Plants
Colourful ninebarks
Colourful ninebarks of
Turning over a new leaf I’ll admit I used to think ninebarks (Physocarpus spp.) were boring. When I went to horticultural college in Alberta during the 1980s, pretty much just the common ninebark was available. Occasionally, the yellow-leafed form ‘Luteus’ was offered, but perhaps we didn’t have a full appreciation of yellow foliage at that time—it was really considered more of an oddity. So until recently, I considered these medium- to large-sized, coarse-textured shrubs to have no particular redeeming features other than to fill space in large municipal plantings.Almost 20 years later, the appearance of the purple-leafed selection ‘Diabolo’, developed in Germany and introduced here in the late 1990s, made me change my mind. In a flash, this plant was everywhere. Every nursery was selling it, and every magazine was raving about it—perfect timing, since gardeners suddenly had a new appreciation for unusual foliage colour.‘Diabolo’ was a breeding breakthrough. As so often happens, this one development paved the way for further ninebark introductions, with a half-dozen new selections now available in a range of sizes and colours, including new dark purple to burgundy-red varieties, yellow- to gold-leafed selections and even a green-leafed Canadian cultivar, ‘Snowfall’.Ninebark has other virtues as well. Its peeling bark (hence its common name) on older stems reveals contrasting inner bark in shades of red to tan in winter. As a wildlife plant, the flowers provide nectar for butterflies, the seeds are loved by birds and the stems provide nesting sites. Canadian gardeners don’t have a great many native shrubs to choose from, but common ninebark fits the bill, growing wild from Nova Scotia west to southern Manitoba, and south into Colorado and Florida. Ninebark tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, preferring average to moist locations but tolerating dry sites once established. It has no particular pest or disease problems, which explains its long and successful use in civic plantings in the Prairies, where they receive little care. The shrub is hardy to Zone 3, though testing in Alberta has found that certain selections, such as ‘Diabolo’ and ‘Nugget’, do well in Zone 2. Full sun to part shade is fine, but the coloured-leaf varieties develop their brightest tones in sunny locations.The little flowers, which appear in early to midsummer, are white to soft pink, held together in clusters 2.5 to five centimetres wide, similar in effect to their close cousin Spiraea. I’ve never thought of the green species as being particularly showy in bloom, but the flowers do stand out in the newer darker-leafed introductions. Ninebark produces flowers on old wood from the previous season, followed by dangling clusters of reddish brown seed capsules that are attractive in late summer and into autumn.The shrub’s foliage is rounded, with enough of a lobe or indent to make it almost maple-shaped. Fall colour for green-leafed forms is basically a ho-hum yellow, but the red- to purple-leafed selections, and some of the yellow ones, produce reliable red autumn tones. While these shrubs are interesting enough to be used as specimens, they also make a nice informal hedge.What I love best about ninebark is the way it tolerates different pruning methods. When left alone for years to grow into a medium to large shrub, the only care it needs is to remove dead wood, or to thin out a quarter of the stems each year in the winter or spring, right down to the base, to maintain a bushy habit. This rejuvenates the plant, helping to prevent a leggy appearance, and encourages the production of flowers and fruit.Ninebark also responds well to being clipped back by half every few years in order to keep it in check, particularly if used in a foundation planting. This should be done right after flowering, so the shrub has time to form new buds for the following season.The easiest pruning method of all, however, is to cut ninebark back to a height of 15 to 20 centimetres in the spring before it leafs out. This technique is known as coppicing, and results in a flush of new growth with particularly large and lush foliage—absolutely stunning in the coloured-leaf forms—though it comes at the expense of both blooms and seedheads. The lush growth and more compact size resulting from hard pruning makes ninebark especially wonderful in a perennial border, placed in the middle to back. Plants should be allowed to establish for two to three years before using this method, however, and it should be done only every other year since it temporarily weakens them. Ninebarks to know Ninebarks to know
- Credit
- John Valleau
More Plants
-
Colourful ninebarks Colourful ninebarks
Colourful ninebarks ofTurning over a new leaf I’ll admit I used to think ninebarks (Physocarpus spp.) were boring. When I went to horticultural college in Alberta during the 1980s, pretty much just the common ninebark was available. Occasionally, the yellow-leafed form ‘Luteus’ was offered, but perhaps we didn’t have a full appreciation of yellow foliage at that time—it was really considered more of an oddity. So until recently, I considered these medium- to large-sized, coarse-textured shrubs to have no particular redeeming features other than to fill space in large municipal plantings.Almost 20 years later, the appearance of the purple-leafed selection ‘Diabolo’, developed in Germany and introduced here in the late 1990s, made me change my mind. In a flash, this plant was everywhere. Every nursery was selling it, and every magazine was raving about it—perfect timing, since gardeners suddenly had a new appreciation for unusual foliage colour.‘Diabolo’ was a breeding breakthrough. As so often happens, this one development paved the way for further ninebark introductions, with a half-dozen new selections now available in a range of sizes and colours, including new dark purple to burgundy-red varieties, yellow- to gold-leafed selections and even a green-leafed Canadian cultivar, ‘Snowfall’.Ninebark has other virtues as well. Its peeling bark (hence its common name) on older stems reveals contrasting inner bark in shades of red to tan in winter. As a wildlife plant, the flowers provide nectar for butterflies, the seeds are loved by birds and the stems provide nesting sites. Canadian gardeners don’t have a great many native shrubs to choose from, but common ninebark fits the bill, growing wild from Nova Scotia west to southern Manitoba, and south into Colorado and Florida. Ninebark tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, preferring average to moist locations but tolerating dry sites once established. It has no particular pest or disease problems, which explains its long and successful use in civic plantings in the Prairies, where they receive little care. The shrub is hardy to Zone 3, though testing in Alberta has found that certain selections, such as ‘Diabolo’ and ‘Nugget’, do well in Zone 2. Full sun to part shade is fine, but the coloured-leaf varieties develop their brightest tones in sunny locations.The little flowers, which appear in early to midsummer, are white to soft pink, held together in clusters 2.5 to five centimetres wide, similar in effect to their close cousin Spiraea. I’ve never thought of the green species as being particularly showy in bloom, but the flowers do stand out in the newer darker-leafed introductions. Ninebark produces flowers on old wood from the previous season, followed by dangling clusters of reddish brown seed capsules that are attractive in late summer and into autumn.The shrub’s foliage is rounded, with enough of a lobe or indent to make it almost maple-shaped. Fall colour for green-leafed forms is basically a ho-hum yellow, but the red- to purple-leafed selections, and some of the yellow ones, produce reliable red autumn tones. While these shrubs are interesting enough to be used as specimens, they also make a nice informal hedge.What I love best about ninebark is the way it tolerates different pruning methods. When left alone for years to grow into a medium to large shrub, the only care it needs is to remove dead wood, or to thin out a quarter of the stems each year in the winter or spring, right down to the base, to maintain a bushy habit. This rejuvenates the plant, helping to prevent a leggy appearance, and encourages the production of flowers and fruit.Ninebark also responds well to being clipped back by half every few years in order to keep it in check, particularly if used in a foundation planting. This should be done right after flowering, so the shrub has time to form new buds for the following season.The easiest pruning method of all, however, is to cut ninebark back to a height of 15 to 20 centimetres in the spring before it leafs out. This technique is known as coppicing, and results in a flush of new growth with particularly large and lush foliage—absolutely stunning in the coloured-leaf forms—though it comes at the expense of both blooms and seedheads. The lush growth and more compact size resulting from hard pruning makes ninebark especially wonderful in a perennial border, placed in the middle to back. Plants should be allowed to establish for two to three years before using this method, however, and it should be done only every other year since it temporarily weakens them. Ninebarks to know Ninebarks to know- Credit
- John Valleau
-
Falling for daylilies Falling for daylilies
Falling for daylilies ofLate-blooming beauties Composer Sandy Wilson must have had late-season daylilies in mind when he penned these lines:It’s never too late to have a flingFor autumn is just as nice as spring,And it’s never too late to fall in love.—The Boy Friend, Act III (1954)The first late-blooming daylily I fell in love with was red-and-yellow ‘Challenger’, bred in 1949 by pioneer daylily hybridizer A.B. Stout. But the world of daylilies has changed dramatically in recent years—there are now more than 55,000 registered cultivars, all of them bred from just a dozen or so wild species. This mind-boggling statistic demonstrates the gardening public’s admiration for a plant that can be both demure and dramatic, while possessing a cast-iron constitution.Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are native to China, Korea and Japan, where they grow at the edges of forests and in damp meadowlands. Individual flowers only last one day (hence the common name), but as multiple buds are produced on each flower scape, plants may remain in bloom for weeks at a time. As well, daylilies are among the most disease- and pest-resistant perennials to be found in the herbaceous border.Writing in Flowers and Their Histories in 1956, plant historian Alice M. Coates declared, “One reason for the deserved popularity of these new daylilies is their hardiness and adaptability; they will grow under almost any conditions, in sand or clay, from Canada to California.” Daylilies are divided into various groups based on factors such as behaviour of foliage during winter and floral characteristics (see Talking the talk.) They are also classified according to when they flower:Early (early summer), Middle (midsummer), Late (late summer) and Very Late (early autumn). It’s this last category that in recent years has caused the most excitement. The push is on to develop new cultivars that will bloom right up until the first frosts, an advance that has increased the late-season garden’s colour palette far beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.Like any plant, newly installed specimens will appreciate extra organic matter, such as compost, leaf mould or well-rotted manure, and sufficient irrigation to establish a strong root system. To reach their full potential, daylilies also require plenty of sunlight; an eastern to southeastern exposure is best, to protect flowers from the scorching rays of the afternoon sun.Being robust customers, established clumps of daylilies need to be divided after several years’ growth or they will crowd out neighbouring plants. Dig up either the entire root ball, or just a section of it when plants are dormant, and divide the thick, fleshy roots with a sharp spade. Replant divisions at their original depth and water in well.Diploid vs. tetraploidMost of the older daylily cultivars are diploids, meaning they have 22 chromosomes. In the early 1960s, plant breeders discovered that treating daylilies with colchicine (a compound extracted from the autumn crocus, Colchicum) could double the number of chromosomes in plants to 44. Daylilies with 44 chromosomes are known as tetraploids; these tend to exhibit more vibrant colours, sturdier petals and sepals, and larger flowers. 