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2024 : Summer Splendor

Recent scientific studies have found that increasing your sense of smell can sharpen your mind and improve your mental health. As one expert observed: “The olfactory system is the only sensory system that has a direct superhighway projection into the memory centers and the emotional centers of your brain.” A professor of olfactory sciences at the Dresden University of Technology suggested, “helping your brain may be as simple as taking time to smell the roses.”

Consider welcoming to your garden the fragrant beauty Proven Winners At Last Rose Z 5-9. The shrub has graced my zone 7a organic garden for four years. It is planted in a large container in a mix of organic potting soil and compost. The rose’s foliage is healthy and very disease-resistant. At Last blooms continually and abundantly from May to frost. The flowers are beautiful at all stages of growth and spill their divine fragrance on the air. Photos below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

This year I ordered, inter alia, a variety of shade-loving annual Begonias directly from Proven Winners. For awesome explosions of color, I planted an old, broken, red wheelbarrow with Rieger Solenia Yellow Begonia and Rieger Solenia Scarlet Begonia, and a front-step-rail container with the orange spiller, Santa Cruz Begonia boliviensis. Photos below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

I also added two new pollinator-magnet perennials to the garden this year, purchased from a local source, Talmage Farm Agway, in Riverhead New York:

Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’ (Bugleweed) Z 3-8

For decades, I’ve enjoyed the purple Spring flowers of the common ground cover Ajuga reptans, but I’m not a fan of its blah-green foliage. Burgundy Glow’s variegated foliage adds panache to the garden for the entire growing season. Photo below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

Penstemon Dakota Burgundy (Beardtongue) Z 3-7

This Penstemon’s new foliage emerges dark purple and when grown in shade changes to a rich dark green. The showy June flowers are white splashed with purple with purple stems. When the flowers fade, the plant produces handsome seed heads. Photos below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

When I left Talmage Farm, a lovely bird followed me home. I named him Agway.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

Talmage Farm Agway, 1122 Osborn Ave, Riverhead, New York, has a varied and interesting inventory of plants and  garden art. For purchasing help and expert garden advice ask for Sherry. Tel: 631-727-3100; e-mail: agway@talmagefarm.com

2024: Time-Tested Beauties 3

“There can be no perfect flower without fragrance.” Stephane Mallarme

This post is all about fragrance. I am a card-carrying fragrant plant groupie and my garden is filled with time-tested, beautiful, sweetly-scented flowering plants. I’m rewarded daily with Aromatherapy in my own backyard!

I’ve chosen a shrub and a vine for your consideration:

Clerodendrum trichotomum (Harlequin Glory Bower Z 7-9) made the cut at the insistence of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. I am thrilled at the sight of the pollinator trifecta taking turns flirting with this tall showy deciduous shrub.

In late Summer, Harlequin Glory Bower produces scores of white flowers that spill intense, seductive perfume on the air. When the flowers fade and drop, their calyxes turn rosy pink. In the Fall, the calyxes’ pink sepals open and reveal, nested within, small, greenish-hued pea-shaped fruit that turns an astonishing metallic-cerulean blue. Sometimes flowers, pink calyxes, and fruit appear at the same time. Photos below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

(Be aware: When Clerodendrum is established and happy, it may thank you for your kind care with a gift of pop-up  volunteers by way of its underground roots.)

Provide rich organic, well-draining, moist, acidic soil.

Passiflora x ‘Incense’ (Passion Flower Z 7-10) is an award-winning, hardy, exotic flowering vine with intoxicating fragrance. For thirty-three years it has flourished — disease-free and pest-free — in my zone 7a organic garden. The plant dies back in winter and returns in late Spring the following year, unlike the countless other Passion Flowers I have tried that died at first frost and never came back. The vine flowers on new growth.

(Be aware: P. x ‘Incense,’ like Clerodendrum, is a runner: expect volunteers to pop up from the mother plant’s underground roots.)

P. x ‘Incense’ has an interesting back-story: The plant was the result of a USDA hybridizing program aimed at developing hardy tropical fruits. One of Incense’s parents was P. incarnata, the hardy North American native vine; the other parent was the tropical South American native, P. cincinnata, a vine that produces large, luscious fruit. While Incense inherited the hardiness gene, its fruit failed to impress. Yet, to my mind, the project was a huge success: P. x ‘Incense’ has showy, unique, fragrant flowers beloved by bees, butterflies, and this grateful gardener. Photos below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

Provide moist, well-drained soil, in sun or part shade.

Spring is just a shiver away!

2024: Time-Tested Beauties 2

“Gardening is eleven months of hard work and one month of disappointment.”  Elizabeth Lawrence.

While Lawrence spoke in jest, many of us have experienced real moments of despair when our dreams of garden magic turn into disappointing nightmares. All the more reason to fill our gardens with successful, time-tested, timeless plants, like the non-stop performer below:

Pieris japonica ‘Mountain Fire’ (Z 4-7) has graced my garden for more than thirty years and never disappoints: The tall, handsome, evergreen shrub bedazzles in Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. In late Summer, the Pieris produces an abundance of flower buds that turn a show-stopping pink in Winter; in early Spring they open to pendulous clusters of fragrant white flowers, providing nectar for the early Spring pollinator, the Mourning Cloak Butterfly. Photos below.

copyright – Lois Sheinfeld –2024

copyright – Lois Sheinfeld –2024

copyright – Lois Sheinfeld –2024

(Note: The Mourning Cloak is one of North America’s longest lived butterflies. Unlike others, it hibernates over Winter — hopefully in our gardens — and emerges in Spring to mate and deposit eggs, ensuring a new generation before it dies. Not surprising that in the Spring photo above, the butterfly looks a bit ragged. The beautiful lively youngsters are unwilling to stop and pose for me.)

But I digress. Back to P.j. ‘Mountain Fire’:

When the Pieris flowers fade in May, the shrub’s vibrant fire-engine-red new growth emerges and rightfully demands star-billing and attention. Photo below. The new red leaves will turn a deep bronze before they finally turn green.

copyright – Lois Sheinfeld –2024

P.j. ‘Mountain Fire’ is deer-resistant and disease-resistant. In my organic garden, for more than three decades it has been deer-proof and disease/pest-free. (My Pieris thrives in shade. Be aware, if grown in sun it may have a serious problem with lace bug.) Provide well-drained, organically rich, acid soil.

2024:Time-Tested Beauties

“If we really want to learn how to forgive, perhaps we had better start with something easier than the Gestapo.” C.S. Lewis.

If you are a new gardener, perhaps you shouldn’t start by lusting after rare, exotic, needy — often strange looking — plants that will faint onto the swooning couch if you look at them the wrong way. Rather, first build your confidence — and your garden — with easy-care, robust, resplendent plants that will work for you, not the other way around.

With the chaos and uncertainty of climate change, even seasoned gardeners have a new appreciation for plants you can safely count on. In the next few posts I will focus on a number of these special, time-tested beauties that have flourished for decades in my organic garden, starting with two of my favorite Elepidote Rhododendrons:

Rhododendron ‘Calsap’ (Z 4-7)

It isn’t easy to choose two favorite Rhododendrons — I have so many. Calsap was chosen because — apart from its unfortunate name — it has it all: winter hardiness, vigor, handsome stately form, healthy evergreen foliage, and masses of gorgeous flowers in May. Bees are also fans. Photos below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Rhododendron makinoi (Z 5-7)

This garden jewel is all about foliage. R. makinoi has healthy, elegant, evergreen, long and narrow leaves, which circle the stems like ribs of an umbrella. And its new growth is covered with showy white tomentum — yes, you can have razzle-dazzle with hardy, easy-care plants. The shrub blooms in May and has an attractive, dense, mounded form. Photos below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

All you need to know about Rhododendron care is covered by the late Hank Schannen, accomplished Rhododendron breeder and founder of Rare Find Nursery, in his Criteria For Success With Rhododendrons:

January 2024: Looking Forward

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, New Year!

Sadly, not so happy or healthy for my daffodils: Unseasonable warming and seesawing temperatures due to climate change caused the Spring-flowering bulbs to emerge in December 2023, and they will surely be zapped. Mother Nature has moved to Crazyville, a serious, ongoing environmental problem.

Here are a few other things to think about in 2024:

In a previous post I wrote about entomologists changing the common name of Lymantria dispar from gypsy moth to spongy moth because the word gypsy was an ethnic slur, offensive to the Romani people. The issue of name change is once again front and center. But now it’s all about biological name change, a different kettle of fish with a different set of rules.

Unlike common name change, biological name change has, as a rule, required evidence of a link to new scientific discovery. Scientists and others are now proposing that offensive biological names commemorating racists or other monstrous humans should be erased without requiring that link. They argue that taxonomy should be socially responsible and that homage should not be paid to tradition over ethics. Those in opposition assert, inter alia, that the change would undermine stability in scientific naming, resulting in widespread confusion.

