drain hole to keep the drain hole open. I like to use a good brand of potting soil that already contains fertilizer and I prefer potting soils that contain moisture control. You can also purchase moisture control crystals and add them to your potting soil. Moisture control is nice for those days that you forget to water!

When selecting plants I like to use "Thrillers, Spiller and Fillers". Thrillers are plants that have height or great color that really grab the eye. Spillers are plants that hang over the side and "spill" down to the ground. Good examples are the use of vining plants like ivy or sweet potato vines. Fillers are the additional plants that you add for color that fill the container in. If you look at the picture above, you can see the thriller, fillers and spillers very easily. Don't feel bad about over planting a container and try mixing houseplants in with your outdoor annuals and perennials in containers. You can also combine small shrubs, hostas or bulbs with your plants.

How do you select the right plants for container? First, make sure that the plants that you are using have similar water and lighting needs. Plants in the container will do much better if you remember that rule. In selecting plants, work with a color scheme that works with your garden. I use a gardener's color wheel that helps select my colors. Then I just match up similar flower colors. Gardening color wheels are easy to use and can help you put your colors together. Here are some color rules that can help:

Primary colors are red, yellow and blue.

Secondary colors are orange, green and violet.

Warm colors are red, yellow and orange.

Cool colors are shades of blue, green and violet.

Complementary colors are colors opposite each other like yellow to purple or blue to orange or red to green.

Triads are three colors that are equally spaced across from each other on a color wheel like red, yellow and blue.

A monochromatic color scheme is the use of a single color. Like an all white garden.

Split Complementary is one color plus the colors on either side of it's complement. An example would be yellow to blue violet or red-violet.

One of my favorite books for learning about color is P. Allen Smith's "Colors for the Garden". His book includes many suggestions for different plant color combinations and lots of great plant information.

Now is a great time to start thinking and designing those containers for spring. Buy yourself a color wheel and get out all those flower catalogs that are now arriving in the mail and start designing!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick! My next post will be on "Water Feature Ideas for the Garden".

Colorful Flowers Combinations for Containers

2010-01-02T10:11:00.024-05:00

If you are looking for ideas for containers or combinations of plant materials, here are some ideas to use in your garden this spring.

Assorted hostas and moss in a trough garden.

This old copper wall fountain doesn't hold water, but it looks wonderful with flowering plants.

Use an old gift basket to hold small pots of gerber daisies.

Dragon Wing begonias just keep on giving color in the garden.

Ivy and cyclamens

Tulips, ivy, daffodils and a tropical plant for lots of color.

Ivy and Azelas in a urn.

Begonias, ivy, coleus and spider plants in a cement urn.

Petunias, ivy and verbena

Petunias, heliotrope and verbena

This would be really nice in a woodland garden filled with all your favorite woodland plants.

A small cabbage for color in this hanging basket.

Don't you just love sweet potato vines with coleus for great color?

Ivy, daffodils and spikes in beautiful blue pots in assorted sizes.

Use tropical houseplants in your outdoor pots for great color. If I receive a planter, I replant the plants in containers that I can move outdoors then into the house for winter.

Use cuttings from conifers, red twig dogwoods, holly and other plants for color in those empty pots in your landscape during winter. Add a few pine cones to your arrangement and you have a container that will last till spring in the garden.

I hope that you have some new ideas for your garden this spring! Check back for my next post on how to select colors and plant your containers for spring.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick! Watch for future posts on pond and water feature ideas for the garden.

2010 All-America Selections Award Winners

2009-12-31T10:30:00.003-05:00

If you have been waiting to hear what plants are the winners for the All-America Selections, here they are. For the Best Bedding Plants, Snapdragon F1 'Twinny Peach' and Zinna 'Zahara Starlight Rose' won the awards. Gaillardia F1 'Mesa Yellow' won as the best Flower Award. Viola F1 'Endurio Sky Blue Martien' was the winner for the 2010 Cool Season Award.

If you would like to read more on each of these award winners, check out the links section of my blog for the All-America Selections or www.all-americaselections.org/winners.asp. Complete growing information, store locations and flower pictures are all available.

Happy Gardening and have a wonderful New Year!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to pick!

Top Hostas for Your Garden

2009-12-21T10:55:00.009-05:00

I love hostas for the garden! They add color in their leaves, flowers and some have fragrance that many perennial plants just can't offer. How many perennial plants do you know that can take sun and shade? If you have been thinking about adding hostas to your garden for next year, try these top hostas.

These are miniature and small hostas. The hostas in this container are full size. They are H. 'Stiletto', H. 'Blue Mouse Ears' and H. 'Lemon Lime'.