15 repeat performers 15 repeat performersThese 15 daylilies belong to that wonderful class of plants that bloom early and continue to flower sporadically until the first frosts. Don’t neglect these workhorses; established clumps are worth their weight in garden gold. All are hardy to Zone 3. Flower forms Talking the talkBefore you rush out to purchase new late-blooming cultivars, arm yourself with a bit of daylily lingo about their blooms and how their foliage behaves. Throat: located at the base of the petals; most of the newer cultivars have green throatsSelf: refers to flowers where the petals and sepals are the same colourEye: the dark band on some daylilies at the juncture where the throat opens out into the exposed petals and sepalsMidrib: the stripe or large vein that divides petals into halves; may be prominent or hardly noticeableBitone: refers to blooms where petals and epals are the same colour but differ in ntensity or shadingDormant: dies back to below the soil surface; new leaves are produced each spring. Traditionally thought to be hardier than evergreen typesSemi-evergreen: retains some of its outer leaves over winter, but the centre (or growing point) of the plant goes dormantEvergreen: stays green under snow all winter. Although evergreen types have been planted more widely in warmer zones, many new cultivars, such as ‘September Heat’, have proven themselves to be fully hardyFlower formsDaylily blooms fall into five main categories depending on their shape. They can be star- or spider-shaped, triangular, circular or double. Star-shaped Double Spider-shaped Triangular Circular 9 late daylilies 9 late dayliliesRecommended for Zones 4 and lower. 21 very late daylilies 21 very late dayliliesRecommended for Zones 5 and higher (in colder zones, very late cultivars may not have time to produce mature flowers before the first frosts hit due to a shorter growing season; choose late varieties instead).- Credit
- Stephen Westcott-Gratton
-
Grow your own herbal tea Grow your own herbal tea
Grow your own herbal tea ofYour cuppa tea There’s something deeply satisfying about making herbal tea, particularly if you’ve grown the herbs yourself. Whether you’re walking into the garden and picking fresh ones to brew or steeping those you’ve dried for winter, the entire process is a feast for the senses.“Tea should be a ritual,” says Conrad Richter, president of Ontario-based Richters Herbs. “It should be a time to take a break, sit back with friends or alone, and relax.”Being naturally caffeine-free, herbal tea is a truly soothing experience. Some people, however, find creating their own intimidating. If that’s the case, keep it simple. “Don’t try for exotic blends until you’re really familiar with the plants,” says Richter. “Start with one or two and then branch out.”Historically, tea made from a single type of herb was called a “simple.” Richter recommends peppermint, the traditional tea for upset stomachs, or spearmint (a little sweeter than peppermint). One of his favourite blends is lemon balm combined with lemon verbena, something he drinks regularly, occasionally adding a few red clover flowers for a dash of colour and its reputed cancer-fighting benefits. For the more adventurous, Lynda Dowling, owner of Happy Valley Lavender & Herb Farm in Victoria, recommends starting with a base such as five parts mint to three parts lemon verbena. Then, she says, “Play with what you grow,” adding flavour, colour and scent with other herbs and flowers. Dowling’s favourite blends include one or two parts rugosa rose petals, one part English lavender and perhaps a pinch of chamomile flowers, or pot marigold or cornflower petals, for colour.Under the sunA fun, energy-efficient alternative to traditionally brewed tea is sun tea. Take a large, glass jar, add fistfuls of fresh herbs and fill with cool water. Put on a lid and place the jar in the sun. It can steep for hours, getting only better, not bitter, because it doesn’t boil. Be aware, however, that the sun’s rays heat the water only to a certain temperature, which could potentially lead to the formation of bacteria. Here are some precautions, therefore, to follow: Always use a sterile container. Drink the tea as soon as it’s ready; never let it sit at room temperature. Refrigerate any extra and use it up within eight hours. Finally, always discard the tea if it appears thick or syrupy—that’s bacteria forming. Herbs for tea Drying for winter tea Drying herbs for tea, or culinary use, is fast and easy. Harvest on dry days, preferably in the morning after the dew has evaporated but before the sun is strong, or pick at dusk. Rinse and pat dry, if desired.While herb bundles hanging upside down look pretty, this process can be messy and the herbs may attract dust or bugs. Instead, strip the herbs from their stems—which hold residual water—and dry them flat, preferably on a mesh screen or tray. (Richters Herbs president Conrad Richter says his late mother used a sweater dryer, an ideal tool for the task.) Sprinkle the herbs no more than two or three layers thick on the screen. Store away from direct heat and light (room temperature is fine), and fluff them occasionally until they crumble when crushed; leathery, pliable leaves are not dry enough to store. While her blend varies from season to season, depending on what she has most of in the garden, there’s one absolute: no one herb or flower dominates. “You don’t want to take a sip and have people think, ‘This is mint tea with something in it.’ You want people to say, ‘This is great, what is it?’” Dowling suggests using one large handful of fresh herbs per four- to six-cup (one- to 1.5-litre) teapot. When making tea with dried herbs, use one tablespoon (15 mL) per mug. These are simply guidelines, though, so amounts will vary according to personal taste, just as the strength of the herbs will vary according to their growing conditions. Avoid making herbal tea in a metal pot, which is reactive and could affect the taste; choose ceramic or glass instead. Richter believes glass pots add to the ritual; they also make it easier to gauge when the tea is ready. He pours his when the herbs drop to the bottom of the pot. Dowling, who favours a glass Bodum teapot, steeps her herbs for only two to three minutes. “Any longer, and the tea can get bitter,” she says. She pours out all of the tea, even if she’s not drinking it right away; anything left over is saved for later to be enjoyed as iced tea.Safe-tea firstConrad Richter of Richters Herbs says people sometimes worry about confusing benign herbs with toxic plants. That’s why it’s extremely important to label all the herbs you’re growing with permanent markers—particularly when you’re just getting to know them, and especially if they return the following season—so you’ll be completely sure of what they are. You must be certain of any herb’s or plant’s identity before using it for tea. And all plants used in the kitchen must be free of chemical sprays.- Credit
- Laura Langston
-
Designing with grasses Designing with grasses
Designing with grasses ofUsing grasses as design medium Ornamental grasses have been used in gardens since before the Renaissance-and are currently enjoying another. This is not surprising, given today's enthusiasm for low-maintenance gardens and an increasing awareness of the environmental benefits of native plants. Varied in form, scale and texture-from ground-hugging to gigantic, from thread-fine to spiky to pillow-soft-grasses thrive in difficult areas such as steep slopes or poor soils. Many look good grown in pots and require less care than annuals. Their design potential is most exciting for creating structure and atmosphere in the garden.Grasses are beautiful in all seasons, undulating in the wind and catching and playing with the light. Some, such as plume grass (Saccharum ravennae), are best grown as specimen or single plants; others, such as hakone grass (Hakonechloa) or dropseed (Sporobolus), show to best advantage when grouped. A number have distinctive summer colour or variegation, and most have excellent fall and winter colour. The taller ones usually hold their form right through the winter and pair well with conifers such as yew, cedar and juniper. In spring, their delicate new growth is lovely as a backdrop for late-blooming bulbs, while in early summer they provide a foil and filler for perennials and annuals. On frosty fall mornings, grasses sparkle in the long, low sunshine. But mid- to late summer is their prime time, when they mediate and make richer the strong yellows of daisy-like perennials. In new gardens, grasses anchor and give shape to empty space, growing to nearly their full height in their first season, but are easily moved when slower-growing woody plants are acquired. They can define a boundary, screen a patio or window for privacy, separate garden areas or create a secret place for children. They're also handsome backdrops for other plants and make excellent groundcover in sun or shade, as Gertrude Jekyll pointed out a century ago. Planted in groups, fountain grass (Pennisetum spp.), moor grass (Sesleria spp.) and Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)-native from Quebec to Saskatchewan and south-make no-care borders, while sedge (Carex spp.) and ornamental fescues (Festuca spp.) create excellent no-mow lawns; F. ovina is effective when used for green roofs. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberspinne', attractive as a single clump, is positively magical in late July when planted as a long, dense hedge-a sinuous chorus line moving in the wind.Though grasses have been used in European garden plans for centuries, they really caught on as a design medium in North America in the 1970s, when Washington, D.C., landscape architects Wolfgang Oehme and James Van Sweden revolutionized planting ideas with their planting designs for residences and public buildings. They used grasses as a graphic medium, planted with low-maintenance perennials and naturalized bulbs to create stunning blocks of form and colour. Oehme and Van Sweden called their innovative style the new American Garden, and their plantings, which are still a delight, inspired innumerable copies. So how do you adapt these ideas for your garden? Designing a grass garden; grasses at water's edge Design a grass gardenA garden designed to exhibit some of the most striking and delightful of the grasses and their relatives might start with Saccharum ravennae, with its high, vertical line and autumn red-orange tones, or with one of the slightly shorter moor grasses (Molinia spp.), such as the aptly named M. ‘Windspiel' or M. ‘Skyracer'. These could be juxtaposed with Miscanthus ‘Giganteus' or M. sinensis ‘Grosse Fontane' for width and bulk-both cultivars have somewhat drooping blades that resemble a fountain or waterfall. M. s. ‘Strictus', with its horizontal variegation and rigid upright form, or the more arching M. s. ‘Zebrinus', would provide good contrast. The most highly recommended and utterly graceful Miscanthus cultivar is M. s. ‘Morning Light', though I am still fond of the older M. s. ‘Gracillimus'. All of these grasses look wonderful next to water, too. They'll tolerate moist soil but don't like wet feet.These tall, solid grass forms can be set off by the softer, billowy form of the North American Panicum and hair grass (Deschampsia), fairy tale grasses that sparkle with dewdrops in the morning or after a summer rain. ‘Prairie Sky' switch grass (P. virgatum ‘Prairie Sky') is one of the bluest of that genus, and P. v. ‘Heavy Metal', a winner for colour and form, can create a diaphanous curtain between areas of the garden or soften the look of stronger, vertical forms when planted at their bases. A new Deschampsia, D. flexuosa ‘Tatra Gold', looks like golden hair with a midsummer haze of bronzy purple flowers and is superb as a foil for stronger forms or in a container.Pick up the blue colour and anchor Panicum with Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphirsprudel', the bluest of the spiky, fine-textured oat grasses; if your climate allows it, add a drift of the contrasting golden hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola'), with perhaps the less commonly used but larger plain green form (Hakonechloa macra) as a lovely background. Hakonechloa spp., which like moist soil and a bit of shade, are most effective planted in groups. Low-growing plants such as Pennisetum should also be grouped (they look good in containers, too).Grasses at the water's edgeGood choices for moist soil are Bowles golden sedge (Carex elata ‘Aurea'), C. conica ‘Snowline' and C. morrowii cultivars. ‘Aurea' is particularly effective when paired with a broader-leafed water plant. A new introduction, C. nigra ‘Variegata', has light green foliage edged in soft yellow and small, black flowers.In the water, the white bulrush (Schoenoplectus lacustris ssp. tabernaemontani ‘Albescens') looks dramatic with its slender, metre-high, white-striped stems. The small, delicate, erect form of umbrella plant (Cyperus alternifolius ‘Gracilis') has flower heads 10 centimetres in diameter and makes a stunning, non-hardy annual backdrop for the tiny (10 to 15 centimetres) dwarf horsetail (Equisetum scirpoides) with its black horizontal banding. Or try corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis'), which looks like a mini Harry Lauder's walking stick or a bad hair day (the new cultivar ‘Lemon Twist' gives you bad hair with a bleached blond stripe).Other plants that flourish in damp or wet conditions are the dense-clumping native soft rush (J. effusus), variegated Japanese rush (Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus') and gold-toned Japanese rush (A. ‘Ogon'). A. g. ‘Minimus Aureus', a new introduction, is a miniature with golden foliage that makes a great groundcover around rocks. Everything old is new again Everything old is new againRibbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea ‘Picta') and Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) are mentioned in 14th-century herbals. Native feather grass (Stipa pennata) is listed as an ornamental in a 1782 nursery catalogue in Dorset, England. Ornamental grasses brought home by plant hunters in the 19th century were used in Victorian gardens to give them an exotic look. In his classic book The English Flower Garden (1883), William Robinson lists 30 ornamental grasses. The famed British designer Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) used ornamental grasses frequently and was the first to write about their use in garden designs. We still copy her signature plantings of big grasses and grass relatives.There's a long tradition of North American plants being discovered by Europeans and eventually coming back into fashion on this side of the Atlantic. By the middle of the 20th century, grasses were being showcased in the nursery gardens of innovative plantsman Karl Foerster, who emphasized their importance in creating all-season gardens. Many of his selections were North American natives. His experiments with natural associations of perennials and grasses that prefer similar growing conditions influenced the next generation of horticulturists and designers, including Wolfgang Oehme, Kurt Bluemel and Ernst Pagels, who found and developed many modern ornamental grass, sedge and rush cultivars.Easy does itMost grasses require no maintenance beyond cutting back in early spring. For the taller, tougher grasses, Tracy DiSabato-Aust, author of The Well-Tended Garden and a respected garden maintenance expert, recommends tying the clump together and making a quick cut across the base with a chainsaw, electric hedge cutter or bowsaw. The tie neatly holds the stems together for easy removal to the compost area, where further cuts can be made to take stems down to composting or mulching size. Some grasses will eventually need to be dug up and replanted when their central core becomes weak and dies out. If it's a heavy clump, divide it with a sharp spade or axe rather than a shovel.Very few pests or diseases affect grasses, and most are fairly drought-tolerant. When they flop or look weak and weedy, they're probably getting too much water or fertilizer. Most grasses are thrifty plants, and their caretakers should be, too.Latest trendsGrass cultivars continue to be collected and introduced from around the world. Two of the many currently on trial are a large Miscanthus with bright gold variegated leaves and red stem sheaths, and a brilliantly blue-foliaged sedge.Design concepts have also expanded. Tapestry patterns or naturalistic groupings with grasses interspersed through perennial borders or shrub plantings are current ways of using grasses. The noted Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf uses trimmed hedges and shaped shrubs and trees as a foil for airy billows of grasses and perennials-the grasses woven through the perennials as if on a loom. Grasses soften and enhance the modular, angular geometry of modern buildings and work well with popular hot colours and exotic tropicals. There is no end in sight to the variety of grasses becoming available and the imaginative ways to use them. Good grasses to try *Acorus gramineus ‘Licorice'20 centimetres, sun to part shade, moist to wet soil, Zone 5*A. g. ‘Minimus Aureus'8 centimetres, sun to part shade, moist to wet soil, Zone 5A. g. ‘Ogon'30 centimetres, sun to part shade, moist to wet soil, Zone 5A. g. ‘Variegatus'8 to 30 centimetres, sun to part shade, moist to wet soil, Zone 5Carex conica ‘Snowline'also known as Ciconica ‘Hime-kan-suge', 30 centi-metres, light shade, moist soil, Zone 5C. elata ‘Aurea'80 centimetres, sun, moist to wet soil, Zone 5C. morrowii cultivars45 centimetres, light shade, moist soil, Zone 5*C. nigra ‘Variegata'30 centimetres, light shade, moist to wet soil, Zone 5Coix lacryma-jobi60 centimetres, sun, treat as annualCyperus alternifolius ‘Gracilis'50 centimetres, light shade, wet soil, treat as annual (overwinter indoors)*Deschampsia flexuosa ‘Tatra Gold'50 centimetres, sun to light shade, dry to moist soil, Zone 5Equisetum scirpoides15 centimetres, part shade, wet soil, Zone 5Festuca ovina25 centimetres, sun, dry to average soil, good drainage, Zone 5Hakonechloa macra50 centimetres, part shade, moist soil, Zone 4H. m. ‘Aureola'35 centimetres, part shade, moist soil, Zone 6Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphirsprudel'80 centimetres, sun, dry to average soil, good drainage, Zone 4Juncus effususto 1 metre, sun or shade, wet soil, Zone 4*J. e. ‘Lemon Twist'60 centimetres, sun to part shade, wet soil, Zone 5J. e. ‘Spiralis'60 centimetres, sun to part shade, wet soil, Zone 5Leymus arenaria1 metre, sun, drought-tolerant, but moderately invasive, Zone 4 Luzula sylvatica45 centimetres, shade, prefers moist soil but tolerates drought, Zone 4**Miscanthus ‘Giganteus'to 3 metres, sun, average to moist soil, Zone 4**M. s. ‘Gracillimus'to 2 metres, sun, average to moist soil, Zone 5**M. s. ‘Grosse Fontane'to 2.4 metres, sun, average to moist soil, Zone 5**M. s. ‘Morning Light'1.5 metres, sun, average to moist soil, Zone 5**M. s. ‘Silberspinne'2 metres, sun, average to moist soil, Zone 5**M. s. ‘Strictus'1.8 metres, sun, average to moist soil, Zone 5** M. s. ‘Zebrinus'2 metres, sun, average to moist soil, Zone 5Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea ‘Skyracer'to 2.5 metres, sun, dry to moist soil, Zone 4M. caerulea ssp. arundinacea ‘Windspiel'to 2 metres, sun, dry to moist soil, Zone 4*Panicum virgatum ‘Dallas'to 2 metres, sun, average to moist soil, Zone 4P. v. ‘Heavy Metal'1.2 metres, sun, dry to moist soil, Zone 4P. v. ‘Prairie Sky'1.2 metres, sun, dry to moist soil, Zone 4Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny'38 centimetres, sun, dry to moist soil, Zone 6Phalaris arundinacea ‘Picta'1 metre, sun to part shade, any soil, aggressive spreader, Zone 4Saccharum ravennae4.2 metres, sun, average soil, Zone 6Schoenoplectus lacustris ssp.Tabernaemontani ‘Albescens'1.5 metres, sun, wet soil, Zone 5Sporobolus heterolepsis38 centimetres, sun to part shade, dry to moist soil, Zone 4Stipa pennata75 centimetres, sun, needs good drainage, Zone 6* marks new introductions** please note that Miscanthus spp. is potentially invasive in warm, humid climates Where to get them Note: Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus', ‘Grosse Fontane', ‘Morning Light', ‘Strictus' and ‘Zebrinus' are widely available, as is Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Little Bunny'.Canning Perennials, Carex morrowii cultivars, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola', Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphirsprudel', Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis', Luzula sylvatica, Panicum virgatum ‘Dallas Blues'. Heritage Perennials, Acorus gramineus ‘Licorice', ‘Minimus Aureus', ‘Variegatus', Carex conica ‘Snowline', C. morrowii cultivars, C. nigra ‘Variegata', Deschampsia flexuosa ‘Tatra Gold', Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola', Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphir-sprudel', Juncus effusus ‘Lemon Twist', ‘Spiralis', Leymus arenarius, Miscanthus floridulus, Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea ‘Sky Racer', Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal', ‘Prairie Sky', Phalaris arundinacea ‘Picta', Saccharum ravennae. Hortico Inc., Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus', Carex morrowii cultivars, Equisitum scirpoides, Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis', Luzula sylvatica, Miscanthus floridulus, Molinia caerulea ssp.arundinacea ‘Sky Racer', Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal', Phalaris arundinacea ‘Picta', Scirpus lacustris ‘Albescens', Sparganium erectum. Humber Nurseries Ltd. & Butterfly Conservatory, Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon', Variegatus', Carex morrowii cultivars, Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis', Luzula sylvatica, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberspinne', Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea ‘Sky Racer', ‘Windspiel', Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal', Stipa pennata. JDS Gardens, Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus', Festuca ovina, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola', Luzula sylvatica, Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal', ‘Prairie Sky'. Mason Hogue Gardens, Carex conica ‘Snowline', C. morrowii cultivars, C. nigra ‘Variegata', Deschampsia flexuosa ‘Tatra Gold', Hakonechloa macra, H. m. ‘Aureola', Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphir-sprudel', Leymus arenaria, Miscanthus ‘Giganteus'. Molinia caerulea ssp.arundinacea ‘Sky Racer', Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal'. Pépinière Jasmin, Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus', Cyperus alternifolius ‘Gracilis', Juncus effusus, J. e. ‘Spiralis', Scirpus lacustris ‘Albescens'.The Perennial Gardens Inc., Acorus gramineus ‘Minimus Aureus', ‘Variegatus', Carex elata ‘Aurea', C. morrowii cultivars, Deschampsia flexuosa ‘Tatra Gold', Festuca glauca, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola', Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphir-sprudel', Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis', Luzula sylvatica, Miscanthus ‘Giganteus', Molinia caerulea ssp.arundinacea ‘Sky Racer', ‘Windspiel', Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal'. Richters, Acorus gramineus ‘Licorice', Coix lacroyma-jobi. Wildflower Farm, Sporobolus heterolepis.- Credit
