Just the Bear Facts

We moved to a rural area last year to escape traffic, noise, and pollution. The relocation came with an unanticipated increase in wildlife encounters. Specifically, black bears. My first exposure was a few weeks ago, when a juvenile (75 pounds, guessing) wandered by as I ate dinner on the rear deck. Two more similar sightings followed, two different bears, each around sundown. During the same month, our iron shepherd’s hook was bent to the ground one night and our birdfeeders damaged. Someone joked that, in this area anyway, containers of sunflower seeds are known as bear-feeders, not birdfeeders. I did not want to encourage these visitors, so I started bringing the feeders in each evening. Mission accomplished, right? Wrong! Last week, we had a large (400 pounds or more) bear who arrived in broad daylight. The others had departed as soon as I yelled at them, but this fella (or gal) was undeterred by our presence on the deck, vocal appeals, or even the cacophony of a large cowbell. He paused for a photo, finished his meal, and strolled off. In the days following, I realized how little I knew about these magnificent beasts, and most of what I thought I knew turned out to be wrong.

First, there are eight bear species in the world, but the US is native to three: Black bears, brown bears (the formidable Grizzly falls into this category) and polar bears, which reside only in Alaska. Black bears are the most common in the southeast; brown bears are the most common in the central, north, and western US. The following information relates to black bears.

Adult black bears weigh about 500 pounds. They have a double thick coat that keeps them warm and dry. They can run up to 35 mph, for distances exceeding a mile. Their claws are two inches long and curved, when enables them to climb trees lickety-split, although they only climb to escape predators or when pursuing food. Re-read those last two sentences and realize the futility of trying to outrun or outclimb one who thinks you look tasty.

The good news is that, unless a Mama Bear thinks you are threatening her cubs or you are wearing a bacon necklace, it is unlikely that you would be considered edible. Black bears prefer a diet of berries, plants, grubs, and other insects. They will eat fish or small mammals occasionally, and honey whenever they can find it. A full-grown bear eats about 30 pounds of food per day, which keeps them busy foraging for dinner. Bears can swim well. They are capable of walking upright, but they typically assume this posture only when they are curious and want to see better. If a bear is clacking its teeth, huffing aloud, and slapping the ground, it is giving you a message to Go Away.

Black bears are timid and will avoid you if they can. If you must walk though bear territory, it is best to make plenty of noise to alert them to your presence. Given enough warning, a mother black bear will climb a tree with her cubs to avoid you. If it feels trapped, a bear may even charge you in an attempt to scare you into leaving. A bluff charge is not the same as an attack. According to Backpacker Magazine, a bluff usually begins with a hopping motion and with the head held up and ears tilted forward. A true attack starts with a down head.

Black bear attacks resulting in a fatality are rare, occurring once per year, on average. The best course of action is to avoid their territory when you can, carry bear-spray when you can’t, and keep your dogs with you. A scuffle between a dog and a bear never ends well for the dog. Secure your food when camping, and your kitchen trash when at home. Remove temptation and black bears will move on to better food sources. These are wild animals. Treat them with respect and give them space, and we can all get along just fine.

Handsome bear smiles for a photo, taken with a l-o-o-o-ng lens.

Elegant Calla Lilies

Calla lilies are a favorite flower for wedding bouquets and elegant cut arrangements. Even the Latin genus, Zantedeschia, has an elegant sound (pronounced zan-teh-DESK-ee-uh). They are widely available from florists, but a little pricey. How fortunate for gardeners, then, that they are so easy to grow.

Known as Calla lilies, these are not really a lily. Instead, they are a long-lasting South African bulb (rhizome) in the same family as Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Most internet sources and pre-packaged bulbs indicate that the bulbs should be planted 4 inches deep. In the southeast’s heavy clay soil, they want to be planted very shallowly, with the top of the bulb exposed. It can be challenging to determine which side is “up” so look carefully for the growing points. You can plant them outside after the soil is warm, or you can start them indoors if you are looking for a head start. They sulk in cool soil. For most bulbs, size matters – the bigger the bulb, the bigger the plant. In the case of Callas, size is not as important as the number of growing points or eyes. A large bulb with a single grow point will not produce as well as a much smaller bulb that have several points.

Callas prefer average to moist soils with plenty of organic matter but will not survive in a bog. They must have sun to bloom well, but full sun tends to scorch them a bit, so locate them in a partly shaded area. Ideal placement has morning sun, afternoon shade. Provide supplemental irrigation when rain is limited. Plants reach 20 to 30 inches tall. Even when not in bloom, Calla foliage is attractive, almost like an Arum. In the UK, the common name is Arum Lily. Many Callas have white freckles on their leaves. In my zone 7 garden, the leaves remain attractive until late fall. Don’t remove the foliage until it yellows.

Callas are often received as a gift potted plant, then discarded once the blooms fade. Please give them an opportunity to beautify your garden beds. (They do well in containers, too.) My favorite specimens came from a local grocery store. The plants had passed their prime, had been ignored by the staff (no watering), and looked dreadful. I allowed them to remain in their containers while they spent the winter in a cool garage with just a little water. In spring, I planted them outside in rich soil, morning sun, and plenty of water. They repaid my love with numerous flowers. These last a long time in the vase. Calla blooms are a spadix (a spike of tiny flowers) located in the throat of a spathe (a large bract or sheath). While white is the most common color, Callas come in an array of shades: yellow, apricot, pink, purple, deep red, and almost-black.

Callas are listed as cold hardy in zones 7 to 10. If you are cooler than zone 8, provide a deep but light-weight mulch like pine needles or grow them as annuals or houseplants.

Deer and rabbits usually leave Callas alone. The bulbs are highly toxic and may be fatal to humans and pets if eaten. Keep this in mind if you have indoor pets and plan to grow them as houseplants.

I divided and moved these two colors last August, at the worst possible time of the year. Yet, they survived and even bloomed in their new location.

