Michigan Gardener - April 2019

April 2019

MichiganGardener.com

Your guide to Great Lakes gardening

Perennials Rodgersia

Profile

Historic stone walls in the garden

Vegetable Patch Artichokes

How-To

Prune your boxwoods

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Garden Wisdom Mankind—despite its artistic pretensions, sophistication, and many accomplishments—owes its existence to a six-inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains.

BL O SSO M S

Spring Events TROY EVENTS Six Steps to JumpStart Your Roses - $10 We will share simple guidelines taking the fear out of spring pruning, fertilizing, and disease prevention.

Weather permitting we will do a short live pruning demo.

Saturday, April 6, 10am Early-Blooming Hellebores - $5 Hellebores are the earliest-blooming herbaceous perennials and one of the most beautiful. Learn about these exciting plants and explore the enormous collection of “Lenten Roses” that Telly’s is offering this spring.

Participants will receive 20% OFF hellebores.

Saturday, April 13, 1pm Bonsai Workshop - $39 Attendees will plant and create their own bonsai tree to enjoy for years to come. Instruction will include plant and pot selection, root combing, root pruning, potting, basic styling techniques, and aftercare.

Saturday, Apr 27, 3pm

New Perennials for 2019 - $50 ($70-$90 value). Telly’s owner George Papadelis will show 50+ new perennials. Participants will choose 10 of these to take home.

Saturday, April 27, 10am Every Garden Deserves a Rose - $10 Learn about the different types of roses and how to integrate them into the landscape by considering their habits and cultural needs.

Saturday, April 27, 1pm New Annuals for 2019 - $40 ($40-$60 value). Telly’s owner George Papadelis will show 60 new annuals.

Participants will choose 10 of these to take home.

Saturday, May 4, 10am

To-Do List........................................................6 Ask MG............................................................8 Vegetable Patch..........................................10 Books for the Michigan Gardener...................................12 Where to pick up Michigan Gardener.......................................... 14 Perennial Perspectives: Rodgersia.......16 Calendar........................................................25 Subscription Form.....................................28 Bulk Subscriptions.....................................28 Advertiser Index........................................28 Classified Ads.............................................29 Weather Wrap...........................................29

Garden Profile: Historic stone walls in the garden......30 Through the Lens......................................35 Places to Grow...........................................36 How-To: Prune your boxwoods.............Back Cover On the cover: 'Cherry Blush' rodgersia (R. aesculifolia var. henrici ‘Cherry Blush’) has palm-shaped, bronze-hued leaves in spring, with bronze highlights in summer.

Photo: De Vroomen Garden Products

To Our Readers...

Spring is dawning, and that means the season’s first issue of Michigan Gardener as well! Spring means garden events galore—when you want to get out and attend one or two or many, check out the calendar listings in every issue of Michigan Gardener.

For the most up-to-date listings, go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Garden Event Calendar.”

In this issue, we welcome new writers Neil and Ruth Atzinger from Atzinger Gardens. Read their informative article on how to prune (not shear) your boxwoods, starting on the back cover.

Best wishes for a glorious spring!

Dahlia Tuber Sale Saturday, May 4, 9am-Noon Container Gardening Workshop Thursday, May 9, 6pm

Visit tellys.com for more event information & online registration Class fee $5 unless otherwise noted (materials not included).

Registration required— Please call 248-689-8735.

Publisher/Editor Eric Hofley Design & Production Jonathon Hofley Advertising Eric Hofley

TROY • 248-689-8735 3301 John R • 1/4 mile north of 16 Mile Rd.

Circulation Jonathon Hofley Editorial Assistant Anna Doman

SHELBY TOWNSHIP • 248-659-8555 4343 24 Mile • Btwn Dequindre & Shelby Rd.

www.tellys.com

—Unknown

find us on

Contributors Brian Allnutt Neil/Ruth Atzinger Karen Bovio Cheryl English Emaline Fronckowiak Mary Gerstenberger Julia Hofley Rosann Kovalcik Beverly Moss George Papadelis Sandie Parrott Traven Pelletier Jean/Roxanne Riggs Deborah Silver Jim Slezinski Lisa Steinkopf Steve Turner Emily Wilson

30747 Greenfield Rd., Suite 1 Southfield, MI 48076 Phone: 248-594-5563 Fax: 248-594-5564 E-mail: publisher@MichiganGardener.com Website: www.MichiganGardener.com Publishing schedule 5 issues per year: April, May, June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct. Published the first week of the month.

Subscriptions (Please make check payable to Michigan Gardener) 1 yr, 5 iss/$13 2 yr, 10 iss/$24 3 yr, 15 iss/$33 Back issues All past issues are available. Please send your request along with a check for $3.00 per issue payable to Michigan Gardener.

Canadian subscriptions 1 yr, 5 iss/$22 US 2 yr, 10 iss/$42 US Copyright © 2019 Michigan Gardener. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or used in any form without the expressed, written permission of the publisher. Neither the advertiser nor the publisher will be responsible for misinformation, typographical errors, omissions, etc. contained herein.

Michigan Gardener is published by Motor City Publishing, Inc.

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Feature Task: Start a garden journal

Annuals

Garden Beds

• It’s a great time to start seeds indoors for many annual flowers. Plan to transplant them into the garden in May after the danger of frost has passed.

• Cold-tolerant annuals work well in beds, pots or hanging baskets. Containers are always a great option for instant results.

• Remove any weeds that may have sprouted last fall.

• Re-edge garden beds. In the process, remove weeds and grass that has invaded the beds.

Bulbs: Spring-Flowering • The first sign of spring is blooms of crocus, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. For gorgeous blooms year to year, fertilize when you first see green tips breaking through the ground. Continue fertilizing until the foliage dies back after blooming.

Bulbs: Summer-Flowering • Start cannas and other summer tender bulbs indoors to get a head start on the season. Use 6- or 8-inch pots, plant them and leave them in the basement. Water as needed. When the shoots are 2 to 5 inches tall, move them to a bright, but indirectly lit window. Take them outside as soon as you can. Don’t expose them to temperatures below 50 degrees. Fertilize twice a month until they can be transplanted into the garden.

General • Sharpen and oil shovels to reduce rust problems. Check rakes and cultivators for bent tines. Check the heads on all tools for tightness; fix or replace as required. Sharpen blades on pruners, loppers, shears, and lawn mowers.

• Don’t step on soil that is still too moist! To check it, take a handful of soil and squeeze it into a tight ball. Press the soil ball with your fingers. If it doesn’t break apart easily, it is still too moist—wait for it to dry out.

Houseplants • Continue to lightly water cacti and succulents. Water cacti lightly once a month, and succulents twice per month.

• If you are growing citrus as a houseplant, apply its spring fertilization. Use a flowering houseplant fertilizer that is high in phosphorus, diluted to half its recommended strength.

Evergreens

Lawns

• Prune any obvious winter damage. All damage may not yet be visible, so continue to prune as other damage reveals itself.

• Begin fertilizing the lawn, either when the forsythia shrubs bloom or the lawn has been mowed once.

• If there was a crabgrass problem last year, apply a pre-emergent treatment with the first fertilizer application. It’s not necessary if there wasn’t a problem last year.

• When re-seeding bare areas, be sure to use the proper treatments. Some pre-emergent fertilizers stop both crabgrass and the new seed you’ve just sown from germinating. If you’re re-seeding the lawn, be sure to select the appropriate lawn fertilizer without crabgrass preventer.

Fruit Trees • Prune apple trees to wide branch angles to encourage air movement in the center of the trees. Remove branches growing on the underside of limbs, as well as water sprouts (shoots growing vertically out of a branch).

• On stone fruits such as cherry, peach, plum and nectarine, only prune out dead or weak branches.

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Make plans to document the gardening season this year by starting a garden journal.

It doesn’t have to be fancy—just a place for photos and notes. A three-ring binder with clear plastic sheet protectors works great.

If you’re computer-savvy, a digital record is great; complete with photos throughout the seasons.

Consider using Pinterest and create boards to track your garden year to year online. Organize the journal any way that works for you. The most common is monthly. Start by taking photos of the landscape, individual garden beds, and even individual flowers and weeds. Label and date

Perennials • Remove to near ground level any shoots or seed heads that remain from last year.

• Give the beds a good raking, removing any spent flowers, weeds and loose debris. Mix in organic matter like compost, manure or pine bark fines.

Roses • Prune out and discard any canes showing signs of disease. Do not put diseased canes on your compost pile.

• Once the bright yellow forsythia starts to bloom, it’s time to start caring for roses again. Help control black spot and other diseases with an early fungicide spray. Remove all the leaves and any debris. Spray all the canes and a foot out from the canes.

Fungi can overwinter in the soil, so neglecting this ground spray can lead to more infection later in the season.

• Prune out any crossing branches and any branches that grow toward the inside of the bush. All rose canes should grow out of the center of the plant, not back into it. This will encourage air circulation and slow down the spread of disease.

Seeds • If you’re starting your plants from seeds, make sure they’re ready for the garden at the end of May. Count back from the day you want to plant to determine the date to start them indoors. Seeds like bottom heat to germinate, and you’ll get better results by putting your seedling trays on a special heating mat to give them a needed hand.

Harden off any seedlings by getting them used to being outside gradually before you plant them into the ground.

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• Don’t prune any spring-flowering trees until after they’ve bloomed, or this spring’s flowers will be pruned off. Mark any branches that should be pruned, so you can find them later, after the tree has leafed out. Prune any branches that cross, or grow back in toward the inside of the tree.

the photos and place them in the journal.

Make notes of what’s blooming well or anything you’ll want to move, divide or donate to another gardener later in the season.

If you planted anything that month, add the color picture tags of the plants so you’ll have the exact variety name.

You can keep a list of tasks that need to be done in the garden that month, and record when fertilizing, pruning and dividing was completed. It will be a handy reference for next year. Leafing through the journal is a great way to get inspired during the long months of winter.

Be sure only to prune to the branch collar, the slight swelling right next to the trunk of the tree. If the branch collar is cut off, you’ll be cutting off the site where most of the healing growth comes from.

• Before pruning shrubs, know when they bloom. If you prune spring-flowering shrubs now, you’ll remove the flowers.

Prune spring-flowering shrubs, such as lilacs and azaleas, once they’ve finished blooming, but before the 4th of July.

• Summer-blooming shrubs, such as spirea, potentilla, and rose of Sharon, bloom on this year’s new growth and a welldone spring pruning promotes more new growth. Take off 1/4 to 1/3 for more compact plants with more flowers in the summer. A good, long-lasting organic fertilizer would be beneficial. Apply toward the end of the month.

Trees • Check trees such as oaks, maples, and crabapples for gypsy moth egg masses, which are a light tan with a felt-like texture. If found, gently scrape them off the bark, drop into a jar of soapy water, let soak for three days, and discard in the trash.

Vegetables • When the soil is ready to work in, sow cool weather crops like peas, spinach, endive, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and beets. If desired, repeat 2 or 3 sowings at 2- to 3-week intervals.

Vines • Summer- or fall-blooming clematis can be cut back to within inches of the ground to promote new growth and encourage blooms later this year.

