A Groundcover as Container Specimen

When is a groundcover not used as a live mulch? When it is a container plant, of course. Lysmachia congestiflora ‘Walkabout Sunset’ has a beautiful, multi-colored leaf and clusters of bright yellow blooms. Initially the common name, Loosestrife, frightened me away from using this plant because I feared it might be invasive. I’m happy to report that this is not the case.

Several cultivars are available. All are low growing (to six inches) and will spread readily since they root wherever stem touches soil. This spreading habit makes it a great choice for edging in-ground water features. Lysmachia is a semi-evergreen perennial in zones 7b to 9a  In my 7b garden, I find ‘Walkabout Sunset’ sheds most leaves and looks dead by late winter but makes a rapid recovery when spring arrives. It will not tolerate temperatures below 15 degrees, so I take a small cutting in autumn and overwinter it in the greenhouse as added insurance against plant loss.

‘Walkabout Sunset’ performs best in part-sun, with a little shade in the hottest part of the day. It prefers damp to wet soil and is undemanding as to soil pH. I sited a potted specimen in full sun and found that it needed more additional water than I was willing to donate, so I relocated it to the raised portion of a birdbath. This solution kept the plant roots damp and gave birds and insects a place to perch when they visited the water source. Everyone was happy.

‘Walkabout Sunset’ is equally attractive when used as a sole container specimen or as an undercover to a taller plant. The variegated leaves have a blue-green stripe that pairs well with a similarly toned container.

You will note that I did not include the pronunciation above, as I normally do. Here goes: ly-si-MAK-ee-uh kon-jes-tih-FLOR-uh. I have observed that some well-known plant experts pronounce the third syllable with a long A while other make it a short A. I thought it would be easier to stick with the cultivar name, but then I found some plants tagged as ‘Walkabout Sunset’ and others as ‘Outback Sunset’ or ‘Waikiki Sunset.’ Are they the same? I cannot tell. What I can tell is that ‘Persian Chocolate’ has purple-ish foliage. Can’t wait to try it in a container with pink Begonias.

Foliage color mirrors container

Birdbath keeps soil wet

Perennial Bellflowers Ring a Long TIme

Oops – I did it again. Another impulse purchase of a plant that may not be a good choice for my area. One of the local grocery stores has strategically placed their flower section directly in my path, between the salad bar (packaged salads during the pandemic) and the fresh fruit. I’m already needy when I go in, and those small containers of cute potted plants seem to jump in my cart without my involvement. This week’s purchase was a pair of tiny (2.5-inch containers) Campanula. That was the only identifier on the label. No mention of the species. Sigh…

It could be Campanula carpatica, C. glomerata, C. persicifolia, C. takesimana, C. rotundifolia, C. medium, C. punctata, or C. rapunculoides. The one thing all these species share is ease of growth. A few prefer cool summers. Most (but not all) have bell-shaped flowers. (The common name is Bellflower or Canterbury Bells.) Most are in shades of blue or purple, but a few are pink, lilac or even white. My newest acquisitions are a deep purple, with upward facing blooms. Unless appearances are deceiving, it will be a dwarf, spreading form.

In the Snoddy garden, Campanula punctata ‘Pantaloons’ has been a star performer during the last ten years. A single plant, situated in poor soil with partial shade, spread rapidly via rhizomes and seeds to make a large, lovely community without any deadheading, staking, fertilizing or watering. Campanulas prefer neutral to alkaline soil, but mine has done fine in acidic soil. The punctata species is perennial in zones 5 through 9. It has a long, long bloom period. Deer shun all Campanulas.

‘Pantaloons’ was a gift plant from the gentleman who taught most of my Master Gardener classes in 2002. He labeled the plant “Purple Pantaloons” which reminded me, oddly, of the saloon girls in old television Western shows like Gunsmoke. Mr. Maple is deceased now, but his memory lives on in my garden.

Campanula punctata. Image by GLady from Pixabay.

“Bearded Bellflower” showing the fuzzy threads that gave rise to the common name.

Blackberry Lily identifies as an Iris

Poor Blackberry Lily experienced an identity crisis. For years it was Belamcanda chinensis. Then in 2005, pesky taxonomists examined the DNA sequence and determined that it is not a lily, not a blackberry, and not Belamcanda. Instead, this freckled redhead of the plant world has a new identity: Iris domestica.

Regardless of the binomial name, Blackberry Lily is one tough customer. Like most other members of the Iris family, it has swordlike, ten-inch-long leaves that rise like fans from a rhizome (bulb).  The rhizomes prefer well-drained soil and full sun, and are hardy in zones 5 through 10. Plants will rot in wet soils; they are drought tolerant once established. Blackberry Lilies flower in mid-summer and will continue through early autumn. Five-petal blooms are typically orange with a touch of yellow in the center and attractive red spots, which gives rise to another common name, Leopard Lily. Flowers are held above the leaves atop thin stems and are so profuse in number that the plants are best given support (think circular hoops like those used for peonies or dahlias) so they are not toppled by weight or summer thunderstorms.

Belamcanda – oops! I mean Iris domestica – rhizomes prefer a planting depth of five inches. Plants aren’t choosy about soil type or pH. They will be a bit shorter when grown in poor, dry soil. The rarer yellow form is shorter and requires more moisture and a richer soil than the typical orange flower.

Blooms result in clusters of shiny black seeds that look exactly like large blackberries. Left alone, plants will self-seed into large colonies. Plants look best when they are not allowed to become congested, so be generous and share divisions with your gardening buddies. Tattered or yellow leaves can be removed any time of the year. Both flowers and mature stems are used in flower arrangements.

Do not allow your cats, dogs, horses, or kids to ingest the flowers or blackberry-look-alike seeds; they are toxic. Flowers attract butterflies and are rarely bothered by other insects or diseases. This low-maintenance plant is easy to grow.