- Ann Milovsoroff
-
Grow fiery torch lilies Grow fiery torch lilies
Grow fiery torch lilies ofAbout torch lilies Gardens are more interesting for a touch of the exotic, and if you appreciate the occasional challenge, torch lilies (Kniphofia cvs.) satisfy on both fronts. Their lush, reedy foliage and spires of tubular flowers in shades of cream and yellow, apricot, orange and fiery red have a tropical look. And coming as they do from southern Africa, torch lilies are anything but a sure thing in winter-wracked climates. Still, if my and my partner's experience holds true, they may well live for years in cold Canadian gardens—some of the clumps in our Zone 4b garden are into their third decade.The tapered shape and warm colouring of Kniphofia (pronounced knee-FOE-fee-ah) have given rise to the common names poker plant, flame flower and red-hot poker. As with many marginally hardy perennials, the secrets of success are perfectly drained soil and winter protection, either in the form of a consistent snow blanket or protective mulch. Sun for six or more hours daily is also a requisite for growing these African beauties. Around spring's frost-free date, plant torch lilies, either as potted young plants or bare-rooted, in soil that is naturally sandy or lightened with crumbly compost and/or sand; avoid adding peat moss and heavy-clogging manure, since both keep the ground too moist. Give each plant room—a diameter of about 60 centimetres—as crowding impedes growth and distorts the flower spikes. Choose a front-row position for shorter varieties (up to 60 centimetres) and mid-border for the taller torches, and plant low sun-loving perennials such as candytuft, catmint, creeping phlox, lavender or dwarf geraniums in front. You don't want to hide the narrow, grassy leaves, which, like a stiff daylily, remain green and attractive from May to November. With luck, you'll see a torch or two the first year; and if soil conditions are met and winter is not too fierce, clumps will grow more robust and floriferous with each passing season.The stark reality is this: if torch lily roots sit in water over winter or freeze solid, they die. In regions where snow comes early and stays late (as it does here), the ground may not freeze at all and plants will come through unharmed. Otherwise, mulch must be on the menu. Sometime in November, before frost has penetrated the ground, lay down a thick layer—15 to 20 centimetres is not too much—of fluffy mulch, such as dry leaves or peat moss, evergreen needles, compost, sawdust or straw. Leave the plant's foliage in place, tied midway up like a ponytail. Spread mulch in a wide doughnut, leaving a five-centimetre gap between the mulch and the plant (to discourage rot and disease) and extending out for at least 30 centimetres all around the crown. Come spring, cut foliage to ground level, gradually remove mulch as the days warm up, until the ground is fully exposed to the sun's warmth—and cross your fingers. Chances are good that new green blades will poke through, and torch lilies will be lighting up your garden for another summer.Torch lily cultivarsDepending on the type, torch lilies flower from mid-June to late September. While those listed below are recommended for Zone 6, with proper care and protection, they're worth trying in colder zones (we grow several in our Zone 4b garden).• ‘ALCAZAR'290 to 120 cm, bright red, July• ‘BRESSINGHAM COMET'260 to 90 cm, tangerine, August/September• ‘GREEN JADE'290 cm, greenish ivory, August• ‘LITTLE MAID'245 to 60 cm, creamy yellow, July/August• ‘NANCY'S RED'260 cm, scarlet, August• ‘PERCY'S PRIDE'290 to 120 cm, greenish yellow, August/September• ‘PRIMROSE BEAUTY'290 cm, clear light yellow, August (a standout in our garden)• ‘ROYAL STANDARD'290 to 120 cm, red and yellow, July• ‘SHINING SCEPTRE'290 cm, light orange, July- Credit
- Patrick Lima
-
Inspired pairings for the late summer garden Inspired pairings for the late summer garden
Inspired pairings for the late summer garden ofTry these unusual plant combos for a late season garden There is little subtlety to maturing fall plant relationships. Cooling autumn air temperatures cause petal and leaf colours to intensify; reds become redder, blues are tinged with purple, and greens are burnished with copper. These vivid colours mark the changing of seasons, a last audacious display before hard frost nips at leaves and blossoms. The hybrid goldenrod ‘Fireworks' puts out arching, golden flower stems and forms a thick clump that stays put and doesn't seed around. Looking more refined than its wilder cousin seen in fields and along roadsides, ‘Fireworks' finds a soulmate in the dusty-pink stonecrop Autumn Joy, with its broccoli-like flower heads. This striking partnership is intensified by the garden workhorse ‘Goldsturm' black-eyed Susan. As a foil to the vertical lines of these plants, I like the airy and relaxed clumps of pale lilac dwarf calamint and mauve pink ‘Herrenhausen' ornamental oregano, which keep flowering until the beginning of November. Silver sage (a biennial) provides a cool contrast to this grouping, with its huge rosettes of velvety, pewter grey leaves. A single specimen of this diva makes an emphatic statement of form and shimmering colour. For a more modest combination, try ‘Big Ears' lambs' ears.Small shrubs with ornamental features partner well with autumn perennials. ‘Brilliantissima' red chokeberry makes a clever combination in autumn's perennial borders, with its slim form, deep scarlet foliage and clusters of jet-black berries. The chokeberry offers a blazing backdrop for the tall stalks of deep purple ‘Arendsii' monkshood (but remember, it's poisonous if ingested by people or pets). For a similar but scaled-down display, pair the shorter violet-blue ‘Bressingham Spire' monkshood with a highbush blueberry, such as ‘Northblue', which has bright red autumn foliage. Some of the new barberry selections, such as rose pink ‘Rose Glow' or burgundy purple Ruby Carousel, would make fine partners, too.I love to linger in my garden near two special shrub-and-perennial- plant combinations because they are so harmonious. The first is a Pink Diamond hydrangea that, by autumn, holds its prominent pink panicles behind the chartreuse foliage and scented blue flowers of ‘Worcester Gold' bluebeard. The second combination is more commanding in size, and stands by my front walk for all to see—a splendid ‘Red Jade' weeping crabapple, heavily spangled with clusters of crimson fruit (which don't fall off during the summer and are eaten by robins in autumn), paired with the white-petalled, golden-eyed ‘Honorine Jobert' Japanese anemone that grows up and through the crab's cascading, scarlet berries.There is a particularly satisfying autumn scene in a shady corner of my garden. Here, the primordial beauty of orchid—like (but utterly reliable and trouble-free) toad lilies—my favourite is Tricyrtis hirta, which has white petals sprinkled with dark purple dots—adds spice to the graceful yellow wax-bells, with handsome maple leaf-like foliage held horizontally beneath extended dark green stems of pendulous yellow bells. The third partner is the late-blooming ‘White Pearl' snakeroot, which provides a vertical contrast to the spreading clumps of the toad lily and yellow wax-bells. Snakeroot is part of the bugbane family, all of which have tall, wiry wands of fuzzy, cream-coloured flowers. These plants are well worth collecting, as they provide a long season of bloom and are happy in moist woodland soil and light shade. Most gardeners are familiar with black snakeroot, the July-blooming family aristocrat with the largest leaves and flowers in the genus. The American bugbane, with a distinctly more woodland character, flowers from August into September. Late-blooming Cimicifuga simplex hybrids, such as ‘Brunette' (with deep bronze leaves) and ‘Hillside Black Beauty' (with nearly black foliage), flower in October. Both of these bugbanes have ornamental foliage that's an asset in any grouping, scented with a wild honey-like perfume. Much of the consideration of my own garden is spurred on by the thought-provoking Christopher Lloyd (In My Garden, 1993), who advised: “To feel that you have at last achieved (even if by accident) some telling effect is a great fillip, but to go on feeling that you can just coast along with that same achievement year after year is a sure sign of mental sclerosis.” Well, doesn't that just put an edge on the day! So I must consider some new combinations. I'd like to pair my favourite ornamental grass—the subtly variegated ‘Morning Light' maiden grass, which makes a stout clump of delicate arching blades and coppery pink plumes—with two brilliant Michaelmas daisies: deep red ‘Royal Ruby' and rich violet-blue ‘Blue Lagoon'. I'll give them a backdrop of spreading cotoneaster, its wayward, scarlet-berry-laden branches cloaked in autumn with small leaves in blended colours of yellow, red and purple. I expect the late Mr. Lloyd would have had something to say about that! Best time to improve for your next growing season Renovation seasonThe gardening calendar starts in autumn, with an opportunity to assess performance, correct mistakes and move plants toward new and better relationships.- Begin by making some hard decisions; remove plants with chronic insect or disease problems-you'll be better off without them.- When moving plants, consider the clump size of each partner. Oversized ones can be reduced (and more plants garnered) by dividing them to prevent an unbalanced grouping.- Improve the soil in every new planting hole by adding compost or manure, peat moss and sand, and lightly dig some in around plants already in place. Surround each grouping with a 10-centimetre-thick mulch of leaves.