H. 'Gold Standard'

H. 'Praying Hands'

H. 'Gold Standard'

Here are some of the top small hostas on the market. They are H. 'Pandora's Box', H. 'Baby Bunting', H. 'Tiny Tears', H. 'Cookie Crumbs', H. 'Twist of Lime', H. 'Cracker Crumbs', H. 'Popo' and H. venusta.

Some of top selling hostas are H. 'June', H. 'Sagae', H. 'Liberty', H. 'Striptease', H. 'Halcyon', H. 'Patriot', H. 'Niagara Falls', H. 'Stained Glass', H. 'Paul's Glory' and H. 'Whirlwind'. Additional top selling hostas are H. 'Sum and Substance', H. 'Spilt Milk', H. 'Great Expectations', H. 'Orange Marmalade' and H. montana 'Aureomarginata'. Most of these are easy to find in local nurseries and most have found their way into my garden already.

The hosta for 2010 is H. 'First Frost'. This one is very attractive and can be found at several nurseries online for sale.

Happy gardening and have a wonderful holiday!

The Creative Gardener

Don't forget to "pick"

Recycled Garden Art Projects

2009-12-18T11:26:00.010-05:00

It's always fun to take something that is no longer needed and give it new life as garden art.
The garden door (picture above) was recycled from cedar wood from a house remodel. The wood was cut into planks and with the addition of hinges and a old garden trowel for a door handle, you have a door for that secret garden entrance.

I just purchased a gazebo at the end of the season. The gazebo came in two cardboard boxes that were lined with these steel forms to protect the gazebo parts in shipment. These forms were already painted brown and were to large to set out for trash pick up. They are now contemporary garden art. I positioned them in my garden with butterfly bushes and assorted large grasses behind them. This spring I will plant flowers around the bases of the frames. I plan to add slate tile squares hung from chains inside some of the squares in the spring (yes, the tile squares and chain are being recycled from a home remodel). Watch for future updates on this garden project in the spring.
Every wonder what to do with these wire deer frames used for Christmas decorations when they are broken. Remove all the wires and lights and spray paint the deer frame dark green or black. Cover the frame with chicken wire and create a topiary form for the garden. Fill the inside with moss and soil and add your favorite ivy to grow over the form. If it is small deer and on a post (like the one in the above picture) sink the post into a large pot and add some rock to hold the post upright. Then fill the pot with soil. Plant ivy in the pot and train the ivy over the deer frame.

Take a look around your house, basement or garage for that special winter garden art project.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Please share some of your ideas for recycling materials into garden art! Leave a comment and don't forget to "pick".

50 Gift Ideas for the Gardener

2009-12-15T16:05:00.001-05:00

Still trying to figure out what to buy for that special gardening friend for Christmas? Family members asking you what you would like for Christmas? Well, here are 50 gardening gift ideas that might help you out this season.

Hand pruners
Gardening gloves
Bird feeder with seed
Bird house
Digital camera
Bird bath
Heated bird bath
Gift card to a favorite nursery
Soil test kit
Plant Cam
Gardening magazine subscription
Gardening books
Gardening journal
Heat mat for starting those seedlings
Gardening knife
Plant grow light system
Seed starting kit
Amaryllis bulb
Garden bench
Garden kneeler
Pond making kit
Garden spinner
Garden chimes
Arbor
Gardening note cards
Gardening 2010 calendar
Composter for the garden or just the kitchen
Watering can
Stepping stone kit
Gardening coffee cup
Squirrel feeder
Garden art
Table top fountain or a large garden fountain
Hand lotion
Plant markers
Herb garden for the kitchen
Solar lights or 12 volt lights for the garden
Garden muck shoes
Garden related T-shirt
Garden related Christmas ornament for the tree
Spring flowering bulbs to grow inside
Garden tools
Garden design computer program
Gardening hat
Water bottle
A live historical tree seedling for the garden (see links)
Collapsible trash container
Fresh floral arrangement
Assorted garden seeds
Trugs, baskets or buckets to use in the garden

Suggestion: Purchase an assortment of garden items and put them into a basket, trug or flower pot for that special gardening friend. Add some fresh pine greenery, holly and a ribbon to make your gift festive.

Happy Holidays to all!

The Creative Gardener

Fungus Gnats in Your House Plants?

2009-12-11T09:55:00.001-05:00

It is winter and cold outside and those pesky little bugs that you thought would be dead by now are now enjoying the warmth inside your home. What appears to be small Gnats are Fungus Gnats. Fungus Gnats are found in the soil of the house plants that you moved back inside your home for the winter or the soil that you purchased to repot plants. Fungus Gnats are about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. They have light gray to clear wings and are poor fliers. They have slender legs and resemble small mosquitoes. Their antennae are longer than their head. They have a four part life cycle of egg, larva, pupa and adult. The adult is fairly easy to kill but the egg, larva and pupa stage are harder to control since they are hidden in the soil that your plant is growing in. Fungus Gnats can produce many generations in one year. The adult lives for 7 days and the eggs hatch in 4 days. Fungus Gnats feed on roots and organic matter in your house plant containers and you will always find them sitting in the soil, on the containers, foliage or flying around your house plant containers.