A prime target of those proposing change is the Hitler beetle, Anophthalmus hitleri, a blind cave dweller predator that will eat anything smaller and weaker. Because of these features, it has been suggested that the name was meant to mock Hitler not to praise him, following the example set by Carl Linnaeus, an eighteenth century botanist.

Linnaeus created The Binomial System of Nomenclature, a singularly unique procedure of classification—the basis of our current system—which was and still is widely celebrated for “bringing order to nature’s blooming, buzzing confusion.” Linnaeus often used his position as namer-in-chief to belittle those he didn’t like, once “rewarding” a critic by naming a smelly weed after him.

Not the case with the Hitler bug: Hitler was very fond of beetles; the beetle was named by a Hitler fan who declared in writing, “Given to Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler as an expression of my admiration” and Adolf sent him a thank-you note. Photos below of Hitler and his namesake beetle.

I was surprised to discover that a modern-day fan of Adolf Hitler also has a namesake, a micromoth, Neopalpa donaldtrumpi. Photos of the two below.

The issue of biological name change has not been resolved.

Common name change continues: The American Ornithological Society recently announced that “in an effort to address past wrongs” it will change the English common names of birds named after people.

We can help birds—regardless of their names— by creating a welcoming habitat filled with plants that provide food and shelter. In my garden, birds love the luscious red berries produced by Viburnum plicatum tomentosum ‘Mariesii’ and by our native Winterberry Holly, Ilex verticillata. Photos below of Mariesii’s flowers and red berries and photos of the Winterberry Holly plant and berries.

copyright 2014 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Finally, I am thrilled to see my oak trees cloaked with lichen. Photo below.

copyright 2024 – Lois Sheinfeld

Lichen takes its life-supporting nutrients from the air and will not grow in areas with polluted, poor air quality. I attribute our clean air to beautiful, hard-working trees that breathe in toxins and exude oxygen. Trees also provide food and shelter for wildlife, and they provide shade—especially important in light of global warming.

Embrace your trees and plant more!

2023: BARBIE Pink

The recently released film Barbie has grossed over a billion dollars and counting at the global box office. No surprise that Barbie pink is now the new black. The film has created a cultural pink tsunami!

Scene from the Barbie Film

Consider adopting an enchanting pink-flowering trio for your garden:

Camellia japonica ‘Maidens of Great Promise’ (Z 6-9)

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

C. j. ‘Maidens of Great Promise’ is a very cold-hardy, healthy, glossy-leafed, evergreen shrub that blooms in the Spring. In my organic zone 7a garden, the Camellia has flourished for decades north of the house, in well-drained, moist, organically rich acid soil, in shade. It attracts pollinators and has been disease-free and insect-pest-free. Avoid direct sun. Protect from voles. (See November 3, 2022 post: “2022: Natural, Non-Toxic Vole Repellent”)

 

Cornus Kousa ‘Scarlet Fire’ (Z 5-8)

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

Award winning Kousa Dogwood Scarlet Fire was introduced by Rutgers University, a leading Dogwood breeder. The tree blooms heavily at a young age — the second year in my garden — and its rich pink bloom is an improvement over the disappointing color of the other pink-flowering Kousas I have tried. When the May/June flowers fade, the tree produces showy red fruit. It is disease-resistant, pest-resistant and heat-tolerant. Provide well-drained, moist, acid soil.

 

Rosa ‘Earth Angel’ ( Z 5-10)

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

I love this floribunda rose! Earth Angel has won many awards — including the coveted ADR. (ADR roses are trialed for three years without pesticides and graded for, inter alia, disease resistance, habit, hardiness and beauty.) Moreover, the rose is part of the Kordes Parfuma collection of healthy, extremely fragrant roses. In addition to delicious fragrance, robust good health, and excellent disease resistance, the rose’s gorgeous petal-packed flowers repeat throughout the growing season.

Summer 2023: Resplendent Plants

After finding a new home for a Viburnum that was annoying a Japanese Maple (See post, “Assess, Adjust, Savor: Part 1”) I gifted the Maple with a showy red skirt of perennial Heuchara ‘Fire Alarm’ (Z 5-9). Photo below. (NOTE: The happily resettled Viburnum flowered and produced berries for the birds. A garden win win.)

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

Multi-award-winning H. ‘Fire Alarm’ retains its striking reddish color for the entire growing season. In the summer, tiny pink bell-shaped flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant is pest and disease resistant. Provide well-drained, organically rich soil in shade.

Pollinators took center stage at the Mt. Cuba five year plant trials of native Hydrangeas: Pollinator attraction was an essential element of performance. Plants were also evaluated on habit, vigor, and floral display. The only hydrangea awarded the top score of 5.0, Hydrangea arborescens ‘Haas Halo'( Z 3-8) was the hands-down winner, the “perfect combination of horticultural excellence and pollinator value.”

I purchased several plants. They didn’t do much their first season in my garden but this summer the shrubs took my breath away: Tall stout stems were topped with awesome brobdingnagian-sized, snow-white lacecap flowers, adorned with bees.  Photos below.

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

My Halos are tolerant of oppressive heat and humidity and flourish in well-drained, moist, acidic soil in shade. They are healthy with no pest or disease problems. Prune in the early Spring — the plants flower on new growth.

I purchased Heuchera ‘Fire Alarm’ and Hydrangea ‘Haas Halo’ mail order from Rarefind Nursery. www.rarefindnursery.com; Phone: 732-833-0613

Garden inspiration can come in many ways — even from the cover of a 2023 Summer Newsletter. Photo below.

printed with permission JC Raulston Arboretum, NCSU

As soon as I saw this cover-girl dazzler I had to have it. When the JC Raulston Arboretum staff identified the beauty as Hyacinthoides hispanica ‘Excelsior’, I fast added 50 bulbs to my Fall 2023 bulb order. H. hispanica ‘Excelsior’ (Z 3-8) is a 1906 heirloom Spanish Bluebell bulb that flowers in the Spring and prefers sandy, moist, well-drained soil in sun or part shade. It naturalizes well and is often planted in woodland areas, under deciduous trees.  The bulb is said to be deer and rodent resistant. Can’t wait to have it grace my garden.

I purchased H. hispanica ‘Excelsior’  from my mail order bulb source John Scheepers. www.johnscheepers.com; phone: 860-567-0838.

Note: This year is the worst ever for ticks. They are everywhere. Even garden gravel paths and wooden decks are no longer safe. Many of us have suffered from serious tick bite infections. Thankfully, I can now report that help is on its way: Moderna and Pfizer are just two of the companies with Lyme vaccines in trials. Finally!!!!!!

June 2023 Superstar: Mountain Laurel

Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)

“Rarely, if ever before, have the Arboretum Laurels (Kalmia latifolia) been as full of flower buds as they are now. . . .The flowering of the Laurels is the last of the great Arboretum flower shows of the year, and none of those which precede it are more beautiful, for the Mountain Laurel is in the judgment of many flower-lovers the most beautiful of all North American shrubs or small trees.” Charles Sprague Sargent, Director of the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. June 1916.

“107 years later, I am watching the best mountain laurel bloom in my thirteen springs here.” William Ned Friedman, Director of the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. June, 2023.

I join Director Sargent’s celebration of our native shrubs and agree with Director Friedman that 2023 has been an especially splendid flowering  year – one of the best floral displays in the 30 years Mountain Laurels have graced my Southampton, N.Y. garden. Apart from the standard pink and white flowering plants that were here when we bought the property, I have added a number of Richard Jaynes colorful hybrid cultivars. Photos below. (Jaynes is the foremost Mountain Laurel breeder and the founder of Broken Arrow Nursery in Conn.)

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

Note: While Jaynes hybrids have beautiful flowers, many of the early cultivars are vulnerable to foliage disease. My favorite shrub, ‘Carol,’  is the exception: In addition to showy bloom, it possesses healthy, glossy, dark-green leaves. (See the first photo above.) Recent Richard Jaynes introductions may have improved disease-resistance.

Mountain Laurels thrive in well-drained, organically rich, acid soil, in shade. Gardeners report that they also do well in sun. The shrubs bloom on new growth. For maximum flowering, remove faded flowers that retard foliage growth and the formation of new buds. Without gardener intervention, wild laurels only bloom every other year.

Spring 2023: Highest Garden Merit Plants

In May, Rhododendrons rule! My shrubs performed this year with awe-inspiring, massive colorful displays of exquisite bloom. They surely are A-List garden-worthy. Photos below.