- It's a long winter ahead, so keep notes on your changes to help you remember next spring. Set plastic markers into groups, reserving the space for a plant to be added next season, and keep a “to buy” list for the following year. Plants for autumn(legend: H - height; W - width; f - part shade; s - sun; d - shade)‘Bressingham Spire' monkshood (Aconitum ‘Bressingham Spire') H45 cm, W30 cm, f to s, Zone 3‘Arendsii' monkshood (A. carmichaelii ‘Arendsii') H45 cm, W180 cm, f to s, Zone 3‘White Pearl' snakeroot (Actaea matsumurae ‘White Pearl' syn. Cimicifuga simplex ‘White Pearl') H60 cm, W120 cm, s to f, Zone 4Black snakeroot (A. racemosa syn. C. racemosa) H60 cm, W120 cm, f to s (if soil is kept moist), Zone 4 ‘Brunette' and ‘Hillside Black Beauty' purple-leafed bugbane (A. simplex [Atropurpurea Group] ‘Brunette' and ‘Hillside Black Beauty') H60 cm, W120 cm, d to f (s in northern areas), Zone 4‘Honorine Jobert' Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert') H45 cm, W120 cm, f to s, Zone 5‘Brilliantissima' red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima') H1.5 m, W2 m, s, Zone 5‘Blue Lagoon' and ‘Royal Ruby' Michaelmas daisy (Aster novi-belgii ‘Blue Lagoon' and ‘Royal Ruby') H40 to 60 cm, W40 cm; H45 to 50 cm, W45 cm, s, Zone 4Ruby Carousel barberry (Berberis thunbergii forma atropurpurea ‘Bailone'), H1.25 m, W1 m, s, Zone 5‘Rose Glow' barberry (B. t. forma a. ‘Rose Glow'), H1 m, W80 cm, s, Zone 5Dwarf calamint (Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta) H45 cm, W30 cm, f to s, Zone 5‘Worcester Gold' bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Worcester Gold') HW60 cm, s, Zone 6American bugbane (Cimicifuga americana) H1 to 1.5 m, W1 to 2 m, d to f, Zone 4Spreading cotoneaster (Cotoneaster divaricatus) HW1.5 m, s to f, Zone 5 Pink Diamond hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Interhydia') HW1.5 m, f to s, Zone 4yellow wax-bells (Kirengeshoma palmata) HW 60 to 90 cm, f to d, Zone 5‘Red Jade' weeping crabapple (Malus ‘Red Jade') HW5 m, s, Zone 3‘Morning Light' variegated maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light') H60 cm, W120 cm, f to s, Zone 5 ‘Herrenhausen' ornamental oregano (Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen') H45 cm, W30 cm, s, Zone 5‘Goldsturm' black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm') HW60 cm, s, Zone 4Silver sage (Salvia argentea) H60 cm, W45 cm, f to s, Zone 6 Autumn Joy stonecrop (Sedum ‘Herbstfreude'), HW45 cm, f to s, Zone 3‘Fireworks' goldenrod (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks') H60 cm,W90 cm, f to s, Zone 5‘Big Ears' lambs' ears (Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears' syn. ‘Helene von Stein') H30 cm, W45 cm, f to s, Zone 4Toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta) HW45 cm, f to s, Zone 5‘Northblue' highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Northblue') HW80 cm, f to s, Zone 4 Sample combos and where to get these specimens Some combos to try:[‘Brilliantissima' red chokeberry + ‘Rose Glow' barberry + ‘Arendsii' monkshood][Pink Diamond hydrangea + ‘Worcester Gold' bluebeard][‘Honorine Jobert' Japanese anemone + ‘Red Jade' weeping crabapple][‘Fireworks' goldenrod + Autumn Joy stonecrop + ‘Goldsturm' black-eyed Susan][Dwarf calamint + ‘Herrenhausen' ornamental oregano + silver sage]KEY:Aconitum ‘Bressingham Spire': 1, A. carmichaelii ‘Arendsii': 2, Actaea matsumurae simplex ‘White Pearl': 3, A. racemosa: 4, A. simplex ‘Brunette': 5, A. s. ‘Hillside Black Beauty': 6, Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert': 7, Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima': 8, Aster novi-belgii ‘Blue Lagoon': 9, A. n-b. ‘Royal Ruby': 10, Berberis thunbergii forma atropurpurea ‘Bailone': 11, B. t. forma a. ‘Rose Glow': 12, Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta: 13, Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Worcester Gold': 14, Cimicifuga americana: 15, Cotoneaster divaricatus: 16, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Interhydia': 17, Malus ‘Red Jade': 18, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light': 19, Origanum laevigatum ‘Herrenhausen': 20, Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm': 21, Salvia argentea: 22, Sedum ‘Herbstfreude': 23, Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks': 24, Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears': 25, Tricyrtis hirta: 26, Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Northblue': 27. Kirengeshoma palmata: 28.SOURCES:Au Jardin de Jean-Pierre: 5, 7, 11, 12, 17-19, 23, 25. Brentwood Bay Nurseries: 2, 3, 5, 14, 19, 21, 23, 26. Budd Gardens Perennials: 6, 21, 23. Canning Perennials: 2, 7, 13, 14, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26. Corn Hill Nursery Ltd.: 6, 17, 18, 23. Fraser's Thimble Farms: 2, 3, 5, 7. Golden Acre Garden Sentre: 27. Lost Horizons Nursery: 1, 3-6, 9, 10, 15, 19, 22, 24-26. Mason Hogue Gardens: 1, 6, 7, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26. Pacific Rim Native Plant Nursery: 28. Pleasant Valley Nurseries Ltd.: 5, 23. Sheridan Nurseries Ltd.: 3, 5, 7-9, 12, 18, 21, 23, 26. Wild Things Plant Farm: 28. Woodland Nurseries: 16.- Credit
- Judith Adam
-
Versatile shrub roses Versatile shrub roses
Versatile shrub roses ofAbout shrub roses Shrub roses have a romantic, mistymorning quality often accentuated by an old-fashioned, fruity, spicy or clove-like scent. (The lovely blend of tea, myrrh and fruit fragrances in Tea Clipper, an Austin English shrub rose, is irresistible.) Many are not only beautiful, but tough as well, easily fending off insects, disease and harsh winter weather. Rugosa roses, for example, are resistant to blackspot, powdery mildew and rusts. They are also extremely cold-hardy (to Zone 2) and will survive in poor, dry soils.Though not all shrub roses are as tough as the rugosas, the Explorer Series, developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa, are hardy to –35ºC with only scant snow cover. They require minimal care and are rarely troubled by pests and disease. The Parkland Series is another group of hardy Canadian shrub roses bred for difficult conditions.Increasingly, too, nurseries are growing own root shrub roses. Unlike budded types, these are better able to rebound when killed to the ground by unusually harsh winters or lack of snow cover. Care checklist Care checklist • Plant bare-root shrubs in early spring while they're dormant; plant container-grown specimens any time from spring to early fall.• Grow in well-drained, slightly acidic, humusy soil.• Site in full sun (for more blooms) to part shade.• Provide good air circulation by spacing plants 1.5 to 2 metres apart, and away from walls.• Irrigate deeply and regularly and avoid overhead watering to keep foliage dry.• Where foliar diseases such as powdery mildew, blackspot or rust are present, rake up and dispose of fallen leaves.• At the first sign of infestations of Japanese beetles, aphids, thrips, midges, spider mites or caterpillars, spray with insecticidal soap.• Prune any dead wood in spring, just above an outward-facing bud.• Mulch in spring to conserve moisture and discourage weeds.• Mound crown with soil or compost for extra winter protection in colder locations. Plant varieties Based on disease resistance and hardiness, here are some of the best shrub roses for Canadian gardens.Name: 'BLANC DOUBLE DE COUBERT' RUGOSA (Rosa 'Blanc Double de Coubert') ZONE 3H x W (m): 1.5 x 1.25Description: Pure white, semi-double, clove and old-fashioned rose fragrance, repeat bloomer; mounded form; few large, scarletred hips in fall; leathery, wrinkled, dark green foliage; shade-tolerantComments: Very disease-resistantName: 'CHAMPLAIN' EXPLORER SERIES (R. 'Champlain') ZONE 3H x W (m): 1 x 1Description: Dark red, semi-double; light, fresh, sweet fragrance, repeat bloomer; broad, low form; orange hips in fall; shiny, medium green foliageComments: Good disease resistanceName: ‘GOLDEN WINGS' (R. ‘Golden Wings') ZONE 4H x W (m): 1 to 2 x 1 to 1.75Description: Light yellow, single, mild honey-spice fragrance, occasional repeat bloomer; dense, rounded form; orange-red hips; green, glossy foliage; few thorns; shade-tolerantComments: Good disease resistanceName: ‘HANSA' RUGOSA (R. ‘Hansa') ZONE 3H x W (m): 1.5 to 2 x 1.25 to 2Description: Medium red, double, strong clove fragrance, repeat bloomer; open, vase-like form; many large, scarlet red hips; glossy, medium green foliage; very thornyComments: Very disease-resistantName: ‘JENS MUNK' RUGOSA (R. ‘Jens Munk') ZONE 3H x W (m): 1.25 to 2 x 1.25 to 1.5Description: Medium pink, semi-double, spicy fragrance, repeat bloomer; upright, arching form; few hips; olive green, glossy foliage; very thornyComments: Very disease-resistantName: BONICA FLORIBUNDA (R. ‘MEIdomonac') ZONE 4H x W (m): 1 to 1.5 x 1 to 1.5Description: Medium pink, double, mild fruity fragrance, repeat bloomer; upright, arching form; orange-red hips; dark green foliage; moderate-sized thornsComments: Very disease-resistantName: ‘THÉRÈSE BUGNET' RUGOSA (R. ‘Thérèse Bugnet') ZONE 3H x W (m): 1.5 to 1 x 1.25 to 1.75Description: Medium pink, double, strong clove fragrance, repeat bloomer; upright vase shape; orange-red hips; light grey-green foliage; few thorns; shade-tolerantComments: Good disease resistance- Credit
- Anne Marie Van Nest
-
Late bloomers Late bloomers
Late bloomers ofmid-July picks Late summer is such a luxury—already the days are shortening as the season turns to autumn. This should be the time of blossoms blowing, rampant vines and a fullness to all growing things. The novelist and gardener H. E. Bates recognized its potential: "In late summer, not quite autumn, all the glory is in the flowers, and on hot afternoons, when even the wind is warm, in the drowsy crowds of butterflies that float everywhere like wind-shaken petals of scarlet and white and blue and coffee-brown," leading me to think: Oh, let that happen in my garden!And why not? Once the last of the daylily buds are fattening to open, the delphiniums nearly finished and the merry pinks of May all but forgotten, there's no need to resign yourself to a mostly green landscape for the last half of the growing season. With good planning, there will be late-blooming flowers on hand for your enjoyment right through to fall. And so I'm resolved to acquire plants that bloom in two sequences, with a bit of overlap to ease the transition—the first group from July to September and the second group from August to October.Mid-July is a time of brilliant colour in the flower border, with tall, sweetly fragrant garden phlox (Phlox paniculata, 90 cm, Zone 4) just opening its first, full heads of florets. Phlox has the broadest colour spectrum of any perennial, with only true blue and clear yellow missing from the selection. The blossom heads are long-lasting and are followed by a steady output of side shoots, carrying the bloom (with deadheading) into the early days of September. Some modern phlox cultivars are mildew-resistant, none more so than the sparkling white 'David'—the Perennial Plant Association's 2002 plant of the year—a useful addition to summer bouquets and long-lasting in the vase. Good companions for phlox are small globe thistle (Echinops ritro, 1.2 metres, Zone 5), waving wands topped with silvery blue balls of soft spikes, and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, 90 cm, Zone 4) which, of course, has never been purple. Coneflower cultivars are available in various shades of subdued pink ('Magnus') to pink touched with carmine ('Crimson Star' and 'Bright Star'), and white ('White Swan' and 'White Lustre'). These will keep sending up new stems and side shoots if their soil remains consistently moist, and there is no greater thrill than seeing them visited by red admiral butterflies. This year, shorter cultivars ('Kim's Knee High' and 'Kim's Mophead') are offered, too.My first group of late bloomers also includes white gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides, 90 cm, Zone 6), which looks more like its name than any other flower; peach-leaved bellflower (Campanula persicifolia, 60 cm, Zone 4) with nodding blue ('Telham Beauty') or white tipped with blue ('Chettle Charm') bells; and the reliable black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm', 60 cm, Zone 