• Don’t trim spring-blooming clematis varieties until after they’ve finished blooming.

• An application of slow-release organic fertilizer will get vines off to a healthy start.

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Hydrangeas for small spaces

Garden mulches

Flower buds start to open in winter

What kind of mulches are best for landscaping? J.C., Milan The best mulches are those that are natural and biodegradable. Use nothing that is dyed a color or artificial, such as ground rubber. Look for double- or triple-shredded hardwood. You can also use pine needles or pine bark fines. As they decompose, they enrich the soil by adding nutrients that plants can take up through their roots. Mulch also insulates the soil, reducing temperature fluctuation, and reduces moisture loss during dry spells. In addition, it prevents weed seed germination by inhibiting sunlight from reaching latent seeds in the soil. Shredded wood or pine mulch is meant to biodegrade and be refreshed about every three years.

Avoid shredded or chipped pallet wood or construction lumber as these may have preservatives or other toxins in them. Landscape fabric with stones on top is not mulch; it does not biodegrade nor adds any nutrients to the soil. It becomes a nuisance to keep clean of leaf debris that can provide a medium for weed seeds to germinate. Ground rubber advertised as mulch is in the same category as stones. It does not biodegrade and could potentially harm the soil chemistry. Stone and rubber make great footpaths, but not garden mulch.

If your garden beds are conducive to “green mulch,” consider using low, prostrate perennials such as creeping sedums (for sunny areas) to help insulate the soil and prevent weed seed entrance. Ajuga is a good shadetolerant surface spreader that does not interfere with the health of the landscape plants but can also give you flowers and colorful leaves. Strategic placement of these groundcovers with regular mulch can add to the interest of your gardens.

My rhododendrons and hydrangeas seemed to have started budding out over the winter in January. Is there something I should have done to protect them from the freezing winter temperatures that remained? J.K., St. Clair Shores Rhododendrons and hydrangeas are responsive to the change in day length as well as light. It is quite normal to see them start to respond to those subtle changes when we think nothing should be happening at all. Their flower buds will slowly increase in size until it is the right time and temperature for them to break open. If they are planted in protected areas where a microclimate exists, they may respond more quickly due to trapped heat and less exposure to desiccating winds.

Most hydrangeas are deciduous but rhododendrons are broadleaf evergreens—they do not shed their leaves. To protect them over the winter and the coldest months, it is advisable to spray them in fall with an antitranspirant to reduce moisture loss through the leaves. That moisture cannot be replaced since the ground is frozen. When we do get those unexpected warm days, it would help to actually water them. If you are seeing bud swell, then the roots are working and sending nutrients and signals to the buds. Giving them supplemental water even when it is relatively cold can help thwart shock to the plant’s system and bud desiccation.

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Replanting new tree in same place as previous tree We had a huge box elder tree removed last spring (5-foot diameter and roughly 60 feet tall). The trunk and the majority of the very large roots were well ground down.

We would like to plant another tree in the general area since it is such a visual loss and also to partially screen a treehouse.

The area gets full sun and is near oak trees.

Things to be wary of? G.M., Dexter The answer is going to vary for nearly every individual situation. The easy answer is “no”: fresh soil is best and you should avoid planting a new tree in the same spot as a large tree. I usually recommend 6 to 10 feet away depending on the site attributes. The previous tree may have depleted existing nutrients, sawdust from grindings can alter nutrient balance, and large roots outside the immediate planting area can someday inhibit new root development. Obviously roots from a very large tree will fill a wide area, so they cannot be avoided altogether, but try to avoid or remove the larg-

I need a hardy hydrangea for southeast Michigan that will stay, or can be pruned to stay, below five feet tall and has pink or pink and white flowers. Can you recommend a few? K., Saline Thanks to many hybridizers, we now have several hydrangeas that withstand Michigan’s climate and can tolerate both sun and shade.

The first group is smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens). An improvement on the traditional mophead ‘Annabelle’ is Invincibelle Ruby, which stays about 3 to 4 feet tall and often reblooms. They like part sun to part shade, but will underperform in heavy shade. It has rich pink blossoms with blue-tinged leaves. Bred for stiffer stems to prevent flopping, you can cut these back in late winter to early spring since they set flower buds on new wood.

There is also a dwarf called Mini Mauvette, which only reaches three feet and whose blooms are soft pink to white.

The second group is panicle hydran-

est roots near the new planting site.

However, sometimes a site is just “too perfect” for one reason or another and you simply must replant there. This can be done but is going to require more time and effort. The entire planting zone (2-1/2 times the width of the root ball) should be ground as extensively as equipment will allow. Then, as much of the mixed grindings and soil as possible should be removed and replaced with fresh topsoil. Since you have already gone to this much trouble, go one step further and blend in compost with the topsoil. This extra care and preparation, along with proper post-planting care, should allow a replacement tree to thrive.

With that much space to work with, you have a very wide variety of replacement options available. Look to see what tree species thrive nearby and/or discuss with a qualified arborist or landscape professional.

—Answer provided by Dan Schwartz at The Davey Tree Expert Company in Wixom, MI.

Deterring squirrels from feeders Is there a way to keep the squirrels from totally monopolizing my bird feeders over the winter? P.M., Pinckney Take a hard look at your feeder locations.

First, do not provide any aerial or ground launch pads, like trees and shrubs, garden walls, terraces, grills, or furniture.

If you use a pole feeder, put a shield on the pole to prevent access from the ground. There

gea (Hydrangea paniculata), referring to the cone-shaped blossoms. These also set flower buds on new wood, can be cut back in late fall or early spring, and come in whites and variations on pink and rose color. They tolerate sun nicely with some consistent moisture. Look for Little Quick Fire, which is a deep rose to pastel maroon and stays well below five feet. Strawberry Sundae has both white and pink on the same blossom and grows 4 to 5 feet.

The third group is oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), so named because the leaves look like broad oak leaves. They tolerate sun to part shade, but set their panicle flower buds on old wood. The best time to prune and shape these is immediately after bloom. Look for ‘Ruby Slippers,’ a dark pink variety, which reaches 3 to 4 feet. The fall foliage color is a rich red mahogany, making an excellent contrast to its fellow hydrangeas. Plant it with ‘Munchkin,’ which is white and fades to blush pink.

are broad, cone-shaped baffles that attach to the pole but are tippy enough that the squirrel cannot climb around them. There are also overhead domes and baffles to prevent squirrels from dropping down on the feeder from above.

Another preventive measure is a springloaded torpedo shield that attaches to the pole.

When the squirrel climbs up and tries to grab the device, the spring inside the cylinder shape is compressed and as the squirrel struggles, it releases and dismounts the squirrel. There are also feeders that have a drop-down door over the seed supply. You can set the weight limit that triggers the door to allow the featherweights but that shuts out the robust squirrels.

If you’ve bandit-proofed to the best of your ability, consider an alternate location where you can ground feed the squirrels and distract them from your feeders. Look at the feed you are providing as well. Almost every bird likes suet and shelled peanuts. Squirrels do not go for suet. They like sunflower, cracked corn, and nuts. There are peanut feeders designed with one inside the other, so that the squirrel cannot reach inside the cage for the nuts, but the birds can go right in.

With a multi-pronged approach, you can be relatively successful keeping out the flying thieves.

Answers provided by Beverly Moss, owner of Garden Rhythms.

Have a question? Send it in!

Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Submit a question”

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

All About Artichokes

A

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rtichokes are awesome! The bud is a while still tightly closed. If you plan to grow nutritious vegetable and both the bud them as a perennial, then they will need cutand flower can be used as a unique ting back to 10 to 12 inches after the first frost addition to flower arrangements. It is a plant and be heavily covered with mulch. For more that can be attractive in both the flower and details on artichokes and tips on mulching, vegetable garden. Native to the southern check the Cornell University Growing Guide Mediterranean, the plant is usually grown as for Artichokes at: tinyurl.com/y4xncsom. a perennial in warmer climates (zones 8 and The artichoke plant is pretty large, being above). In cooler climates such as Michigan, about three feet tall on average and at least as it is often grown as an annual. That said, acwide, so give it plenty of space in the garden. cording to Cornell University, it can survive The leaves are fairly large and a lovely, light as a perennial up to zone 6, but heavy mulchsilvery-green. The buds are large and fleshy ing in the winter months would be required. and are the part that we like to eat. You can So, how does one grow artichokes successfind recipes using artichokes steamed, boiled, fully in Michigan? If you plan to grow artibaked or grilled. The purple flower is remichokes from seed, then they should be started niscent of thistle, fairly large and can provide indoors 8 to 12 weeks before the last frost. The a unique look to flower arrangements. In earlier the better. If not growing from seed, Michigan, the most frequently recommended purchase transplants at a nursery. The young varieties are “Green Globe” and “Imperial plants should be transplanted to the garden Star,” along with “Violetto,” a more elongated in the first or second week of May. While they variety with a purple hue. There are other vaare freeze and frost sensitive (in rieties available so check your garthat event, they would need some den catalogs for what they have to protection), they also need at least offer.

10 days exposure to temperatures If you are looking for something between 35 and 50 degrees F to prodifferent to grow, try artichokes. mote flowering in the first year. In They have the flexibility of looking warmer zones, plants normally beoutstanding in both the vegetable gin flowering in the second year, so and flower garden. They have the in colder areas we need to encourversatility of being both an edible age the flowering response. food and a decorative flower. They Mary Artichokes like a fertile soil with are nutritious. They have a history.

Gerstenberger plenty of organic matter, so consider Give it a grow and go for the amazadding a good amount of compost to ing artichoke! the area where they will be planted. Artichokes Mary Gerstenberger was the Consumer Horalso like moist but well drained soil to grow in, ticulture Coordinator at the Michigan State so the compost will help hold the moisture in a University Extension in Macomb County, MI. sandy soil and promote better drainage in a clay For vegetable and gardening information from soil as well. Keep them well watered through MSU, visit www.migarden.msu.edu. the summer. Like most vegetables, they are sun lovers, so place them in a sunny location.

Call the toll-free Michigan State University The primary or top buds tend to be fewer Lawn and Garden Hotline at 888-678-3464 and slightly larger than the more plentiful for answers to your gardening questions. secondary buds. Be sure to harvest the buds

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

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Cool Plants for Cold Climates: A Garden Designer’s Perspective

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Adams shares the secrets gained from her years of gardening experiments as well as bountiful advice from friends and local nurseries. With more than 300 pictures of both individual plants and full gardens, Adams proves that there is a bounty of plants, in a rainbow of colors, waiting to brighten up your cold-climate space.

Hypertufa Containers: Creating and Planting an Alpine Trough Garden

by Lori Chips Hypertufa containers—also known as troughs—are rustic, striking, versatile, and perfect for small, alpine plants. A mix of cement, perlite, peat, and water, they are simple and affordable to make at home, and a charming addition to every garden.

In Hypertufa Containers (Timber Press, 224 pages, $24.95), longtime nursery alpine manager Lori Chips shows you how to make your own hypertufa troughs at home. Create myriad shapes and sizes, design and plant tiny landscapes, and discover a world of plants well suited to these rock-like containers. From plant portraits that include growing information and potting tips, you will discover the amazing variety of plants that thrive in troughs. This easy-to-use guide features step-by-step instructions and shares everything you need to craft beautiful alpine troughs and successfully garden in them for a truly one-of-a-kind design.