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Years ago, J.C. Raulston, revered horticulturist/educator, suggested a way to choose plants with the “highest garden merit”:

“I’ve decided,” he said, “they need to be basically tough and not need pampering with relatively low maintenance (little or no special environments, modified soils, watering, pruning, spraying, etc.), have interest or appeal over a fair length of time, [and] that they have high ornamental value at least at some point (showy or interesting flowers, fruit, foliage, texture, etc.)”

Please consider the following easy-care deciduous shrub — time-tested in my organic garden — which clearly passes the Raulston test:

Abelia mosanensis Z 5-9 (Hardy Abelia, Fragrant Abelia)

As they say in the movie business, this shrub has “legs.” First, in early Spring, it is blanketed by clusters of pink buds emerging from green calyxes. Then, in mid-May, the buds open to deliciously fragrant white flowers. Finally, when the flowers fade, the calyxes take center stage and this non-stop performer appears to be covered in lovely green flowers until frost. My plant has been disease-free and pest-free and flourishes in moist, acid, well-drained, organically rich soil. Photos below.

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

I recently purchased three amazing pollinator-favorites that are also, in my opinion, “highest garden merit” plants :

Buddleia x ‘Miss Ruby’ Z 5-9 (Butterfly Bush)

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

The English Royal Horticultural Society’s Popularity Poll ranked Miss Ruby number 1 out of 97 other Buddleia cultivars. No surprise. Its fragrant, vibrant red flowers bloom continuously from summer to frost and the plant is deer-resistant and rabbit-resistant. Moreover, Miss Ruby is beloved by butterflies and hummingbirds.

This beauty is not particular about soil pH but prefers well-drained soil in sun. (Note: Gardeners have reported that it flowers well in high shade and part shade.) Miss Ruby can be hard pruned in Spring because it flowers on new growth — even if it dies to the ground in winter.

 

Salvia nemorosa’ Pink Profusion’ Z 3-8

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

This re-blooming easy-care charmer has been chosen 2024 Proven Winners National Perennial of the Year. The plant is resistant to deer and rabbits and its fragrant, showy pink flowers attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. For re-bloom, prune after flowering. It is not particular about pH but requires well-drained soil.

 

Torenia ‘Purple Moon’ (Wishbone Flower)

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright – 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

It was love at first sight—I grabbed three Purple Moons as soon as we were introduced.  But this annual is more than just a pretty face. The gorgeous, velvety flowers are produced in abundance from Spring to frost and attract bees and hummingbirds. Purple Moon is an ideal container spiller in shade or part shade.

I purchased the pollinator plants from Eastland Farms. Eastland has an extraordinary selection of plants and outstanding customer service. (Thank you, Courtney!)

Eastland Farms, 1260 Montauk Highway, Watermill, NY; P. 631-726-1961; eastlandfarms@aol.com.

Spring 2023 Act 1: Magnolia x loebneri ‘Merrill’

“The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day

When the sun is out and the wind is still,

You’re one month on in the middle of May.

But if you so much as dare to speak,

A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,

A wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you’re two months back in the middle of March.”

Robert Frost

 

We have had our share of topsy-turvy weather, yet the 2023 early Spring garden does not disappoint. The usual suspects — daffodils, pieris, forsythia, rhododendrons — fill us with joy every single day. (Photos below.)

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

 

Moreover, there is one plant which enriches and celebrates my April Spring garden like no other: Magnolia x loebneri ‘Merrill’.  (Photos below of Merrill’s ghostly aura in early morning; Merrill blanketing the landscape with snowy-white beauty and rich fragrance later in the day; Merrill’s multi-petal flower.)

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

The first Merrill magnolia was bred at the Harvard University Arnold Arboretum in 1939 and in 1952 was named after Dr. E.D. Merrill, a former Arboretum Director. At that time, the Arboretum considered the deciduous tree to be “one of the best and most vigorous of the early white flowering magnolias.” This observation is entirely consistent with my Merrill’s thirty year performance in the garden.

Merrill has much to recommend it: the tree is hardy in Zones 5-8 and is disease-resistant and deer-resistant; before the herbal-scented leaves drop in the Fall, they turn a lovely autumnal gold;  Merrill blooms at a young age with masses of sweetly fragrant flowers and in Autumn produces plump red fruit, a favorite of migrating songbirds.

Wonderful tree! Try it, you’ll like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2023: Honeysuckle & Roses

“And because the Breathe of Flowers is far sweeter in the Aire (when it comes and goes, like the Warbling of Music) than in the hand, therefore nothing is more fit for that delight than to know what be the Flowers and Plants that doe best perfume the Aire.” Sir Francis Bacon.

As you think about enriching your garden with new plants, welcome two “that doe best perfume the Aire” and benefit from the joys of Aromatherapy in your own backyard:

Lonicera periclymenun ‘Serotina’ (Late Dutch Honeysuckle) Z. 5-9

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

Celia Thaxter, author of An Island Garden, suggested that “nothing refreshes the human heart” like honeysuckle’s “wreath of heavenly trumpets breathing melodies of perfume to the air.” That is as true now as when An Island Garden was published in 1894.

Moreover, the vine’s exquisite fragrance is but one of many assets. Award-winning Serotina’s long-blooming, colorful, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and bees, and when the flowers fade the vine produces clusters of red berries adored by songbirds. An added bonus is its pest and disease resistant foliage. Provide organically-rich, moist, well-drained soil and a support for the honeysuckle vine to climb.

 

Rosa ‘Lyda Rose’ Z 5-9

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2023 – Lois Sheinfeld

My beloved Lyda Rose was bred in the U.S. and named for the breeder’s daughter. It has flourished in my organic garden for many years in a container in part shade and its pure, delicious fragrance sweetens the air. From late Spring until frost bees are besotted with the pollen and nectar from the beautiful flowers. Lyda’s foliage is resistant to black spot, rust and mildew.

Provide organically rich, well-drained soil and monthly fertilizer—roses are hungry plants. (Tip: Avoid fertilizer with alfalfa. Yes, roses love alfalfa but so do rabbits. IT’S RABBIT FOOD!!! I speak from experience: My garden quickly went from zero rabbits to attracting a rampaging horde of plant-eating bunnies.)

Lyda Rose is an uncommon beauty not widely available in commerce. My shrub was purchased from my go-to mail-order supplier of healthy, own-root roses, Roses Unlimited: Rosesunlmt@gmail.com; phone: 864-682-7673.

2023: Irresistible Illicium

Dark chocolate is good for your health said the scientists. It was music to my chocoholic ears, though I feared it was too good to be true. And, sadly, dark chocolate has been found to contain the toxic heavy metals lead and cadmium, which can damage — inter alia — the kidneys, lungs, and nervous system. Not so good for your health.

Solution? Dump the chocolate and continue to reap the indisputable, positive health benefits of gardening and communing with nature. In furtherance of that goal, consider enriching your gardens with these  wonderful plants:

Illicium floridanum x ‘Scorpio’ and Illicium floridanum x ‘Orion’ Z 6-9

printed with permission from JC Raulston Arboretum, North Carolina State University

 

Scorpio and Orion are Illicium hybrids (I. floridanum x I. mexicanum) introduced by Dr. Thomas Ranney. Dr. Ranney is the JC Raulston Distinguished Professor of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University and is known affectionately as “the mad scientist of plant breeding at NCSU.” We all benefit from his madness: For the home gardener, the two hybrids are far superior — in both form and flower — to our native Illicium floridanum, one of their parents.

Both shrubs are compact — approximately 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide — with dense, glossy, evergreen foliage scented like licorice candy. They are deer-resistant. (The plants are so poisonous they are probably deer-proof: we avoid dark chocolate, the deer avoid Illicium.) In Spring, Scorpio and Orion produce abundant, beautiful spidery flowers — red (Scorpio) and white (Orion). Sporadic re-bloom has been reported. Provide moist, well-drained, organically-rich soil in shade.

RareFind Nursery has 3 gallon Scorpio and Orion plants available by mail order and nursery pickup: www.rarefindnursery.com.  Camellia Forest Nursery has 3 quart Scorpio and Orion plants available by mail order and 5 gallon Orion plants available for nursery pickup: www.camforest.com.

Spring is just a shiver away!

2022 Assess, Adjust, Savor: Part 2.

“The North America sylva — our tree flora — is the grandest in the temperate zones of the earth, and in some ways the grandest anywhere . . . . Almost every tree in our sylva has made history, or witnessed it, or entered into our folkways, or usefully become a part of our daily life.” Donald Culross Peattie, author and preeminent chronicler of our native trees: A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central America (Houghton Mifflin 1950). In recent years, there has been heightened interest in planting native trees in the home garden. Please consider one of my favorites:

Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood Tree) Z 5-9

Rightfully celebrated as one of our most beautiful deciduous trees, Sourwood is an all-season performer: In Spring, it produces large lacquered, dark-green leaves, followed in Summer by fragrant, weeping sprays of white bloom beloved by bees. According to Peattie, you can hear “the roar of the bees gone nectar-mad” for the flowers. In Autumn, the tree’s lustrous foliage turns dazzling shades of red and purple. Photo below taken on November 5.

copyright 2022 – Lois Sheinfeld

For more than two decades my Sourwood has been pest and disease free and it has attained a height of about 25 feet. Plant in well-drained, organically rich, moist, acid soil in sun or partial shade.