A Blackberry Lily bloom. Notice the numerous buds hiding behind this flower.

Blackberry Lily seed pod. "Blackberry Lily (DSC_0025), the blackberry." by Li-Ji is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Sweet Breath Of Spring - in winter

The sweet aroma of “Breath of Spring” will make your head whip around in search of the source. Lonicera fragrantissima (a melodic pronunciation makes one want to use the Latin instead of the common name: low-NISS-er-ah fray-gran-TISS-uh-muh) blooms in mid- to late-winter. The tiny ivory blooms with yellow stamens are unexciting, but the scent will make you swoon. On a warm day, honey bees flock to the flowers. Common names include “Sweet Breath of Spring” and “Winter Honeysuckle” but don’t confuse it with Winter Jasmine, featured last week.

Like other members of the honeysuckle family, Breath of Spring can be intrusive. It is on the list of invasive shrubs for SC, GA, TN and VA.  Its seeds are spread by birds and critters. Prevent spread by hard pruning as soon as petals fall (mid-March in the Mary Snoddy garden) before seeds ripen. Since Lonicera blooms on new growth and grows like the wind, cutting it back almost to ground level results in plentiful flowers in the next bloom cycle.  Without pruning, it grows larger each year, attaining heights of 9-12 feet. Arching stems, similar to Forsythia, result in a rounded, thicket-like shrub.

Due to its height (and somewhat gangly appearance), this one is best used in the back of the border or in the edge of woodlands where it will tolerate any type of soil (prefers acidic to neutral), any amount of sun or lack thereof (prefers sun to part sun), and almost any level of soil moisture (prefers moist, well-drained, not boggy). If ever there was a can’t-kill-it shrub, this is it.

Deciduous to semi-evergreen and hardy from zones 4 through 8, Breath of Spring is not browsed by deer or rabbits. It can be grown near Black Walnut trees. It requires no maintenance beyond the yearly pruning, and can be used as a coarse privacy hedge if available space will accommodate its spread of up to 15 feet. If you want to establish a hedge, strip the lower leaves off 9-inch stems and just push them into the ground along the desired hedge line. Most will take root without any help from the gardener. You can also cut blooming branches to enjoy its wonderful lemony fragrance indoors.

The tiny flowers of Lonicera fragrantissima pack a wallop of lemon-like fragrance.

This Breath of Spring was not pruned in the last two years. It is 12 feet tall and 15 feet across. All blooms are on the outermost portion of the stems’ (newest) growth. On this warm winter day, every branch is alive with honeybees. It is located in the edge of woodlands, where it receives 6 hours of sunlight during winter, and about 2 hours during summer when the surrounding trees are in leaf.

New Ajugas, New Colors

It is freezing outside. The wind is moaning like a banshee with a hangover. And I am indoors, fireside, with a cat on my feet and a lap full of nursery catalogs. It’s always fun to see the year’s newest seed and plant introductions and to read all the descriptions. A catalog from a seed company in South Carolina. has a whopping 184 entries for tomatoes. How can growers find 184 different ways to describe a tomato? And yet, they do.

Among the new plants for 2021 is an entire series of Ajuga reptans. ‘Feathered Friends’ encompasses seven new cultivars with golden, bronze or almost-black leaves. My heart beat a little faster when I saw Ajuga ‘Noble Nightingale.’ Some interior decorators recommend a touch of black in each room. A touch of black or almost black can elevate a so-so container combination to wow. Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens') has been my go-to plant for containers, but ‘Noble Nightingale’ is only four inches tall, with a spread up to 18 inches. I can envision it with Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ and something pink — Begonias or Caladiums. ‘Cordial Canary’ has golden yellow foliage, unlike any other Ajuga. ‘Parrot Paradise’ has leaves with shades of yellow, orange and red. From a distance, it reads as bronze.

Ajuga (common name is Bugleweed or Carpetweed) is easily grown in partial sun or shade. It will tolerate some drought. Blue flowers are a bonus. These undemanding groundcovers spread quickly, giving rise to some gardeners’ assessment of the plant as invasive. (It is a member of the mint family). It will grow and even thrive in many situations where other plants, including grass, won’t grow such as deep shade, dry soil, or under Black Walnut trees. It will tolerate minor foot traffic. Plants can be so vigorous that congested areas die. Prevent this by division. Ajuga is resistant to damage from deer and rabbits. Other than dieback from congestions, their only problem is root-rot when placed in wet soils.

The Mary Snoddy garden features ‘Burgundy Glow’ and ‘Black Scallop’ but these new cultivars are alluring. The above-mentioned ‘Feathered Friends’ is offered exclusively by Mast Young Plants. Here is a link to their site, so you can see photos of these beautiful new foliage colors: Ajugas

This photo of Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’ was taken February 3, proving that this groundcover for shade can look as good in mid-winter as it does during the warmer months. The almost-black foliage looks wonderful when paired with chartreuse, such as Lysimachia aurea, “Creeping Jenny” or rose shades, such as a bronze-leaf wax begonia with pink flowers..

Ajuga ‘Burgundy Glow’ lights up a dark area.

A planting of Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ along a walkway at Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve. (Photographer is unknown, unfortunately.) The shiny, rounded leaves offer beautiful contrast to the delicate fern fronds and the rough granite stones.

A new planting of ‘Black Scallop’ Ajuga pops against the chartreuse foliage of Talinum (“Jewels of Opar” and the rounded leaves of several Hostas. It will eventually spread to cover all the pine needle mulch.