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Vertical Vegetables: Simple Projects That Deliver More Yield in Less Space

by Amy Andrychowicz Growing vertically is the secret to making the most of your space; when you grow upward rather than outward, you will double or triple the yield from your small-space garden. With practical principles and background information you’ll need to start, the author shows you how to build nearly two dozen growing structures, including trellises, arbors, archways, wall pockets, towers, and more. Freestanding or wall-hung, the projects also reflect a wide variety of building materials, including dimensional lumber, metal rebar, fabric, and even “up-cycled” everyday objects.

Vertical Vegetables (Cool Springs Press, 192 pages, $24.99) also includes lists of plants that are best suited for vertical growing. This project book will guide you to more garden produce and improved outdoor living in any space, from tiny and urban, to large and sprawling.

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

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16

Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Rodgersia

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Rodgersias are grown primarily for their striking, bold foliage.

R

odgersias are dramatic perennials best known for their striking, architectural foliage. Although the midsummer flowers are attractive, they play second fiddle to the imposing, highly textured leaves. Depending on the species, individual leaves can reach three feet in length, with mature plants attaining a height of four feet including the flower stalks.

All rodgersia species are native to Asia, particularly China, except for Rodgersia podo-

phylla, which occurs naturally in Japan and Korea. In their native habitat, they can be found growing along streams and in shady moist woodlands. Rodgersias were introduced into Europe in the mid 1800s, becoming established as ornamentals in the U.S. in the early 1900s.

Currently, botanists recognize five distinct species, all of which are horticulturally significant. Their

species names often give clues to the unique appearance of their foliage.

Species

Karen Bovio

R. aesculifolia – Foliage resembling that of horse chestnut (Aesculus).

(R. henrici was once listed as a species, but is now considered to be a variety of R. aesculifolia.)

R. pinnata – Compound foliage, pinnate in formation (leaflets ar-

ranged along a central stem).

R. podophylla – Derived from the Greek “podo” meaning foot, and “phyllon” meaning leaf.

R. sambucifolia – Foliage resembling that of elderberry (Sambucus).

R. nepalensis – Referring to its origins in Nepal; this species is far less common in cultivation. continued on page 18

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Eric Hofley / Michigan Gardener

Rodgersias thrive in moist soil. This one is particularly happy in a partially shaded, damp spot in the garden.

De Vroomen Garden Products

R. podophylla ‘Braunlaub’ continued from page 16

Terra Nova Nurseries

‘Bronze Peacock’

In looking at the flowers of rodgersia, it is easy to see their similarity to those of astilbe and goatsbeard (Aruncus), two other members of the saxifrage family. The flowers of R. aesculifolia, R. podophylla, and R. sambucifolia—all white flowering—resemble those of their popular relatives due to their light, airy, triangular-shaped panicles. R. aesculifolia var. henrici exhibits thicker, sturdier flower stems, with multiple flower clusters arranged in tiers. The flowers of the henrici form are often pink, as are those of R. pinnata. The color comes from the sepals and stamens; the flowers don’t have actual petals.

The seed pods may also develop pink, coral or red coloration.

Cultivars While all rodgersia species are ornamental in their own right, hybrids can offer even more ornamental qualities. All of the species cross readily with one another, making this genus a plant breeder’s delight. Many cultivars are hybrids or variants of R. pinnata, which breeders utilize to impart deeper pink color to the flowers and bronze tints to the foliage. While some varieties emerge bronze in spring, they may fade to green during midsummer. Breeders are working to achieve longer-lasting bronze foliage color, along with showy pink flowers. ‘Bronze Peacock,’ ‘Candy Clouds,’ and ‘Chocolate Wings’ are excellent examples of this color combination. continued on page 20

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• Classes are FREE; materials available for purchase • 15% OFF any materials used in containers related to discussion • Feel free to bring in any materials you have from home

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20

Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

De Vroomen Garden Products

‘Fireworks’

Terra Nova Nurseries

‘Bronze Peacock’ continued from page 18

Growing rodgersias in the garden Rodgersia is typically thought of as a shade plant, but their real requirement is consistent moisture. The large leaves need plenty of water to keep them looking perfect, especially since foliage is their most important ornamental feature. While all rodgersias require rich, moist soils, there are some slight differences between the various species. In nature, R. pinnata often occurs in moist grasslands; it is quite sun tolerant provided the soil does not dry out excessively. It is the most adaptable species and usually performs well in average soil that is kept well-watered. Highly ornamental foliage and flowers, along with

its relative ease of culture, make this a species that is often found in garden centers.

At the other end of the spectrum, R. podophylla is the least forgiving of drying out—its thinner leaves are more prone to desiccation and consequent browning of leaf edges. It is the species most tolerant of wet, boggy soils, and the least tolerant of full sun. This species increases by shallow rhizomes, making it excellent in large settings where it can be allowed to spread. However, it and R. nepalensis are not commonly available in nurseries; you might need to purchase them from mail-order sources.

R. sambucifolia is the smallest growing of De Vroomen Garden Products

continued on page 22

‘Chocolate Wings’

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22

Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 20 the rodgersias, reaching about two feet, making it a good candidate for smaller gardens.

R. aesculifolia and its variety henrici make imposing specimens that may reach six feet tall under ideal conditions. They can be used in more formal settings, in the way one would use statuary, or can provide interest as punctuation marks among the many other, perhaps less dramatic, plants.

Companions should be selected based on similar moisture and light preferences, and could include cardinal flower (Lobelia), globe flower (Trollius), meadowsweet (Filipendula), meadow rue (Thalictrum), ligularia, camassia, Japanese primroses, royal and cinnamon ferns, large hostas and, of course, its relatives astilbe and goatsbeard (Aruncus).

Rodgersias are not prone to any insects or diseases. Most disfigurements are due to improper siting: soil too dry, or conditions too windy or sunny, which will mar the foliage.

Like all members of the saxifrage family, they appreciate fertilizer and will look stupendous if provided frequent applications of mild liquid fertilizer, or monthly applications of dry, organic, low-analysis fertilizer. Make sure De Vroomen Garden Products

continued on page 24

Rodgersia aesculifolia

Terra Nova Nurseries

‘Bronze Peacock’

De Vroomen Garden Products

‘Fireworks’

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APRIL HOURS 7 DAYS 10-6

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24

Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

De Vroomen Garden Products

‘Fireworks’

De Vroomen Garden Products

‘Candy Clouds’ continued from page 22

De Vroomen Garden Products

‘Elegans’

that plants are well hydrated at the time of fertilizing and continue to supply water for a few days afterwards. Avoid fertilizer application during dry spells.

All rodgersias are hardy to at least zone 5, with R. podophylla occasionally listed as zone 4, and R. aesculifolia as zone 3. However, even though these plants are reliably root hardy over the winter, their newly emerging foliage is susceptible to late spring frosts. The plants have built-in protection against spring frosts due to their very late emergence (in Michigan, mid to late May), but occasionally

a late frost will blacken the new leaves. Wellestablished plants recover quickly, but young, newly planted specimens should be protected if leaves have emerged and a serious frost is expected.

Patience will be rewarded when planting rodgersias. They are not known to be fast growers, but the mature plants always make a statement in the garden. The combination of impressive size, uniquely shaped and coarsetextured foliage, and attractive flowers creates a presence that is sure to be noticed.

Karen Bovio is the owner of Specialty Growers in Howell, MI.

MichiganGardener.com | April 2019 | Michigan Gardener

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25

There’s No Time Like Springtime at

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PUBLIC GARDENS, please visit MichiganGardener.com.

Click on "Resources" then "Public Gardens."

April / May / June / July

We have a wide variety of Annuals, Potted Containers, Hanging Baskets, Vegetables, Perennials, Trees & Shrubs.

Shop with us and see the difference!

April Master Lecture Series: Secchia Garden Lecture Tue, Apr 2, 7pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Join award-winning author & plantsman Kelly Norris as he shines the spotlight on his book “Plants with Style”. www.meijergardens.org.

H Painted Flowers on a Vintage Window Sat, Apr 6, 10am-Noon, Fenton.

At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $74.99. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com, 810-629-9208.

H Perennials I Wouldn’t Garden Without Sat, Apr 6, 11am, White Lake. At Bogie Lake Greenhouses. Speaker: Julia Hofley. FREE. 248-887-5101.

Farm Volunteer Day Sat, Apr 6, 10am-1pm, Flint. By Edible Flint at 1623 Beach St. Join us for a fun day at our newest farm to prepare beds, direct seed, start seeds, and paint signs. www.EdibleFlint.org.

H Pond Cleaning & Start Up Sat, Apr 6, 10-11am, Milford. At The Pond Place.

How to clean out & divide water garden plants, assess the health of your pond fish & more. Register: 248-889-8400.

H 6 Steps to Jump Start Your Roses Sat, Apr 6, 10am, Troy. At Tellys. $10. Taking the fear out of spring pruning, fertilizing & disease prevention. www.tellys.com. Register: 248-689-8735.

H Nature Hike Sat, Apr 6, 10:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $10/person. Welcome the early signs of spring with a family-friendly hike. Register: 517-431-2060.

Natural Communities and Landscape Changes on Belle Isle Sun, Apr 7, 2pm, Detroit. At Belle Isle Nature Center.

FREE. Natural Communities & Landscape Changes on Belle Isle presented by Suzan Campbell. www.belleisleconservancy.org/belleislebeat.

The Technique to Hybridizing Daylilies & Daylilies 101 Mon, Apr 8, Noon, Dearborn. By the Dearborn Garden Club at 1st Presbyterian Church of Dearborn, 600 N Brady. gardenclubdearborn.org.

Small Wonders of the Earth: Why Do We Need Bugs?

Mon, Apr 8, 7pm, St. Clair Shores. By The Yardeners at the St. Clair Shores Public Library. FREE. Mike Reed has over 25 years of sharing awareness of Earth’s smaller critters. scsyardeners@gmail.com.

Japanese Maple Side Veneer Grafting Mon, Apr 8, 6:30pm, Highland. By Highland Garden Club with Speaker Glen Pace at Highland Adult Activity Center, 209 N St. John St. $30. Includes 2 trees to graft. 248-887-3791, ext 4.

A Gardening Revolution Mon, Apr 8, 7pm, Royal Oak. By Royal Oak Garden Club at Royal Oak Public Library. FREE. Well-known Michigan horticulturist Ed Blondin speaks on colonial gardening. 248-398-4996.

Michele Eddy: Sweet & Savory Spices from the Garden Tue, Apr 9, 6:30pm, Bloomfield Hills. By MGSOC at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. $5. Ever wonder what a cinnamon tree looks like? What about a peppercorn plantation? chase8219@gmail.com.

Best Control Practices of Invasive Species with Bill Parkus Thu, Apr 11, 1pm, Shelby Twp. By Shelby GC at Shadbush Nature Ctr. FREE. Update on current research, what is being done & where. 586-873-3782.