In my organic garden, in addition to showcasing native plants, I make every effort to attract the trifecta of pollinators: Bees, Hummingbirds, and Butterflies. Bees are happy with a wide range of plants. Hummingbirds and Butterflies are more discriminating. This year the Hummers and Butterflies voted for their favorite Annuals: Cuphea ‘Vermillionaire’ (Hummingbirds) and Lantana (Butterflies) won hands-down.

When grown in organic potting soil, in containers kept well watered, no dead-heading, fertilizing, or spraying is necessary for either plant. Both are disease and pest free and bloom continuously from Spring to frost. Photos below of Cuphea on June 2 and November 15 and of Lantana on June 2 and November 7. Welcome these fabulous flowering plants to your garden and bask in the company of our precious pollinators.

copyright 2022 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2022 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2022 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2022 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2022 – Lois Sheinfeld

Wishing you all a wonderful December holiday celebration and a Happy, Healthy, New Year! Looking forward to gardening with you in 2023!

2022: Spring Has Sprung

How joyous the sudden emergence in the garden of yellow, purple, and white crocus, golden daffodils, and the deliciously fragrant flowers of the March-blooming honeysuckle, Lonicera purpusii. Spring is here!

copyright 2022 — Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2022 — Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2022 — Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2022 — Lois Sheinfeld

As I think about the growing seasons ahead, I’m mindful of what Lewis Carroll’s White Queen said to Alice: “It’s a poor sort of memory,” she said, “that only works backward.” Isn’t that the truth. Since Mother Nature moved to Crazyville, it would certainly help with the planning if we could remember now what manic weather she will produce in the future. Still, we can look back and learn from our plants that have prospered despite MN’s insults.

In this post, I’d like to celebrate and share with you a number of healthy, beautiful, Rhododendrons that have flourished in my organic garden for many years. All do well with regular water in well-drained, acid, organically rich soil, in shade.  I can recommend with confidence the following time-tested shrubs:

Rhododendron ‘Solidarity’ Z 5-8. Evergreen Large-leafed Elepidote

copyright 2022 — Lois Sheinfeld

This is the signature plant of RareFind Nursery and was bred by the late Hank Schannen, founder/owner of RareFind. Solidarity produces showy flowers in May that open dark pink and fade to light pink and white. An impressive, sought-after shrub, named after the Polish labor union by Hank’s Polish mother.

 

Rhododendron ‘Taurus’ Z 6-8. Evergreen Large-leafed Elepidote.

copyright 2022 — Lois Sheinfeld

This late April bloomer is a standout with its glowing red flowers and dark green foliage. It can grow 5 to 6 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide. A handsome early-season performer.

 

Rhododendron ‘Aglo’ a/k/a ‘Weston’s Aglo’ Z 4-8. Evergreen Small-leafed Lepidote

copyright 2022 — Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2022 — Lois Sheinfeld

This is one of the fabulous Mezitt hybrid Lepidotes bred at Weston Nursery. In late April Aglo flaunts clusters of radiant pink flowers with vibrant red flares that are beloved by bees. In the Fall, the foliage turns a rich bronzy green.

Decades ago, I purchased these Rhododendrons from RareFind Nursery. They are still available for sale along with other outstanding plants.

New to me is RareFind’s perennial offering, Aquilegia canadensis ‘Little Lanterns’, a dwarf form of our native species with bi-color yellow and red flowers. Little Lanterns is reported to be resistant to leaf miner, the scourge of Aquilegias. A plant worth having! My order is in.

RareFind Nursery, 957 Patterson Road, Jackson NJ 08527; Visits by appointment only. Phone: 732-833-0613. The 2022 catalog is online at www.rarefindnursery.com. The email address is support@rarefindnursery.com.

Oct./Nov. 2021: Autumn Review

The magical days of Fall are here.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Trees and shrubs fill the garden with enchanting shades of autumnal color: Photos below of Kousa Dogwood, Stewartia, Oxydendrum, Ginkgo, Japanese Maple, and Oakleaf Hydrangea.

 

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

To my surprise, a snowy-white, Fall-blooming Camellia joined the show. (Hadn’t bloomed in years.) Photo below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

And two May-blooming woody evergreens are also flowering. This Rhododendron and Azalea couldn’t wait for Spring. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Some shrubs are not photoperiodic, i.e., influenced by shortened daylight. Rather, they are temperature-dependent and can be fooled into bloom by our warm October/November weather. Sadly, those flowers may be zapped by the cold; but the shrubs will bloom again in Spring. (Note: there are Azaleas bred to bloom in Spring and Fall and I’ve written about them in previous posts.)

It’s mid-November and I’m still picking beautiful roses for the house. Photo below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Finally, birds and this gardener delight in the abundance of Autumn fruit produced in the garden. Photos below of two favorites: the jewel-like purple Callicarpa Beautyberry and the showy, fire-engine-red Ilex Winterberry.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Bric-a-Brac:

My native Oaks and other trees are being attacked by Beauty and the Beast a/k/a Wisteria. Let me explain:

For many years I’ve treasured two Asian woody Wisteria vines that are growing on sturdy Oak trees. In May/June the vines produce gorgeous, fragrant blossoms, and, thereafter, attractive, large, velvet-coated seedheads. That’s the Beauty part. Photos below of the flowers and seedheads.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

When the vines created their own bridges to adjoining trees, I thought, how very clever. More flowers and seedheads for me. My bad. With Taliban speed and murderous intent, the vines covered the ground with rooted runners that advanced in all directions, wrapping in deadly embrace every tree in their path. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Wisteria has even invaded the uncultivated woodland acreage—affectionately referred to as Tick Land—endangering the natural habitat.

Adding insult to injury, flowering was diminished because the vines devoted most of their energy to unbridled invasive growth. I guess the Wisteria can’t help it.  It’s in the nature of the Beast.

So I called in the troops. Crews from the Tree/Landscape Company, Jackson Dodds and Co., hacked away the Wisteria on the ground and in the trees and hauled off enormous piles of debris. The trees and Tick Land are safe for now.

I did not cut down the largely denuded original vines. They have a hold on my heart so they are on probation. Even if I cut them down, at this point I don’t think the Wisteria problem can ever be fully resolved. But it can be managed: I have Jackson Dodds and Co. on speed dial.

Be assured that if I could turn back time and start afresh I would not welcome Wisteria into my organic garden.

2021: Late-Summer Notables

Famed British gardener/author Christopher Lloyd said of gardening: “Look after late summer and the rest of the year will look after itself.” Here in the U.S., this summer’s oppressive heat and humidity — not to mention a hurricane or two — made the “looking after” quite a challenge. Still, the following plants met the challenge and then some:

Coleus breeders have outdone themselves, producing scores of worthy, vibrant, multi-colored annuals. My Coleus plants, pictured below, flourish in a large north-facing container in shade. I worried when they fell over, pounded down by recent heavy rain.  But they just picked themselves up with no help from me and will carry on into Fall.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Another late-summer standout annual is the Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas). Few plants can match its vigorous growth and its versatility.  I bought one four-inch pot in May and planted it in a container with a rose. In the blink of an eye, it grew into the flamboyant, problem-free-spiller pictured below. It loves heat and will thrive in sun or shade until frost.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

If you plant silver-leaf Pulmonarias, you will delight both in the enchanting early spring flowers and, thereafter, in the elegant simplicity of the foliage pictured below. It’s a win-win perennial. My plants are grown in moist, well-drained, organically-rich, acidic soil in shade. I mix in sharp-edged grit to the planting soil to repel voles.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Many plants produce unique seed heads that add interest and beauty to the late-summer garden. Consider the showy seed heads of several Rhododendrons, which, in time, age to woody-like ornaments—attractive enough to pluck for decorative home display. A happy bonus! Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Finally, I agree with one of my favorite garden writers, the American journalist/author Celestine Sibley, who wisely said of gardening: “The doing is the thing. And if by some happy chance you should have a little success, ah, the satisfaction that is!”

Summer 2021: Social Climbers

Add a superb vertical dimension to your garden with plants that have lofty aspirations: ramblers, scramblers, climbers, and twiners. Consider a few of my favorites:

Award-winning Clematis Blue Pirouette (a/k/a C. ‘Zobluepi’) Z 5-8 has beautiful blue/purple open-faced flowers with four elegantly twisted, curled sepals, and long, strong, flowering stems. It was the first Clematis sold commercially as a cut flower and several stems were included in Queen Elizabeth’s traditional bouquet at the 2015 Chelsea Flower Show. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Blue Pirouette produces abundant bloom in summer and will grow 5-6 feet tall. In my garden it thrives in a large container with obelisk support.