Winter Jasmine, The Earliest Flowers

Tubular yellow flowers are erupting on leafless shrubs here in the Carolinas’ piedmont. Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum, pronounced JAZ-men-um noo-duh-FLORE-um) blooms early, about the same time as Crocus. The 6-petal unscented flowers are similar in color and shape to Forsythia, but are smaller and fewer. Flowers appear before leaves, and open first at the bottoms of stems, progressing to the tips. The shrub’s weeping structure is similar to Forsythia, but stems are smaller in diameter and young stems have a greenish tint, even when dormant.

Red exterior of unopened Winter Jasmine buds.

Plants reach five feet in height. Like Forsythia, Winter Jasmine will spread aggressively unless controlled. Any stems that touch ground will take root. It flowers best in full sun but will tolerate shade, poor soil, and drought. Left alone, plants take on an unkept, thicket-like appearance after a few years. Remedy this with severe pruning as soon as the flowering season ends. I inherited an overgrown hedge of these plants when we bought a new home. They have encroached into the territory of a nearby row of boxwoods that I want to preserve, so in March I’ll cut the entire hedge to within a few inches of the soil and use a sharp spade to sever and remove the roots outside the target range.

Winter Jasmine stems are squarish in cross section, with four definite angles, while Forsythias are round. Tiny (less than an inch) compound leaves appear opposite on stems, which allows the gardener to distinguish it from Jasminum floridum, a visually similar plant with alternate leaves and the same messy haystack of stems.

Winter Jasmine is an excellent groundcover plant for slopes that would be difficult to mow. Its arching stems look like a waterfall cascading over walls . It is rarely damaged by deer, disease, or insects. It is hardy in zones 6 through 10

A hedge of Winter Jasmine, planted on a steep bank above a business parking lot. Perfect for this location.

The thicket-like growth of Winter Jasmine is evident here. The gray stems are dead and should be pruned out. Live stems are green.

Heuchera for Year-Round Beauty

When the winter garden is clothed in dormant twigs and fallen leaves, a touch of lively color lifts the spirit and reminds us that spring lurks ahead. Heuchera is a colorful group of perennials that are hardy from zones 4 to 9, depending upon variety and lineage. Modern cultivars have parents in H. villosa and H. americana. In the south, Heucheras (common names: Coral Bell, Alumroot) withstand hot and cold temperatures and look good every month of the year. Tiny blooms, a favorite of butterflies, are held atop wiry stems, but Heucheras are grown for their outstanding foliage. Cultivars have caramel, rose, lime, purple or green leaves marked with silver, red or white.

The lovely chartreuse green ‘Citronelle’ is one of the most heat tolerant cultivars. Grow it in shade to partial shade, where the leaves will be more yellow than green. Full sun leads to crispy edges and bleached leaves. I planted dozens of these in a lightly shaded bed. Within three years, there was only a single survivor. Each one got smaller and smaller, dwindling down to a single leaf before disappearing completely. I finally discovered the key to success – well-drained soil. The native heavy clay soil of upstate South Carolina mandated container culture, enhanced by fertile, well-drained potting soil and frequent watering. I plucked the lone ‘Citronelle’ specimen from the ground and placed it in a container with two other Heucheras, a purple-leaf variety (lost the cultivar name) and ‘Caramel,’ with caramel-colored leaves. Instant success! I eventually moved ‘Citronelle’ to her own container and replaced her with ‘Key Lime Rickey.’ These three live shoulder-to-shoulder in a container which looks as good in February as in August. Two ‘Amber Waves’ plants look especially good in a pair of peachy-toned clay pots along a brick walkway. These are sited in full sun. (Evidently, they did not receive the notification that they were meant for shade.)

A trio of Heucheras (‘Caramel,’ ‘Key Lime Rickey,’ and an unidentified purple leaf cultivar). These three live in harmony all year long. The container looks this good even in winter.

Plant breeders introduce new cultivars every year, with an ever-broadening range of color and vein combinations. One thing I have learned about this wonderful plant: Catalog photos are taken when plants are at their very peak of beauty. Plants that exhibit gorgeous apricot and rose shades in spring (such as ‘Sweet Tea’ or ‘Peach Flambe’) may mature darker, even dirty-looking by August or September. My beloved ‘Berry Smoothie’ is raspberry-rose in spring but darkens to purple in winter. In catalogs, ‘Stop Light,’ is a beauty, with yellow-lime leaves marked with bright red veins. I have never been able to replicate the distinctive markings in my garden and had to settle for a red vein here and there. Purple-leaf forms age a bit better. ‘Obsidian’ is almost black. It looks especially good in containers with pink Begonias or Caladiums. Heucheras also pair well with smaller grasses, such as Lagurus ovatus ‘Bunny Tails.’

If a mature Heuchera develops an elongated stem, it is time to lift it and replant it to position the woody section under soil level. Remove tattered or crispy leaves at any time to keep the plant looking tidy. Heucheras are rarely browsed by deer or rabbits.

Finally, Heuchera is pronounced HEW-ker-ah. This one is mispronounced even more than Liriope. The first syllable rhymes with Yew. Get it right and you have risen to the upper echelon of gardeners.

'Amber Waves' ruffled, peachy leaves

'Berry Smoothie' plum and silver leaves

Huge Flowers on Hardy Hibiscus

Every year the National Garden Bureau selects one “Plant of The Year” in five separate categories: annual, perennial, edible, bulb, and shrub. The chosen plants in each category are selected because of their widespread adaptability and ease of culture. The 2021 Shrub Of The Year is Hardy Hibiscus.