Shrimp Plant

One of my favorite plants is having an identity crisis. First it was Belaperone guttata. Then its name changed to Justicia brandegeeana. Now it is Phlogacanthus guttatus. I’m going against normal practices to call it by its common name, Mexican Shrimp Plant, because it is easier to say and spell. This is a tropical beauty that is cold hardy only to zone 9 (or 8, in a sheltered location). I grow it outdoors in my zone 7 garden during the summer months, then bring it indoors as a houseplant during winter. Though it is considered a shrub, it has never grown above thirty inches tall in my containers.

The plant itself is ungainly, with skinny stems and bland leaves. But, oh, the flowers! It’s not hard to understand how the common name emerged. The unusual salmon-colored flower bracts, accented with touches of yellow and green, form an elongated tubular shape that looks like a cooked shrimp. The true flowers extend from the end of this tube, a couple of white petals with deep red dots There are other bract colors. I occasionally see a yellow-flowered form in the indoor garden center at local home improvement stores. These structurally unique flowers are a favorite of hummingbirds, second only to Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ in the Mary Snoddy garden. Butterflies like them, too. Flowers last a long time and gradually turn dark when spent. They will drop off by themselves if not removed by the gardener.

Grow Shrimp Plant in fertile, well-drained soil. It likes high humidity but will not tolerate wet feet. It is an understory shrub; morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal. If it gets too leggy or stops blooming well, cut it off just above ground level. It will regenerate quickly. Trimming back a few stems at a time will be less drastic but will result in a fuller plant. The trimmings can be used to propagate new plants. For rooting success, each cutting should have at least four leaves. A rooting hormone helps. Large clumps can also be divided. The stems of older plants tend to be somewhat brittle and may break if exposed to strong winds.

For areas with hard freezes, bring Mexican Shrimp Plant indoors during the cold months. Place it in a bright window and give it a drink of liquid fertilizer. It will continue to flower throughout winter. When the plant is moved indoors, be alert for aphids, spider mites or whiteflies.

Don't Disrespect Ditch Lilies

“Familiarity breeds contempt.” Or so said Geoffrey Chaucer in one of The Canterbury Tales. Perhaps that is why people hold the common orange day-lily, Hemerocallis fulva, in disdain. This “Ditch Lily” was a favorite of southern farmers’ wives in the 1950s and 60s, who prized their showy blooms and ease of growth. It is this effortless growth and rapid multiplication that causes concern. They “have the potential to become invasive,” per Invasives.org.

The common, orange Ditch Lily occurs in every eastern state. Like other members of the day-lily family, they thrive in full sun and prefer a slightly acidic, well-drained soil. They can be used instead of shrubs as a short hedge. They can also be used as a groundcover on slopes where mowing is impractical, and do a super job of preventing erosion. Ditch Lily flowers last only a single day, but they produce many, many buds so the bloom show goes on for weeks. Once all the buds on a stem have flowered, the naked stem can be removed to prevent seed formation and to make the plant look neater. This may encourage additional flowers.

Hybridizers have produced new colors, shapes, and forms of day-lilies. Colors have reached beyond the common orange to encompass all the warmer shades of the color wheel, from yellow to deep red or even purple, and everything between. Flowers are double, striped, freckled, curved. Some of these are highly valued (read: expensive). I particularly liked those with thick, ruffled petal edges until I heard a plantsman describe it as “chicken fat.” Now, I think of Tyson whenever I see those.

Whether your day-lilies are of the dug-it-from-the-roadside variety or one of the exorbitant specialty type, strands of the long grass-like foliage wilt and brown during the growing season. Growers advise us to remove the dead leaves as they occur, and cut off all the dead foliage once it is winter-killed. Rather than grooming my plants regularly to keep them neat, I follow a more radical (tough love) approach. Once half the foliage has browned, I gather it into a ponytail and decapitate it, leaving about four inches of leaf above soil level. Then I give the pruned plant a dose of liquid fertilizer. While plants will not repeat bloom, they do throw new foliage which is fresh-looking all the way to frost. I have not noticed a reduction in plant vigor as a result of this treatment.

Congested day-lily plants will have fewer flowers. To remedy, lift the entire clump, divide them and replant into amended soil. In fertile soil with plentiful water, you may need to divide every other year or every third year. When you lift a mature clump, you will find that it has formed a series of fleshy tubers, almost like a Dahlia. All divisions should have some of these little taters. After a vigorous division several years ago, I swept the damaged pieces off my garden bench into a bucket that contained discarded potting soil from a spent planter. Several weeks later, I discovered that each of the small bulbs had sprouted new leaves and roots. They are definitely survivors.

Day-lilies are drought-tolerant once established, and not prone to damage from insects or disease, although day-lily rust or leaf-streak may appear, as well as damage from thrips or slugs. Deer find the flowers and leaves quite tasty. I understand that day-lily flowers are edible, but have never sampled them. I prefer to enjoy them in the flower border – whether they are the high-dollar, super-hybridized variety, or the simple, old-fashioned orange Ditch Lily.

Ditch Lilies bloom along a country road

"Chicken Fat"

Plant Pomegranates for Fruit and Flowers

One of the prettiest flowering shrubs in the Mary Snoddy garden right now is grown for fruit, not flowers. While pomegranate (Punica granatum) is called a fruit, botanically it is a berry. By definition, a berry is produced from a single flower with one ovary, and may have many or few seeds. (Trivia: pomegranates and cucumbers are berries; strawberries and raspberries are not.)

Grow pomegranate in full sun, moderately fertile soil. They will survive in part sun, but flowering will be less profuse. My plant is over fifty years old. It did not fruit well for several years, but an ice storm brought down some limbs on the surrounding trees and it rebounded when given more sunshine. Once established, pomegranates require little maintenance. They tolerate a wide range of soil types (sand to clay, loam preferred) and acidity (pH 5.5 to 7.2), and are drought tolerant. Irrigation to maintain uniformly moist soil will prevent split fruit when rains follow long periods of dry weather.