Pirouette’s container mate is the award-winning, Clematis ‘Purpurea Plena Elegans’ Z 4-9, a beloved old cultivar that begins flowering a little later than Pirouette and can attain a height of 10-13 feet. Masses of double, vibrant magenta flowers attract pollinators — and Blue Pirouette. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Both Clematis belong in Pruning Group 3 and should be hard pruned in early Spring because they bloom on new growth. Grow in sun or part shade, with well-drained, moist, rich, alkaline soil. I fertilize with compost and wood ash. 

 

Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) Z 6-8 is an outstanding, deciduous woody ornamental. In summer, against a backdrop of handsome, dark-green foliage, it produces showy, large, flat, lacecap type flowers. (Note that the flowers of subsp. petiolaris often lack the sterile flower edging of the traditional lacecap Hydrangea.) When the fertile flower buds open, they release an intoxicating fragrance that carries on the air. The plant is a self-help climber: aerial roots — “holdfasts” — grow along the main reddish-brown stem and will attach to most vertical surfaces. But the support must be substantial — this hefty Hydrangea can reach thirty feet or more. Mine grow up large, established oak trees.  Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Provide well-drained, rich, moist soil. The plant is pH-adaptable but may develop chlorosis in high pH soils. It can prosper in sun or shade but should be protected against the intense afternoon sun. If you need to prune, do so right after flowering before the new buds appear; the plant flowers on old wood. It can withstand a hard prune but it probably won’t bloom the following year.

Among its many assets, the hydrangea’s flowers attract bees and butterflies and when the flowers fade they are replaced with attractive seedheads. And the foliage turns autumnal yellow in the Fall.

I also grow the cultivar, Hydrangea ‘Miranda’. While it has been in my garden for many years, it has never bloomed. I don’t know why and the plant ain’t talkin’. Yet, for me, it’s worth keeping for its beautiful variegated foliage. Photo below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

bric-a-brac:

1. While we have all been suffering this summer’s oppressive heat and humidity my carefree fig tree has been dancin’ a happy jig. It is loaded with figs that are quite mature for July. Photo below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

2. I recently saw—and recommend— the 1937 award-winning film, “The Life of Emile Zola,” a powerful drama about a big lie and a courageous fight for truth and justice. Sound familiar?

Spring 2021: Mother Nature’s Gifts

My garden is full of wonder and surprise. Mother Nature — assisted by birds, bees, and other wildlife — constantly provides us with a wonderful bounty of volunteers: Viburnum, Hydrangea, Japanese Maple, Magnolia, Ornamental Cherry, Rhododendron, and more. I’m exceedingly careful when I rake and weed because I never know what amazing plants may magically appear.

Author Verlyn Klinkenborg had a unique take on the subject of plant volunteers in his garden: “[If] the plant community on this place consisted only of individuals I had put in the ground myself, it would resemble one of those fading Midwestern farm towns where the schools have closed, the grocery stores have pulled out, and the only new building in town is the nursing home. Instead, this place is crowded with life.” (The Rural Life, Little Brown and Company, 2002.)

Here are three welcome volunteer additions to my “crowded with life” garden along with the parent plants “I had put in the ground myself” :

Rhododendron mucronulatum ‘Mahogany Red’, a deciduous shrub, has for many years provided the WOW factor to my Spring garden. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Apart from its early-April spectacular bloom, Mahogany Red has been disease-free and pest-free. Deer avoid it, most likely because it is poisonous. Bumblebees, on the other hand, flock to this early-Spring flower source of nourishment. In the Fall the shrub’s foliage takes on vibrant shades of red and purple.

I’m happy to announce that my beloved plant has finally produced an heir. Looks just like Mom — but it’s not tied to Mom’s apron strings: Baby Mahogany Red volunteered on the opposite side of the gravel driveway and over 40 feet away. Photo below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Deutzia rubens produces an abundance of beautiful pink and white flowers in June. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Over a decade in my garden, it has bloomed every year and never suffered a pest or disease problem — plant virtues I appreciate. Woody shrub guru, Michael Dirr, is not a Deutzia fan. He claims that they are “often bedraggled” and “although usually dependable for flower display, rarely overwhelm one at any time of the year.” (My plant has never looked bedraggled. That may be a Georgia thing.)

I do agree with Dirr that the identification of Deutzia species “borders on impossible”. My plant was tagged D. rubens, which means colored or tinged with red — in this case pink. But garden literature says D. rubens is a white-flowering plant. And the flowers of a number of Deutzia scabra are identical to the pink and white flowers of my shrub. The Deutzia volunteer in my garden mimics its parent in form but is adorned in June with lovely pure white flowers.  I’m glad to have it. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Digitalis (Foxglove) come in a variety of color and form. I’d like to have them all. While I was shocked to find a volunteer growing in the middle of the tennis court, I was also delighted. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Foxgloves are trouble-free.  Like R. mucronulatum, they are poisonous and deer avoid them. So do voles. (Yet, be aware that voles have added toxic Hellebores to their menu.) Normally, digitalis plants prefer shade and well-drained soil. I think a bird planted this one. Our gardening rules don’t apply to them. This bird gift resembles Digitalis ferruginea.

Bird Alert: Sadly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella linked to wild songbirds. This disease can be transmitted from birds to pets and humans. As of early April, nineteen people had become ill and eight were hospitalized. Care should be taken to wash hands after touching bird feeders or birdbaths.

Gardener Alert: Avoid Hicks Nurseries in Westbury N.Y. The plants are nice but they get an F for their treatment of customers. It isn’t worth the stress.

Early Spring/2021: Expectations

Spring is a season ripe with expectation — and trepidation.

As soon as the weather allowed, I ambled about the garden hoping against hope that I would see tulip bulbs popping up. YES!!! Thus far, they have escaped the ravenous attention of voles, the garden’s underground terrorists. And while daffodils aren’t usually on the vole menu, I was very glad to see them too. What would Spring be without daffodils? (Photos below.)

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

I did discover that a few Rhododendron suffered the loss of limbs this winter. Heavy oak branches fell on them. Still, the shrubs are healthy and heavily budded so they should produce abundant bloom in May. All in all, it appears to be a very good flowering year for Ericaceae plants, especially for Rhododendron and Pieris. (Photos below.)

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

I’m looking forward to April/May when I’ll be adding wonderful new plants to the garden. I’m excited about the reported flower power of the award-winning Proven Winners Annual, Salvia longispicata x farinacea Rockin’ Playin’The Blues (‘Balsalmispim’) Z.7-10. Because it’s sterile and doesn’t devote energy to producing seed, the plant will bloom from June to October. The upright, blue-purple flowers bring color impact as well as beauty to the garden. Like other Salvias, the plant attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, and its fragrant foliage is deer/rabbit resistant. Playin’The Blues grows best in sun or part sun, in rich, well-draining soil. (Photo below.)

copyright Proven Winners. Used with permission

 

I’m also hopefully anticipating the return of old perennial favorites. When I received the March/April 2021 issue of The American Gardener magazine, I was reminded of fragrant lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis): The magazine front cover featured the dazzling variegated foliage of the cultivar Convallaria majalis ‘Striata’. My variegated cultivar C. m. ‘Albostriata’ is similar—if not the same as ‘Striata’ — and has been a reliable bloomer and trouble-free for years, both in the garden and in containers. (Photos below.) (See also post, “March/April 2019: Early Spring”.)

copyright 2021 — American Horticultural Society. Used with permission

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

The American Gardener article about lily of the valley, by C. Colston Burrell, is both interesting and informative and can be accessed by clicking on https://ahsgardening.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Convallaria-TAG-MA21.pdf. The 6 bi-monthly issues of The American Gardener are a benefit of membership in the American Horticultural Society and are not generally available to non-members. In my opinion, it is one of the best garden magazines for the home gardener.

 

Good news on the environmental protection front: The New York Times reports that the Biden administration is drawing up a list of Trump regulatory decisions warped by political interference in objective research. “It’s a response both to the reality of the scientific abuse that occurred and also important to agency [E.P.A.] morale”, said William Reilly, the E.P.A. administrator under the Republican President George H. W. Bush. “There’s no precedent for the attack on science”, he added, “the sweep of it, the blatancy of it that we saw in the last administration.” ( The New York Times, 3/25/2021, p.A19)

 

Finally, I’d like to celebrate the environmentally correct, re-cycling genius of my Grandcat Callie: She turned an old cardboard box into a table for her meals, and when she isn’t eating, she uses the same box as a chair. Yea Callie! (Photos below of Callie eating a snack and Callie on her chair contemplating world events.)