Fungus Gnats caught on a sticky trap

One of the biggest problems with Fungus Gnats is that they can feed on the tender roots of young seedlings. I am currently growing hostas from seed and have just discovered Fungus Gnats. The Gnats can feed on the roots, stunt the growth of the seedlings or kill the seedlings. The Fungus Gnats (not adult) were in the potting soil the I recently purchased.

There are several way to control Fungus Gnats in the home. Always allow good drainage and don't over water plants in your house for winter. There are several sprays on the market to control the adults. Make sure you read the warning labels of all insect sprays before using and make sure that Fungus Gnats is listed on the container. I have installed several sticky traps around my hosta seedlings and have caught many of the adult Fungus Gnats in flight (and have caught myself in the traps several times - they are sticky!) I am now using Bacillus thuringiensis (var. Israelensis) or "Bti " to kill the larva in the soil. Bti is a biological pesticide that contains naturally occurring bacteria that target and kill specific insects - in this case Fungus Gnats. The Bti is eaten by the larva and then they die. Bti does not harm animals, fish, birds, beneficial insects or humans. It does not contaminate the environment. Bti is hard to find in stores and nurseries. You may want to seek it out on the internet and have it shipped to you. Several application of Bti in the soil should rid you and your home of Fungus Gnats.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Designing the Garden

2009-12-10T16:03:00.011-05:00

It's that time of year when the garden is at rest for awhile. The days of weeding, grass cutting, clean up and pruning have now ended for the year. You are glad the growing season is over with, but you still wish you could be working in the garden. This is a great time to do a different sort of gardening. With all the leaves off your trees and shrubs and the perennials and annuals cut back, you can see the "bare bones" of your garden. Now is the perfect time to start planning for next year's garden.

If you are planning a large garden or just redesigning a garden, here are ten suggestions for making the task easier.

Purchase a digital camera to take pictures of your garden. The photos remind you where plants are located, plant colors and how your garden has changed from year to year. Use these photos in laying out your garden design.
Collect pictures from magazines and books on garden ideas, garden plans, interesting plants and other items that you might want in your garden. Order gardening catalogs off the Internet. Set a budget for your garden design.
Decide how you are going to use the garden area that you are designing. Are you planning an area for entertaining, recreation, hobbies or play? Ask other family members how they will use the garden space.
Are you are adding shrubs, trees, annuals or perennials? Check out how big your plant selections will grow including their light requirements, your lighting conditions, their water needs, plant height and width sizes (at full growth) before purchasing. Always do your homework!
Do a soil test. You can amend the soil when the weather improves.
Measure your area and spend time drawing the garden. Include existing plants, structures and utilities in your garden drawings. Drawing with pencil allows you to change things as you go. Draw your design to scale. Make your garden the size that you can maintain or are willing to hire someone else to maintain.
Plan a color scheme and use a color wheel to help pick the garden colors. Consider seasonal color changes in your design.
Add some nice garden structures like arbors and gazebos. Don't forget to add statuary, seating, bird house, bird baths, walkways, etc. Don't over do it and always add a little whimsy!
Consider adding a water feature, whether it is a pond or a bird bath. A garden always needs some wildlife to enjoy. Make your garden "pet friendly".
Be patient as your garden grows. Depending on the age of the plants that you purchase, it could take years before your garden is full grown. Be prepared that you may have to make a few changes along the way.

Now that you are missing all those garden chores due to the cold weather, here is a way to keep on working with your garden. Start drawing, designing and planning that garden on paper for next year!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Winter Comes to the Garden

2009-12-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

Welcome to "Sycamore Gardens"

This morning we awoke to our first snow fall for the season. Nothing like a brisk walk in the garden in winter to enjoy mother nature and all her beauty.

The Japanese Garden

Spruce

Blue Atlas Cedar

The Woodland and Hydrangea Garden

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Colorful Shrubs for the Fall Garden

2009-11-25T10:31:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when the trees have dropped their leaves. The Hostas that once added color to the garden are now just a memory. The beautiful perennial flowers that bloomed vibrantly in the garden have died to the ground for the year. Each day brings cold weather, frost and fewer sunny days. Want that color back? Here is a way to keep that color coming in the garden just a little longer. Try planting shrubs that add color to your garden for the late fall. Some of the shrubs that I have planted for great fall color are Hydrangeas, Viburnums and Sweetspires. During the summer their leaves were just plain green, but they all provided a show of beautiful flowers for the garden during the growing season. Now that the flowers are done for the year, those plain green leaves are a blaze of color in the garden. Just take a look at the color they can give your garden.