Shrubs may reach 15-20 feet. A couple of dwarf cultivars are available. ‘Nana’ is only 2-3 feet tall and makes a showy container specimen, looking especially handsome in a blue container. Pomegranate flowers are usually red-orange with an unusual shape (see the photos). Just before opening, the bulbous buds look like miniature versions of the fruits. The plants flower over a long period. Double-flowered forms exist (‘Pleniflora’ is widely available), but they rarely produce fruit. ‘Utah Sweet’ has orange flowers; ‘Flavescens’ has yellow flowers. Regardless of color and whether single or double, flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds. Leaves turn an attractive yellow in the fall, and hold onto the stems for a long time before they fall. Leaves are small and don’t dictate raking unless the gardener is especially fastidious. Most cultivars are hardy in zones 7b to 10. In especially cold winters, they may die to the ground but resprout from the roots and grow quickly.

Pomegranates bloom on new growth, so a little winter pruning will increase flowers and help keep shrubs neat. Plants tend to spread by suckering, and they can become congested if not thinned occasionally.

Fruits are about the size of a large orange. They ripen August through November. The edible part of the fruit is the soft tissue around the seeds, which are arranged in separate chambers within the leathery exterior skin. The seeds are hard, so eating the yummy part involves a lot of spitting out the inedible portion (not recommended for formal dining occasions), but some newer cultivars (‘Angel Red,’ ‘Eversweet’ and ‘Utah Sweet’) have soft seeds that are swallowed along with the flesh, but the soft-seeded varieties are a little less cold tolerant than the others. Plants labeled “Russian Series” are the most cold tolerant.

In ancient Greece, pomegranates symbolized fertility in some stories but represented death in other tales. Hades supposedly used six pomegranate seeds to trick Persephone into staying six months of the year with him in the underworld. It was called “fruit of the dead” by those who thought that the seeds sprang from the blood of Adonis. Its connotation with fertility arose from its association with Hera, the Greek goddess of marriage and childbirth, and its association with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Roman women drank pomegranate juice to cure infertility. Some people think that it was a pomegranate, not the apple, the Eve ate and shared with Adam, getting all mankind barred from the Garden of Eden.

While it is no longer considered a magical potion, we recognize the multiple health benefits of pomegranate fruit, usually consumed in the form of juice. The fruit is loaded with good stuff: antioxidants, polyphenols, Vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. A 2019 article in Medical News Today lists 15 benefits, ranging from cancer prevention to heart disease deterrence. Read their full article here, but note that the language stresses what benefit the fruit may have.

Grow pomegranates for the attractive flowers, tasty fruit, pleasant fall color, and ease of culture. The fruits are attractive in fall arrangements. Their coarse texture looks great in wooden bowls. Remove ripe fruit from the shrub with sharp pruners. Fruit will remain usable for several weeks after harvest. Beware - the juice stains.

This pomegranate fruit split with slight pressure, revealing the juicy seeds within.

Pomegranate flower

Pomegranate in bloom

Pomegranate fruit

Pomegranate flower bud

Poppies for Pollinators

Certain plants seem to bloom some years better than others. This year, for instance, the hydrangeas and poppies have been spectacular. There are several species of poppies in the Papaver (pronounced pah-PAY-ver) genus. I am going to focus on three of these: Iceland poppies (P. nudicaule), Shirley poppies (P. rhoeas) and Oriental poppies (P. orientale), and one of their distant cousins, Argemone.

Oriental poppies are, in my opinion, the showiest. The large, intensely colored flowers with a black blotch at the throat make my heart beat faster. While these are perennial, I have struggled to keep them more than a year or two. The Orientals require more winter chill than my zone 7b garden can offer. Without enough cold temperatures, stems are extremely short. Sometimes the blooms are almost concealed by the coarsely cut leaves.

Shirley poppies are grown as annuals. Iceland poppies are short-lived perennials, usually grown as annuals. Both have lovely, crinkled crepe-paper petals. Icelands tend to be yellow, salmon and orange. I prefer the Shirleys, which lean toward pink, rose, red and white or bi-colors. For years, I struggled to grow these from seeds until I finally learned the key to success, which I will now share with you. Prepare your seed bed in fall. Rake it smooth and scatter the seeds on top in the month of November. Don’t cover them; let Mother Nature handle the winter water schedule. Seeds are tiny and it is easy to over-sow. You can mix the seeds with dry sand to sprinkle a more even distribution. Seedlings will emerge in early spring without any additional care or mollycoddling. They put on a show before other annuals even think about blooming. Once the blooms have faded, you can rip out the ugly, dying plants or leave them in place for a few weeks and they will drop seeds for the following year. All poppies need full sun. Avoid fertilizing, which may result in an abundance of leaves and few flowers.

Red Papaver rhoeas are also known as Corn Poppies or Flanders Poppies, and are a reminder of fallen soldiers. A Canadian doctor, John McRae, wrote a poem honoring fallen WWI soldiers. As students, many of us memorized “In Flanders Field the poppies blow…”

I enjoy my poppies in situ, but if you prefer to bring yours indoors, pick them when the flowers are just starting to show color and sear the cut ends with a flame before placing them in water. Poppies are the early spring stars of my pollinator garden, where the honeybees are so numerous that it sounds as if the flower bed is abuzz. Bonus: Deer rarely browse poppies. North Carolina has planted huge swathes of these along some of its highways. They are gorgeous. NC Department of Transportation produces a free booklet describing their roadside wildflower program. It is chock full of great info. Find the link here.

There is another member of the broad Papaveraceae family that adorns my garden. Argemone, “Prickly Poppy,” is not to everyone’s taste due to its prickly leaves and stems. A. mexicana, “Mexican Poppy” has yellow flowers. A. polyanthemos is white. Prickly Poppy will reseed everywhere. It has a deep taproot that means it will endure drought, but also means than its numerous seedlings are a challenge to remove. Damaged stems exude a bright yellow sap that causes skin irritation. Still, I dearly love scratchy, thorny, evil plants, so will have this one in the Mary Snoddy garden forever.

This patch of poppies brought honeybees from all directions. It is located in the midst of my home orchard.