(Note: arthritic cats — and dogs — appreciate having their food raised off the ground.)

2020/2021: Look Back & March Forward

A beloved 100-year-old fig tree in Kenya, condemned to make way for an expressway, was granted a reprieve last month because of Kenya’s “commitment to environmental conservation.” Saving the ancient fig warmed my heart.

Quite different from the Trump Administration’s flagrant disregard of environmental conservation and protection here in the United States. There have been more than 60 federal protective rules and regulations reversed or rolled back, resulting in a significant increase of probable harm to our health and well-being. (See also Blog post: “Jan/Feb 2018: Toxic Chemical Alert”.)

Thankfully, remedial action will begin on January 20.

Now a look back at my garden year 2020 with a focus on three easy-care, beautiful, interesting, flowering shrubs you may wish to add to your 2021 garden:

Rhododendron ‘Jenny Tabol’ is a large-leaf evergreen that produces in May an abundance of unique, butter-yellow flowers with pink highlights. Rhododendron ‘Zulu’ is a tall, semi-evergreen, Glenn Dale azalea that dazzles in May with masses of purple bloom; in the Fall its foliage turns autumnal shades of orange, pink, and gold. Both shrubs have flourished for many years in well-drained, acidic, rich organic soil in shade. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld


copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld


copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

Pieris japonica ‘Angel Falls’ is an extraordinary evergreen shrub with all-season interest. It is a sport of P. Valley Valentine and has similar rose-pink, fragrant, April flowers. But unlike Valley Valentine’s green foliage, Angel Falls sports vibrant, showy green and white variegated foliage. A sight to see in winter paired with its magenta flower buds. Purchased as a one-gallon plant, after nine years the shrub has grown about 2 feet and has assumed the form of a dwarf tree. Culture requirements are the same as the Rhododendrons. Photos below.

copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld


copyright 2021 – Lois Sheinfeld

I am looking forward to Spring 2021. I have fabulous plants on order and after twenty-five years of avoiding bulbs because of voles, I’ve planted tulips, daffodils and crocus. I’ll let you know how that turns out. And I hope, with vaccination, it will finally be safe for me and my husband to hug our kids.

From our family to yours: Wishing You All a Joyous, Healthy, New Year!

Be well. Stay safe.

2020 Autumn Garden All-Stars

The Earth has been spinning dangerously off its axis.

For years we have suffered one crisis after another fed by nonstop incompetence, corruption, and lies. Environmental protections have been eviscerated. It continues even as I write this. But the people have spoken and on January 20, 2021 we will have the opportunity to set this Republic on a true and just course.

Much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

In the garden, sadly the Oaks never displayed Fall color — their foliage fast turned from green to brown. But the following Autumn-All-Stars didn’t disappoint:

Nyssa sylvatica (Sour Gum, Black Gum) Z 4-9

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld


copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

Often called one of our most beautiful native trees, Nyssa is especially admired for its reliable, vibrant Fall color. It is disease-resistant and will grow in sun or shade in well-drained, moist, acidic soil.

Because of its long taproot, it is difficult to move. When I had to transplant one of my established trees, it lost a few feet from the top and it took about three years to fully recover. While it is quite happy now in its new position, you can avoid the problem by carefully choosing a planting site with an eye to the future.

Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ (Burning Bush) Z 5-8

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

This disease-resistant Asian shrub isn’t fussy about soil pH but does prefer well-drained soil with regular water. It will prosper in sun or shade but its Fall color will be affected: In sun the foliage will turn fiery red; in shade, it’s more likely to turn pink, as in the photos above. E. alatus can attain a height of 15-20 feet. My cultivar ‘Compactus’ is about 11 feet—smaller but not really compact. (Since I planted it — over twenty-five years ago — dwarf cultivars have become available.)

In addition to being easy-care, the shrub produces showy red-orange Fall fruit beloved by birds, resulting in volunteer seedlings popping up in the landscape. I welcome volunteers, but others do not and have called for the plants to be banned from commerce. Angry birds have drafted a petition in opposition.

Finally, consider these three fabulous Japanese Maples clad in flaming autumnal attire:

Acer palmatum ‘Mikawa yatsubusa’

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

Acer palmatum ‘Iijima sunago’

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

Acer palmatum ‘Aoyagi/Ukon’

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

In my organic garden they all flourish in rich, moist, well-drained, acidic soil, in shade.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Be well. Stay safe.

2020 Autumn Joy: Disanthus & Viburnum

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the garden communing with nature. I find that closely observing and working with plants, while dreaming and scheming about future plans for the landscape, is calming and restorative. Especially so in Autumn when the leaves turn color. It’s a magical time. The native Dogwoods are usually the first to capture my attention. Photo below.

dogwood in Fall

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

 

But this September I was distracted when the circus came to town! My goodness, Mother Nature has a sense of humor. Meet the uncommon, whimsical clown, Saddleback Caterpillar. Photo below.

caterpillar

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

Yeah, yeah, I know it is eating my rhododendron…….yet, it makes me smile. So do two uncommon, deciduous ornamental shrubs that enrich my Autumn landscape. Consider:

 

Disanthus cercidifolius Z 5-8

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

This 6-10 foot Asian native shrub has elegant blue-green heart-shaped leaves in Spring and Summer. In Autumn it explodes into spectacular color. Photos above. Disanthus is disease-resistant — disease-free for me — and thrives in well-drained, acidic, organically rich soil in shade. It dislikes drought. Protect from strong wind.

I was filled with trepidation when I had to move the established plant to another area in the garden. I needn’t have worried. It didn’t drop a leaf. A most reasonable, accommodating plant.

 

Viburnum setigerum (Tea Viburnum) Z 5-7

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

Tea Viburnum is a native of China where monks used the leaves to make medicinal tea — which explains its common name. The shrub can grow 8-12 feet and has attractive dark green foliage which turns red in Fall. But it is the abundant, showy clusters of fat, cherry-red berries that make this a standout plant in the Autumn garden. Photo above. Grow in sun or shade, in rich, well-drained, acid, moist soil. Disease-free for me. (Note: It is said that Viburnums are very social — they like to party. So, to ensure heavy fruit display I grow it with other Viburnums.)

Be well. Stay safe.

Summer 2020: Color Me Purple

One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats,” said the late British author, Iris Murdoch. Since the pandemic turned our lives upside down, taking time to savor the good moments makes a lot of sense. Consider seeking comfort in the garden with the following plants — joyful “small treats” that flourish despite summer’s oppressive heat and humidity:

Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ (Mimosa Tree) Z 6-9.

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

I am enamored of the dark purple, fern-like foliage of A. julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’, an awesome hybrid Mimosa tree. Malevolent voles killed the first tree I planted in the garden. A pox on them! They ate the roots when the tree was well-established and in bloom.  I planted the current tree — shown above — four years ago with sharp-stone vole-repellent. (See post of April 2, 2012: “Hot Tips: Vole Damage Protection”.) So far, so good.

In the early Spring, don’t panic if your tree looks dead. It leafs out late. And the new foliage will be green — but don’t despair, it will change to purple. The tree just likes to fool with us. Summer Chocolate does well in sun or part shade, in well-drained acid or sweet soil. Late-summer pink flowers will attract butterflies. An additional “small treat.”

 

Platycodon grandiflorus (Balloon Flower) Z 3-9

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

Balloon flower is a summer-flowering, disease-resistant, pest-resistant, long-lived perennial. It is aptly named for its delightful, puffy flower buds. The plants grow in clumps on sturdy stems to about 2 feet and produce flowers in clusters. While I occasionally cut flowers for the house, in the garden I don’t remove the faded flowers or their resulting seed pods. Therefore, I’m gifted with lots of volunteer plants. Yet, be aware: If you want continuous bloom all summer long, regular deadheading is essential.

My plants thrive in organically rich, well-drained acid soil in shade. Choose the planting site carefully. Platycodon grandiflorus has a chunky, fleshy, root system, which — much like the Magnolia — resents disturbance. In Asia, people eat the roots, which are thought to have anti-inflammatory/digestive benefits. Not to everyone’s taste, though.

 

Canna ‘Australia’ (Canna Lily) Z 9-10

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

Canna Lilies are tropical, rhizomatous perennials that love heat, humidity, and lots of water. C. ‘Australia’ with its showy black-purple foliage, and vibrant red-orange flowers that attract hummingbirds, is an easy-care Summer/Fall superstar.

I grow my Cannas in large pots. After the first frost, I remove the dead foliage and stems and then winter store the pots in my unheated basement. I ignore them until late May when I bring them outside. Once the plants are watered and fertilized they quickly grow to full size. I’ve been doing this for almost 20 years. Never lost a plant. And when you plant in pots, voles aren’t a problem. An added bonus.