Oakleaf Hydrangea

"Blushing Bride" Hydrangea

Snowball Viburnum

Black Stem Hydrangea

"Color Fantasy" Hydrangea

If you want to keep color in the garden just a little bit longer before winter, try adding a selection of colorful shrubs and keep that color coming!

Happy Gardening and have a great Thanksgiving!

The Creative Gardener

Growing Hostas From Seed

2009-11-04T12:04:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year when the gardens are down for winter and it's time to think about the garden for next year. This year I am starting hostas from seed. During the fall, I collected the seed and will spend the long winter growing hosta seedlings.

If you collect hosta seed, make sure that the seed is mature. It normally takes 5 to 6 weeks for the seed pods to reach maturity before you remove them from the plant. Pods can be taken inside to continue to dry. Pods and seeds should dry in a paper bag to prevent mold. Do not use plastic for storage. Once the pods are dry they will split open or you may have to open them yourself. The seed should be black or dark brown with a slightly swollen end. The white seed will not germinate.

I start my seeds in potting soil that is sterile. The soil can be put into small flower pots or flats depending on how much seed you are starting. Make sure that your pots and flats are clean and have been washed with a 90% water and 10% bleach solution to kill any molds on the containers. Flats and pots should have good drainage. When I plant my seed, I fill the trays or pots with soil, sprinkle out the seed and then cover the seed with a thin layer of soil. I then lightly mist the seed with water and cover the pots with clear plastic domes or plastic bags. Hosta seeds will germinate at 60 to 70 degrees. Normal winter house temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees will work or you can use a propagation heat mat. Seeds germinate in one to three weeks. Hosta seeds do not need light during the germination period. Once you see sprouts growing, move the trays under florescent lights and continue to grow your hosta seedlings. Always watch your seedlings for "damping off".

When spring comes and the air temperature is above 50 degrees, you can plant your seedlings outdoors. Make sure that before moving the seedlings to their new garden site that you harden off the seedlings. Hardening off means to introduce your plants to outdoor conditions. Set the trays or pots outdoors for a few hours in a shaded area over several days. Gradually move the seedlings into morning sun and longer periods of sun each day over several more days. After being adjusted to outdoor lighting and temperatures your seedling will be ready to transplant to the garden.

Gardening Tip: Increase the amount of florescent light by using aluminum foil to reflect light back on to your seedlings. I use the folding reflective Mylar sun block shields for the front window of cars. They can fold down when not is use and can be stood up and positioned to reflect light where I want it.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - October 2009

2009-10-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

Mums

'Limelight' Hydrangea

Butterfly Bush

Hydrangea

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day is cold and wet! Makes me wish for the hot summer days again.

The flowers are slowly disappearing from the garden and the first frost could be very soon.

Happy Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!

The Creative Gardener

Growing Invasive Plants in the Garden

2009-10-12T14:27:00.000-04:00

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

'Limelight' Hydrangea

2009-10-04T11:30:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, I added a 'Limelight' Hydrangea to my garden. What a spectacular Hydrangea to have in a garden. My Hydrangea is still young but you can see the potential it will have in the garden as it matures. I have since added seven more to the garden.

Hydrangea Paniculata 'Limelight' is hardy to zone 3 and can take temperatures from -40 degrees in the winter to the heat and lack of rain in the southern states. 'Limelight' Hydrangea likes full sun to partial shade and any type of soil will make it happy. It is deciduous (drops it's leaves) and has a medium to fast growth rate. I have been happy with how quickly it does grow. In a few years you can have a very mature looking garden.

The flowers are light green turning to pink with a bloom time from late summer to fall. The flowers just look fresh and new all the time in my zone 5 garden. 'Limelight' Hydrangea reaches 6 to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide.

Hydrangea Paniculata bloom on growth that is produced during the growing season. Pruning can occur in spring or late fall. Always prune off dead flowers for optimal blooming. Pruning 5-7 inches off the top of the shrub will promote larger blooms in late summer. This is a great Hydrangea to add to your garden. Watch the local nurseries this time of year for all those good deals!

Tip: Hydrangea Paniculata blooms look great in floral arrangements when fresh or they can be dried for arrangements.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Add History to Your Garden

2009-09-25T17:10:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wanted something unusual for your garden or something that would really get people's attention? How about adding a historical tree to your garden. Think how you would impress your garden visitors with a Red Bud tree from George Washington's River Farms or an Elvis Presley Southern Magnolia from Graceland. How many people can say that their Sycamore tree has been to the moon. How about having a seedling tree from the "Angel Live Oak" that is believed to be over 1,400 years old growing in your garden. Imagine a Japanese Cherry tree in full bloom in your garden that is an offspring from the cherry trees in Washington D.C. What could be more fun than spending time with your children or grandchildren planting a Johnny Appleseed apple tree in your garden. What a great way to connect our past, present and future by planting a historical tree.