Flanders poppies. Photo by ViJakob from Pixabay.

Prickly Poppy (Argemone), showing off her spiny personality. Those seed pods and buds have needle-sharp prickles.

Rhododendron Family - Part 3: Native Azaleas

Native Azaleas are less in-your-face showy than other members of the Rhododendron family, but they are my favorite. They are native to the US, unlike the popular Popsicle-colored, evergreen Asian Azaleas that are found in many southern landscape plantings.

The Natives are taller and more open than their Asian counterparts. They are deciduous, losing every leaf in winter. In spring, the flowers appear before leaves.  The vivid yellow, orange, red or pink blooms glow like torches in the woodland areas where they occur naturally. Given the proper soil (moist, acidic) and light (morning sun, afternoon shade), they perform well in home gardens also. When not in bloom, they fade into obscurity. They look best when incorporated into a natural area rather than jammed against a house foundation. A mature plant may reach 10 to 15 feet, so site accordingly.

There are more than a dozen species of native Azaleas. Many are fragrant. Clemson University has compiled a useful fact sheet, listing species, colors and bloom times. Find a link to their information by clicking here.

According to Alabama and Auburn University Extensions, there are several hybrid groups that are more heat tolerant than most: Aromi hybrids, Auburn series, Confederate series, Sommerville series, Strickland Azaleas, and Clarence Towe’s selections. My friends in the nursery world recommend ‘Admiral Semmes,’ a yellow-flowered shrub in the Confederate series as a strong performer. I cannot distinguish a Piedmont Azalea from a Pinxter Azalea. Both have pale pink flowers with protruding stamens that are beyond gorgeous. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds flock to all the native Azaleas. Unfortunately, they are also a deer favorite.

Plants may be propagated from seed or root cuttings. I have experienced failures with both, so will be content to purchase mine from a garden center. Native Azalea is the state wildflower of Georgia.

This ‘Admiral Semmes’ (a Confederate hybrid) is in full bloom, with flower trusses that would rival its showier cousins, the Rhodies.

Pinxter Azalea. Photo by Jerry King, Reidville, SC.

Close view of an ‘Admiral Semmes;’ flower.

The bud of a Flame Azalea inspired its name, since they look a bit like candle flames. This photo Image by Rebecca Matthews from Pixabay

Rhododendron Family - Part Two: Azaleas

If the south had a signature shrub, it would likely be Azalea. Anyone who has watched the PGA Masters golf tournament at Augusta National or traveled through Charleston, SC in springtime can identify the gorgeous members of the Rhododendron genus known as Azaleas.

Give Azaleas acidic soil with plentiful organic matter and partial shade. They especially like the filtered shade of tall pines, it seems. Too much shade and they won’t bloom; too much sun and the leaves get crispy. Stressed plants are susceptible to damage from lacewing insects. Azaleas have shallow roots, so should be irrigated in hot, dry weather. They will not tolerate drought or constantly wet, boggy soils. They are not heavy feeders, so little fertilizer is needed. The University of Georgia Extension has an excellent bulletin on selecting and growing Azaleas. Read it by clicking here.

A lanky plant can be made more attractive by removing awkward long shoots. To provide better air circulation, plants can be thinned by removing some of the inner limbs. Use hand pruners or loppers for either job. Electric hedge trimmers produce unattractive round blobs. It is best to do any pruning immediately after petals shed, to ensure that you are not removing buds that will become flowers next year. While I see many examples of Azaleas that have been pruned into a tight hedge, this is not the best use of the plant. Allow them to retain their native irregular shapes and they will look more graceful.

Azaleas come in all shades of pink, rose, red , lavender, purple and white. Many have attractive contrasting freckles. When I worked in a plant nursery, my customers’ favorites were pink ‘George Lindley Tabor’ and white ‘Mrs. G. G. Gerbing.’ (The latter is much more attractive than ‘Delaware Valley White,’ which seems to hold onto its spent blooms forever.) In recent years, a personal favorite are the Satsuki hybrid Gumpo (please, NOT Gumbo) Azaleas. Gumpos are dwarf, reaching only two feet. They have dense, evergreen foliage and bloom a little later than the more “traditional” types. They tend to be uniform in size, making an attractive foundation plant.

Azaleas put on an amazing show in April and May, then fade into obscurity the rest of the year — except rebloomers. The best known of these, Encore® Azaleas, have led nursery sales since their introduction. Encores are aptly named, since they rebloom in the fall, although the autumn show is never quite as spectacular as the spring performance. They tolerate more sun than most other cultivars.

Like other members of the Rhododendron family, all parts of Azaleas are toxic to both humans and pets. Deer prefer to munch on new, young, tender shrubs; they exert less damage on older, tougher specimens.

Rhododendron Family - Part 1: Rhodies

Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and Native Azaleas look different from each other, but all are members of the Rhododendron genus. When I first started learning about plants, I found this terribly confusing. It made me think of the Newhart television show from the 1980’s: “Hi, I’m Larry. This is my brother Darryl. This is my other brother Daryl.”

There are more than 800 species in the Rhododendron (pronounced rho-doh-DEN-dron) genus. This huge family can be divided into three main types. Those known as Rhododendrons have large, leathery evergreen leaves and rounded bloom clusters about the size of a softball. To make a distinction, I’ll refer to these as “Rhodies.” Azaleas and Native Azaleas have smaller leaves and may be evergreen, semi-evergreen, or completely deciduous. Rhodie flowers have ten or more stamens; azaleas have five stamens in their funnel-shaped flowers. This week’s blog will focus exclusively on Rhodies. I’ll discuss Azaleas in the next blog.

Growing Rhodies in the hot, humid southeast can be a challenge. One gardener told me the secret to her success: “Plant it low and it won’t grow. Plant it high and it won’t die.” She planted her Rhodies by placing the rootball in a shallow depression, piling a 4-inch volcano of loose mulch on top, and watering abundantly. Rhodies need acid soil with a high humus content and moist but well-drained soil. They absorb water through their leaves as well as their roots, so they prefer overhead irrigation. Take care to soak the entire root zone. This is one shrub that does not perform well with soaker hoses or drip irrigation since the root zone is not uniformly dampened. Water in the morning so that leaves are dry before temperatures drop at day’s end. This will help to prevent fungal diseases.