Be well. Stay safe.

Spring 2020: Rhododendron Elepidotes

As though we don’t have enough trouble with a killer virus, now we have to deal with killer insects — the Asian Giant Hornets a/k/a the “murder hornets.” They decapitate bees and then feed on them. They can wipe out a hive in a matter of hours.

And they don’t stop with bees. In Japan, hornet stings have killed up to fifty people a year. Beekeepers are especially vulnerable; a hornet’s stinger can easily puncture a beekeeping suit. (As one beekeeper described the stings: “It was like having red-hot thumbtacks being driven into my flesh.”)

Asian Giant Hornets are aggressive killers and now they are in the U.S.  Several were found in Washington State. Thankfully, according to the Cornell Cooperative Extension, they have not migrated East — yet.

For more info on the hornets — and for all other horticultural inquiries — call the Cornell Phone Help Line: 631-727-4126, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-12 noon. Or email: sib7@cornell.edu or aw242@cornell.edu.  An invaluable resource.

Before moving on to my summer garden, I want to feature, for your consideration, a choice group of May-blooming, large-leaf, evergreen elepidote Rhododendrons:

Rhododendron ‘Loderi King George’ is one of my all-time favorite plants. Bred in Great Britain, King George received an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. From pink buds the shrub produces masses of gorgeous, large, richly-perfumed snow-white blossoms in May. The fragrance carries on the air in the garden — and in the house. Photos below.

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

For decades in my zone 7 organic garden the plant has been a hardy, reliable yearly bloomer. The evergreen foliage does suffer winter damage but it is quickly replaced in Spring by new green growth. Provide acid, well-drained soil in a shady site sheltered from wind.

 

Rhododendron ‘Mario Pagliarini’ is another sweetly fragrant, hardy May bloomer. Dressed in healthy evergreen foliage and abundant, large, lilac-pink flowers — that age to white with traces of pink — Mario is a wondrous sight to see. And to smell — the fragrance carries on the air. Photos below.

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

After 15 years or so my shrub is now about eight feet high and nine feet across, so provide adequate space for Mario to express himself. R. ‘Mario Pagliarini’ thrives in shade and rich, acid, well-drained soil.

 

Rhododendron ‘Vinecrest’ is a multiple-award-winning shrub bred for extreme winter hardiness. I can attest to the breeder’s success. After suffering single-digit frigid weather, Vinecrest’s evergreen foliage remained in pristine condition and its flower buds were undamaged.  Winter hardiness is an essential attribute. Yet, for me, it is the ethereal beauty of the May butter-yellow flowers and peach-colored buds that make Vinecrest irresistible. Provide shade and rich, well-drained acid soil. Photos below.

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 — Lois Sheinfeld

(Note: R.’Vinecrest’ is not fragrant, though some have suggested otherwise.)

 

Embrace the exciting world of Rhododendrons. Your garden will thank you.

 

Finally, my Grandpets would like to say hello. In order of appearance, my beautiful Grandcat, Callie — who never met a box she didn’t like — followed by my lovable Granddogs, Sammy and Zoe. Rescue pets all.

copyright 2020 — Jessica Amsterdam

copyright 2020 — Jessica Amsterdam

copyright 2020 — Ashley Cox

copyright 2020 — Ashley Cox

 

Be well. Stay safe.

Spring 2020: Mezitt Rhododendron Part 2

Part 2

All of the Mezitt Rhododendron lepidotes featured here are very cold-hardy, disease/insect resistant, and do well in both sun and shade:

Rhododendron ‘Mrs. J.A. Withington 111’

I adore R. ‘Mrs. J.A. Withington 111.’ In April/May this flamboyant blue blood is entirely draped in a glorious cloak of purple powder puffs. Quite a sensation. As a bonus, the shrub’s evergreen foliage turns bronzy-green in the Fall.

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Rhododendron ‘Lilac Crest’

R. ‘Lilac Crest’ is like a lilac-pink-white mini Mrs. Withington. It is more compact and its May flowers resemble little pom-poms. The semi-evergreen shrub’s flower buds are white with lilac-pink tips; when the white flowers fully open, they are flushed with color.

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Rhododendron ‘Landmark’

Garden literature often styles R. ‘Landmark’ as a long-awaited red-flowering lepidote. In the right light and at a distance the flowers may look red. But, in truth, the showy May bloom is a rich dark pink — highly attractive to bees. In Autumn the evergreen foliage turns mahogany-bronze.

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

For decades the chorus of six captivating Mezitt Rhododendron lepidotes featured here and in Part 1 have flourished in my shady, organic garden and I treasure them all.

My friend the late Hank Schannen, founder of Rarefind Nursery, was also an accomplished Rhododendron hybridizer. Here is Hank’s famous take on Rhododendron plant culture:

12 Criteria For Success With Rhododendron

  1. Drainage
  2. Drainage
  3. Drainage
  4. Drainage
  5. Drainage
  6. Drainage
  7. Acid pH
  8. Dappled shade
  9. Able to water when needed
  10. If containerized, loosen roots (viciously)
  11. When in doubt, plant HIGH
  12. Hmm—More DRAINAGE

Be well. Stay safe.

Spring 2020: Mezitt Rhododendrons Part 1

In 1899 a musical, Floradora, opened in London and was a smash hit. After a long run in England, the show crossed the pond and opened in New York to equal acclaim. The show’s fame was largely due to its Floradora Girls, a chorus of women — clad in pink, carrying frilly parasols — who captivated audiences.

In 2020, in my Spring garden, we treasure the chorus performance of Mezitt Rhododendron lepidotes — a captivating, flowering extravaganza in pink and purple:

Part 1

Rhododendron ‘PJM’

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

The Mezitt-Weston Nurseries’ breeding program was launched with the introduction of the rightly popular Rhododendron ‘PJM’, named for Weston’s founder, Peter J. Mezitt. In April, glowing lavender-pink blossoms — favored by bees — blanket the shrub, and in Autumn\Winter the evergreen, small-leafed foliage turns a deep mahogany-black.

PJM is very cold-hardy, disease and pest-resistant, and thrives in both sun and shade. (Note: All of the Rhododendrons featured here share these attributes.)

 

Rhododendron ‘Weston’s Pink Diamond’

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

This luminous, semi-evergreen beauty starred in the 1983 sixtieth anniversary celebration of Weston Nurseries. Graced in April with luxuriant, ruffled, double silvery-pink flowers, and then in Autumn with resplendent foliage in shades of red, orange and gold, R. ‘Weston’s Pink Diamond’ has been celebrated in my garden for twenty-five years.

 

Rhododendron ‘Weston’s Aglo’

As Pink Diamond’s flowers fade in May, its garden side-kick, R.’Weston’s Aglo’, comes into its own with abundant clusters of radiant pink flowers with vibrant red flares. Bees love the flowers as much as I do. In the Fall, the glossy evergreen foliage turns a rich bronze-green. R ‘Weston’s Aglo’ has flourished in my organic garden for more than two decades. (The shrub is a sibling of the popular R.’Olga Mezitt’—Aglo is Olga spelled backwards.)

A copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

Stay Tuned: Part 2 Next Post.

Be well. Stay safe.

2020 Spring Fragrance: Pieris, Skimmia, Magnolia

Insects Rule!

A recent scientific study revealed that when insects chew on organic fruits and vegetables the plants respond by significantly increasing antioxidant compounds. If insect feeding triggers a plant’s defenses, ultimately resulting in more nutritious, healthier produce, must we now seek out insect-damaged food?

An interesting conundrum.

Not, however, my focus here. With the deadly Coronavirus currently shadowing our lives, I want to celebrate and share with you plants that nurture the soul: Spring-blooming, beautiful, fragrant, disease/pest-resistant woody ornamentals:

Pieris x ‘Spring Snow’ Z 5-7

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

P. x ‘Spring Snow’ is an evergreen, compact, early-Spring-blooming cross between P. japonica and the U.S. native P. floribunda. From showy pink buds the shrub produces luminous, snowy-white upright flowers that release their fragrance on the air, attracting bumble bees, butterflies and this gardener. After more than twenty-five years my shrub is now only about three feet tall, ideal for both small and large gardens. It has been a healthy, reliable bloomer despite frigid winters and hot, humid summers. Foliage new growth is bronzy-red before turning dark green and is toxic to deer, so they leave it alone. Pieris x ‘Spring Snow’ is insect-resistant as well. (Grow in shade and you won’t be troubled with lace-bug. In my shady organic garden all the Pieris have been deer-proof and insect-free.)

Provide organic-rich, well-drained, acid soil and regular water.