Hibiscus is both the common name and the Latin genus name for several species. Hardy Hibiscus should not be confused with Tropical Hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis) or Shrub Hibiscus, commonly known as Rose of Sharon (H. syriacus). Tropical Hibiscus makes a showy container plant but is not cold hardy in most of the US. Rose of Sharon is a gangly shrub growing to fifteen feet. In the Mary Snoddy garden, Rose of Sharon is almost indestructible. It survives and even thrives in poor soil, full sun or partial shade, drought, and all-around abuse. There are few plants I dislike (I’m looking at you, Pampas Grass) but despite its attractive flowers over a long bloom season, Rose of Sharon is not among my favorites. The foliage has an unpleasant (to my nose) odor and it lures aphids in disgusting numbers.

Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) is hardy down to zero degrees or even colder. Plants require full sun and plenty of moisture to look their best. They will even survive in areas that flood occasionally. Plants die to the ground each winter; in spring they grow rapidly to heights ranging from two to ten feet. The flowers can be as large as dinner plates – 10 to 12 inches in diameter – and come in pink, rose, red, purple, white, and bi-colors. Lady Baltimore is pink with a red eye. Lord Baltimore is a solid red. The Baltimores have been putting on a show in southern gardens for decades. A newer cultivar, ‘Midnight Marvel’ has true red flowers and wine foliage, a gorgeous combination. I have been observing hardy Hibiscus ‘Moy Grande’ in a local botanical garden for several years. The cherry pink blooms are huge and plentiful. Each year, the plant gets larger than it was the prior year. This cultivar was developed in San Antonio, Texas, where  they know the meaning of “large.” ‘Disco Belle’ is a dwarf, reaching only thirty inches or so, but retaining the large flower size. 

Choose your favorite color, site it in full sun and rich soil, give it plentiful water and get out of the way. These bold plants grow fast. They should be given plenty of room. Remove stems a few inches above ground level when they are top-killed by frost. New growth is a little late to emerge in the spring, which means they pair well with daffodils or other spring bulbs that put on a show and then go dormant. Flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Leaves attract Japanese Beetles, so be prepared to do battle with those nasty bugs. A single plant functions as a specimen, but a row planting can work as a warm-weather hedge.

The accompanying photographs were kindly supplied by the National Garden Bureau. Click on the individual photos for a link with additional identifying information.

Crepe Suzette Summer Spice

Berry Awesome

Disco Belle Pink

Dark Mystery

Head over Heels Adore

Summer Carnival

Clivia Houseplant: Winter Flowers

The trumpet-shaped blooms of Clivia offer a welcome bright spot during gray mid-winter. Clivia miniata (pronounced KLIV-ee-ah min-ee-AY-tah) is cold hardy only in zones 9 and warmer, which means most gardeners enjoy it as a houseplant.

Clivia flowers may be orange or yellow (less common, more expensive). My first plant came as a gift from fellow Master Gardener, Dr. Jim Weeks. He assured me that it would survive low light levels, being root bound, occasional drought, and general neglect. Check, check and check. I placed it in a north-facing window, and have been rewarded with orange flowers every year since. Plants produce single stems topped with clusters of up to twenty buds. These open over days or weeks. My record has been blooms over 23 days. Not bad for a victim of my houseplant skills! The flowers result in seeds, but the most reliable means of propagation is separation and re-potting of the offsets produced by a mature plant. It may take a year or two for these offsets to bloom. Plants bloom best when moderately root bound.

Treat plants to a lukewarm shower occasionally to remove dust from the broad strap-like leaves that resemble Amaryllis, to which it is akin. Otherwise, avoid overwatering. Allow plants to dry out slightly between waterings, and never allow them to stand in water. Oldest leaves may yellow. This is normal. Trim these off with scissors. Give plants a rest period of 4-6 weeks with reduced water and night temperatures of 50 degrees to induce bud set. Use a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer at half-strength every two weeks once buds are visible. Plants prefer bright, filtered light but no direct sun. A north-facing window is ideal.

All parts of Clivia are toxic to pets and people.

A flowering Clivia miniata. Note that this specimen is in a nursery pot within a decorative cache pot. I remove the black plastic pot before giving the plant a thorough soaking, and allow it to drain before returning it to the ceramic container.

This specimen is happy in a north-facing window, where it receives bright light but no direct sun.

There is root bound, and then there is Criminal Plant Neglect. This falls into the latter category.. She got a root trim and fresh soil.

New Year's Traditional Foods

Tomorrow will bring 2020 to a close. It has been a year unlike any other. During the pandemic, our seasonal celebrations were far from traditional. As we struggle to regain normalcy, many of us will enjoy the foods that are as much a part of New Year’s menus as turkey is for Thanksgiving.

Eating collards (or any other green of your choice, including turnip greens and cabbage) is supposed to ensure that one has plentiful “folding money” in the coming year. Black-eyed peas represent coins. These peas kept some southerners from starving to death during the food shortages of the civil war. Union soldiers considered them animal fodder, and did not destroy fields of them. As a child, I disliked cooked greens and tried to ensure my wealth by gobbling large quantities of peas, always seasoned with bacon.

Ownership of pigs and other livestock has long been considered a mark of prosperity.  Eating pork is supposed to bring gardening and/or financial success in the coming year. An alternate explanation is that pork consumption symbolizes progress into the future, much as pigs use their snouts to push forward when foraging for food. If you are one of the many whose landscaping has been destroyed by rooting of wild hogs, you are less likely to see the charm of this soil nudging. I once visited a swine farm in Vermont where the farmer put bowling balls in his pigsties for entertainment, to keep piglets from rooting up the posts of the fence that contained them.

Cornbread is the final component of traditional New Year’s dinner. It symbolizes gold. Americans adopted cornbread from Native Americans. There are regional differences. Northern recipes tend to add a bit of flour and sugar to the mix, while most southerners skip the sugar but may add pork cracklings. My husband is a purist, insisting on no sugar or wheat flour, and mandating that buttermilk is a required component of the mix. I can forgo the sugar, but find that adding chopped jalapenos elevates from so-so to delicious. To each their own.