Rhodies hate heavy clay soils, so amend the planting area with ground bark or peat moss or both. Partial shade or filtered sun is best. They have an affinity for the shade cast by tall pine trees. Too much sun bleaches and crisps the leaves; too much shade means few or no flowers. Avoid planting in windy areas. Fertilizer is rarely needed unless one wants to increase the growth rate. Any fertilizing should be done after blooms fade, using a product that is labeled “for acid-loving plants” like camellias, gardenias, hollies, and hydrangeas. Use particular care in removing weeds, since Rhodie roots are shallow and resent damage from cultivation. Limit pruning to the removal of spent flower heads. Such removal will prevent the plant from trying to form seeds and will result in a stronger plant. A gangly plant can be made more attractive by pinching the growing tips of limbs to force branching.

In the warm southeast, search for heat-tolerant cultivars like ‘English Roseum (light rose flowers), ‘Roseum Elegans’ (lavender pink flowers) and ‘Nova Zembla’ (red to dark pink flowers). These will range in height from six to ten feet at maturity, with an equal spread.

All parts of the plant are highly toxic to humans and pets.

I inherited this Rhodie with the property we bought, so I don’t know the variety. I love her freckles.

The leaves of this Rhodie are not diseased; they are covered with pollen shed by the oaks and pines overhead.

Lovely Mountain Laurel

Mountain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia (pronounced KAL-mee-ah lah-tih-FOH-lee-ah), is in full bloom in the Mary Snoddy garden. I tried without success to grow this beauty at my former home, where it repeatedly failed in heavy clay soil, sticky humidity, and hot temperatures. The cooler conditions here along the NC/SC border must be ideal. It would take a machete to penetrate the thickets that grow in the rocky soil around our creek. There is also a sizeable planting at the corner of the bedroom deck where I enjoy my morning coffee. The bumblebees visiting flowers were so plentiful this morning that it sounded like a small engine humming.

All part of Mountain Laurel are toxic to humans and animals, especially goats and sheep. (Foraging deer, however, are unharmed.) Bees are not harmed by the pollen but, per Wildflower.org, if one eats honey made with a high percentage of nectar from Mountain Laurels, you can become quite sick (nausea, dizziness, sweating, low blood pressure and numerous other potential unpleasant side effects). On a different internet site, I saw information on “Mad Honey” which is dark red and slightly bitter. Mad Honey is sourced from Laurels and Rhododendrons in Turkey and Nepal, and causes hallucinations similar to LSD or magic mushrooms, but can also cause a slow heartbeat or loss of consciousness. (I always wonder what kind of person volunteers to test something that can either give you a smashing high or kill you.) According to AtlasObscura.com, Pompey The Great’s army was destroyed  in 69 B.C. when sneaky locals placed Mad Honey along their marching route, waiting until the soldiers were honey-drunk, then swooped in to massacre them. Read the article here.

Because bees visit so many different types of flowers to obtain nectar and pollen, the honey we purchase is a blend from many sources. Concentrations of Mountain Laurel toxins are highly unlikely unless you are purchasing honey from a beekeeper with few hives and many Laurel plants.

It is fascinating to watch bees visit Mountain Laurel flowers. Flowers occur in clusters as the tips of branches, Buds are star-shaped lanterns tinged with pink. They open to white, five-petal flowers. The anthers are held in a tiny pocket in the petals. When a bee (usually a bumblebee) visits, the anther springs up to shower the visitor with pollen. The process has been compared to a child’s pea-shooter. Bees complete cross-pollination when they visit other flowers.

Mountain Laurel in full bloom.

Kalmias grow in poor, acidic soil. These evergreens prefer partial shade but will tolerate full sun or mostly shade. The growth rate is slow. In an area with fertile soil and plentiful water, they may reach heights of twenty feet or more, but six-feet is most common. On young plants, the bark is smooth, reddish-brown. Older trees have cracked bark that sheds in strands. Limbs and branches are gnarly and crooked, looking like they belong in the Evil Forest of fairy tales.  Native Americans made spoons from the wood of Mountain Laurel, giving rise to a common name, “Spoonwood.” Because of the wood’s strength and durability, it was later used in the creation of weavers’ spindles and tool handles.

There are numerous varieties for sales in nurseries. Some of these (‘Elf’ and ‘Minuet’) are dwarf; others feature greater heat tolerance.

Closeup view of Mountain Laurel Flowers

The gnarly limb structure of mature Mountain Laurels.

Two New Shrubs for Short Hedges

Recently, several gardening friends and I climbed into our cars (and truck) for a trip to Head-Lee Nursery in Seneca, SC. I was fortunate enough to run into Bill Head (who introduced Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’, a well-behaved sterile vine with beautiful purple blooms but none of the nasty invasive qualities of Wisteria chinensis). I asked which were his favorite new plants for 2021, and he named two. One of these was Ilex opaca ‘RLH-I0-1’. Before you yawn and dismiss this as “just another holly, let me say that there is nothing “average” about Ramblin’ Man™ Weeping Holly. You read that correctly: It is a weeping form of our native American Holly.

Ramblin’ Man™ will spread to ten feet wide but no more than two feet tall. Use it as a groundcover or an accent. I snapped the accompanying photograph of the plant in a nursery container. The weeping stem habit is evident. This is such a new intro that cultural information is scant on the internet, but it is safe to assume that this holly will enjoy the same cultural conditions as other Ilex opaca: full sun to mostly sun; moist, acidic soil; zones 5-8. American Holly has leathery, evergreen leaves. It tolerates neglect and is not normally browsed by deer.