American Forests Historic Tree Program provides tree seedling offspring from trees connected to famous people, places or historical events. The trees are grown from seeds, cuttings or buds from the original historical trees.

For more information on adding a historical tree to your garden, check out the Educational Gardening Links on Garden Thyme with the Creative Gardener for "American Forests Historic Tree Program".

Happy Gardening and make some history in your garden!

The Creative Gardener

Thank You!

2009-09-23T15:03:00.000-04:00

I would like to say "Thank you" to the readers of my blog "Garden Thyme with the Creative Gardener". I am honored to have been voted into Blotanical's final five in the categories for "Best Landscaping Blog" and "Best Indiana Blog". I appreciate your support and again thank you very much!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

From Something Old To Something New

2009-09-21T15:33:00.000-04:00

This past winter my gazebo roof was damaged during a storm. I didn't want to replace it or send what was left of the gazebo to the landfill. I had just planted a flower bed around the gazebo and to replace it with a new gazebo would mean removing part of the garden. Since replacement parts were no longer available, I need to come up with a new plan for the remains of the gazebo. After removing what was left of the roof, I purchased treated 16 foot boards and created a special decorative cut on the ends of the boards. I then added slots to the boards to fit over the frame of the gazebo. Once the boards were placed on top they formed a new roof. Now I have a pergola. I planted wisteria vines on the corners of the pergola and by next summer I should have a nice new green roof with fragrant wisteria flowers.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day - September 2009

2009-09-15T16:21:00.000-04:00

" Autumn Joy" Sedum

This month I decided to join the fun of Garden Blogger's Bloom Day. The garden is starting to look "tired" and very dry due to lack of rain. Fall is here and by looking at my garden and the amount of leaves on the ground, it looks more like late October than September. Enjoy the garden pictures and check out Garden Blogger's Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens at http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/.

Beautyberry

Rose of Sharon

Mums

And more Mums!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Latex Free Bamboo Gardening Gloves

2009-09-06T16:59:00.000-04:00

The last couple of days I have not been gardening. My doctor said that I could not play in the dirt due to an allergy to my gardening gloves. I have an allergy to latex and my gardening gloves make my hands look terrible. The purpose of gloves are to protect my hands from splinters, thorns, dirt and all the other things that we gardener come in contact with in the garden. I have a vast collection of gloves, most of which make me itch, swell and make my hands look like dry prunes.

Latex is a natural rubber that comes from the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis. Many gardening gloves are coated with latex rubber. Since I garden professionally, my hands come in contact with this product regularly.

I just found a new type of gardening glove called "The ROC" by HandMaster. The glove provides UV protection, are antibacterial, anti-fungal, wicks moisture away from my hands and are breathable. They allow me to pick and weed out even the smallest of weeds. They are coated with Nitrile, which is a replacement for latex rubber, which does not cause allergic reactions. Nitrile gloves are being used by many nurses and doctors in the medical field who are allergic to latex. The gloves are also 100 % Bamboo which is a fast growing, sustainable resource that is environmentally friendly. The medication and the gloves are working and my hands are looking better than they have for a long time.

If you have allergies to latex, you might want to give Nitrile gloves a try in the garden.
Did you know - That if you are allergic to latex that studies are now showing a link to allergies of potatoes, kiwi, bananas, avocados, chestnuts, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Do have have allergy problems in the garden? Share your story in the comment section.

Hostas in Your Garden Design

2009-09-04T08:43:00.000-04:00

Hostas have become my favorite perennial for the garden. They add long lasting flowers in shades of white to deep purple, many which are fragrant, from early spring to late fall. What I really like about hostas are the leaf color that they provide in the garden during the growing season. Hostas have been hybridized into many colors and leaf patterns offering the gardener a large selection of plants that can perform in the deep shade to sun. By mixing different colors of hostas together you can have a spectacular garden.

Hostas are easy to grow and they take about 5 to 6 years to reach maturity. Each year as they grow their color, patterns and flowering just continue to improve with age. When purchasing hostas for your garden always consider the size the plant will grow to when placing it in the garden. Plants range from dwarf to giant in size. Plants can be purchased in local nurseries or mail order. Hostas prefer enriched, moist soil that is well drained and and slightly lower than neutral pH. Hostas benefit from organic matter like compost, aged manure or leaf mold in the planting hole. Hostas are heavy feeders and respond well to fertilizing with 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 in the spring. Do not fertilize after August. Hostas prefer moist conditions and ideally 1 inch of water a week would be great but they are survivors and have been known to tolerate dry conditions. Many hosta growers like to mulch their hostas. Mulch does protect the plant during the winter, holds moisture in the soil, keeps weeds down and makes the hostas really look beautiful. Mulch can have it's problems like increasing slugs and disease to your hostas. Many hosta growers remove the dead leaves after the first frost and others allow the leaves to remain till spring cleanup. Hostas are propagated by division of the plant.