Genesee County Herb Society Meeting Thu, Apr 11, 6pm, Genesee County. By Genesee County Herb Society. Monthly meetings are the 2nd Thu of month at 6pm. Call 810-964-2208 for locations.

Landscaping with Native Plants Thu, Apr 11, 7pm, Ferndale. By Ferndale Garden Club at Kulick Community Center. Presented by Drew Lathin.

248-541-6427.

H Detroit Garden Works Spring Fair Sat, Apr 13, 9am-5pm, Sylvan Lake. At Detroit Garden Works. Topiaries, flowering bulbs, cut flowers, spring containers, annuals & perennials for spring & beyond.

248-335-8089, www.detroitgardenworks.com.

H Pond Cleaning & Start Up Sat, Apr 13, 10-11am, Milford. At The Pond Place.

How to clean out & divide water garden plants, assess the health of your pond fish & more. Register: 248-889-8400.

H Fairy Gardening Comes to Life Sat, Apr 13, 11am, White Lake. At Bogie Lake Greenhouses. FREE. 248-887-5101.

H Gardening & All That Jazz: Educational Gardening Conference Sat, Apr 13, Full day, Waterford Twp. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland Co. at Oakland Co. Schools Conf. Ctr. $80. Registration begins Jan 1. Speakers: Margaret Roach, Sue Gaviller & Richard Bitner. 5 hours of MG credits. www.mgsoc.org. continued on page 26

Promote your events! Send us your information!

Website: Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Garden Event Calendar” E-Mail: calendar@MichiganGardener.com Upcoming Issues & Deadlines: Issue

May 2019 June 2019

Deadline April 15, 2019 May 15, 2019

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OPEN HOUSE SEMINARS Opening Your Pond and Maintenance Sat, April 27, 10am - Presented by Joe Barson

Container Gardening Sat, April 27, 1pm - Presented by owner Joe Barson

Art Sale Sat, April 27, all day - Stop in and meet the Artists of the Garden City Fine Arts Association

NEW FOR 2019! Greenview Lawn Fertilizer Large Organic Section • Lots of NEW Yard Art for 2019 One of the largest Native Plant Selections in the area EXPANDED SELECTION

OF MINIATURE AND FAIRY GARDENING SUPPLIES, PLUS BEAUTIFUL STONE HOUSES

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989-662-7002 • www.warmbierfarms.com

HEADING UP NORTH? We’re just 7 minutes off of I-75!

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

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H Essential Oils for Natural Gardening Sat, Apr 13, 12:30pm-2pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $20/person. Try all-natural solutions & keep your garden organic. Register: 517-431-2060.

H Early-Blooming Hellebores Sat, Apr 13, 1pm, Troy. At Telly’s. $5. Learn more about these exciting plants. Register: 248-689-8735.

Tropical Plants at Home Sat, Apr 13, 10am, Pontiac. At Goldner Walsh. Bold & colorful plants to use, how/where to plant them & overwinter care. www.goldnerwalsh.com.

H Sharing our Gardens with Pollinators Sun, Apr 14, 1pm, Milford. At Bogie Lake Greenhouse.

FREE. With Claire Lannoye-Hall. 248-887-5101.

H Giving You the Latest Dirt Wed, Apr 17, 7pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $10. Learn about the variety of approaches to composting & set-up & maintenance. Register: 517-431-2060.

Intro to Landscape Design Workshop Thu, Apr 18, 6-8:30pm, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Ford House. Do you have a passion for plants, but an overgrown garden or dormant landscape? Learn the basics of garden design. 313-884-4222.

Seed Starting Thu, Apr 18, 6:30, Mt. Clemens. By MCMGA at Mt. Clemens Library. $5. William Jaquinde, MSU Tollgate Market Manager shares all you need to know. macombcountymga@yahoo.com.

Dahlias: Starting Dahlias from Cuttings Sat, Apr 20, 3-5pm, Troy. By SEMDS at Telly’s Greenhouse. Great learning opportunity for new growers. www.semds.org, 248-689-5947.

H Lenawee County’s Rare Plants Mon, Apr 22, 6:30pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $10/person. Join Robert Smith as he discusses the unique habitats of Lenawee County and the rare plants housed within them. Register: 517-431-2060.

Junior Master Gardeners 4-H Spin Club Series Tue, Apr 23, 5-6:30pm, Tue, through Jun 11, Novi. At Tollgate Farm and Education Ctr. Ages 7-11. Classes provide a learning experience via project-based, hands-on education. Register: events.anr.msu.edu/ oaklandjmg.

H Earth Day Celebration at Hidden Lake Gardens Thu, Apr 25, 7-8pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $2/person or $5/vehicle. Join us for a ceremonial tree planting followed by a nature walk. Each family will take home a seedling. 517-431-2060.

Meadow Brook Garden Club Book Club Fri, Apr 26, 9:15am, Rochester. By The Meadow Brook Garden Club. Program at 10am. $5/non-member.

April: Colleen Dodt “Phenology & Garden Rhythms”. meadowbrookhall.org.

H Auburn Oaks Spring Open House Fri, Apr 26, & Sat, Apr 27, 8am-6pm; Sun, Apr 28, 10am-5pm, Rochester Hills. At Auburn Oaks. New products & much more. www.auburnoaksnursery.com.

H Pond Cleaning & Start Up Sat, Apr 27,10-11am, Milford. At The Pond Place. How to clean out & divide water garden plants, assess the health of your pond fish & more. Register: 248-889-8400.

H Container Gardening Workshops Sat, Apr 27, 11am & Sun, Apr 28, 1pm, White Lake. At Bogie Lake Greenhouses. 248-887-5101.

H Container Gardening Sat, Apr 27, 1pm, Westland. At Barsons.

734-421-5959, www.barsons.com.

H Bonsai Workshop Sat, Apr 27, 1pm, Troy. At Tellys. $39. Plant & create your own bonsai tree to enjoy for years to come.

Register: 248-689-8735.

H Van Atta’s Spring Open House Sat, Apr 27, & Sun, Apr 28, Noon-4pm, Haslett. At Van Atta’s Greenhouse. New products & more. www.vanattas.com, 517-339-1142.

H Every Garden Deserves a Rose Sat, Apr 27, 1pm, Troy. At Tellys. $10. Learn about different kinds of roses & how to integrate them into the landscape. Register: 248-689-8735.

H Growing & Cooking with Herbs Sat, Apr 27, 10am-1pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $29.99. Be a successful herb gardener & learn to use your herbs in the kitchen. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com.

H Bogie Lake Greenhouse Spring Open House Sat, Apr 27, 9am-5pm & Sun, Apr 28, 10am-5pm, White Lake. At Bogie Lake Greenhouse. What’s new for 2019. 248-887-5101.

Children’s Booth at Earth Day Sat, Apr 27, 1pm-4pm, Jackson. By JCMGA at Sparks Park. Earth Day activities for the family. patticollins1021@gmail.com.

H Piechnik’s Garden Center Open House Sat, Apr 27, 1-4pm, Oakland. At Piechnik’s Garden Center. Start your season; lectures throughout the day.

810-686-9211, www.piechniks.com.

H Opening Your Pond & Maintenance Sat, Apr 27, 10am, Westland. At Barsons. Presented by Joe Barson. 734-42-5959, www.barsons.com.

H New Perennials for 2019 Sat, Apr 27, 10am, Troy. At Tellys. $50. Telly’s owner George Papadelis will show over 50 new varieties.

Participants will choose 10 to take home. Register: 248-689-8735.

Michigan Orchid Society Meeting Sun, Apr 28, 2:30 pm, Birmingham. By the Michigan Orchid Society at the First Baptist Church, 300 Willits St. Discussion on orchid culture, plant sales & raffle.

Specialty Conifers & Ornamental Trees Mon, Apr 29, 6-7:30pm, Jackson. By JCMGA at Meijer Branch Library. Speaker: Erin Donahue from Umbel Nursery. bernicehaglund@gmail.com.

May H May Day Sat, May 4, 10am-5pm & Sun, May 5, 11am-4pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $1. Activities, crafts, fairy garden supplies & more. 810-629-9208, www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com.

Dahlias: Annual Tuber Sale Sat, May 4, 9am-Noon, Troy. By SEMDS at Tellys Greenhouse. Over 700 dahlia tubers & cuttings available. A variety of sizes, colors & petal forms.

248-689-5947.

H Welcome Back Birds Sat, May 4, 8am-2pm, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Ford House. $12. Take a guided bird walk, see live owls & other birds of prey up close. Making your own feeder & other hands-on activities. 313-884-4222.

Plant Exchange Sat, May 4, 9-11am, South Lyon. By Four Seasons Garden Club on grounds at Witch’s Hat Depot Museum, 300 Dorothy St. Public plant exchange held rain or shine. 248-767-4183.

H New Annuals for 2019 Sat, May 4, 10am, Troy. At Tellys. $40. Owner George Papadelis shares 60 new annuals. Participants will chose 10 to take home. Register: 248-689-8735.

Insects & Diseases Mon, May 6, Noon, Farmington Hills. By Farmington Hills GC at Spicer House. Gary Eichen of Sav-A-Tree/ Mike’s Tree Surgeons discusses threats to our trees. vitaminsea55@gmail.com, 248-722-4503.

20th Annual Elizabeth Sites Kuhlman Lecture Mon, May 6, 10:30am, Detroit. At Detroit Institute of Arts. $35. Lewis Miller, owner of Lewis Miller Designs, New York City, will present “Styling Nature in Floral Design.” Tickets: tickets.dia.org, 313-833-4005.

Great Gardens Party Wed, May 8, 6pm, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. $100. Signature spring fundraiser features cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a sit-down dinner, auctions, & more. www.meijergardens.org.

H Container Gardening Workshop Thu, May 9, 1pm, Troy. At Telly’s. www.tellys.com.

Register: 248-689-8735.

Flower Show & Tell Thu, May 9, 7pm, Ferndale. By Ferndale Garden Club at Kulick Community Center. “Flower Show” & “Show & Tell” by club members. 248-541-6427.

Knowledgeable staff to assist with your installation questions Prompt and Courteous Delivery

3975 S. Rochester Rd. • Rochester Hills (JUST SOUTH OF M-59 )

248-852-5511 www.haleystone.net

Please call if you think the weather may be an issue

O W N I S N • t P o e c i E a r r p • A Cho E y• r r ice e RCh

Rose Care Thu, Jun 6, 6-8pm, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Ford House. $35. How to select, grow, prune & care for your roses with Rosarian Kelley Maricle. Tickets: 313-884-4222.

Yardeners Native Plant Sale Sat, Jun 8, 9-11:30am, St Clair Shores. By The Yardeners at The Selinsky-Green Farmhouse grounds.

Deadline to pre-order is May 24. Plant list: scsyardeners@gmail.com.

Franklin 34th Annual Garden Walk Wed, Jun 12, 10am-4pm & 6-9pm, Franklin.

By Franklin Garden Club. $15. Artisan Market on the Green from 9am-5pm. Tickets: www.franklingardenclub.org. continued on page 28

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Perennial Exchange Sat, Jun 1, 9-10:30 am, Romeo. At Romeo Village Park.