The second recommended shrub was Clinopodium georgianum ‘Sweet Savannah™ Calamint.’ I expected a plant with the gray-green leaves of a Nepeta, but Sweet Savannah™ has deep green, aromatic foliage. This beauty is only 12 inches tall but will spread to 30 inches wide, in sun to part shade. A member of the mint family, it is cold hardy down to twenty degrees. It is a great plant for short hedges or foundation plantings. In autumn, it is covered with attractive lavender flowers. Mr. Head shared a photo of the plant in bloom, shown below. This improved native checks all the boxes: easy to grow, deer resistant, pollinator friendly, heat and drought tolerant.

Calamint is the Perennial Plant Association’s 2021 Perennial of the Year.

Ilex opaca ‘Ramblin Man’

Sweet Savannah Calamint

Sturdy Spireas for Spring Color

Spirea was one of the first shrubs whose name I learned as a child. There was an enormous plant next to our kitchen door. In early spring, it was covered with clusters of white blooms on arching stems. It had almost no scent, but the flowers were impressive although short-lived. When I asked my mother what kind of “bush” it was, she told me (semi-accurately) that it was a Spirea Van Hootie. Now I know that it was a Spirea x vanhouttei. Moving to the front garden, I asked her for the name of a shorter shrub with deep pink blooms.“Spirea,” she responded. “How can this be Spirea if the other one is Spirea,” my six-year-old self inquired, “because they’re not the same color and they’re not the same size and they don’t look alike.” Her response: “Go ask your father.” (A lot of our conversations ended this way.) As an adult, I realize the smaller, pink-flowered cultivar was ‘Anthony Waterer,’ one of the oldest and still one of the most tolerant of heat, poor soil, and bad pruning.

As a genus, Spireas are hardy and long lived. There are numerous species, and new cultivars seem to arrive on market every year. Sizes range from tiny to giant; flower colors can be pink, white, or red, and can occur on branch tips or all along the stems. Old varieties have narrow blue-green leaves that neither impress nor disappoint. Some of the newer cultivars have brightly colored foliage which extends the beauty season beyond the bloom period. In the Mary Snoddy garden, a pair of Spirea japonica ‘Limemound’ throw bright yellow foliage in early spring, which darkens to a lime green when weather turns hot. Limemound has bright pink flowers that scream for attention against the yellow foliage. Viewers either ooh and ahh or walk away muttering something that might be “eyesore.” The Limemound’s foliage turns orange in autumn and then sheds entirely, leaving a winter framework that resembles a jumbled ball of sticks. I underestimated the mature size of these shrubs (three feet with an equal spread), so I am forced to prune hard every winter to keep them within the bounds of available space. This major pruning has no evident impact on the plants’ health.

Among the white-flowered variety, Spirea nipponica ‘Snowmound’ is a 3–5-foot shrub that looks like a fireworks display when in bloom. If you have space, old Van Hootie, Spirea vanhouteii will grow to ten feet tall and twelve feet wide. Nurseries may label the vanhouteii species as “Bridal Veil” or “Bridal Wreath” Spirea, but these terms are also used in marketing Spirea prunifolia and Spirea cantoniensis, similar but smaller in stature.

Spireas bloom heaviest on young stems, so pruning will force new growth and result in more flowers the following year. Pruning should be done as soon as the flowers fade and fall. Cut stems to varying lengths with hand pruners rather than using hedge trimmers to create a round ball. Plants are most attractive when one-third of the oldest branches are cut back hard and the remainder are pruned lightly. This maintains their graceful arching appearance. These shrubs look best when grown in groups or hedges rather than as single specimens. They perform well on slopes where mowing is treacherous.

Spireas tolerate most soil types and will withstand half-day shade, although flowering is better in full sun. Avoid wet sites. Most species are cold hardy zones 5-9 or even colder, but check the plant tag to confirm zone for your selection. They are rarely bothered by diseases, insects, or deer.

Spirea japonica ‘Limemound’ elicits comments that range from “Outstanding” to “Yikes!”

A close view of Spirea cantoniensis ‘Reevesiana’ flowers

A young planting of Spirea cantoniensis ‘Reevesiana,’ perfectly sited at the top of a steep bank near a creek.

Sweep Into Spring with Scotch Broom

The beautiful red and yellow flowers of Cytisus scoparius ‘Burkwoodii’

“Scotch Broom,” the common name for Cytisus, doesn’t conjure up images of splendor. It makes one think of Cinderella, sitting fireside and sweeping up embers. But when any genus has 27 species, 10 hybrids, and 10 named cultivars, it’s significant. In spring, the bright yellow blooms of common Scotch Broom light up waste areas and unmanicured roadsides. When not in bloom, the shrub is gangly, with a weeping habit and teeny tiny leaves clinging to angular green stems that resemble (in my mind) skinny green Twizzler candy. Some plants are evergreen (stems, usually) but most lose their leaves in winter. The shrub appears to be dead. In spring and in flower, it is one of Nature’s masterpieces.

Cytisus flowers resemble sweet peas or beans, to which family it belongs. Seed pods look like tiny black snow peas. Ripe pods burst with a pop and send seeds flying, giving rise to lots of offspring; brooms are listed as invasive in several states. If you don’t want the extras, pull them while they are small. The beautiful flowers ARE NOT EDIBLE. Leaves, stems are seeds are extremely toxic, and consumption can lead to death. Deer pass this one by.

Scotch Brooms are tough plants. They are hardy in zones 5-8. They thrive in full sun and heat, and ignore drought. While most are butter yellow, forms are also available in pale yellows, reds, pinks, and bi-colors. Cytisus scoparius 'Burkwoodii' put on quite a show in the Mary Snoddy garden, with gorgeous red/yellow bicolor blooms. In two years, however, it zoomed up to six feet tall and spent half the year looking like a collection of dead sticks. I pruned it severely (okay, I cut it off at ground level), and it promptly died. I decided to enjoy it in other peoples’ gardens thereafter. The weeping habit and frequent one-sidedness give it good potential for training to a trellis where it can be paired with an annual vine to conceal its post-bloom appearance.