If you have not grown hostas or have lots of the old plain green hostas, add some of the newer cultivars of hosta to your garden. I think you will be happy with the results. Here are a few hosta design suggestions:

Mix the leaf colors in the garden. Leaf colors come in varied shades of green, blues, yellows, white and many mixed colors.
Allow the hosta to reach it's mature size and do not divide very often.
Select plants that have different bloom times for a long season of flowers.
Add some hostas with fragrance.
Add shorter hostas to the front of beds and the taller hostas to the back of the bed.
Hostas make great plants for containers. Try starting a trough garden of dwarf hostas.
Blue hostas will loose their blue color if they receive to much sun or rain. The blue color comes from a wax like coating on their leaves that can be removed by the elements leaving your hosta "green". Don't worry, the color will be back the next year.

Happy Gardening and don't forget to vote for all your favorite blogs for the Blotanical Awards!

The Creative Gardener

Have a topic that you would like to read about? Let me know in the comment section.

The Quilt Gardens

2009-08-24T11:39:00.001-04:00

This past weekend I visited several of the Quilt Gardens in Northern Indiana. The gardens are located in the towns of Elkhart, Middlebury, Shipshewana, Goshen, Nappanee and Wakarusa. The gardens are designed to look like quilt patterns and are planted with lots of flowers. The gardens have around 80,000 annual flowers that are planted to make up the designs.

The Center Diamond Quilt - This garden is 40 x 60 feet in size and contains 7,728 flowers. The flowers are white and pink Begonias, Marigolds and Lobelias. It took 7 people, 84 hours over two days to plant the garden.

If you would like to visit the Quilt Gardens or see more pictures visit their web site at http://www.amishcountry.org/quiltgardens/

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Euonymus Scale in the Garden

2009-08-11T06:12:00.000-04:00

When I am gardening this is one plant that I find in many gardens. The plant is euonymus and it is used as a evergreen ground cover. It seems that every time I find this plant I find scales on it. Scales attach themselves to the plant and suck sap from the plant. The white spots on the first picture are the male scales and the brown spots are female. The females spend the winter on the plant and in the spring lays their eggs. From the eggs hatch the young called "crawlers". The crawlers are able to move around on the plant until they attach themselves and start feeding on the plant. The young develop a shell over their bodies and continue to grow as they feed. The female lays her eggs underneath her shell.

Most people do not realize they have scale until the plant is badly infected. The scales are normally under the leaves and hard to spot. The best thing to do is inspect your euonymus during the growing season for signs of scales and if you find them, treat it early. There are volick oil sprays and systemic insect controls available to kill scale. You may have to treat the plant several times. Scale is not easy to get rid of in the garden. Discard any cutting that have scales on them to the trash can for disposal and not in the compost to prevent spreading. Euonymus scale is found all over the United States.

Look for yellow spotting on the leaves

Branches often die and the plant can be killed

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

That's a BIG Caterpillar

2009-08-02T10:36:00.000-04:00

Today I was doing some garden work when I spotted this caterpillar. He was nearly 5 inches long and one of the biggest I have ever seen. The caterpillar is a cecropia moth in it's larval stage. A cecropia moth is the largest moth in North America and rarely seen during the day since it is active at night. A cecropia has a 5 to 6 inch wing span. As a moth, their life span is about two weeks. The reason for the short life span is because they do not eat. Their purpose is to mate and lay eggs. Females emit a pheromone scent that can attract a male cecropia from a mile away. The male can sense the pheromone with it's antennae. A female cecropia moth can lay around 100 eggs on the undersides of leaves. It takes 1-2 weeks for the eggs to hatch. During the larval stage the caterpillars eat and molt many times till they reach the size of the one in the picture above. In late summer, the caterpillar will spin a cocoon and wait for the next spring to emerge. Cecropias are not pest in the garden and are more often the meal to other animals or insects. They can have a large appetite as they develop and grow in size during the larval stage. Their favorite food are the leaves of alder, beech, plum, maple, white oak, popular, willow, lilac, gooseberry, ash, birch, cherry, box elder, dogwood and elm trees.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Daylilies in the Garden