Bring your labeled plants to share & acquire new ones.

Exchanges only. Free raffle giveaways. No registration necessary. www.rwbparksrec.org.

248-276-9300

April hours: Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat 9-3 (Weather Permitting)

RUIT F Apple • P T e

Iris Show Sat, Jun 1, & Sun, Jun 2, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Enjoy a variety of tall bearded & Siberian iris blossoms on display, all locally grown for this judged show. www.meijergardens.org.

3600 Lapeer Rd. • Auburn Hills

(ACROSS FROM PAL ACE OF AUBURN HILLS )

K! OCof each!

STvarieties

Tollgate Big Spring Plant Sale Sat, Jun 1, 9am-2pm, Novi. At Tollgate Farm.

Perennial plants, organized sale with volunteers to provide advice, proceeds support gardens.

248-347-3860 ext. 251, prentic1@msu.edu.

• Brick Pavers • Wall Systems • Boulders • Wallstone • Natural Stone • Bluestone • Flagstone • Mulch & Topsoil • Stone Veneers • Bulk Stones • & Much More!

Patio & Landscape Supplies

June Clarkston Perennial Plant Exchange Sat, Jun 1, 8:30am, Clarkston. By Clarkston Farm & Garden Club at Corner of Main St. & Washington St. Rain/shine. Pot & identify your plants. www.clarkstongardenclub.org, 248-625-2644.

Specializing in Landscape Supplies for Over 60 Years

G 59 19 IN E C AT S! N SI BR AR LE YE CE 60

Fair Lane Garden Volunteers’ Spring Plant Sale & Garden Market Fri, May 17, 10am-3pm; Sat, May 18, 9am-1pm, Dearborn. At Fair Lane (Henry Ford Estate). All proceeds benefit the historic gardens. 313-668-3195, www.henryfordfairlane.org.

Demo Garden Kick-Off Sat, May 18, 10am, Noon, Flint. At the corner of 5th Ave. & Begole St. Opening day for the Edible Flint demo garden & volunteer day. Register: www.EdibleFlint.org.

Plant Sharing Sat, May 18, 9-10am, Livonia. By Livonia Garden Club at Greenmead Historical Park, 20510 Newburgh Road.

Rain or shine. Share perennials, annual seeds, houseplants, yard art. livoniagardenclub.org.

H Campbell’s Appreciation Day Sat, May 18, 9am-7pm, North Branch. At Campbell’s.

810-688-3587.

H Pond Construction - Hands-On Workshop Sat, May 18, 1-3pm, Milford. At The Pond Place.

Hands-on experience building an 11’ x 16’ pond with a stream, waterfall & bog, as well as a pondless waterfall. Register: 248-889-8400.

H Pond & Waterfall Design Sat, May 18, 10am-Noon, Milford. At The Pond Place.

Workshop addresses key issues associated with designing/building your own pond, stream & waterfall.

Register: 248-889-8400.

Annual Plant Sale & Green Days Sat, May 18, 9am-2pm, Dexter. By Dexter Garden Club at Monument Park Gazebo. Array of plants to suit all growing conditions & budgets. 734-834-3300, kathleenstevenson@charter.net.

Perennial Exchange Sat, May 18, 9am-11am, Auburn Hills. By Auburn Hills Beautification Advisory Commission at Community Center Patio. Rain or shine. Please label plants. 248364-6946, ebrennan@auburnhills.org.

Yardeners of St. Clair Shores Native Plant Sale Fri, May 24, By The Yardeners of St. Clair Shores. Last day to order. Pickup is on the day of the plant sale (June 8) at the Selinsky-Green Farmhouse Museum.

Plant list: scsyardeners@gmail.com.

B EA DISPUTIFUL LAYS !

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Edible Fairy Gardening Thu, May 9, 1pm, Shelby Twp. By Shelby GC at Shadbush Nature Ctr. FREE. Enjoy a new form of functional gardening, with Melodee Beals. 586-873-3782.

Starting & Sustaining a School Garden: Exploring Seasons in the Garden Fri, May 10, 8am-3:30pm, Novi. At MSU Tollgate.

Explore the steps to planning & maintaining a school garden. Speakers: Hanifa Adjuman, Norm Lownds.

Register: Apr 26, 248-347-0269.

Pulling Together at Fair Lane Sat, May 11, 1-4pm, Dearborn. At Fair Lane, home of Clara & Henry Ford. Join the effort to remove invasive plant species. Wear long pants & closed-toe shoes.

Register: 313-668-3193.

Chelsea Area Garden Club 21st Annual Plant Sale Sat, May 11, 8am-Noon, Chelsea. By Chelsea Area Garden Club at Chelsea Fairgrounds. Rain/shine.

Perennials, wildflowers, daylilies, ornamental grasses, ferns from member’s gardens. 734-475-9748.

H Hidden Lake Gardens Plant Sale Sat, May 11, 10am-2pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Wide selection of plants, including annuals, perennials, hostas, herbs, conifers, shrubs & trees. hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

Michigan All-State Bonsai Show Sat, May 11, At Frederik Meijer Gardens. FREE. Enjoy bonsai trees on display. Shop for plants & growing supplies & watch demos. www.meijergardens.org.

Spring Artist’s Market Sat, May 11, Ann Arbor. At Matthaei Botanical Gardens. mbgna.umich.edu.

Clematis Care & Culture Mon, May 13, Noon, Dearborn. By the Dearborn Garden Club at 1st Presbyterian Church of Dearborn, 600 N Brady. gardenclubdearborn.org.

H Cranbrook Spring Plant Sale Tue, May 14, 10am-7pm & Wed, May 15, 10am-2pm, Bloomfield Hills. At Cranbrook. Shop for native plants, perennials, fairy garden plants, herbs, tomatoes, gardening items, & more! housegardens.cranbrook.edu.

Heirloom Vegetables Tue, May 14, 6:30pm, Mt. Clemens. By MCMGA at Mt. Clemens Library. $5. Mary Gerstenberger covers heirlooms, benefits/drawbacks & where to buy seeds. macombcountymga@yahoo.com.

H New Annuals & Perennials for 2019 Tue, May 14, 6:30pm, Troy. By Master Gardener Society of Oakland County at Telly’s Greenhouse. $5. chase8219@gmail.com.

Grounds & Gardens Tour at Ford House Tue, May 14, Every other Tue, Grosse Pointe. At Ford House. $10. Get captivated by the gorgeous naturaliststyle landscapes on this guided tour. 313-884-4222.

Flower Arranging with Roses Workshop Thu, May 16, 6-8pm, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Ford House. $65. Hands-on workshop led by Rosarian Kelley Maricle. Basic principles of floral design. Take home an arrangement. Tickets: 313-884-4222.

A Glimpse of Japan Thu, May 16, 11am-2pm, Southfield. By Ikebana International Detroit Chapter at Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church. $10. Demonstration of ikebana & member exhibition. www.ikebana.org.

Meadow Brook Greenhouse Plant Sale Thu, May 16, 8am-6pm, & Fri, May 17, 9am-3pm; Rochester. By Meadow Brook Greenhouse at Meadow Brook Hall. 248-364-6171.

Meadow Brook Garden Club Perennial Plant Sale Thu, May 16, 8am-2pm, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Garden Club at Meadow Brook Hall. 248-364-6171.

Meadow Brook Garden Club Book Club Fri, May 17, 9:15am, Rochester. By The Meadow Brook Garden Club. Program at 10am. $5. Peter Carrington, Ph.D. “Toxic Plants & Their Friends”. meadowbrookhall.org.

H Signs of Spring Fri, May 17, 6pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $45. Angie Hanawalt guides participants as they create a fun & beautiful garden sign. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.

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MichiganGardener.com | April 2019 | Michigan Gardener

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

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call “the little gardener that could” 15 Years Experience at Botanical Gardens call pat for FREE Estimates 586-214-9852 • Www.agardenspace.com

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The Rose: Unequaled by Any Other Plant Form Wed, Jun 12, 6:30, Mt. Clemens. By MCMGA at Mt. Clemens Library. $5. Duane DeDene, ARS, shares what to look for when purchasing a rose, planting/care tips & more. macombcountymga@yahoo.com.

Rose Show Sat, Jun 15, & Sun, Jun 16, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Enjoy a variety of rose blossoms on display, all locally grown & carefully prepped. www.meijergardens.org.

Dearborn Garden Club Annual Luncheon Thu, Jun 20, 11:30am, Dearborn. At Dearborn Country Club. $25. Luncheon & installation of officers. gardenclubdearborn.org.

H Pond Construction - Hands-On Workshop Sat, Jun 22, 1-3pm, Milford. At The Pond Place. Handson experience building an 11’ x 16’ pond with a stream, waterfall & bog, as well as a pondless waterfall.

Register: 248-889-8400.

H Pond & Waterfall Design Sat, Jun 22, 10am-Noon, Milford. At The Pond Place.

Workshop addresses key issues associated with designing/building your own pond, stream & waterfall.

Register: 248-889-8400.

Genesee County Master Gardener Tour Sun, Jun 23, 10am-5pm, Otisville. By Master Gardener Assoc of Genesee County at 8 Davison-Otisville area gardens. Self-guided tour. MSU Extension Master Gardeners on hand to answer questions. 989-723-6074, leemar4321@frontier.com, GCgardentour.weebly.com.

Evening of Roses at Ford House Thu, Jun 27, 5:30-8:30pm, Grosse Pointe Shores. At Ford House. Step into Eleanor’s personal rose garden for an open-air soiree. Enjoy rose treats & more.

Tickets: 313-884-4222.

Crocker House Garden Walk & Breakfast Talk Sat, Jun 29, 9am-4pm, Mount Clemens. By Macomb County Historical Society at Crocker House Museum.

Garden Walk: $17. Breakfast: $15. Plant exchange at the Michigan Transit Museum. 586-465-2488, www.crockerhousemuseum.org.

July Farmington Hills Garden Club Front Porch Picnic Mon, Jul 8, Farmington Hills. Farmington Hills GC at Warner Mansion. Share food, friendship & more food. Bring a dish to pass & a place setting. vitaminsea55@gmail.com, 248-722-4503.

Northville Garden Walk Wed, Jul 10, 9am-4pm, Northville. By Country Garden Club of Northville. $15 at Gardenviews & Town Square.

Garden market. cgcnv.org, 734-788-9935.

45th Annual Troy Garden Walk: Between Art & Nature Wed, Jul 10, 9:30am-3pm & 5-8:30pm, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at 7 private gardens. $15 at Troy Historic Village. Arts & Crafts Boutique, Plant Sale & more. www.TroyGardenClubMI.com, 248-540-6158.