'Burkwoodii' first year

Pea-like flowers

'Sister Redhead'

Seed pods

Calling All Columbines

One of the stars among spring perennials is Aquilegia (pronounced a-kwil-EE-jee-a), also called Columbine. In the southeastern US, there are two common species, the hybrid Aquilegia x hybrida and Aquilegia canadensis, the Wild Columbine or Red Columbine. Less common but more impressive is Aquilegia vulgaris.

All prefer moist woodland soils and partial shade in the South. They will tolerate more sun in cooler zones. They are deciduous perennials in zones 3-8. They may go dormant before winter if soil stays dry. Provide supplemental irrigation in extended dry weather but do not allow soil to be boggy. Columbine foliage is finely cut, almost lacy in appearance, and may have a slight blue tint. The hybrids bloom in pastel shades of rose, blue, pink, yellow, white and bi-colors. Most flowers have long spurs. Aquilegia vulgaris has a two-layer double form without spurs that looks like a tiny Dahlia. Some of these have an ombre color pattern. A somewhat strange common name for these doubles is “Granny’s Bonnet.”

Columbines reach heights of one to three feet. They bloom in early spring, then fade into obscurity. They can be raised from seed, but will not bloom until the second season. They will reseed, but hybrid seedlings will not mimic the mother plant. Removing spent blooms encourages more flowers.

Deer and rabbits leave Columbines alone. Unfortunately, the plants are a frequent target for leaf miners. On a garden tour several years ago, the host proudly displayed her “variegated” Columbines. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her plants were not variegated at all but had a serious leaf miner infestation. If plants show signs of miner damage, remove the damaged leaves but cutting off the entire stem. The plant will regenerate new leaves.

The native Wild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, departs from the pastel colors of their cousins and instead sports colorful red and yellow flowers. It will reseed and, unlike the hybrids, its offspring will have the same flowers. It is not prone to leaf miner damage. Different from the other species, Wild Columbine can be used in rain gardens, where they may be subject to wet conditions for days at a time.

All the Columbines make wonderful additions to shady woodland beds and pollinator gardens, where they are popular with butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. They look best planted in groups rather than singles.

Prima Donna Pieris

Pieris japonica (pronounced pee-AIR-iss jah-PON-ih-kah) is a lovely evergreen shrub with a multitude of white bell -shaped blooms held in clusters in late winter to early spring. Flowers are occasionally pink-tinged. New growth is a bronzy red and young stems are yellow-green. Old bloom stems remain attached to the mother plant unless removed.

Pieris is not the easiest of shrubs to grow. It is a member of the heather family (“ericaceous”), which means it enjoys similar conditions as heath, azalea and rhododendron. Plants are hardy in zones 5-8. In the south, Pieris needs partial shade and consistently moist (not wet) acidic soil with plentiful organic matter. It must be shielded from winter winds.

It is easy to overlook that slow-growing Pieris, commonly called Andromeda or Fetterbush, can reach heights of twelve feet or more and up to eight feet wide. Unfortunately, they are prone to numerous problems, including leaf spots, lace bugs, scale, nematodes, and unexplained dieback. Both flowers and leaves are extremely poisonous to humans, cats, dogs, and horses. On the positive side, it is somewhat deer resistant.

Numerous cultivars are available.

Pieris blooms stand out against leathery, dark green leaves.

Pretty Petite Primroses

Grocery store flower departments are filled with potted Primroses, basal rosettes of crinkled leaves topped with velvety flowers of intense burgundy, purple, yellow, bi-colors. These members of the Primula family, sold for table-top décor, are subtropical plants treated as annuals. There are hundreds of Primula species. They vary in height from inches to more than three feet. Some grow in rock gardens, others at water’s edge.

In general, Primroses want shade, cool (not frigid) temperatures, moist soil with plentiful organic matter. Primula vulgaris, a yellow-flowered form, is perennial in zones 4-8. It has yellow flowers held in candelabra-like clusters and blooms the same time as Mertensia (Virginia bluebells), which shares the same cultural preferences and makes a great companion plant. The rosette leaves elongate after flowering, up to 8 inches. Given partial shade and plentiful moisture, plants will reseed. They can also be propagated by division after flowering. A row of Primroses makes a great pond-side border. Flowers attract bees.

Plants are prone to insect damage (aphids, thrips, slugs, spider mites) and fungal diseases. All parts are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.

Primula vulgaris, Common Primrose, is anything but common.

A row of Primroses, seen with neighbors Virginia Bluebells and Geranium. These woodland beauties outlasted the daffodil bloom at bottom right.

Enjoy these grocery-store Primroses as indoor plants, and discard when they begin to look tattered.

Enjoy Evergreen Clematis Armandii

Clematis armandii is a star among vines. Not only is it evergreen while most Clematis are deciduous, it boasts a marvelous fragrance. Flowers are white with touches of pale pink. Clematis are separated into different classes, with specific pruning times for each (see below). Armand Clematis blooms on old wood, meaning stems that are at least a year old. Pruning keeps the vines from developing into a congested thicket, and should be done immediately after bloom petals drop.

Armand blooms in early spring, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Glossy, narrow leaves are leathery with a thick texture. Plants are hardy in zones 7 through 9. They are rarely damaged by deer, but can cause a rash on gardeners with sensitive skin. Gloves are recommended, especially when pruning. Plants are toxic to people and pets.

This Clematis is thin stemmed with a delicate appearance but is a vigorous grower, and will reach 15 feet or more. Stems climb by twining around trellises or other supports. Vines drape gracefully and will sway in the breeze. Use on fences to provide privacy with a narrow footprint. Like other members of the Clematis clan, Armand prefers a cool home for its roots and a sunny (or mostly sunny) spot for its top growth. A mulched root zone will shade the roots against overheating and help to keep soil damp. Soil should be neutral to slightly alkaline, with plenty of organic matter. Plants will not tolerate wet soil.

There are two possible pronunciations for Clematis: kle-MA-tis or KLEM-a-tis.