2009-07-22T09:44:00.000-04:00

Daylilies or Hemerocallis have been the backbone in many gardens for a long time. They have been used not only for their beauty in the garden but also for culinary and medical purposes. Daylilies have been found in Chinese writings since 1000 BC.
Daylilies hybridize very easily allowing many new cultivars to be introduced every year. There are now over 20,000 registered Daylilies and with more being added yearly. With this many types of Daylilies and more new ones be registered every year, they needed to be organized. Daylilies are classified as Dormant, Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen and then they are arranged according to height from dwarf to tall. They are also classified according to flowering time, diameter of flower, flower color and flower patterns. Daylilies come in every shade of yellow, red, pink, purple and melon.
Daylilies prefer full sun. Daylilies with yellow or pastel colored blooms do much better with full sun (6 hours) whereas rust or reds do better in part shade conditions (depending on your zone) due to absorbing to much heat from the sun. Soil should be well drained but moisture retentive. Propagation is by division in spring or fall. Planting is best done in the spring.

To keep your Daylilies looking their best, remove damaged, brown or diseased foliage as it appears during the growing season. After the blooming period, deadhead the flowers and remove the flower stalk after all the flowers have bloomed. Do not remove flowers and stalks if you are hybridizing. Stalks should be cut within a few inches of the ground.

Daylilies can have some pest problems like thrips, spider mites, aphids, slugs or snails. The disease problems that Daylilies have are Rust, Crown and Root Rot, Leaf Streak and Spring Sickness.

If you would like to learn more about Daylilies visit the American Hemerocallis Society website in my links.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The Hosta Show

2009-07-14T09:43:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, I joined the local Hosta Society. I wanted to learn more about hostas and this was a good way to learn from other more experienced growers. Every year they have a Hosta Show where you bring your very best hosta leaves and you compete with other members. I had never entered the show before but this year I decided to try. Many of the members have wonderful hosta gardens with hundreds of superb plants and I didn't think that my box store hostas where as nice as other members hosta plants. I was entering only for the learning experience and what a great experience it was. I did win some ribbons but I learned far more than I expected. I am already planning and really looking forward to next years Hosta Show.

If you would like to learn more about hostas, look for a local hosta club in your area or check out the American Hosta Society web site (see links).

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

The Blooming of the H. Ventricosa

2009-07-04T17:37:00.000-04:00

It is that time of year when the H. ventricosa starts blooming in my garden. When I first started my garden, I didn't have lots of plants and any plant that was not wanted found a new home in my garden. I received lots of hosta ventricosa for the garden from a friend.
H. ventricosa is an older all green hosta that is not as exciting as the newer cultivars of hostas. It now is my favorite in the garden for the beautiful purple color of the flowers. When you have hundreds of this hosta in bloom it adds lots of color in the garden.

H. ventricosa is a tetraploid (having double the number of chromosomes of the typical plant). This is the only hosta known to come true from seed. Seeds are produced without fertilization by a process known as apomixis. This means you will have lots of seeds to grow more ventricosa and have a plant that is good for breeding other hosta cultivars. H. ventricosa grows as a mound and is consider a large hosta growing to about 22 inches high and as much as 50 inches wide.

When planted in a mass planting, it makes a great ground cover and looks stunning when it blooms. Ventricosa is an older hosta and one that you may have to special order to find. If you know someone who has this plant you can collect seed to start your own.

Happy Gardening and have a Great 4th of July!

The Creative Gardener

Hosta "Sports"

2009-06-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

Hostas are native to Japan, China and Korea. They were first grown and imported into the United States in the late 1800's. Originally hostas were green. Because of hybridizing (seedlings) or mutations called "sports" we now have thousands of different cultivars of hostas. A "sport" is the mutation of a plant. These mutations or sports are discovered in the wild, public and private gardens, nurseries and maybe in your own garden. A sport is a genetic change in part of the plant producing a shoot different from the parent plant. In the picture above, this is what the hosta "Gold Standard" should look like.

This is "Gold Standard" with a mutation. The mutation is white, green and lime green.

If you find a sport in your hosta. Carefully divide the hosta and remove the sport. Plant the sport as a separate new plant. It is important that the sport plant is stable and that it continues to regrow looking the same year after year. If it is stable and really different, you may have a new cultivar for the hosta market and one that can be registered with the American Hosta Society. To learn more about hostas consider joining the American Hosta Society (see the link).

Now go check that garden for a sport!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

A Walk in the Garden

2009-06-24T19:46:00.001-04:00

To Mulch or Not To Mulch?

2009-06-21T16:22:00.001-04:00

Every year I spend lots of time installing mulch into gardens. It is hard dirty work but it does make a big difference in the appearance of a garden. There are two types of mulch, organic and inorganic. What is the difference? Organic mulch breaks down and helps to improve the soil such as pine needles, wood chips, pine bark, tree trimmings, grass clippings, compost and straw.