Annual Flower Show: Lakeshore Beauty Thu, Jul 11, to Sat, Jul 13, Spring Lake. By Tri-Cities Garden Club at Spring Lake District Library.

any $50 purchase with this ad

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Abbott’s Landscape Nursery.............29 Abele Greenhouse & Gard Ctr............21 Aguafina Gardens International........13 Assoc. of Professional Gardeners...... 6 Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr...........................29 Barson’s Greenhouse.............................26 Beauchamp’s/The Pond Place.............5 Bogie Lake Greenhouses.......................19 Campbell’s Greenhouses......................21 Contender’s Tree/Lawn Specialists...7 Country Oaks Landscape Supp..........19 Cranbrook House & Gardens..............12 Davey Tree.....................................................11 Detroit Garden Works.............................11 English Gardens...............................Page 3 Espoma..........................................................17 Fraleigh’s Landscape Nursery............26 The Garden Mill........................................28

Garden Rhythms........................................ 8 A Garden Space........................................28 Gordon’s Lawn Core Aeration...........10 Grass Magic.................................................19 Grinstein Jewelry & Design.................23 Haley Stone.................................................26 Heavenly Scent Herb Farm...................21 Hidden Lake Gardens..............................15 Lake Orion Lawn Ornaments..............13 Meier Flowerland......................................19 Michigan Nursery/Landscp Assoc..14 Milarch Nursery........................................ 14 Mosquito One.............................................17 Organimax...................................................21 The Original Budget Tree Service.....10 Orion Stone Depot...................................23 Osmocote...................Inside Front Cover Piechnik’s Gard Ctr..................................23

Piechnik’s Greenhse................................17 Poison Ivy Control of Michigan...........15 Proven Winners Color Choice............. 9 Schuman Landscape Lighting.............15 SOCRRA.......................................................29 Specialty Growers.....................................17 State Crushing...........................................23 Steinkopf Nursery.....................................12 Turner’s Landscp & Gard Ctr...............13 Telly’s Greenhouse....................................4 Uncle Luke’s Feed Store.........................13 Van Atta’s Greenhouse..........................15 Warmbier Farms......................................26 The Weed Lady.........................................10 Wojo’s............................................................25 Zoner’s Greenhouse...............................25

MichiganGardener.com | April 2019 | Michigan Gardener

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OPEN HOUSE AT PIECHNIK’S – Saturday, April 27, 1-4pm. Food & lectures.

Piechnik’s Garden Center, 1095 N Rochester Rd, Oakland Twp, 48363, 586-336-7200.

10 min north of Downtown Rochester.

Auburn Oaks High quality plants & service for your garden success since 1964.

Spring Open House Fri-Sat, April 26-27, 8am-6pm

GARDEN SPEAKER AVAILABLE for your club or group. Well-traveled garden writer does garden presentations & travelogues. This active collector gardener can speak on many subjects. Experienced to present at Garden Ctr open houses & conferences. For presentation list, biography, fee & references, contact Julia Hofley at Julia@juliasbiglife.com. 248-4972674. Find me on Facebook.

Sunday, April 28, 10am-5pm New Products • Discounts • Gifts Refreshments • Closeouts Plants • Information Lunch served Fri & Sat, 11am-1pm (Suggested $3 donation to Gleaners Food Pantry)

DON’T LOOK. Oops, you looked. And so will 70,000 potential customers. Advertise in Michigan Gardener. Call 248-594-5563 or e-mail publisher@MichiganGardener.com.

Michigan Gardener Classified Advertising is a cost-effective way to promote yourself and your business. Need help? Have help to give? Have a big event coming up? Have some items to sell? Let our readers know! Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Classified Advertising.”

CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR THE FULL SPRING OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE

3820 W. Auburn Rd. (2 blks E. of Adams Rd.) • Rochester Hills • 248-852-2310 Mon-Sat 8-6 Sun 10-5 • www.auburnoaksnursery.com

OUR PLANTS...

are as unique as you are!

Outstanding Collection

Precipitation February 2019

Detroit Flint Lansing

NORMAL Monthly 2.02 1.48 1.47

ACTUAL Monthly 2.22 2.37 2.72

February 2018 DEVIATION from Normal +0.20 +0.89 +1.25

2019 Year to Date: Jan 1 - Feb 28

Detroit Flint Lansing

NORMAL Yr. to Date 3.98 3.11 3.12

ACTUAL Yr. to Date 4.08 4.30 4.44

NORMAL Monthly 2.02 1.48 1.47

ACTUAL Monthly 4.27 4.02 4.63

DEVIATION from Normal +2.25 +2.54 +3.16

of spring-blooming trees, shrubs & perennials available

2018 Year TOTAL: Jan 1 - Dec 31

DEVIATION from Normal +0.10 +1.19 +1.32

NORMAL Yr. to Date 33.47 31.37 31.77

ACTUAL Yr. to Date 36.93 36.47 37.77

DEVIATION from Normal +3.46 +5.10 +6.00

Temperature February 2019

February 2018

Detroit Flint Lansing

NORMAL Avg. High 35.2 32.8 32.6

ACTUAL Avg. High 35.8 33.3 32.9

DEVIATION from Normal +0.6 +0.5 +0.3

ORMAL N Avg. High 35.2 32.8 32.6

ACTUAL Avg. High 39.1 36.1 36.8

DEVIATION from Normal +3.9 +3.3 +4.2

Detroit Flint Lansing

NORMAL Avg. Low 21.0 16.9 15.4

ACTUAL Avg. Low 20.7 16.1 17.5

DEVIATION from Normal -0.3 -0.8 +2.1

ORMAL N Avg. Low 21.0 16.9 15.4

ACTUAL Avg. Low 22.9 19.4 21.3

DEVIATION from Normal +1.9 +2.5 +5.9

Data courtesy National Weather Service

Nursery & Garden Center 2781 Scio Church • Ann Arbor 734-665-TREE (8733)

IMPROVE YOUR WORLD WITH HELP FROM OUR KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

Historic stone walls in the garden Dennis Purcell and Judy Parsons used a Cold War-era bomb shelter as a handsome garden feature

I

magine feeling the need to build a shelter to protect your family from nuclear bombs. During the Cold War, many Americans built these shelters as the threat of nuclear fallout from those bombs was very real and terrifying. Thankfully, they weren’t needed and today the bomb shelter built on this Washtenaw County property in the late 1940s is a focal point in a beautiful garden.

Also making a statement are the many rock walls built to hold back the earth and terrace

Above: This beautiful stone wall was actually a bomb shelter that was built into this hillside in the 1940s. Now a storage shed, it is flanked on either side by perennial beds and is a focal point in the beautiful garden of Dennis Purcell and Judy Parsons.

a steep hill. Now, those walls and home they liked. They weren’t only that shelter created so long ago out looking for a home—they wanted of fear of the possible, have become the atmosphere of the lake to be the backbone of not fear, but peace right as well.

Lisa and beauty.

When they bought the house, it Steinkopf Dennis Purcell and his wife Judy had been remodeled, and they only Parsons (who has been president needed to add their own touch. of both the Ann Arbor Farm and Garden When the previous owners, from Dearborn, Club and the Master Gardeners of Washtbought the house, they realized it was an enaw County) found this house on the lake untouched portrait of the 1940s. They conby canoeing through numerous lakes to find a tacted someone at The Henry Ford, then

Greenfield Village, and told them about this time capsule they had just purchased. The museums were interested, and the original kitchen and bathroom fixtures were obtained by The Henry Ford. It ended up being used to furnish Barry Gordy’s apartment at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit. The kitchen appliances, the bathroom, and even the linoleum were used. continued on page 32

MichiganGardener.com | April 2019 | Michigan Gardener

The husband and wife team of Dennis Purcell and Judy Parsons created and maintain their lakeside garden together.

What a wonderful view to have while working in the vegetable and rose gardens, situated between the house and the lakefront.

Many rock walls were built to hold back the earth and terrace the steep property. Judy and Dennis have taken advantage of this by planting flowering perennials and shrubs on these different levels.

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 31

Roses and dahlias The yard was a different story—but the rock walls and the potential Judy and Dennis saw to make a beautiful garden made it the perfect place for them. The doctor that lived there in the 1940s had the rock walls constructed after he drove down the steep driveway in his new Cadillac and kept going right into the lake. That was not going to happen a second time, so he had the rock walls and the bomb shelter built. Now the walls form terraced hills that are home to countless beautiful shrubs and perennials.

When Judy and Dennis moved here in 2012, they got to work on the garden. They installed a seawall and raised parts of the yard that were too low. Then they started building the gardens. They created many planting beds on the property, including rose and vegetable gardens.

Judy has been raising roses for 50 years and she was excited to start growing them at their new home. They did fine the first year and then they started struggling. She thought it may be the maple tree roots, but realized the soil was too wet for the roses. While roses love lots of water, they also want good drainage to go with it.

Meanwhile, Dennis had started a terraced veggie garden on the slope of the hill leading to the lake, and the plants there were doing well. The drainage was perfect, so Judy talked him into switching with her. Her roses moved to the perfectly drained vegetable beds and his veggies moved to the less drained area. It was a win-win situation and things are looking up for both the roses and the vegetables.

The property was originally part of a gravel pit and thus was very rocky. This necessitated Judy and Dennis to amend the soil with rich topsoil. The roses were doing better, but Judy was still having some problems, so she contacted the American Rose Society. After much discussion and photo observation, they determined that the problem was cold weather combined with wetness. Those conditions, unique to the lake setting, caused not only powdery mildew but anthracnose. The moisture and large amounts of fog from the lake were adversely affecting the roses. Judy now treats her roses early in the spring with a fungicide to stop the problems before they begin.

She likes to grow roses that have fragrance, one of her favorites being ‘Pope John Paul II.’ When Judy decides she would like to have some more roses, she uses a technique she

The dahlia bed in front of the shelter is equipped with stakes that stand ready as the dahlias get tall. It is better to place the stakes immediately upon planting the tubers to avoid impaling them if you were to put the stakes in later.

continued on page 34 P H OTO G R A P H S BY L I S A S T E I N KO P F

This wall was built to be a barrier between the driveway and the lake after the original homeowner accidentally drove his new Cadillac into the lake.

MichiganGardener.com | April 2019 | Michigan Gardener

These hanging begonias are just a small part of Dennis’ collection of tuberous begonias. He keeps them in their pots and overwinters them in the basement.

Above and below: Judy and Dennis grow over 70 varieties of dahlias.

These milk jugs are the nursery for Judy’s rose cuttings. The cuttings are inserted into the soil, covered with a bottomless milk jug, filled with water once a week, and at the end of the summer, she has baby roses.

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

continued from page 33

discovered by watching Dan the Rosarian on the Internet. She takes cuttings and places them in the soil in the shade. She then covers the cuttings with a milk jug which has the bottom cut out. Every week, she fills the jug full of water. By the end of the summer, if it works, she has new small rose bushes. She gifts them to friends or plants them in her own garden.

Another group of plants Judy and Dennis both love are dahlias. They have over 75 tubers, which they plant at the end of May or beginning of June, not starting them in the house as some people do. They have numerous beautiful varieties in all shapes and sizes.

After the first frost in the fall, they dig them and place the tubers in plastic bags filled with vermiculite, storing them in the basement.

They keep the storage area at approximately 50 degrees and place the bagged tubers on wire shelves for a bit of air circulation.

Other plants that need to be stored inside for the winter are Dennis’ gorgeous collection of tuberous begonias. He simply leaves them in their hanging baskets and stores them along with the dahlias.