Here is a cursory overview on Clematis pruning:

For purposes of maintenance, Clematis are grouped into three classes. Group 1 blooms on new wood only. Trimming should be restricted to the removal of dead wood and just enough shaping to keep them neat. These are the earliest Clematis to flower. Group 2 blooms on both new and old wood. Prune immediately after flowering ends. Trim only 6-8 inches. The goal is to force new growth, not to reduce size. Vines in this class bloom later than the first group. Group 3 is the easiest of all. Clematis in this class go dormant in winter. Cut off the dead vines just above ground level in winter. I usually handle this chore in late February, just after pruning hybrid tea roses. Since this class regenerates entirely each season, it is the last to bloom.

Of all Clematis, ‘Roguchi’ is my favorite cultivar. It is a lovely, long-blooming plant that will get a blog posts all its own, soon.

Hydrangea Help - To Prune or Not?

“How and when do I prune my Hydrangeas?” This is one of the most common questions I receive. The answer is, “It depends.” It depends on whether your Hydrangea blooms on old wood or new wood or both. If you cannot identify the cultivar in your garden, it is hard to know when to prune. I saw this article from the National Garden Bureau, entitled The Hydrangea Danger Zone. I think it will help, so I’m passing it along to you, my wonderful gardening friends.

https://ngb.org/2021/03/18/hydrangea-danger-zone/

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Pre-Spring Maintenance

Spring is just around the corner. It’s time to prepare your tools for the coming gardening season. Each time I use my favorite narrow-blade shovel (a Spear and Jackson “rabbit spade”) or my trusted Felco No. 2 pruners, I rinse them at day’s end to remove any dirt. Once they are dry, I give them a spritz of either a silicone lubricant or olive oil. I garden a lot more than I cook, so olive oil goes rancid faster than I can use it. I have a mist oil sprayer dedicated to garden use. This oil atomizer is not the only kitchen device that has been promoted from my kitchen. An electric turkey-carving knife is wonderful for dividing tough Hostas, while a serrated bread knife works great on Bearded Iris rhizomes. An ancient blender has been repurposed to mix moss and buttermilk into a slurry for aging concrete pots. Some people think my tool maintenance ritual is a bit obsessive. Those are the same people who wonder why I grow six different types of basil.

Before the grass-cutting season starts, check belts and sharpen blades on mowers. Inspect motorized tools like chippers or tillers, with oil changes or spark plug changes as needed.

Several years ago, I discovered a miracle product called slip paint and have become somewhat of an evangelist, praising its characteristics to anyone who will listen. It is a graphite-based product that reduces friction and makes surfaces slippery. I first heard about it from a farmer who used it to coat the inside of silos so that the contents would slide out easily. I decided to paint a coat on the underside of my lawnmower housing, so that wet grass would not clump and drop onto my lawn in unsightly blobs. This worked so well that I undercoated the grooming mower and bush hog that pair with our tractors. Next came the insides of metal wheelbarrows. The ultimate ~aha!~ was when I painted the inside of our dump trailer. We use the trailer for hauling mulch, wood chips, gravel, manure, potting soil, and the like. It has a battery-operated hydraulic tilt so that contents will slide out when the back gate opens. When the trailer floor and walls were untreated, damp mulch would stick and refuse to release even when the trailer was at its maximum tilt. At this sharp angle, it is impossible to climb into the trailer and push the contents out. Standing directly behind the open bed and trying to tease the stuff out is foolhardy. One unexpected discharge and you could be buried, resulting in injury or death. Now, with an annual wash and recoat with the slip paint, clumping is a distant memory.

I have included a photo of the friction-reducing paint I purchase from a local farm supply store. I’m sure other name brands are available. Go ahead and splurge on the gallon size. You’ll be glad you did.

Delicate Trout Lily for Earliest Spring Bloom

In late winter, stumbling across a blooming patch of Trout Lily is an unexpected bonus,  like discovering a $20 bill in the pocket of a rarely-worn jacket. Erythronium americanum, Trout Lily, is sometimes called the Yellow Dogtooth Violet or Adder’s Tongue. It would take an active imagination to conjure the delicate yellow flowers with brown or bronze reverse into a fish, canine teeth, or a snake’s tongue.

This lovely ephemeral is native to the eastern US. “Ephemeral” means “fleeting,” which is exactly how this plant behaves. It blooms in early spring before tree leaves emerge, about the same time as Crocus. Soon after flowering, the plant produces seeds and then withers away. The seeds will eventually develop into corms, a type of bulb. They are sold as corms, not seeds. Plant in fall for best results. Most corms prefer shallow planting, but Trout Lily likes a deep hole (five inches) which seems unusual for such a small bulb. The seeds are spread around by ants.

Plants thrive in moist, shady woodlands with acidic soils. It takes a year or two for juvenile plants to start blooming. Juveniles are easy to spot since they only produce a single leaf rather than the paired leaves of mature specimens. Plants reach a mere six inches in height, with the bloom stems slightly taller. Older plants may stop flowering if the bulbs become too congested. In this case, lift and divide just as the plants begin to go dormant.

Trout Lily leaves have a mottled appearance. Flower petals curl back toward the stem, described by botanists as recurving. Blooms are one- to three-inches in diameter. Flowers contain six yellow stamens and reddish-brown anthers. There is a less common white form, E. albidum, whose white flower petals are flushed with lavender on the reverse side. Adder’s Tongue, E. propullans, is  a pink-flower form found only in Minnesota. Strangely, it bears a small bulblet halfway up the stem.

Trout Lily looks delicate but it is quite sturdy, making its appearance early in the year when frosts and freezes are still common. The flowers attract bees. The corms, unfortunately, are tasty to small forest critters although deer usually leave them alone. Protect them with a circle fence of buried fine-mesh wire or a gravel moat. Since I have both cats and dogs, I researched their toxicity. One source said that the bulbs were edible, with a cucumber-like taste. Another said that the bulbs were an emetic (makes one vomit). No further testing on my part! I opted for the protection of the wire mesh to prevent my pets from tasting.

The bronze backs of the Trout Lily petals are evident in this photo. Note the mottled leaves.

Trout Lily bloom detail