4), which blooms until early September. To have flowers with slightly shorter stems, I'll include 'Butterfly Blue' pincushion flower (Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue', 40 cm, Zone 4), which puts out dainty, pale blue flowers well into September, and 'Dropmore' catmint (Nepeta faassenii 'Dropmore', 36 cm, Zone 4), whose violet-blue spikes of small flowers reliably mimic lavender all summer and grey-green, aromatic foliage is beloved by cats. A bit of yellow fumitory (Corydalis lutea, 30 cm, Zone 4) never goes amiss. I like its grey-green, ferny foliage and bright yellow flowers, which keep on blooming until hard frost. Corydalis seeds around quite readily, but to my mind is welcome wherever it springs up. A few clumps of cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis, 75 cm, Zone 5), with its tall, slender spikes of bright scarlet, tubular flowers, add a stroke of passion without assuming too much space. Cardinal flower likes a moist soil and is a favoured nectar source for hummingbirds. August bloomers August bloomersNow that the late summer garden is beginning to look fuller and more colourful and the days are becoming cooler, it's time to consider adding generous clumps of plants that glow with the hues of the season. "It is a good plan to plant them where at some moment of the day they will catch the sunlight; and it is more effective to plant two or three in a clump than some isolated specimen…to make a bonfire of colour in the rich, mellow days of autumn," wrote Vita Sackville-West of her Sissinghurst Garden. Gardeners like myself, who never purchase one of anything, are especially gratified by such advice.The second group of late bloomers fills the humid days of August and carries on through to October. Rose of Sharon shrub (Hibiscus syriacus, 2.4 metres, Zone 6) begins its six-week season of bloom—my two favourites being the single-flowered 'Blue Bird' and the double mauve 'Ardens'. In moist corners of partial shade, deep blue monkshood (Aconitum napellus, one metre, Zone 3) sends up its long-lasting, delphinium—like spikes of flowers that are both beautiful and toxic (so keep it away from small children and plant-chewing pets). In the same light I can put a fat clump of turtlehead (Chelone obliqua, 90 cm, Zone 5) in rosy purple. And obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana, 90 cm, Zone 3) must find a place in this corner, with its articulated and adjustable little florets arranged in precise lines up and down its stems. It can be had in lovely clear white, or pink 'Bouquet Rose'—though I'm partial to the deep lilac-pink 'Vivid'. Obedient plant wants to run in moist soil, but this can be an asset in such a charming plant. (If you don't think so, there is a recent, more polite, clumping cultivar to try called 'Miss Manners'.) Two more plants for a moist and shady location, and which look lovely planted near each other, are 'The Rocket' ligularia (Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket', 1.2 metres, Zone 5)—with its tall, black-stemmed racemes of brilliant yellow florets and decorative mound of toothed foliage—and the fragrant 'Royal Standard' plantain lily (Hosta x plantaginea 'Royal Standard', 60 cm, Zone 4), with glossy ribbed leaves and large, scented white trumpets in August; or the larger-flowered 'Grandiflora' or its double-flowered cousin, 'Aphrodite'.Out in sun and well-drained soil is the place for a colourful array of single hollyhocks, beloved in cottage gardens (Alcea rosea syn. Althaea rosea, 1.5 metres, Zone 4), and sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale, 1.2 metres, Zone 4), with daisy-like blooms in rich mahogany red (H. 'Bruno'), golden yellow (H. 'Butterpat') and bronze-red (H. 'Riverton Beauty'). As well, 'Worcester Gold' bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Worcester Gold', 90 cm, Zone 5) is a welcome sight with its chartreuse leaves and misty blue flowers—a small shrub that is treated like a perennial in most of Canada.All these vibrant colours are softened by the narrow racemes of white flowers of Bowman's (or Culver's) root, (Veronicastrum virginicum 'Album', 1.2 metres, Zone 4) and the plumes of creamy white mugwort (Artemisia lactiflora, 1.2 metres, Zone 5)—taller, more subtle and altogether better behaved than its silvery cousins.At last it's time for the vivid Michaelmas daisies of autumn—lavender blue 'Mönch' (Aster x frikartii 'Mönch', 76 cm, Zone 6) and 'Andenken an Alma Pötschke' (Aster novae-angliae 'Andenken an Alma Pötschke', 76 centimetres, Zone 5)—which combine splendidly with the entirely respectable hybrid goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) cultivars 'Fireworks' (one metre, Zone 6) and 'Crown of Rays' (76 cm, Zone 5). And nearby are the lightly scented bottlebrush stems of 'White Pearl' autumn snakeroot (Actaea matsumurae syn. Cimicifuga simplex 'White Pearl', 1.2 metres, Zone 4). Sources The late-blooming garden is full, like the gardener's heart, and it's time to think about the spring to come. The author and illustrator Clare Leighton tended Four Hedges, her garden in the Chilterns, into late autumn with an optimism I admire. "Autumn is not the sad time it is supposed to be…it is a season of planning and expectation…even the fallen leaf is food for future years of foliage and fruit, and promises next summer an added colour to the flowers." With so much brightness of petals and swelling of perennial clumps to enjoy, how could we be anything but cheerful? The garden's late bloomers direct our thoughts toward the coming spring, when I fully intend to have my four-season planting plan all worked out.SourcesBrickman's Botanical Gardens, Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Beauty', Echinacea 'Crimson Star', 'White Swan', 'Kim's Knee High', Chelone obliqua, Helenium 'Riverton Beauty', Physostegia 'Miss Manners', 'Vivid', Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum'.Brentwood Bay Nurseries, Nepeta x faassenii 'Dropmore', Phlox paniculata 'David', Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldstrum', Echinacea 'White Swan', Cimicifuga simplex 'White Pearl', Chelone oblique.Canning Perennials, Aconitum napellus, Alcea rosea, Campanula persicifolia, Buddleia davidii, Echinacea 'Kim's Knee High', E. 'Kim's Mophead', E. purpurea 'Bright Star', 'Magnus', 'White Swan', Echinops ritro, Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket', Lysimachia clethroides, Phlox paniculata, Physostegia virginiana, Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue', Veronicastrum virgi-nicum, Cimicifuga simplex 'White Pearl'.Fraser Thimble Farm, Corydalis lutea, Buddleia davidii, Hosta plantaginea 'Aphrodite'.The Garden Shed, 5033 Graham Ave., Terrace, B.C. V8G 1B3; 250/638-7697; Aster x frikartii 'Moench', Helenium autumnale 'Bruno', Macleaya microcarpa 'Kelway's Coral Plume', Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue', Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Worchester Gold'.Humber Nurseries, Aconitum napellus, Alcea rosea, Artemisia lactiflora, Lobelia cardinalis, Lysimachia clethroides, Phlox paniculata, Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue', Hibiscus syriacus.JDS Gardens, Aconitum napellus, Aster novae-angliae 'Alma Potschke', Campanula persicifolia, Echinacea purpurea 'Bright Star', 'White Swan', Hosta plantaginea 'Aphrodite', Phlox paniculata.The Perennial Gardens, Aster x frikartii 'Monch', Corydalis lutea, Echinops ritro, Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Beauty', 'Chettle Charm', Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus', 'White Swan', Helenium 'Butterpat', Veronicastrum virginicum 'Album', Physostegia virginiana 'Bouquet Rose'.Plant Delights Nursery, Inc., 9241 Sauls Rd., Raleigh, North Carolina 27603; 919/772-4794; Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks'.The Plant Farm , Hosta 'Royal Standard'.Sheridan Nurseries, various locations; Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manner', Phlox paniculata 'David', Hibiscus syriacus 'Ardens', Chelone obliqua.Sherry's Perennials,P.O. Box 39, Cedar Springs, ON N0P 1E0519-676-4541 Hosta plantaginea 'Royal Standard', Phlox paniculata 'David', Physostegia 'Vivid', Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum'.Veseys Seeds Ltd., Echinacea 'Magnus', 'White Swan', Echinops ritro, Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum', Chelone obliqua.- Credit
- Judith Adam
-
Video: Planting tips for spring bulbs Video: Planting tips for spring bulbs
Video: Planting tips for spring bulbs ofPlanting tips for spring bulbs- Credit
- Stephen Westcott-Gratton
-
Versatile viburnums Versatile viburnums
Versatile viburnums ofCare tips and some viburnum varieties With their attractive foliage, distinctive horizontal forms, showy fruit and abundant, often-fragrant flowers, viburnums are essential additions to the garden. This diverse group of shrubs is also amenable to most soil types. (Average, heavy loam with adequate moisture is ideal, but many species are tolerant of drought and drier conditions.) Many also seem to come with "antifreeze" in their plant veins—cranberrybush, for example, is hardy to Zone 2. Viburnums vary widely in height, ranging from 60 centimetres to six metres, making it easy to select the right one for any situation. North American native species such as V. lantanoides, V. dentatum, V. lentago, V. prunifolium and V. rufidulum, for instance, mix naturally with more exotic viburnums and with many other shrubs. Some have showy spring leaves and colourful fall foliage in yellows, oranges or reds. A few are evergreen or semi-evergreen in Zones 6 and higher (e.g. V. x rhytidophylloides 'Alleghany', V. 'Pragense' and V. rhytidophyllum), providing season-long interest in the garden. The striking "wedding cake" form of the doublefile types (see chart, page 34), with their flowering and fruiting tiers, is spectacular. Like most of their relatives, these viburnums are very tolerant of wet, dry, acidic or alkaline soils and sunny or partly shaded conditions. Care checklist:• site in full sun or part shade for best results • prune only to remove branches that are damaged• remove spent blossoms after flowering to encourage improved blooming the following year (will sacrifice the current season's fruit) Plant varietiesName: 'CONOY' VIBURNUM (Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Conoy') ZONE 5HxW (m): 1.5 x 2.5Form & Foliage: Compact, with dark green, glossy leaves; fragrant, white, flat-topped blooms in spring; evergreen in Zones 7 and 8, where foliage can be tinged with maroon in fall and winter Fruit: Showy, persistent, pendulous red fruit in late summer, maturing to black in late fallName: DAVID VIBURNUM (V. davidii) ZONE 7HxW (m): 1.5 x 1.5 Form & Foliage: Pink buds open into creamy white, rounded blooms; leathery evergreen foliage turns orange-red or purple in autumnFruit: Pinkish red fruit ripens to metallic blue and black; fruit attracts wildlife; plant two or more for good pollination Name: NANNYBERRY (V. lentago) ZONE 2HxW (m): 4 to 7 x 3 to 4Form & Foliage: Upright, multi-stemmed, open crown with arching branches; creamy white, round-topped flower clusters in spring; shiny, dark green, deciduous leavesFruit: Dark blue-black fruit ripens in fall on red stems that persist into winter; attracts birds More viburnum varieties and how to deal with pests and disease Name: CARDINAL CANDY LINDEN VIBURNUM (V. dilatatum 'Henneke') ZONE 4HxW (m): 2 x 2Form & Foliage: Abundant small, fragrant, creamy white flowers; dark green, pleated leaves turn russet in fall; excellent four-season display; reliably winter-hardyFruit: Persistent, showy, bright red; good yield without needing extra pollinator plants Name: 'WINTERTHUR' SMOOTH WITHEROD (V. nudum 'Winterthur') ZONE 5HxW (m): 2 to 4 x 2 to 4Form & Foliage: Rounded, multi-stemmed, upright shrub; flat-topped clusters of fragrant white blooms; glossy, dark green, deciduous foliage turns maroon in autumnFruit: Pink fruit ripens to blue, purple and black; plant in groups for best pollination and fruitingName: 'SHASTA' DOUBLEFILE VIBURNUM (V. plicatum forma tomentosum ‘Shasta') ZONE 5HxW (m): 1.5 to 2 x 3 to 4Form & Foliage: Horizontally branched shrub; large, showy, flat-topped, white blossoms with large outer sterile flowers and smaller central fertile ones; dark green leaves turn reddish purple in fall; grows in well-drained soilFruit: Red fruit matures to black; fruit attracts wildlifeName: 'ONONDAGA' SARGENT VIBURNUM (V. sargentii 'Onondaga') ZONE 3HxW (m): 2.5 to 3 x 2 to 3Form & Foliage: Multi-stemmed, upright shrub; lace-cap-type blooms; white outer sterile flowers and small pinkish, inner fertile ones; deciduous three-lobed leaves open maroon, then turn dark green, followed by red-purple fall colourFruit: Red, cranberry-like fruit matures to black; attracts birdsPests and diseaseAlthough viburnums have few serious insect or disease problems, some species are more susceptible to attacks than others. Here are the most common threats and treatments.