The gardens continue to evolve Dennis does have his own unique, native plant garden at the edge of the lake. He worked with the lake habitat and planted varieties that enjoy the moist soil. He has Culver’s root (Veronicastrum), swamp milkweed (Asclepias), monarda, iron weed (Vernonia), and so many more. The pollinators were swarming around the plants when I was there, including bees and countless butterflies. It is a wild, beautiful part of the garden.

The unusual backdrop of this garden adds to its beauty. Even the steep hillside is planted with beautiful shrubs, including many hydrangeas and hibiscus varieties. It wasn’t easy to tame the hill, and Judy and Dennis admit they have much more to tackle in that part of the garden. It was covered with Asian bittersweet and poison ivy, but Judy has removed much of it by cutting and painting the stumps with weed killer. This area provides background scenery for the lower gardens.

With much work and love from Judy and Dennis, this property is growing and evolving. They have certainly brought it a long way from the day six years ago they canoed by and fell in love with it.

Lisa Steinkopf is The Houseplant Guru. Check out her newly updated website and blog at www.thehouseplantguru.com. Contact Lisa to speak at your next club meeting or event (houseplantgurulisa@gmail.com or 734-7481241). Follow her on Facebook (Facebook.com/ HouseplantGuru), Twitter (@houseplantguru), and Instagram (houseplantguru).

The dahlia bed is filled with blooms in October.

Both dahlias and roses are grown in the terraced beds—they do well in similar environments.

MichiganGardener.com | April 2019 | Michigan Gardener

Send Us Your Photos!

through the lens

1. E-mail 2 or 3 of your best garden photos to: photos@MichiganGardener.com.

We are looking for photos of your garden, both wide-angle and plant close-ups.

Be sure to e-mail a high-resolution file.

2. Please include your full name and a caption describing the scene and the plants.

3. If your photo is published, we’ll give you a free one-year subscription to Michigan Gardener.

Photographs from Michigan gardeners

A monarch butterfly resting on this Joe Pye weed was photographed by Donna Dalziel.

David Austin modern shrub roses surround a fountain in Janet Mitchell’s garden.

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“Of the hundreds of photos I have taken of my garden over the years, I think this may be my favorite—a bright green frog lounging on an iris.” —Noel Ann Winkler

“Garden path surrounded by red salvia, sweet potato vine, viburnum, ageratum, canna lily, popcorn plant, black-eyed Susans, plus many others.” —Rachelle Koester

A collection of stores and gardens to shop and visit.

Please call ahead for hours, as they may vary from season to season.

Mt. Pleasant

Gladwin

Bay City

Midland

Auburn

Saginaw North Branch Clio

Lapeer

Davison

Imlay City

Flushing

Owosso

Lennon

Burton Grand Blanc

Flint

Emmett

Hadley

Port Huron

Dryden

Metamora

Almont

Bancroft

Grand Rapids

Bruce Twp. Fenton

Oxford

Ortonville

Lake Orion

Haslett

Lansing

East Lansing

Oakland

Clarkston

Fowlerville

Howell

Mason

Stockbridge

White Lake

White Lake Waterford

Plymouth Chelsea

Jackson

Dexter

Detroit Westland

Ann Arbor

Grass Lake

Canton

Taylor Belleville

Romulus

Saline New Boston

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Southgate Brownstown Trenton Twp. Grosse Ile Flat Rock

Tecumseh

Cement City

Want to advertise your local business in Places to Grow?

2 options:

cement city

DearbornDearborn Heights

Ypsilanti

Manchester

Tipton

Monroe

Ottawa Lake

H American Tree

ann arbor H Abbott’s Nurs & Garden Ctr 2781 Scio Church Rd, MI 48103 734-665-8733 www.abbottsnursery.com H Downtown Home/Gard 210 S Ashley St, MI 48104 734-662-8122 www.downtownhomeandgarden.com

auburn H Warmbier Farms 5300 Garfield Rd, MI 48611 989-662-7002 www.warmbierfarms.com

auburn hills Drake’s Landscp & Nurs H Haley Stone 3600 Lapeer Rd, MI 48326 248-276-9300 www.haleystone.net

H HillTop Greenhse/Farms H Lodi Farms H The Produce Station

H State Crushing

H Turner’s Greenhse & Garden Ctr 4431 South Wagner Rd, MI 48103 734-663-7600 www.turnersannarbor.com

bay city

Wild Birds Unltd

bancroft Grand Oak Herb Farm H Begick Nursery & Garden Ctr 5993 Westside Saginaw Rd, MI 48706 989-684-4210 www.begicknursery.com

brownstown twp

Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice H Pinter Flowerland H Zywicki Greenhse

Bruce’s Pond Shop Raupp Brothers Gard Ctr H Ruhlig Farms & Gard

berkley

H Van’s Valley Greenhse

Garden Central

burton

H Blossoms

brighton H Beauchamp Landscp Supp Bordine’s Brighton Stone Leppek Nurs H Meier Flowerland 8087 W. Grand River, MI 48114 810-229-9430 www.meierflowerland.com

chelsea H Garden Mill 110 S. Main St, MI 48118 734-475-3539 www.thegardenmill.com

chesterfield

belleville

birmingham

H Hallson Gardens 14280 US-127, MI 49233 517-592-9450 www.perennialnursery.com

The Potting Shed

La Salle

almont

Ray

Rochester Macomb Rochester Shelby Twp. Highland Pontiac Hills New Utica Baltimore Auburn Hills Sylvan Lake Clinton Twp. Chesterfield Commerce Milford Troy West Sterling Hts. Bloomfield Bloom. Hills Birmingham Walled Lake St. Clair Berkley Wixom Roseville Shores Brighton Warren Royal Oak New Hudson Eastpointe South Lyon Novi Farmington Southfield Hills Oak Park Ferndale Whitmore Northville Grosse Lake Pointes Livonia Redford Hartland

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Washington

bruce twp

H Walker Farms & Greenhouse 5253 E. Atherton Rd, MI 48519 810-743-0260 www.walkersfarm.com

canton Canton Floral Gardens Schmidt’s Roadside Wild Birds Unltd

H Van Thomme’s Greenhses

clarkston Bordine’s H Country Oaks Landscp Supp Lowrie’s Landscp

clinton twp H English Gardens 44850 Garfield Rd, MI 48038 586-286-6100 www.englishgardens.com Michigan Koi Tropical Treasures

clio H Piechnik’s Greenhouse 13172 McCumsey Rd, MI 48420 810-686-9211 www.cliogreenhouse.com

columbus Haack’s Farm Greenhses

MichiganGardener.com | April 2019 | Michigan Gardener

commerce twp H Zoner’s Greenhse 2355 E. Commerce Rd, MI 48382 248-363-6742 www.zonersgreenhouse.com

davison H Wojo’s Gard Splendors 7360 E. Court St, MI 48423 810-658-9221 www.wojos.com

dearborn Fairlane Gardens

dearborn heights H English Gardens 22650 Ford Rd, MI 48127 313-278-4433 www.englishgardens.com

detroit Eastern Market

dexter Bloom! Gard Ctr H Dexter Mill H Fraleighs Landscape Nursery 8600 Jackson Rd, MI 48130 734-426-5067 www.fraleighs.com Guthrie Gardens

eastpointe H English Gardens 22501 Kelly Rd, MI 48021 586-771-4200 www.englishgardens.com Drew’s Garden

farmington hills Angelo’s Landscp Supp Farmer John’s Greenhse Loeffler Stone Ctr H Steinkopf Nurs

fenton Gerych’s Flowers/Gift H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm 13730 White Lake Rd, MI 48430 810-629-9208 www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com

ferndale Casual Modes Home/Gard

flat rock Masserant’s Feed/Grain

flushing H Flushing Lawn & Garden Ctr 114 Terrace St, MI 48433 810-659-6241 www.unclelukes.com

gladwin H Stone Cottage Gardens 3740 West Willford Rd, MI 48624 989-426-2919 www.stonecottagegardens.com

grand blanc Bordine’s H The Weed Lady 9225 Fenton Rd, MI 48439 810-655-2723 www.theweedlady.com

grass lake H Designs by Judy Florist & Greenhse 3250 Wolf Lake Rd, MI 49240 517-522-5050 www.designsbyjudyflowers.com

grosse ile H Westcroft Gardens 21803 West River Rd, MI 48138 734-676-2444 www.westcroftgardens.com

grosse pointe Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Meldrum & Smith Nurs

grosse pointe woods Wild Birds Unltd

hadley Le Fleur Décor

metamora Gilling’s Nurs

milford Milford Gardens H The Pond Place

monroe H The Flower Market

new baltimore H Meldrum Bros Nurs

new boston H Grass Roots Nurs Mums the Word

hartland

new hudson

Deneweth’s Garden Ctr

H Milarch Nurs 28500 Haas Rd, MI 48165 248-437-2094 www.milarchnursery.com

haslett Christian’s Greenhse H Van Atta’s Greenhse

highland Colasanti’s Produce/Plant Fragments Highland Garden Ctr H One Stop Landscp Supp Thornton Nurs

howell Penrose Nurs H Specialty Growers 4330 Golf Club Rd, MI 48843 517-546-7742 www.specialtygrowers.net

north branch H Campbell’s Greenhouses 4077 Burnside Rd, MI 48461 810-688-3587 www.campbellsgreenhouses.com H Oldani Landscape Nurseries 2666 Tozer Rd, MI 48461 810-688-2363 www.oldanilandscapenurseries.com

northville Begonia Brothers Gardenviews H Willow Greenhouses

H Superior Landscape Supplies 4805 Musson Rd, MI 48855 517-548-2068 • Find us on Facebook: Wilczewski Greenhses

novi

imlay city

Four Seasons Gard Ctr

H Earthly Arts Greenhse Schutz’s Tree Farm Super & Sons Nurs

jackson The Hobbit Place

lake orion H Lake Orion Lawn Orn H Orion Stone Depot

lansing Lansing Gardens

lapeer H The Iron Barn

lasalle Fowler’s Gift Shop

lennon

Glenda’s Gard Ctr Wild Birds Unltd

oak park oakland H Piechnik’s Garden Ctr 1095 N. Rochester Rd, MI 48363 586-336-7200 www.cliogreenhouse.com

ortonville H Wojo’s Greenhse 2570 Oakwood Rd, MI 48462 248-627-6498 www.wojos.com

ottawa lake Beauchamp Landscp Supp

owosso

livonia

H Everlastings in Wildwood Crooked Tree Nurs Sunburst Gardens

Bushel Mart

oxford

Krupps Novelty Shop

H George’s Livonia Gardens 31405 W. 7 Mile Rd, MI 48152 248-476-6719 Find us on Facebook Superior Growers Supp Valley Nurs

macomb Altermatt Greenhses Boyka’s Greenhse Deneweth’s Garden Ctr H Elya’s Village Gardens H Landscape Source Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Olejnik Farms Wade Nurs Wiegand’s Nursery Wild Birds Unltd

manchester McLennan Nurs

mason Wildtype Nurs

Oxford Farm/Gard

plymouth Graye’s Greenhse Lucas Nurs H English Gardens Plymouth Nurs 9900 Ann Arbor Rd W, MI 48170 734-453-5500 www.englishgardens.com Plymouth Rock & Supp Rock Shoppe Sparr’s Greenhse

pontiac Goldner Walsh Gard/Home

ray

rochester hills H Auburn Oaks Garden Ctr 3820 West Auburn Rd, MI 48309 248-852-2310 www.auburnoaksnursery.com Bordine’s H Haley Stone 3975 S. Rochester Rd, MI 48307 248-852-5511 www.haleystone.net Wild Birds Unltd

romulus Block’s Stand/Greenhse Kurtzhals’ Farms Rush Gard Ctr Greenhse H Schoedel’s Nurs Schwartz’s Greenhouse

roseville Dale’s Landscp Supp Flower Barn Nurs Sea World

royal oak H English Gardens 4901 Coolidge Hwy, MI 48073 248-280-9500 www.englishgardens.com Wild Birds Unltd

saginaw H Abele Greenhouse & Garden Ctr 3500 Wadsworth Rd, MI 48601 989-752-5625 www.abelegreenhouse.com