Whether you choose to welcome the new year with traditional choices or tofu and vegan selections, I wish for you and your families a happy, healthy 2021.

A view of wild turkeys from my kitchen window yesterday. They must realize that Thanksgiving is past…

…while another flock of turkeys wander down the driveway. The males “gobble” while this group of hens make odd clicking noises.

Wagon-Wheel Herb Garden

The winter solstice this week marks the longest night of the year. Beginning December 22, daylight hours lengthen by a few minutes each day until the summer solstice in June marks the longest day. Like many of you, I am spending cold winter days indoors, perusing seed catalogs and waiting impatiently for the time to arrive when I can start tomatoes and peppers from seeds. It is difficult to resist my heated greenhouse’s alluring call to action.

It is too early to start most vegetables and summer annuals, but it is an ideal time to plan an herb garden. Two of my favorites, parsley and chives, take a long time to germinate and grow to decent size, so I can satisfy my seed-starting urges with these.

Parsley is finicky. Always start with fresh seed because they lose viability faster than most other seeds. I attain excellent germination by placing seeds in a waterproof container and pouring boiling water over them. I allow seeds to soak overnight before using tweezers to place them atop seed-starting medium, which is finer texture than potting soil. Use 4-6 seeds in each four-inch container. I featured curly parsley as a flower bed edging one year. It was very pretty – until hungry caterpillars moved in and annihilated it almost overnight. (It’s best to remind oneself that the caterpillars of today are the butterflies of tomorrow.) I prefer flat-leaf parsley for kitchen use.

One of my favorite designs for an herb garden is a wagon wheel. Metal lasts longer than wood, of course, but wooden wheels meant for decorative use are readily available and not expensive so you won’t mind replacing them when they rot. For the one pictured below, I removed half the spokes to make larger planting windows.

Labeling your herbs is not essential (you know what you planted) but is an attractive enhancement. Many plant markers are decorative as well as functional. My favorite ceramic markers lend humor to the garden: “Peakus Lastweekus,” “Plantum WhydIbuyem,” and “Twigga Mortis.” For the herb garden, I use small terra cotta saucers and a permanent black marker. (May God richly bless whomever developed the Sharpie Extreme, UV-resistant felt pen.) The coarse texture of terra cotta combines well with the unrefined exuberance of herb plants. Fill any gaps in the wheel with pansies or marigolds.

Small-stature herbs for the wagon wheel design: parsley, oregano, chives, garlic, dill, lemon balm, culinary sage, basil. Rosemary is my favorite herb for cooking and fragrance, but it grows large so should be planted where it has room to flourish. Innocent-looking mints are best confined to containers because they spread aggressively.

A lush herb garden, ready for harvest.

The initial planting of the herb wheel, in March.

Well-Earned Moniker: Cast Iron Plant

Cast Iron plant (Aspidistra elatior, pronounced ass-pih-DIS-trah eh-LAY-tee-or) is adored by flower arrangers and those with a self-professed black thumb. These stalwart plants have vertical leaves to 24” or so. Planted directly in the ground, they tolerate heavy shade, dry soil and neglect, although they look best with a little added moisture in dry periods. Flower arrangers love them because the leaves stay firm for a lengthy period after being cut, and will even survive for a time without being in a vase of water. Leaves can be pleated, rolled, or folded for special arrangement effects, or even used to line the inside of a clear container that features blooming stems.

Cast Iron plant will survive outdoors in zones 7 and 8. In colder zones, it makes a great houseplant due to its low light requirement. Its persistence in the face of neglect won it common names like Bar-room Plant or Parlor Palm. Outdoors, it prefers shade or partial shade, and will not tolerate direct sun. Protect from strong winds to avoid tattered leaves. 

Dr. Lew Feldman, the Garden Director at University of California’s Botanical Gardens at Berkley, wrote a fascinating history of how the plant earned its name. To summarize, Cast Iron plant became popular as a houseplant in the late 19th century when gas lighting introduced ethylene into home interiors. (Ethylene is used now used as a growth-restricting hormone by professional growers.) The Cast Iron plant has a biochemistry that caused it to ignore the large amount of ethylene indoors, making it one of the few plants that would survive. Find his entire article here.  

Cast Iron plant, an asparagus relative, spreads by rhizomes. It is evergreen where winter temperatures remain above 20 degrees, making it a good alternative for hosta and a good companion to ferns. Deer don’t browse it

The coarse texture of Aspidistra contrasts well with fern fronds. This beautiful planting is in No Man’s Land, the area next to an exterior wall where little rain falls.

Red and Green Groundcovers

Mother Nature is celebrating the holiday season by decorating with red and green. On a walk through the woods , you might spot Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) or American Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Both these groundcovers have deep green leaves, white blooms in late spring/early summer, and red berries in fall/winter.

American Wintergreen, also known as Boxberry, Checkerberry or Eastern Teaberry, is a woody, evergreen, mat-like groundcover. It has tiny white flowers that are shaped like smooth urns. In fall and winter, bright red berries, about the same size as a single Nandina berry, contrast attractively with the deep green foliage. Wintergreen is a member of the Ericaceous family It prefers poor, acidic soils and the company of hardwood trees. The white or pale pink blooms are shaped like upright cups. Flowers are mildly fragrant, but one almost needs to be on hands and knees to catch the scent.

Partridgeberry is commonly called Twinflower because its blooms are held in pairs. Partridgeberry has two distinctly different types of blooms. One has a long pistil and four short stamens. The other is exactly the opposite: one short pistil and four long stamens. A very close look (think magnifying glass or at least a good pair of reading glasses) at the Partridgeberry bloom reveals its fuzzy appearance. It produces a beautiful red berry similar to Wintergreen. When squeezed, the Partridgeberry fruit will separate into two parts; the Winterberry remains solid.