• Powdery mildew: improve air circulation around plant.• Aphids, which cause twisting and curling of new growth: most susceptible are European highbush cranberry (V. opulus) and snowball viburnum (V. o. 'Roseum'). Wash off pests with strong jet of water.• Viburnum leaf beetle, which causes defoliation: highly prone is European highbush cranberry; moderately susceptible are wayfaring tree (V. lantana) and rafinesque viburnum (V. rafinesquianum); slightly prone are arrow wood viburnum (V. dentatum) and American highbush cranberry (V. trilobum).Insects in both adult and larvae stages skeletonize leaves. Consecutive years of severe defoliation can kill shrubs. Olive green adult beetles are about five millimetres long and feed in late summer. Eggs are laid in fall, and overwinter in lines along the undersides of the current season's twigs. The yellow-brown, spotted larvae hatch and begin feeding in May and June. To control, grow less susceptible species or shake off adults onto groundsheets and dump them into a pail of soapy water. Prune out any remaining egg sites in late winter. Perfect viburnum partners Perfect partners:Spring-flowering shrubs complement viburnums, and clematis vines trained through their branches adorn them when blooms fade.With so many shapes and sizes available, designing with viburnums is downright easy. They can be used as specimen plants, natural or sheared hedges, massed in groups or potted in containers. With their striking horizontal branching habit, the doublefile viburnum types, including 'Mariesii', 'Newport', 'Pink Beauty', 'Shasta' and 'Shoshoni', deserve special consideration as attention-grabbing focal points.Winter- and early-spring-flowering viburnums, such as V. farreri (which is also fragrant) and V. x bodnantense 'Dawn', seem to defy the winter weather to show off their blooms. These attractive blossoms can add interest when little else is in flower. Early-blooming V. lantanoides, V. 'Cayuga', V. x burkwoodii 'Anne Russell' and V. lantana are especially showy. Viburnums are also valuable landscape plants for their fragrance. V. x burkwoodii 'Mohawk', V. x carlcephalum 'Cayuga' and V. carlesii 'Aurora' have exceptionally lovely scents. Lastly, don't overlook designing with viburnums for their showy yellow, red, purple, blue or black fruit. Displays can be particularly beautiful during the fall and winter.DR. RUPPEL' CLEMATIS (Clematis 'Dr. Ruppel') HEIGHT 2 to 3 m SPREAD 1 m DESCRIPTION vine with large, deep pink blooms with a carmine stripe on each petal; blooms in early summer, then sporadically through early fall DESIGN ADVANTAGE showy blooms help to extend the flowering season; complements the spreading, open forms of many viburnums; combines especially well with varieties less than 2 m ZONE 4 'ARNOLD PROMISE' WITCH HAZEL (Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise') HEIGHT and SPREAD 3 to 5 m DESCRIPTION deciduous shrub with vividly coloured, fragrant, bright yellow blossoms that appear in late winter or early spring DESIGN ADVANTAGE upright, vase-shaped form echoes those of many viburnums; complements early-blooming varieties, such as V. x bodnantense ‘Dawn' ZONE 5 'ALICE' OAKLEAF HYDRANGEA (HYDRANGEA QUERCIFOLIA 'ALICE') HEIGHT and SPREAD 1.5 to 2.5 m DESCRIPTION deciduous shrub with large, long-lasting white panicles that bloom in early summer, then fade to pink, then brown; deeply lobed, oak-like leaves turn bronze, maroon and purple in fall DESIGN ADVANTAGE large shrub that combines well with viburnums for an informal look ZONE 5 'VALLEY VALENTINE' JAPANESE PIERIS (Pieris japonica 'Valley Valentine') HEIGHT 60 cm to 1.3 m SPREAD 1 to 1.5 m DESCRIPTION broadleaf shrub with maroon flowers in early spring that fade to pink; dark, glossy, evergreen leaves emerge orange-bronze and mature to dark green DESIGN ADVANTAGE foliage provides excellent contrast for small to medium-sized deciduous viburnums ZONE 6- Credit
- Anne Marie Van Nest
-
Top 10 Climbing Roses Top 10 Climbing Roses
Top 10 Climbing Roses ofRomantic roses Rose lovers are true romantics who, bewitched by scent and bedazzled by colour, strive to create a garden bed of luscious blooms. But putting scent and sentiment aside, many eventually arrive at a pragmatic point of view: climbing roses are a good deal. While they require no more space than a shrub rose, the long vertical growth of climbers delivers three or four times the flowers. Cascading over a fence or draping a wall, the visual contrast of tender petals against rough wood, brick or stone creates an exquisite display of artistic tension. But to achieve these moments of rosy glory, we must first understand these plants and how best to use them.Ramblers vs. ClimbersClimbing roses can be divided into two main groups, the antique ramblers and the modern climbers. Ramblers:Ramblers are most often derived from old species types such as Rosa wichuraiana, R. multiflora and R. moschata, although occasionally modern breeders will create a new rambler cultivar by combining old ramblers and newer roses from different categories.Ramblers usually have clusters of informal, often scented, five-centimetre-wide flowers, produced on many slender, pliable canes sent up from the plant's base. Without pruning and left to their own devices, ramblers will reliably produce large numbers of flowers all along their length. Growing from 3.5 to six metres tall, some ramblers are quite cold-hardy, and are perfect for scrambling up a tree or travelling across a pergola, creating a roiling mass of hundreds of flowers. Most bloom only once-for about six weeks starting in early summer - and require little pruning; just remove dead wood in spring and cut back to a manageable size every few years. Modern Climbing Roses:It wasn't until the mid-1900s that breeders focused on producing modern climbing roses that grew to a height of 1.8 to 3.5 metres and bloomed more than once per season.Occasionally, a shrub-form rose will produce a cane that is noticeably longer and more vigorous than its other ones. This longer cane is characteristically different from the parent plant, and is the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation called a sport. If the sport is removed and vegetatively propagated, it usually results in a specimen with a climbing form and flowers identical to those of the parent plant. Some examples are 'Climbing Iceberg' (a.k.a. 'Climbing Schneewittchen'), a white floribunda sport; and red, clove-scented Altissimo (R. 'Delmur'), both reaching up to five metres tall and hardy to Zone 5. Modern climbers are sports of many categories of shrub-form roses, such as hybrid perpetuals, Chinese and hybrid teas, bourbons and floribundas. Click here for more on modern climbing roses. Modern climbing roses Modern climbing rosesModern climbers have seven- to eight-centimetre, classic-form blooms with canes that tend to be shorter and thicker than the wood of ramblers. (Their scaled-down size makes them suitable for small gardens.) Characteristics are highly variable, reflecting the many rose categories contributing genes to their breeding. Some modern climbers are described as "pillar" roses, because their canes are rigidly vertical and resist twisting and bending, while others take on a "fountain" form, with canes that rise vertically, then cascade down. Three fairly consistent features, however, are a remontant bloom cycle (that is, beginning in late spring, they bloom more than once in the growing season); a wide palette of colours; and a larger flower size than that of ramblers. Grown against a warm brick wall (which creates a micro-climate and advances blooming), a tall modern climber can be the earliest to bloom and extend the season through summer into autumn. Shorter types may be wrapped around a pergola, woven through arbours or draped over fences. Cane posture is the most crucial factor in achieving maximum flowers. If allowed to grow vertically, climbing rose canes will bloom only at the top and make no effort to set blossoms lower down. Instead, when they are young and still pliable, anchor the canes horizontally to force buds to break along their length, which will produce lateral stems, resulting in a greater number of flowers. (The canes form the supporting structure of the plant, the lateral stems carry the flowers.) It's almost impossible to position rose canes in a true horizontal line, but bending them to any degree will increase flowering. Pruning Modern Climbing Roses:Climbers require only light pruning to maintain vigour; it's important to preserve as much of their structure as possible. The long main, or basal, canes can be productive for several years before becoming exhausted. - Prune at the end of winter, using secateurs or a small pruning saw. - Remove dead wood from the main canes and lateral stems, and any main canes that did not carry flowering laterals the previous season; also remove twiggy growth that's slimmer than a pencil. - Preserve younger main canes and secure them in either a horizontal or slanted position. - Cut back the flowering lateral stems to three or four buds. - Remove any suckers growing from beneath the bud union. To do this, excavate the soil, grab the sucker down low with a gloved hand and pull it off with a twist. - Snip off and dispose of any old rose leaves and hips.Healthy Rose Foliage:It's smart to grow strong roses that can withstand some degree of fungal disease, such as blackspot. The best preventive measure is to keep the garden clean, removing fallen leaves and any decaying or diseased foliage on a weekly basis. Spraying canes with dormant oil in spring before buds break can also help. After leafing out in May, for ongoing control, spray foliage every seven days with one teaspoon (5 mL) of baking soda dissolved in eight cups (2 L) of water.Winter Protection:Because climbing roses have so much of their wood exposed to wind and cold, their canes are susceptible to winter damage. In Zones 4 and lower, harsh winters with temperatures below –20C will kill substantial amounts of unprotected rose canes; their crowns may survive, however, and produce vigorous new growth in the spring. Wrapping the canes with any windbreaking material, such as a heavy tarp, helps preserve them. For even better protection, first bundle the canes with insulation sheets (from