H Detroit Garden Works 1794 Pontiac Dr, MI 48320 248-335-8089 www.detroitgardenworks.com

taylor Beautiful Ponds & Gardens D&L Garden Ctr Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp

tecumseh Mitchell’s Lawn/Landscp

trenton Carefree Lawn Ctr

troy H Telly’s Greenhouse 3301 John R Rd, MI 48083 248-689-8735 www.tellys.com H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store 6691 Livernois Rd, MI 48098 248-879-9147 www.unclelukes.com

utica Stonescape Supp

ypsilanti Coleman’s Farm Mkt Lucas Nurs Margolis Nurs Materials Unlimited H Sell Farms & Greenhouses 7200 Willis Rd, MI 48197 866-296-3090 www.sellfarmsandgreenhouses.com

Gardens to Visit ann arbor H Matthaei Botanical Gardens/ Nichols Arboretum 1800 North Dixboro Rd, MI 48105 734-647-7600 www.mbgna.umich.edu

battle creek Leila Arboretum

bloomfield hills H Cranbrook Gardens 380 Lone Pine Rd, MI 48303 248-645-3147 housegardens.cranbrook.edu

clinton twp Tomlinson Arboretum

warren

dearborn

Beste’s Lawn/Patio Supp Kutchey Family Mkt

washington

Arjay Miller Arboretum @ Ford World HQ Henry Ford Estate

Landscp Direct Rocks ‘n’ Roots

detroit

shelby twp

Anna S Whitcomb Conservtry, Belle Isle

H Diegel Greenhses

waterford

dryden

H Hessell’s Greenhouse 14497 23 Mile Rd, MI 48315 586-247-4675 www.hessellsgreenhouse.com

Breen’s Landscp Supp Hoffman Nurs

Seven Ponds Nature Ctr

H Merrittscape 5940 Cooley Lake Rd., MI 48327 248-681-7955 www.merritthomedesigns.com

H MSU Horticulture Gardens W.J. Beal Botanical Gard

saline Clink Landscp & Nurs KBK Gard Ctr H Saline Flowerland

Maeder Plant Farm H Telly’s Greenhouse 4343 24 Mile, MI 48316 248-659-8555 www.tellys.com

south lyon Mike’s Garden Stone Depot Landscp Supp

southfield 3 DDD’s Stand H Eagle Landscp/Supp Lavin’s Flower Land Main’s Landscp Supp

southgate H Ray Hunter Gard Ctr

st clair shores Greenhouse Growers H Hall’s Nurs H Soulliere Gard Ctr

sterling heights Decor Statuette H Eckert’s Greenhouse 34051 Ryan Rd, MI 48310 586-264-5678 www.eckertsgreenhouse.com Prime Landscp Supp

stockbridge

Fogler’s Greenhse Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr

Angelo’s Landscp Supp Brainer’s Greenhse Milford Tree Farm

H Suburban Landscp Supp

redford

rochester

wixom

H AguaFina Gardens International 2629 Orchard Lake Rd, MI 48320 248-738-0500 www.aguafina.com

walled lake

Heritage Oaks H Pinter Flowerland Seven Mi Gard Ctr

sylvan lake

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Gee Farms

west bloomfield H English Gardens 6370 Orchard Lake Rd, MI 48322 248-851-7506 www.englishgardens.com

westland H Barson’s Greenhse 6414 North Merriman Rd, MI 48185 734-421-5959 www.barsons.com Bushel Stop Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Merlino’s Bushel Ctr Panetta’s Landscp

white lake H Bogie Lake Greenhouses 1525 Bogie Lake Rd, MI 48383 248-887-5101 www.bogielakegreenhouses.com H Mulligan’s Landscp & Gard Ctr 8215 Elizabeth Lake Rd, MI 48386 248-698-4741 www.mulliganlandscaping.com Sunshine Plants

whitmore lake H Alexander’s Greenhses

williamston Christian’s Greenhse

east lansing

emmett H Sunny Fields Botanical Park 5444 Welch Rd, MI 48022 810-387-2765 www.visitsunnyfields.org

flint Applewood Estate

grand rapids Frederik Meijer Gardens

grosse pointe shores Edsel & Eleanor Ford Hse

lansing Cooley Gardens

midland Dahlia Hill Dow Gardens

novi Tollgate Education Ctr

rochester Meadow Brook Hall & Gardens

taylor Taylor Conservatory & Botanical Gard

tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens 6214 Monroe Rd (M-50), MI 49287 517-431-2060 www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu

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Michigan Gardener | April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

One of the disadvantages of shearing boxwoods is that it makes moist, unventilated conditions—perfect for fungal diseases. Also, it can get so moist that aerial roots will take moisture out of the air and sprout from stems, as shown here.

To determine which stems to remove, pat your hand on top of the boxwood and select the stems that resist the most. These will be the stiffest and oldest.

continued from back cover We also noticed that un-thinned boxwoods made for moist, unventilated conditions—perfect for fungal diseases such as Volutella blight.

We even saw aerial roots growing happily from stems taking moisture out of the air.

Give your boxwoods an annual checkup The pruning technique we recommend begins with cleaning out dead or diseased stems. This practice allows for an annual inspection for pathogens such as boxwood blight—a deadly disease recently discovered for the first time in Michigan. Tightly sheared boxwoods are beautiful, but thinned boxwoods are beauti-fuller. By allowing light to penetrate and air to move, buds can grow and fill the inside of the shrub, creating conditions for dense, beautifully healthy plants.

There’s no need to give up your topiaries and geometric hedge shapes either—utilize a hybrid pruning/shearing method to similar effect. We’ll describe that technique below.

Before you begin pruning Timing is key. As with most evergreens and non-spring-flowering shrubs, make sure you perform this work in early spring. Heavy summer pruning will rob your boxwood of the effort it spent sending up fresh growth.

Also, check your forecast for rain. Cuts made into boxwood are portals for pathogens when wet. Allow a few days for cuts to seal before overhead watering.

Reach down into the plant, and use sharp hand pruners or a saw to remove whole stems with branches, all from deep inside the shrub.

MichiganGardener.com | April 2019 | Michigan Gardener

Before pruning.

After pruning. This boxwood hedge is airy and will rejuvenate itself with May growth.

Do the pruning Step 1: (optional) Shear your boxwood

If your preference is toward formal, tightly clipped boxwoods, go ahead and shear the outside of your shrub with hand or electric shears at the desired height and shape. This initial shearing will make it easier to select the stems to remove in the next step.

Step 2: Thin out one-third of the oldest branches

Find the stiffest stems by patting your hand on the top of the shrub and selecting the stems that resist the most. Let supple, younger ones remain. If the boxwood has been repeatedly sheared, your cuttings will show leaves only on the extreme ends of their branches.

The stem will be naked. Reach down into the plant, and use sharp hand pruners or a saw to create a clean cut and remove whole stems with branches, all from deep into the shrub.

Your first deep cuts will have you secondguessing the aggressiveness of this method.

Have faith—by the end of your work, you’ll have a uniformly thinned boxwood.

Step 3: Cut branches back to the buds

Move further up to the remaining branches and find a bud, leaf, or notch between two stems and remove 1/3 of the stiffest stems.

Fresh new growth will fill in from these cuts.

Step 4: Clip outer shoots for shape The pruning method will leave supple, new growth at the top.

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Finally, go over the outside of your box-

P H OTO G R A P H S BY N E I L A N D R U T H AT Z I N G E R

wood again and clip any cowlicks that have popped up. Shake and tug at stems to fully loosen the boxwood. Give the wind no chance to dislodge hidden, twisted branches.

You may also wish to lightly shear once more to achieve your final shape.

All done! You now have a fresh, loose boxwood that can rejuvenate itself with May growth. Light shearing in summer after such an aggressive prune is permissible, but not required.

References: Janet Macunovich and Steven Nikkila. “Boxwood pruning.” www.GardenAtoZ.com.

Ruth Atzinger studied horticulture at MSU and has gardened professionally since 2001, including work at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Gaylord Opryland.

After studying theology and exploring the art and gardens of Italy, Neil Atzinger learned gardening as Ruth’s understudy. As Atzinger Gardens (renamed from Fourth & Walnut), the pair create and tend gardens around Ann Arbor and Plymouth.

Visit AtzingerGardens.com or call 734-272-7321 for monthly maintenance or new garden design and installation.

| April 2019 | MichiganGardener.com

how-to

Prune your boxwoods

After using the pruning method on boxwoods, the removed plant material will be long branches, as opposed to many small leaf clippings that result from the shearing technique.

Making the case for pruning, not shearing, in early spring

O

ur crew was enjoying a pleasant afternoon shearing boxwood. We employed the conventional, efficient method of lightly clipping the shrubs in early June to maintain the tightest shape possible.

Our head gardener’s ear plugs, headphones, and electric shears made him numb to the world outside the monolithic polygon of green boxwood he was shaping. When finished, we all bowed to the thing he had created—a green block of order in a wild, chaotic world.

Preoccupied by trimming other topiar-

ies around the property, we didn’t notice the newly hired, but highly experienced, gardener that got loose elsewhere and turned a boxwood into Swiss cheese, removing large, branching stems from the base of each shrub. I was brought to my knees in an Neil and Ruth onrush of doubt. “What does Atzinger this mean? Why?” I asked.

The gardener explained her case for deep pruning, rather than shearing boxwood. And thus, my boxwood conversion experience—I was a changed man.

When we started our own gardening

business, we abandoned the practice of frequent, light shearing and opted for the annual thinning and pruning that contributes to healthier shrubs. Here’s why…

Disadvantages of shearing The conviction to change our technique was confirmed when we noticed the effect our semiannual shearings had on boxwoods we had tended for years. One April, we discovered that heavy snow had damaged a closely

sheared boxwood hedge located in a formal entrance. The practice of removing one-third of old branches would have prevented these boxwoods from becoming the leggy, hollowed facades of green that semi-annual shearing created. Boxwoods branch and become dense at the spot they are clipped, suffocating the inside from light and air. Annual, deep, spring pruning would have yielded green, leafing stems to work with inside the damaged boxwood. A rejuvenated hedge could have been re-shaped after just one flush of late spring growth. Instead, the only acceptable solution was to remove the entire hedge. continued on page 38