Both Wintergreen and Partridgeberry are found across most of the eastern United States. They thrive in shady woodlands. The easiest way to distinguish the two is to crush a leaf or sample taste a berry. Wintergreen has the distinctive scent and taste of, well, wintergreen. Partridgeberry leaves have no scent and the fruit is tasteless. Another distinguishing characteristic is that the Partridgeberry leaf has a lighter vein running the from stem to tip. Wintergreen does not have this noticeable feature.

Both these plants grow only a few inches tall, but spread indefinitely to form a  gorgeous carpet for the forest floor. They are frequently found growing shoulder to shoulder in zones 3 through 7. Partridgeberry tolerates more heat; its growth area extends to zone 8. Birds and other wildlife eat the berries.

Red berries rest atop the dark green leaves of Mitchella repans like Nature’s Christmas ornaments

The twosome flowers of Mitchella repans illustrates one of its common names, Twinflower. A persistent berry from last year is visible in the 12 o’clock position.

Super Salvia for Autumn

I’ve never met a Salvia I didn’t like. Salvia leucantha, Mexican Salvia, is a star of the autumn garden. This herbaceous perennial grows in zones 7b to 10a. In the cooler zones, top growth is killed to the ground in freezing weather. It will remain evergreen or semi-evergreen in warmer zones. Either plant it in spring to ensure that it has a well-established root system before cold weather arrives or consider it an annual.

Mexican Salvia can each a height of three feet or more, making it perfect for the back of the flower border. ‘Santa Barbara’ is a dwarf form. Flowers occur at the stop of stems, so plants are best situated where shorter plants conceal their lower half. Their lanky structure means that plants may open up in the middle, and may even break in strong winds or thunderstorms. The best way to combat this problem is to prune plants back by half in late May. Onset of flowering may be delayed by a few days, but plants will be shorter and bushier. Don’t prune after mid-July or you risk removing flower buds.

Bloom spikes are either bicolor purple and white or solid purple. The first blooms of the bicolor varieties are sometimes solid purple, with the white appearing in later blooms. The narrow grayish, felted leaves give a hint that it is both heat and drought tolerant. These Salvias prefer a well-drained, neutral to moderately alkaline soil. All varieties attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Deer and rabbits rarely nibble them.

Salvias have square stems, which is a signal to gardeners that they are easily propagated from cuttings. Plant in swaths for an impressive fall display, especially when paired with yellow or orange flowers.

Feed Your Pollinators

If your landscape plans for next year include a pollinator garden, consider including Buddleia, known as Butterfly Bush. Some gardeners shy away from using this heat- and drought-tolerant plant because older cultivars may grow to be huge and can reseed to the point of nuisance. In some states they are considered invasive. Newer introductions, namely the Lo and Behold™ series and the Pugster™ series (both trademarked) are small in stature and well-behaved.

Buddleias bloom on new growth, so should be pruned in late winter  or very early spring (before new growth emerges) to increase the number of blooms and to retain their rounded form. The blooms produce copious nectar. In addition to butterflies, many other pollinators flock to the clusters of sweet-smelling bloom panicles that are shaped almost like ice cream cones. In my zone 7b garden, Buddleias start blooming in June and continue until a hard freeze occurs. Pruning away the dead flowers will make future blooms more plentiful.

Buddleias need full sun and well drained soil. They prefer a soil with pH of 6.0 to 7.0, so throw an extra handful of lime their way if your soil test indicates an acidic soil. These tough shrubs are cold hardy in zone 5 to 9, although they may be winter-killed to the ground in the colder zones. Their growth rate is so fast, this hardly matters.

Most Buddleia blooms are shades of purple or lavender, but are also available in shades of white, blue, pink and yellow.

Buddelias are typically trouble-free, but on occasion may be stricken with spider mites, mildew, or nematodes. Resist the urge to use insecticides for these problems, since those would have a negative impact on visiting pollinators. Try to counter any issues by insuring adequate moisture during droughts and siting plants in locations with good air circulation.

If your space allows for a large specimen, ‘Black Knight’ is widely available; its blooms are a rich purple. It may reach six feet or more in a single season. ‘Nanho Blue’ is smaller, reaching four or five feet. For smaller yards and smaller gardens, the Pugsters and Lo and Beholds make wonderful anchors for beds but can also stand alone. Lo and Behold is a small shrub with small flower clusters; Pugster is even smaller but has full-sized blooms. A well-grown Pugster is a thing of beauty.

A white Buddleia pairs with yellow Coreopsis and rosy Joe Pye Weed in the pollinator bed of Lake Lure Flowering Bridge in Lake Lure, NC

A young planting of Buddleia Pugster Amethyst with yellow Coreopsis

Katsura Smells of Caramel?

Katsura leaves resemble Redbud, to which it is not related.

In addition to the Hickories, Maples, Sourwoods and Tupelos that are lighting up my woods right now, a weeping Katsura or Cercidiphyllum (ser-sid-ih-FIL-um), greets fall with butter-yellow, heart-shaped leaves. Despite the similarity in Latin names and leaf shape, they are not related to Cercis (Redbud tree). A quick examination reveals identity. Cercis leaves are held in an alternate arrangement on stems while Katsura are mostly in an opposite arrangement. Decaying Katsura leaves are reputed to have the smell of burnt sugar or caramel. Much to the consternation of my dogs and cats, I have sniffed the ground around mine several times but have been unable to detect any such scent. Spring leaves are bronze or burgundy and mature to a blue-green that is very attractive, especially when paired with contrasting foliages such as deep green holly or yellow ‘Gold Mop’ cypress.

Katsuras are not giant trees, maturing at a modest 50 feet or less. My mature specimen, a weeper that I assume to be the cultivar ‘Pendula,’ is 25 feet tall, with an equal spread. The tips of its branches brush the ground. Katsura wood is firm, so its branches do not ripple in the breeze like a weeping willow. An imaginative child (okay, an adult, too) could turn this upside-down-umbrella shape into a nature fort or hiding spot.

Katsuras will grow in either acidic clay or sand soils as long as there is plenty of organic matter, so allow fallen leaves to remain in place. It prefers a moist environment, so plan on supplemental irrigation during long dry periods. An alkaline soil results in a loss of the beautiful fall leaf color. Trees can be either male or female (dioecious). Spring flowers appear before leaves, are insignificant and have no smell. Male flowers are red; female flowers are green and produce tiny bean-like seed pods. Flowers last only one week. Mature trees have shaggy bark. They are shallow rooted, and may have roots above soil level, so plan surroundings carefully. Site them out of a windy area, if possible.

Cercidipyllum trees are unlikely to appear at big box stores and small garden centers. I worked in a plant nursery several years where a lone weeping Katsura was for sale. I coveted the plant, although it carried a price tag that put it beyond my modest plant-purchasing budget. I don’t know if it was the price tag or customers’ unfamiliarity that kept it hostage on the sales floor. It remained available for years after I moved on to other projects. Since then I have learned that Katsuras resent disturbance and are best moved when small.

Katsuras are Asian natives that grow in zone 4 to 8, full sun, moist but well-drained soil. They are rarely browsed by deer and have no significant insect or disease issues.

The graceful form of a weeping Katsura tree.

Golden Ginkgo

Across the southeast, the golden autumn leaves of Ginkgo biloba glow in the sun like sunshine in solid form. Ginkgo, commonly known as Maidenhair Tree, may reach heights up to seventy feet, with a spread of forty feet or less. Several dwarf cultivars are available. In the Mary Snoddy garden, a 15-year-old ‘Spring Grove’ is less than six feet tall. ‘Mariken’ is even shorter, maturing at a shrub-size three feet. A variegated form is also available. Ginkgo leaves have an unusual fan shape. A recent introduction, ‘Saratoga,’ has deeply-notched drooping leaves that give it a unique appearance.

Ginkgo is a popular street tree because of its attractive pyramid shape with nicely spaced limbs. In spring and summer, the leaves are an unremarkable green before cooler temperatures and shorter days cause the onset of its golden autumn hue. Ginkgo is tolerant of all soils except bogs. Forklore says that in fall a Ginkgo will shed all its golden leaves within 24 hours. While that is not quite accurate, they do lose all their leaves in a short period, usually a week or less. This obliging habit makes them favorites for those of us who hate raking, raking and raking.

The one characteristic that is not charming is the scent of mature Ginkgo fruit, which causes people in the vicinity to check the bottom of their shoes. These plum-sized stink bombs have large seeds which, once cleaned of pulp and roasted, are considered edible delicacies in some cultures. Fortunately, only female trees bear the odoriferous fruits. Nurseries normally sell only male trees. Purchase with caution if the tag says “seedling.” You have a 50-50 chance of taking home a future stinker.

Ginkgoes are easily transplanted. They grow slowly for the first year or two but then have a growth spurt. They tolerate heat, humidity, and pollution. Grow them in full sun, zones 6-9. They are deer resistant and not troubled by diseases or insects. Site your Giinkgo near an evergreen to enjoy the maximum leaf color contrast.

Fossils prove that Ginkgoes are prehistoric plants that once shared Earth with dinosaurs. They are akin to ancient ferns and are the only surviving member of their genetic group. Herbalists use ginkgo extract to treat memory loss or erectile dysfunction. Don’t try dosing yourself at home, however, as consuming large quantities of the leaves can be toxic.

The beautiful golden yellow of Ginkgo in autumn.

Fan shaped Ginkgo leaves

Limb structure of a juvenile tree

Ginkgo leaf starting to show fall color

Lavender Scent for Stress Relief

Politics and pandemics. Hurricanes, wildfires and home schooling. Many of us are feeling stressed. In times of increased tensions, it is tempting to turn to food or drugs to regain our equilibrium (read: to avoid lashing out at the ones we love). The scent of lavender is a natural time-tested anxiety reliever.

Folk medicine has long proclaimed lavender as an effective stress reducer. (Fans of the Downton Abbey series may remember Anna stuffing a sleep-inducing pillow with dried lavender blooms, circa 1920s.) Now the scientific community agrees. A study released in 2018 indicates that linalool, the magic substance in lavender, must be inhaled rather than injected directly into the bloodstream to be effective. In this instance, the marketing world has a head start. There are laundry detergents, candles, deodorants, lotions, air fresheners and even a pillow spray containing this calming aroma. The good news is that home gardeners can grow their own.

Lavender is a member of the mint family. The most common types are English lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) and Spanish or French lavender (Lavendula stoechas or Lavendula dentata). English lavender is the hardiest type, being cold hardy into Zone 5. ‘Hidcote,’ ‘Superblue,’ and ‘Munstead’ fall into the English family while ‘Bandera’ and ‘Primavera’ are Spanish rebloomers. Modern crosses between the two types produce heavy blooming, cold hardy types like ‘Torch,’ ‘Provence’ and ‘Edelweiss.’ All these have flowers in the blue to violet range, but pink and white cultivars are available.

Lavenders are challenging to raise from seed, with low germination rates and slow growth. Start with a purchased plant and propagate from cuttings or layering. Growing Lavenders in clay soil and high humidity of the southeast can be challenging. Like other plants with felted gray leaves, they are heat tolerant but prone to rot if the leaves stay damp. They must be sited in full sun. Water only until plants are established; avoid wetting foliage. They are quite drought tolerant thereafter. Because plants need good drainage and good air circulation, they are ideally suited to rock gardens or container culture. Bagged potting soils labeled for cactus work well. Plants prefer a lean, alkaline soil, so do not add fertilizer but do add lime to keep a pH of 6.4 to 8.2.

Plants may eventually reach heights of 4 feet or more. Tall plants tend to flop open in the middle. This can be prevented by selecting dwarf cultivars or pruning (remove up to 1/3 of the foliage) immediately after they bloom – a perfect opportunity to harvest the flowers for potpourri or even food use. I enjoyed a delicious lavender shortbread cookie several years ago at a gardening event. Lavenders bloom on new growth, so pruning keeps them compact and increases the number of flowers. If pruning is neglected, plants will eventually develop leafless woody stems at lower levels. Once this occurs, replace the plant with a new one. Plants rarely throw new growth when pruned down to this woody section.

Lavenders are evergreen to semi-evergreen. Both flowers and foliage are fragrant. They are not browsed by deer, are not aggressive and are not invasive. Blooms are long-lasting. Bees and butterflies love them.

Lavender is the National Garden Bureau’s Perennial of the Year for 2020. They have kindly provided the accompanying photographs.

Anouk Bandera Purple

Big Time Blue

Hidcote Blue

Munstead

Primavera

Portion

This Broom Is Not For Witches

I profess an above average plant knowledge, so I was a bit embarrassed recently when a visitor to the Mary Snoddy grounds (she is a fantastic gardener) corrected my mis-identification of Butcher’s Broom as Poet’s Laurel. She was right!

Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is in the same genetic family (Asparagaceae) as Poet’s Laurel (Danae racemosa), along with Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra), Asparagus Fern, and Sacred Lily (Rohdea – a fabulous plant to be featured in a future blog). Broom and Laurel share unusual characteristics. What appears to be leaves are actually modified stems, known by botanists as cladophylls. Both have foliage that lasts a long time when cut, making them favorites among the flower arranging community, and both have beautiful orange-red fruits in fall. Butcher’s Broom, however, has thorns hidden along the stems that will snag an unsuspecting gardener. Poet’s Laurel does not have these prickles. Both the Broom and the Laurel enjoy dry shade to part shade, zones 7 to 9. They tolerate a wide range of soils and are drought tolerant once established. The Laurel has a weeping habit while the Broom is more upright. Butcher’s Broom may eventually reach three feet in height with a bit wider spread. Poet’s Laurel will mature at four feet in height. Any branches that die should be cut off at ground level.

Butcher’s Broom and Poet’s Laurel are difficult to propagate and slow-growing so when available in plant nurseries, they are likely to carry a healthy price-tag. Brooms normally need both female and male plants nearby in order to produce those marble-size fruits, but ‘Wheeler’s Variety’ will self-pollinate. Brooms spread (gradually) from a creeping rhizome. If you are patient, you can also push the seeds into soil but expect to wait three years or more before you see leaves.

Neither plant is bothered by diseases or browsed by deer. One easy way to remember the plants’ identities is to recall that Poet’s Laurel was once used to form crowns for victorious athletes (hence the phrase, “resting on one’s laurels”). With its needle-like thorns, Butcher’s Broom would make an uncomfortable tiara.

The rich green foliage looks fabulous when paired with variegated plants or lighter green foliage. In a new bed, I have planted it with an under-dressing of ‘Black Scallop’ Ajuga (purple) and chartreuse “Jewels of Opar” (Talinum paniculatum). Even without the orange-red berries of a mature Butcher’s Broom, this color combination pleases me and I think it will only get better with age, though I may need to provide supplemental water for the Ajuga.

"File:Butcher's Broom (Ruscus aculeatus) (15720512577).jpg" by Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Cardinal Flower, beautiful red Lobelia

A patch of Lobelia cardinalis growing in a sunny bog.

Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis (pronounced low-BEE-lee-ah kar-dih-NAL-iss), is a perfect choice for damp-to-wet soil, in full or partial sun. Spikes of bright red, tubular flowers burst into bloom in late summer and fall, delighting both the gardener and hummingbirds. Flower spikes open first at the bottom and work their way to the top over several weeks.

With fertile soil and plentiful water, plants may reach as much as four feet tall.  Pinch out the growing tips early in the year to make plants shorter and bushier. These natives are perennial in zones 3 to 9, and appreciate a light winter mulch. They tend to be short-lived, lasting two or three years in the Mary Snoddy garden. I have had limited success in attempting to start them from seed. My preferred method is to plant a few purchased plants and allow them to self-sow, which they do freely. I placed three plants at the edge of our pond, did not prune or deadhead, and in a couple of years they had spread around the sunny perimeter to form an impressive display. They can also be propagated by stem cuttings or root cuttings, or by separating and replanting any “pups” that may form at the plants’ base. If you want yours to self-seed, allow the plants to scatter their seeds before removing spent bloom stalks.

There are two theories on how the Cardinal flower got its common name. One is that the plant was named for the scarlet feathers of the Cardinal bird. The other is that the flower color is the same red as robes worn by Cardinals in the Catholic Church. One cultivar, ‘Queen Victoria,’ has bronze foliage that provides an unusual contrast to the clear red blooms. I understand that cultivars with white or rose-pink flowers exist, but I have not found them in local nurseries.

Plants are moderately resistant to damage by deer. The one thing they will not tolerate is dry soil. This makes them ideal candidates for pond-side or bog plantings. Plants are toxic to humans and pets.

Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) is similar in appearance and culture, but instead has beautiful blue blooms. Blue Cardinal flower, or Great Blue Lobelia, is damaged by deer more often than its red cousin.

These Cardinal flowers are self-sown from three mother plants sited next to the Mary Snoddy pond.