a building supply store), then wrap in a garden tarp.Click here to read about year-round care. Winter rose protection and year-round rose care More winter rose protection tips At the Montreal Botanical Garden, canes are laid on the ground and covered by an insulated tarp material, using compost or soil to seal the edges and prevent wind from lifting the cover. Home gardeners can mound leaves over canes, with a piece of lightweight carpeting (held in place at the edges with bricks or stones) laid overtop to keep out wind. This offers maximum preservation of the bud-carrying wood.The Canadian Rose Society offers excellent information about growing roses in northern hardiness zones, and also recommends protecting climbers by laying them on the ground to be insulated with snow cover (then pulled up in early spring and anchored to a support).Rose Care:Fertilizing, watering and mulching ramblers and modernsPlant roses in early spring (April or May) before they've made significant growth, or in late autumn (October or November) when they are semi-dormant. Amend the soil with composted manure or garden compost, but avoid burning tender new roots with prepared synthetic fertilizer, which should only be applied after the first flowers bloom in early summer.Roses benefit greatly from a five-to seven-centimetre-thick layer of organic mulch over their roots throughout the year. Use shredded or small tree leaves, or commercial bags of shredded bark.Roses are big eaters and need a steady source of food. Climbing varieties are two to three times the size of shrub roses, and consequently require more food than smaller plants. Fertilizer encourages new basal canes that strengthen the plant's climbing structure and encourage production of lateral blooming branches. Feeding three times during the growing season will trigger more bloom flushes and increase the number of flowers. For established plants, feed with a prepared commercial rose fertilizer, with a balanced formula of 10-10-10, preferably granular (water-soluble liquid food can be lost in runoff), in spring when shoots begin to grow and the leaves are opening. (The plant requires leaves to use the fertilizer, so resist the urge to feed earlier.) Apply by pulling back the mulch, scratching the granules into the soil over the roots and pushing the mulch back in place. During this first feeding, also sprinkle ½ cup (125 mL) of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) over the root zone and scratch it in to encourage the growth of new and vigorous basal wood. Feed climbing roses again in late June - or when the first flush of blooms has finished - and a third time in late July. Do not feed after mid-August or the plant won't have adequate time to harden off for the winter. In late summer or early autumn, pull back the mulch around the plants and gently incorporate a bucket of well-composted commercial manure or garden compost into the soil over the root zone.Give climbers a foliar feeding of liquid kelp (using a watering can or sprayer) every two weeks throughout the growing season to boost disease resistance and enhance petal colour and scent. Apply during daylight hours-between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.-to allow time for leaves to dry before sunset (wet leaves may promote fungal disease).Roses require consistently moist soil, and large climbers need more water than smaller shrubs. Unless soil is saturated with rainwater, irrigate plants weekly, providing enough water to soak down 25 centimetres into the root zone. (Dig a small hole next to the plant and check how far down the water is penetrating.) The best way to water is to set a trickling hose at the plant's base, long enough to soak down to the appropriate depth into the soil. Climbing roses need extra water during periods of extended heat and drought.Check out the top 10 climbers Top 10 Climbers Judith's Top 10 ClimbersName and type: AMERICA (Rosa 'Jacclam') (U.S.A., 1976) modern large-flowered climber ZONE 5HxW (m): 3 x 1.5Description: Hybrid tea form; double, repeat bloom; warm coral, maturing to pale salmon, blooms measure 7.5 cm with 43 petals, spicy clove scent; flowers singly and in clusters; high-centred ovoid buds; large, medium green leavesComments: Disease-resistant; upright growth, good for trellises, pillars and arbours Name and type: CLAIR MATIN (R. 'Meimont') (France, 1960) modern large-flowered climber ZONE 4HxW (m): 4 x 2Description: Floribunda form; semi-double, repeat bloom; light pink with gold stamens, blooms measure 6 cm with 15 petals, sweet brier scent; flowers are flattened, cup-shaped, blooms in clusters; small pointed buds; semi-glossy, medium-sized, dark green leavesComments: Disease-resistant; arching growth, good for pergolas and fencesName and type: 'COMPASSION' (U.K., 1973) modern large-flowered climber ZONE 4HxW (m): 3 x 2.5Description: Hybrid tea form; double and reflexed, repeat bloom; apricot pink, bloom measures 10 cm with 45 to 50 petals, strong rose fragrance; flowers singly and in sprays; long pointed buds; lustrous dark green leaves Comments: Disease-resistant; tall growth, good for walls, pillars, arbours and pergolasName and type: 'DANSE DU FEU' (syn. 'Spectacular') (France, 1953) modern large-flowered climber ZONE 5 HxW (m): 3.5 x 1.5Description: Floribunda form; semi-double, repeat bloom; bright orange-scarlet, bloom measures 7.5 cm with 35 petals, strong citrus scent; flowers singly and in clusters; globular at first, opening to loosely formed round, short buds; dark green, semi-glossy leavesComments: Tall growth, good for walls, pillars, arbours and pergolasName and type: 'DORTMUND' (Germany, 1955) modern Kordesii shrub climber ZONE 5HxW (m): 4 x 2Description: Single, sporadic repeat bloom; cherry red with bright white centre, yellow stamens, blooms measure 7.5 cm with 5 to 10 large petals, which are followed by large orange hips, slight rose fragrance; flowers in clusters; long pointed buds; large, dark green, glossy leaves Comments: Highly disease-resistant; vigorous arching growth, good for pergolas, pillars and arboursName and type: 'ILSE KROHN SUPERIOR' (Germany, 1964) modern climber ZONE 4HxW (m): 3 x 2Description: Hybrid tea form but changes to old-rose form when fully open; double, repeat bloom; creamy white flushed with apricot gold hue, blooms measure 7.5 cm with 40 to 50 reflexed petals, strong rose fragrance; flowers singly and in sprays; large ovoid, pointed buds; dark green, semi-glossy leavesComments: Disease-resistant; tall growth, good for walls, fences and arboursName and type: 'JOHN DAVIS' Explorer Series (Canada, 1986) modern hybrid Kordesii climber ZONE 3HxW (m): 4 x 1.5 Description: Quartered old-rose form; double, repeat bloom; medium pink, bloom measures 8 cm with 40 petals, spicy scent; opening flat, flowers singly and in large clusters; small, round, red buds; medium green, semi-glossy leaves Comments: Disease-resistant; arching growth, good for pergolas, fences and arbours Name and type: 'ROBERTA BONDAR' (Canada, 1993) modern large-flowered climber ZONE 6HxW (m): 3 x 1.5Description: Hybrid tea form; double, repeat bloom; medium yellow, non-fading bloom, measures 10 cm with 45 petals; moderate rose fragrance; flowers singly and in sprays; slender pointed buds; rounded, semi-glossy leavesComments: Disease-resistant; vigorous growth, good for trellises, fences and arbours Name and type: 'SYMPATHIE' (Germany, 1964) modern hybrid Kordesii, large-flowered climber ZONE 5HxW (m): 4 x 1.5Description: Hybrid tea form; double, repeat bloom; deep velvety scarlet, bloom measures 10 to 12 cm with 40 to 50 petals, moderate rose fragrance; flowers singly and in sprays; ovoid pointed buds; large, dark green, glossy leavesComments: Vigorous growth; good for pergolas, pillars, arbours and wallsName and type: 'ZÉPHIRINE DROUHIN' (France, 1868) antique bourbon climber ZONE 5HxW (m): 4 x 2Description: Old-rose form; semi-double, repeat bloom; cherry red, fading to medium pink, gold stamens, bloom measures 7.5 cm with 25 to 35 reflexed petals, strong damask scent; opening flat, flowers in large sprays; slender pointed buds; medium green leavesComments: Flowers best if allowed to reach its height; tall growth, good for pillars, pergolas, arbours and walls- Credit
- Judith Adam
-
Plant a Bare-Root Rose Plant a Bare-Root Rose
Plant a Bare-Root Rose ofSpring and fall planting There are thousands of species and cultivars of roses to suit every taste, from antique types that have been cultivated for centuries to the newest introductions from breeders worldwide. Buying field-grown bare-root roses (when the shrubs are dormant) means you can choose from a vast range of cultivars, rather than from the relatively few varieties grown in pots. And most rosarians agree that planting them bare-root will produce superior long-term results with less transplanting shock.Gardeners in Zone 6 and warmer can plant bare-root roses in either late fall or early spring, but for the rest of us, early-spring planting is the only way to go.Early-spring plantingAs soon as the frost is out of the ground, dig a hole at least 40 centimetres deep by 50 centimetres wide in a sunny spot. Add one shovelful of well-rotted manure and another of compost or peat moss. Add two handfuls of bone meal and several shovelfuls of the excavated soil; mix well. Mound up the mixture in the centre of the hole to form a pyramid.For best results, a bare-root rose must be planted immediately. (If this is not possible, keep it in the original packaging and store in a cool, dark place for a maximum of five days.) Once the planting hole has been prepared, discard the packaging and plunge the rose's roots into a bucket of cool water for no longer than one hour to rehydrate them.Fall plantingGardeners in Zone 6 and warmer who wish to plant in the autumn can follow the above planting steps, but should not remove leafy shoots, as this would encourage leaf production too late in the season. Also omit fertilizing as outlined in step 4 and hill up bushes through the winter, removing the mound of soil in late spring. Planting methods Method1. Left: Stimulate new growth by trimming off the bottom 2.5 centimetres from each root; if the rose has broken dormancy, trim off any leafy, white shoots to five millimetres from the woody stems.2. Right: Gently spread the roots over the pyramid of soil (see previous page). In Zones 7 and warmer, the graft union (where the cultivar has been grafted onto the rootstock) may be set at or just below the soil surface. In all other zones, position the rose so the union is at least five centimetres below grade (in Zones 2 to 4, the union can be placed as deep as 15 centimetres). Adjust the height of the pyramid to position the plant at the appropriate depth.3. Left: Using one hand to hold the rose in position, backfill the hole with additional topsoil until level with the soil surface. Firmly tread on the soil to eliminate air pockets. 4. Right: Water the rose thoroughly using a transplant solution such as 10-52-10 applied at half-strength. Solutions containing IBA (indole butyric acid) are particularly good for stimulating new root growth.5. Left: Hill up the rose bush with additional topsoil, leaving just the tips of the canes exposed, to prevent them from scorching in the bright spring sun before the roots have begun to establish. After two weeks, remove the excess topsoil used to hill up the bush so the graft point sits at the appropriate depth below the surface. Add a three- to four-centimetre-thick layer of mulch to help conserve water and to discourage weeds. Healthy green shoots should appear in seven to 14 days. -
Praising primroses Praising primroses