 

Skimmia japonica Z (6)7-8(9)

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

Skimmia is as close to perfect as a plant can be. The shrub’s magnolia-like, thick-textured, dark green leaves are evergreen, and if rubbed or bruised emit a strong herbal scent that effectively repels deer. In early Spring, Skimmia produces masses of fragrant flowers–even as a young plant. It has flourished and bloomed for me every Spring for more than thirty years, filling the garden with delicious perfume. In late summer/fall the female plants produce decorative clusters of fat red berries. (Skimmia japonica is dioecious and requires both male and female plants for fruit.)

The shrub does well here in zone 7, despite periods of horrific weather. Zone 6 may be iffy, but with global warming — and a little protection — surely worth a try. Essential requirements include moist, acid, well-drained soil, and, most important, SHADE.

 

Magnolia ‘Pegasus’ Z 5-8

 

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

This lovely Magnolia was named after the Greek mythological winged horse Pegasus, which, according to legend, sprung out of the gruesome monster Medusa’s neck when Medusa was killed. (Pretty imaginative, those Greeks.) I’ve included photos of the Horse and the Magnolia so you can judge for yourself whether the name fits. To my mind it’s more of a match when the flower opens wide. Earlier, the flower looks more like a tall tulip.

Magnolia ‘Pegasus’ has an interesting history. In 1936 Mrs. J. Norman Henry of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, received seed of Magnolia cylindrica from the Lu Shan Botanic Garden in China. She planted the seed and when it germinated, scions were widely distributed. M. Pegasus can be traced back to that original seed. (Note: It is now suggested that there was a bit of Magnolia hanky-panky in Lu Shan; the Henry seed may have resulted from a natural marriage (tryst?) between M. cylindrica and M. denudata. Didn’t think Magnolias could be naughty, did ya?)

M.’Pegasus’ is a very winter-hardy, healthy, deciduous tree. It has been a reliable April bloomer, and the flowers have a pleasing soft fragrance. The literature speaks of attractive, bright red cylindrical fruiting cones but I’ve never seen one. (Maybe this year?)  After decades in the garden, my tree is about 10 feet high. Provide moist, rich, well-drained acid soil and sun or dappled shade.

Be well. Stay safe.

February 2020: A Glass Half Full

Optimism.

According to recent studies, optimists enjoy a lower risk of cardiovascular and other diseases and they have a lower mortality rate in general.  As one researcher put it: “Optimists tend to pursue strategies that make a rosy future a reality.” They live healthier and they live longer.

It was suggested that anyone can decrease the toxic effect of negativity and build a muscle of positive thinking by trying to feel more grateful. Not an easy prescription to fill: Today the United States Senate wrongfully refused to save us from a proven dangerous, self-serving, ethically corrupt President. Scary.

Yet, there is an upcoming election in November and I do believe and trust in the American people’s sense of justice. Voters will surely remove him. As Yogi Berra famously said: “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

We just have to survive for 9 months.

As usual, I look to my well-loved garden for insight and support. Consider this: Holding fast for nine months will probably be a piece of cake compared to the survival of the Ginkgo, a tree species that has been around for about 200 million years despite untold horrific insults — climatic and otherwise. Our tree (Ginkgo biloba ‘Elmwood’) gives us pleasure every single day and we are grateful for it. Photos Below.

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Ditto for the beautiful Witch Hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Orange Peel’) that in brave defiance of winter’s wrath is now in full, fragrant, and most welcome bloom.

copyright 2020 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Yes, still much to be grateful for.

 

Autumn 2019: Caterpillars & Foliage Undersides

Caterpillars are fascinating.

Consider the camouflage trick of the peppered moth caterpillar: To protect itself from bird predators it can change its color to white, green or brown to blend in with the bark color of the trees it feeds on. According to a recent study, these caterpillars can actually sense the color of the tree’s bark with their skin as well as with their eyes.

The monarch butterfly employs a different defense against predatory birds. It has developed a unique immunity to the toxins contained in milkweed plants. Its caterpillars feed only on these plants, store the milkweed toxins in their bodies, and then transfer the protective poison to the adult butterflies. Birds have learned to give monarchs a wide berth. I was delighted to find a gaggle of monarch caterpillars feeding on my recently planted swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). Photo below.

copyright 2019 — Lois Sheinfeld

[Note: For more information about swamp milkweed see post of Feb. 2, “2019: A Choice Selection of Garden Plants.” And when you need an ID, the illustrated field guide Caterpillars of Eastern North America (Princeton University Press 2005) is an excellent reference.]

In Autumn, migrating monarchs and other butterflies visit the fire engine red flowers of my favorite Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’.’

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

Along with Dahlias, containers of colorful mums provide eye-popping appeal.

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

And my Autumn garden is enriched by a group of time-tested shade plants with decorative red and purple foliage undersides:

Begonia grandis ‘Alba’ is a low-growing herbaceous perennial that produces masses of charming snowy-white flowers on pink-flushed stems in September/October. But it was the red undersides of the foliage that captivated garden writer Alan Lacy. “If placed where it catches the last low rays of the sun from behind” he said, “B. grandis offers a sight that is one of the epiphanies of Autumn.” My plants thrive in moist, rich soil. Photos below.

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Heuchera ‘Stainless Steel’ is another low-growing, shade-loving perennial. Its showy silvery leaves with  an eggplant-purple reverse are beautiful until frost. Yet for me, its greatest asset is its longevity. I’ve been seduced by countless orange-pink and russet-brown heucheras — so-called perennials — that didn’t survive more than one or two seasons. H. ‘Stainless Steel’ has flourished in my organic garden for more than a decade. Hardiness counts. Photo below.

copyright 2019 — Jessica Amsterdam

 

Henna Coleus.  Any celebration of shade plants with vibrantly colored undersides must include award-winning Henna Coleus.  As my loyal readers know, I’ve been singing the praises of this dazzling annual for years. Unlike other Coleus that are quick to give up the ghost at summer’s end, Henna would be happy to flaunt her ruffles at your Thanksgiving table. Photos below.

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Finally, my Autumn garden has been graced with an ever-increasing number of Cornus kousa dogwood volunteers  displaying extraordinary blood-red, over-sized fruit. Photo below.

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

And I think I know who to thank for that.

copyright 2019 – Jessica Amsterdam

March/April 2019: Early Spring

The calendar read Spring but the garden was having none of it. Warm December breezes seduced Forsythia, Spring’s herald, into untimely bloom — which was then zapped by Mother Nature’s icy hand. So now the remaining buds, exercising extreme caution, were shut tight.

Thankfully, daffodils and the deliciously fragrant flowering shrubs Pieris japonica and Sarcococca hookeriana humilis stepped up and saved the day.

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

Ah, Spring, at last.

Still, it’s not all “raindrops on roses.” Because of climate change, we have to contend with a dramatic increase of pollen in the air. The National Institute of Environmental Health Services recommends that allergy sufferers remain indoors from 5 a.m. – 10 a.m. when the pollen count is highest. Regrettably, that’s Prime Time for work in the garden — especially in hot weather.

But we cope and move on.

British author Iris Murdoch got it right: “One of the secrets of a happy life,” she said, “is continuous small treats.” A wonderful small Spring treat is Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis). I’ve treasured this vigorous, rhizomatous, perennial groundcover for over forty-five years. I can’t imagine my garden without it. In May the plant produces enchanting racemes of very fragrant, tiny, snowy-white bells. A striking variegated-leafed variety, Convallaria majalis ‘Albostriata’, is also available. Photos below.

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

copyright 2019 – Lois Sheinfeld

 

Lily of the Valley thrives in moist, well-drained, acid soil in shade. All parts of the easy-care plant are poisonous and deer don’t mess with it.

But not everyone is a fan. One of our best garden writers, Allen Lacy, had this to say: “I once planted lily-of-the-valley in a far corner of my garden, for what garden should be without its graceful nodding bells in late spring? But I now have a sheet of it fifteen feet in every direction that must be confined by ripping out great numbers of plants each year. I should have known better.” In a Green Shade (Houghton Mifflin Co. 2000).

Another outstanding American garden writer/author, Elisabeth Sheldon, was even more emphatic: “Who warns people about lily of the valley?” she said. “[It] sends its troops forward underground  — under rocks, pathways, and other plants. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be stopped by a cement sidewalk, so if you want to grow anything other than lily of the valley in your shade garden, you should never let it get started, no matter how much you love its scent.” A Proper Garden (Stackpole Books 1989).

Lacy and Sheldon: Accomplished, hands-on gardeners and a joy to read.

Both writers are factually correct: Lily of the Valley likes to travel and increase. But plant numbers are depressed now because of climate change, so I welcome the volunteers. (I’m sure the voles also deserve credit for the reduced numbers in my garden — unlike deer, voles never let toxicity get between them and a yummy plant meal.)