Inorganic mulch do not add nutrients to the soil and do not decompose quickly. Inorganic mulch would be stone, pebbles, gravel or recycled rubber tires. Consider using a weed barrier under inorganic mulch. It is easier to remove the mulch in the future if you decide you do not want it. Weed barrier is sold in different sizes, weights and years that it will last. Every type of mulch has it's place and use, but carefully consider the types of plants that you select and will be growing with the mulch. In my zone 5 area, I prefer hardwood mulch. It has good color and is complimentary to all colors of garden plants. It breaks down quickly, helps retain moisture in the soil and decreases weed growth (you will always have some weed growth in all mulches). I hear many people say they want a lush cottage garden. Remember that mulch decreases weed seed growth and it will also decrease flower seed growth. Most people think that mulch will prevent weed growth and pile it on far deeper than it should be. For gardens, 2 to 3 inches deep of organic mulch is sufficient. For all the good that mulch can do it also has it's problems. Many people mulch every year to get the color back that has faded from sunlight. They continue to apply until the wood mulch is way to deep. The wood mulch mats down and when it rains or the sprinkler system comes on the water runs off the mulch rather than soaking down to the roots of the plants. People with sprinkler systems often have many of the roots of their plants growing or exposed in the mulch and not down in the soil like they should be. Wood mulch can also become the home for rodents and insects that can damage stems, branches or trunks of your plants. It is also the perfect environment in the spring for many types of mushrooms and fungi. Many plants may not like living in the heat that can be generated by rock mulch and pulling weeds out of lava rock can be hard on the fingers. Learn about your plants and the area that you live in. I live in a flood plain area. I use rock mulch for pathways in the gardens and I do not use wood mulch in my gardens that are in the flood plain area where it can float off into the river. I also consider the expense of using wood mulch in my gardens and replacing it yearly. I prefer to use homemade compost because it is free and better for my environment of a flood plain. I also like ground cover plants instead of mulch. If you are going to use mulch - do your homework!

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Rosa 'The Fairy'

2009-06-10T10:52:00.000-04:00

One rose that gives you lots of flowers is 'The Fairy'. 'The Fairy' rose was introduced in 1932 and is a dwarf Polyantha rose. It is one of the oldest ground cover roses with a height of 2 1/2 feet and spread up to 4 feet. It grows in zones 4-9 and like most roses prefers full sun but can tolerant some shade. 'The Fairy' resists black spot, mildew and rust making it easy to care for. It can be propagated by softwood cuttings, semi-hardwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings, grafting and budding. This rose does bloom on new wood (the new growth) and should be pruned early to promote new growth. The pink flowers bloom mid spring and continues to bloom off and on during the growing season. The flowers are double and have some fragrance. 'The Fairy' prefers a slightly acid soil, but I have seen this plant growing in many other types of soil pH and still blooming very well. If you want to add this rose to your collection, you may have to special order it. It can be hard to find in many nurseries. Give 'The Fairy' a try in your garden and I think you will be very pleased with it.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

6-10-9 Robin update.

Over the weekend the baby Robins left the nest and started to fly. They still have their parents feeding them and they are doing very well.

Baby Robin Update 6-3-09

2009-06-03T17:01:00.001-04:00

We need a BIGGER nest!

Heavenly Peonies

2009-06-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year when the Peonies are in bloom and the garden smells wonderful from their fragrance. Peonies should be in every garden because their foliage, fragrance and beautiful blooms add so much to the garden. Peonies have been the subject for tapestry, wall paintings and poetry. They were named after the Greek physician Paeon, who used the plant for medical purposes. They are a herbaceous shrubby plant with thick roots and large compound glossy green leaves. They bloom in the spring and die down to the ground for winter. If you have tree peonies, they have branches and bark like trees and should not be cut down for the winter.

Peonies are easy to care for and need full sun. They prefer well drained moisture retentive soil rich with humus. The best time to plant Peonies is in the autumn. Plant with the "eyes" about 1 1/2 inches deep (facing up) in the soil and avoid damaging the eyes. Water well and add mulch for winter protection. Peonies can be propagated by seed or division. Peonies can be left undisturbed indefinitely or you can divide every 6 to 10 years. There are lots of different varieties of Peonies available for your garden. Extend the bloom time with a selection of early, mid-season and late blooming varieties. If you see ants on the flower buds of your Peonies, do not try to kill the ants with sprays. The ants will not harm your plants or flowers.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Mother Robin and Her Family

2009-05-30T17:14:00.000-04:00

May 25, 2009
Moving your houseplants outside for the summer has always been a tradition with many gardeners. This mother Robin decided to take advantage of building her nest in a potted Weeping Fig tree (Ficus Benjamina) on the porch. She built the nest about 4 feet up from the ground in the tree giving us a birds eye view of her new family of four.

May 25, 2009

May 30, 2009

May 30, 2009

Check back for future photos of mom and the kids.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener