July/August 2013
MichiganGardener.com
Your guide to Great Lakes gardening
perennials
Coreopsis plant focus Castor bean thyme for herbs Herbal teas feature New shrubs for 2013 weed watch Autumn olive gardener profile An eclectic collector’s garden
Please thank our advertisers in this issue
Summer Color All Perennials
20% OFF Plants that come back year after year.
Including hostas, daylilies & lots more. Starter perennials not included.
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Tues., July 9, 2013 at 10 a.m. Pre-register
FREE In-store Presentation Caring for Your Summer Garden Wed., July 24, 2013 at 7 p.m. Sat., July 27, 2013 at 10 a.m.
Make it & Take it Workshop Fairy Garden
FREE In-store Presentation Cool Plants for Shady Areas Sat., August 10, 2013 at 10 a.m.
FREE In-store Presentation Preserving the Harvest Sat., August 17, 2013 at 10 a.m.
FREE In-store Presentation Attracting Birds & Butterflies
Sat., July 27, 2013 at 11:30 a.m. Fee: $49.99, Value: $89.99 Pre-register
FREE In-store Presentation Plants for Screening
FREE In-store Presentation All About Hydrangeas
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Wed., July 10, 2013 at 7 p.m. Sat., July 13, 2013 at 10 a.m.
Wed., July 17, 2013 at 7 p.m. Sat., July 20, 2013 at 10 a.m.
Sat., August 3, 2013 at 10 a.m.
Sat., August 24, 2013 at 10 a.m.
Sat., August 31, 2013 at 10 a.m.
For more information on these presentations or to sign up for workshops: www.EnglishGardens.com
MICHIGAN’S BEST: NURSERY • GARDEN CENTER • FLORIST • LANDSCAPING • PATIO SHOP • SEASONAL CHRISTMAS CENTER Ann Arbor 734-332-7900
Clinton Twp. 586-286-6100
Dearborn Heights 313-278-4433
WE A Michigan Family Business Since 1954 DELIVER! Award-Winning Landscape Services: 248-874-1400 Eastpointe Royal Oak West Bloomfield 586-771-4200 248-280-9500 248-851-7506 www.EnglishGardens.com
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2013 Daylily Exhibition Show Held at Bordine’s in Rochester Hills
Saturday, July 13th Join us for the Southern Michigan Daylily Society’s Daylily Show held at Bordine’s in Rochester Hills. This is the largest Daylily show in Michigan! If you appreciate Daylilies, this show is definitely for you! Go to midaylilysociety.com and click on “Calendar of Events” for more details!
Click on b o rd i n e s . co m for a complete list of Bordine Values, store hours and directions! ROCHESTER HILLS.......... 1835 S. Rochester Rd ................. 1 1/2 miles N. of M-59 CLARKSTON .................... 8600 Dixie Highway .......................... N. of I-75, Exit 93 BRIGHTON ....................... 6347 Grand River Ave ..........3 miles N. of I-96, Exit 145
bordine’sfarm.....................................GRAND BLANC ................ 9100 Torrey Rd ........................... S. of Grand Blanc Rd.
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In July, perennial gardeners are just getting started. At Telly’s, there is always something fresh to add color to your summer garden. Come see why we are a favorite summer destination for so many Michigan gardeners.
Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
contents July/August 2013 Ask MG.......................................................... 6 Healthy Lawns.............................................8 Vegetable Patch..........................................11 To-Do List.....................................................12
Best New Plant at Chelsea Flower Show! Anemone 'Wild Swan'
Thyme for Herbs.......................................16 Perennials: Coreopsis...............................18 Places to Grow......................................... 20 Midnight Marvel Hibiscus
Plant Focus: Castor bean.......................22 Books for the Michigan Gardener.......24 Calendar.......................................................24 Where to pick up Michigan Gardener....................................26 Advertiser Index.......................................26 Classified Ads............................................27
Miss Molly Butterfly Bush
Mighty Chestnut Daylily
Weather Wrap..........................................27 Subscription Form....................................27 Profile: An eclectic collector’s garden........................................28 Weed Watch: Autumn Olive....................31 Janet’s Journal.........................Back Cover
Echinacea ‘Glowing Dream’
Bailey Nurseries
Amber Jubilee Ninebark
New Shrubs for 2013 ���������������14 On the cover: ‘Sienna Sunset’ is just one of many newer coreopsis varieties. Learn more on page 18. Photo: www.PerennialResource.com
Coreopsis ‘Mercury Rising’
Garden Wisdom I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow. —David Hobson
Inwood Daylily
Royal Braid Daylily
25% OFF ALL Ceramic Pottery Excludes bonsai pots • Sale ends 8-31-13
Design & Production Jonathon Hofley Advertising Eric Hofley Circulation Jonathon Hofley
TROY 3301 John R–1/4 mile north of 16 Mile
Editorial Assistant Anna Kowaczyk
248-689-8735 SHELBY TWP 4343 24 Mile btwn Dequindre & Shelby Rd.
248-659-8555 Summer Hours (both locations): Mon-Sat: 8am-9pm Sun: 9am-6pm
Publisher/Editor Eric Hofley
find us on
www.tellys.com
Contributors Karen Bovio Cheryl English Mary Gerstenberger Julia Hofley Rosann Kovalcik Janet Macunovich Steve Martinko Beverly Moss Steven Nikkila George Papadelis Sandie Parrott Jean/Roxanne Riggs Jim Slezinski Lisa Steinkopf Steve Turner Rick Weller
16291 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 5 Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3327 Phone: 248-594-5563 Fax: 248-594-5564 E-mail: publisher@MichiganGardener.com Website: www.MichiganGardener.com Publishing schedule 6 issues per year: April, May, June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec. Published the first week of the mo. Subscriptions (Please make check payable to Michigan Gardener) 1 yr, 6 iss/$14 2 yr, 12 iss/$26 3 yr, 18 iss/$36 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, 6 iss/$22 US 2 yr, 12 iss/$42 US Copyright © 2013 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.
Annual Daylily Dig & Garden Party YOU PICK ‘EM, WE DIG ‘EM – Thousands to choose from
July 13-14, July 20-21, July 27-28 Wh Specializing in Perennials, Hostas, ites Hydrangeas & Peonies , Ye llow s, Pi nks, Reds, Oranges & Purples
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Do you want to become a better gardener? Looking for a new career? Curious about Plants and Horticulture? Oakland Community College
Open 9-6 Daily
has classes and programs for you! Visit M errittscap e.com
5940 Cooley Lake Rd • Waterford • 248-681-7955
IN�DEPTH – Just a sampling of the classes OCC offers: Introduction to Ornamental Horticulture Plant Identification • Soil and Soil Fertility Flowering Annuals and Perennials Turf grass • Environmental Science Insect Pests & Disease Identi�ication Woody Plant Identi�ication Garden Design and Maintenance Plant Health Care • Plus many more!
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ATTENTION PROFESSIONALS: Our certi�ied classes will earn you CEU’s ISA CEU approved. Plus many other professional CEU’s available. Please contact us for specifics.
Full line of organic products • Same day delivery service We specialize in natural wood mulches Hello gardeners! Our “wood fines” and “red pine bark” products are a gardener’s dream. Very finely shredded, you can mix them in with your existing soil to create an excellent amended soil for planting. You’ll also love our premium compost and cedar bark mulch.
Yard Waste Recycling Big yard clean-up? Got lots of garden debris? Bring it in! We accept many types of yard waste.
2260 Auburn Rd. • Auburn Hills • 248-332-6210 www.statecrushing.com • Hours: Monday-Friday 7-5 Saturday 7-1
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Web
www.oaklandcc.edu (click on “Programs” then “Landscape Horticulture”)
E-mail Marshall Baeckeroot, mmbaecke@oaklandcc.edu Phone 248�232�4537 (ask for Marshall Baeckeroot)
Registration Deadline for Fall Semester: August 28, 2013
2013 Bonsai Show An Annual showing of the members’ trees. Over 100 beautiful trees from all sizes and species will be on display. Vote for your favorite bonsai in the People’s Choice Award. Photo by Carlos Diaz
Workshops, demonstrations, vendors & expert advice Sat, August 24 & Sun, August 25 / 10am-4:30pm Matthaei Botanical Gardens 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. • Ann Arbor • 734-647-7600 www.AnnArborBonsaiSociety.org
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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
ask mg
Have a question? Send it in! Go to www.MichiganGardener.com and click on “Submit a question”
Rose rosette disease
Ratty-looking petunia leaves
I just discovered that a number of my roses have rose rosette disease, including climbers. What can I do about this problem? I hear that there is no cure. S.B., Taylor, MI You are correct. There is no cure for this viral disease. The host plants for the rose rosette disease (RDD) inoculum are the multiflora roses or “wild roses” seen throughout wayside areas and fencerows. This disease was first described in 1941 and linked to the multiflora rose, which had been introduced from Japan in 1866 as rootstock for ornamental roses. In 2011, researchers determined the disease was transmitted by the eriophyid mite that feeds on the multifloras and then travels on wind currents from infected to healthy plants. Symptoms are variable, but the virus earns its name in the bright red pigment of rapidly elongating new shoots and “witches’ brooms.” There is no effective control for RDD in already-infected plants. However, early detection is the key to effective cultural control. Any suspect roses should be removed and destroyed immediately by burning or bagging. Any multiflora roses within 300 feet should be removed and disposed of in like manner. New roses can be planted in the same soil because mites are not soil-borne. Space plants so that canes and leaves do not touch each other. Mites have no wings and must crawl between plants. Proper spacing gives better air circulation and makes it more difficult for mites to travel. Avoid planting on hilltops or downwind of known multifloras as well. Effective control of eriophyid mites with a miticide listing them specifically can help in the control program. But using a miticide without the cultural control is not advised.
By August, the foliage on my petunias starts looking ratty. The plants still bloom and the flowers look OK, but the leaves turn brown. Is there any way to keep them looking healthier? F.N., Macomb Twp, MI Petunias need 6 to 8 hours of full sun every day to produce their showy flowers. Although most petunias today have been cultivated to be self-deadheading, it still is important to pinch the spent flowers when they hang on. Pinching once a week stimulates the plant to make new healthy blooms. Petunias also respond to overwatering by turning leggy and losing leaves. Allow the top half inch of soil to dry out between watering to avoid excessive moisture. Whether on the ground or hanging from a basket, keep the elongating stems trimmed back frequently during the season to encourage more branching and a fuller, more blossom-filled plant.
Pruning rose of Sharon My rose of Sharon is healthy and about 7 feet tall, but it is flopping over. It seems the new stem growth can’t support its own weight. Is this normal? What options do I have? A.S., White Lake, MI Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) blooms on new growth and late in the season. The later bloom is one of the reasons it is frequently planted. In order to keep the shrub strong and compact, cutting it back in late winter or early spring to even half its size will cause it to be fuller. You can remove all of the previous year’s growth since it blooms on new wood. You can thin the canopy or scaffolding to remove crossing branches, twiggy growth, and encourage only the stronger stems to produce flowers. Be sure to water consistently during periods of drought.
Maintaining Knock Out roses I am considering planting several Knock Out roses. I have heard about a new fungus affecting them. Do you have any information on that? G.S., Birmingham, MI Knock Out roses are still more disease-resistant than hybrid tea, floribunda, grandiflora, or miniature roses. That does NOT mean disease-proof. The funguses are not new. Because of their disease resistance, Knock Out roses have become the predominant landscaping rose. When planted as a monoculture in masses with overhead irrigation, the most disease-resistant plant becomes vulnerable to ailments. Their popularity now exposes them to airborne and waterborne diseases. Inattentive cultural practices set up conditions for black spot, powdery mildew, and even botrytis fungus, all of which thrive in moist environments with varying degrees of warmth. Poor plant sanitation during the season and in fall cleanup leaves plant material behind that can harbor the fungal spores that will overwinter in the soil surface and re-infect. Avoid contributing to fungal conditions by watering early in the day if overhead irrigation is the only method available. This allows the leaves to dry quickly. Preferably, use drip irrigation or soaker hoses. If you see infected leaves, remove them immediately. Remove all leaf debris during fall cleanup to prevent spores from overwintering. Use a preventive fungicide when environmental conditions are favorable for infection. The spores are far too small to see before they infect. Spray the undersides of leaves as well.
www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
Applying a lime-sulfur spray to the soil in November and again in March can kill overwintering spores. Keeping good air circulation around the plants will help to keep the leaves dry. Do not mulch the crowns and water at the plant base, not the leaves.
Saving and storing seeds I have picked many seeds in my garden this year. What is the best way to store them for use next year? R.B., Saline, MI Vegetable and flower seeds may be kept for one year without significant loss in germination. Seed moisture and storage temperature are the key factors in determining how long seed can be stored. The drier the seeds, the longer they will store. Be aware that seed collected from cultivars of known species may not grow a plant true to type. These are mutations or hybrids to get some particular or desirable characteristic. The seed itself may not even be viable. Some perennials, such as columbine (Aquilegia), freely mutate. The seed from a blue columbine hybrid may not yield a blue-flowered plant. To dry the seed, spread it out on a metal tray in a conventional oven at 100 degrees for six hours. Never use a microwave. Do not let the oven temperature exceed 100 degrees. Package the seed in moisture-proof contain-
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ers that stay dry when submerged in water. Store them in a refrigerator that is kept below 40 degrees. Remember that conditions essential to good seed storage are opposite to those for good germination. Germination occurs when water and oxygen are present in a favorable temperature. Good storage results when seeds are dry and the temperature is below 40 degrees. With those conditions, storage may be extended to 10 or more years.
MICHIGAN’S #1 POND SPECIALIST SINCE 2001 of Michigan
Answers provided by Beverly Moss, owner of Garden Rhythms.
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Pond Place of Michigan and Michigan Koi and Pond Club Present…
AWARD�WINNING KOI EXHIBIT
Wine & Cheese Reception • Seminars • Vendors • Free Koi • Free Hot Dogs
Call 248-889-8400 for details & times
Come tour over 40 WATER FEATURE DISPLAYS and our new state of the art specialty store for inspiration! WATER FEATURES STARTING AT JUST $125
THE AREA’S LARGEST SELECTION OF UNIQUE NATURAL STONE Cut & Tumbled Bluestone Wallstone Flagstone Boulders Ledgerock Stone Pavers
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• Do-It-Yourself instructions from our staff of EXPERTS! • Brick Pavers and Maintenance Supplies • Water Garden Pumps & Filters • Garden Walls & Edgings Prompt, Courteous Delivery Available
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July/August Hours: Mon-Fri: 8am-6pm
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Auburn Hills
248-276-9300
Sat: 8am-4pm
Sun: Closed
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248-889-8400 • 3505 W. Highland Rd. (M-59) • Milford, MI 48380 Our Online Store is Always Open! www.pondplace.com NOW OPEN: Beauchamp’s NEWEST Garden Center: 4570 Stearns Rd. Ottawa Lake, MI 49267 734-854-5050
VISIT OUR GARDEN CENTER & GALLERY
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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
PROFUSION OF COLOR annuals • containers NATURAL BEAUTY natives • perennials • shrubs • trees ORGANIC & LOCAL produce • starts • seeds
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1885 Baker Rd, Dexter, MI
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www.Bloom-Gardens.com
CUSTOM-MADE FILTRATION SYSTEMS Liners • Pumps • Bulk Fish Food • Fish & Plants ONE OF THE LARGEST KOI SELECTIONS IN THE AREA! Beautiful premium koi: 3/$25 Great selection of 10- to 16-inch premium koi: Regular price $250, ON SALE $175
BRENDA’S BUTTERFLY HABITAT - NOW OPEN!
Will have all the native butterflies for this area. Also all the host plants of these butterflies. You will be able to observe their complete life cycle. Come experience the enchantment of these winged beauties! HABITAT HOURS: Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 10a-2p • Sun, Mon, Wed: Closed
BEAUTIFUL STONE HOUSES FOR MINIATURE & FAIRY GARDENING
6414 N. Merriman • Westland, MI Located between Ford & Warren
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Visit our gardens… CUT A FRESH BOUQUET AND ENJOY!
healthy lawns Lawn watering: Frequent and light is best Since the early 2000s, Michigan State University has been recommending lighter, more When grass is mowed to 2-1/2 frequent watering as the proper way to meet inches tall, the root system doesn’t a lawn’s water needs. Yet old habits die hard, penetrate nearly as deep, no matter and the old school method of deep watering is still commonly practiced. Regardless of how much water is applied. Mowrepeated advice from the past or a talk show ing height has more relevance to host from another state, Michiganders should go with the new school approach. rooting depth than water amounts. Please keep in mind that this technique applies to your lawn, and not to your trees and the same physiological characteristics apply shrubs. The message of deep watering keeps to its roots. circulating because people can envision a Let’s take a moment to understand why root system growing deeper and stronger light watering is the proper way to maintain with more water. For decades people have a lawn. Years ago, Michigan State did a study dealt with tree roots causing foundation and to prove this using a glass aquarium, septic field problems. However, tree the kind you see with ant colony and shrub root systems are much Steve demonstrations. They showed how different than lawn roots! Martinko grass roots do expand and grow Homeowners mistakenly condeeper under heavy watering as clude that if you want healthy, aglong as the blade height was left gressive lawn roots, then water over 4 inches tall and un-mowed. deeply. But that is not the case for However, once it was mowed to grass. Root tips on both trees and 2-1/2 inches tall, the root system shrubs are white and tender until wasn’t penetrating nearly as deep, they mature and become woody no matter how much water was apwith multiple branch nodes to explied. Mowing height has more relepand from. Once these roots become vance to the ratio of rooting depth than water woody, they live as long as the tree or shrub. amounts. What’s different about grass root systems The moral of the story here is to not waste is that they do not have the same ability to water—be consistent and apply water to your become permanent as tree roots do. They grass frequently and lightly. will never contain the same density of lignin, which makes the wood. Grass sheds its Steve Martinko is the owner leaves throughout the year and the cycle of of Contender’s Tree and Lawn Specialists regeneration is based on the plant’s health. in Oakland County, MI. You will never see a tree shed its trunk, and
Build a Foundation with Patios, Walkways, Trees and Shrubs Add Texture with Perennials Add color with Annuals Add interest with architecture
Enhance your outdoor living space EXPLORE THE LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES TODAY!
Live Beautifully!
US-23
Baldwin Rd.
Holly Rd.
Exit 108
Fenton Rd.
9225 Fenton Road • Grand Blanc (25 mins from Great Lakes Crossing) • www.TheWeedLady.com • 810-655-2723
Grand Blanc Rd. Exit 88
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THE WEED LADY
Michigan’s Largest Bonsai Nursery
Summer Garden Sensations! Over 900 Varieties of Perennials Potted annuals for instant summer color Hanging Baskets, Accent Plants, and Unique Combination Planters
248-887-5101
1525 Bogie Lake Rd. ~ White Lake July/August Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat 9-5 Sun 11-3 1-1/2 Miles S. of M-59 • Across from Lakeland H.S.
Date Sunday, July 21, 9am-4:30pm Purchase tickets Tour only: $35/person Tour & Cocktail Reception: $50/person IN-STORE OR BY PHONE:
Detroit Garden Works 248-335-8089 ONLINE (processing fee applies):
TheGardenCruise.org
Over 2,000 Trees in Stock Tropical Bonsai Trees Hardy Bonsai Trees Pots • Tools • Soil Mud Men • Classes
Trees • Shrubs • Perennials Organic Products
8930 S. Custer Rd.
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Fine garden statuary & accents
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8215 Elizabeth Lake Rd. • White Lake
5 MI EAST OF CABELA’S ON M-50
248-698-4741 MulliganLandscaping.com
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Delivery & Installation Available
Detroit Garden Works is proud to present the sixth annual Garden Cruise, a tour of gardens designed, planted and/or inspired by Deborah Silver. The landscapes themselves are varied in style and approach, but all reflect an ownership for whom the beauty of a garden is an important part of life. Our most serious mission as a business is to foster the idea of stewardship of the environment—a duty The Greening of Detroit embraces every day. All proceeds will benefit the planting and educational programs of The Greening of Detroit.
Learn more, including garden descriptions at TheGardenCruise.org
248-335-8089 / 1794 Pontiac Drive, Sylvan Lake / DetroitGardenWorks.com
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Hidden Lake Gardens BOTA N IC A L G A R DEN & A R BOR ET U M
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Fresh pine BarK mulch in bulk! This finely ground pine bark is a great way to improve clay soils. It is hard to find and the supply is limited—call us today to order this premium product. Your soil and plants will thank you!
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755 Acres of Gardens and Natural Areas Flower Gardens • Plant Conservatory • Hosta Hillside • Dwarf Conifers Picnic Area • Lake • Hiking Trails • Weddings and Tours by appointment 6214 Monroe Rd. (M-50) in Tipton • 8 Miles W. of Tecumseh
517-431-2060 • hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu • OPEN DAILY
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find your inspiration here! M I C H I G A N N AT I V E
BUTTERFLY HOUSE JUNE 24TH THROUGH JULY
The Butterfly House at Wiegand’s is back! Observe, interact, & even stop by to feed them as you walk through our exhibit of dozens of butterflies - all native to Michigan. The Butterfly House will also be full of gorgeous, flowering plants that attract our flying friends. Be sure to ask our helpful staff about incorporating some new, beautiful flowers to entice some butterflies into your yard!
2629 Orchard Lake Rd. Sylvan Lake, MI 48320 248-738-0500 www.aguafina.com Mon-Sat 9am-5pm / Sunday 10am-4pm
M-59
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vegetable patch Managing insect pests “If you build it, they will come” is certainly ply having a small meal on an unused portion true of vegetable gardens and insects. The of the vegetable, and the overall health of the only question is, are these insects beneficials plant is good, you may choose to tolerate the or pests? Simply put, a beneficial insect is one insect’s presence. However, if the little critter that provides a benefit to the garden. They is damaging a portion of the plant you intend are the pollinators without whom our plants to eat, or if there is such an abundance of inwould bear no fruit. They are also the predasects that they are harming the overall health tors that consume the insects we do not want of the plant, then it’s time to take control. to find in the garden. Some just consume the If preventive methods have not been sucplant debris, returning those nutrients to the cessful, then a pesticide may be needed. soil in another form. Whether you use an organic or synthetic pesInsect pests, on the other hand, are those ticide, ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND pesky little critters that may consume our FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS! Even orproduce or spread diseases as they travel ganic pesticides may carry warnings on their among the plants. While we wellabels. Try to select products that Mary come the beneficials, we need to target a particular pest or group of Gerstenberger be on guard for the pests. So how pests rather than a broad-spectrum do we protect our vegetable plants pesticide that will harm benefifrom those nasty little bugs that cials as well. Consider having a nowould try to destroy them? spray-zone of plants that will act as To begin with, keep your plants a safe harbor for natural predators. healthy. A healthy plant can handle Also, be sure to take note of when it a pest attack better than a stressed is safe to harvest a vegetable after plant. Good soil, appropriate fertilusing a pesticide. Try to think of izer use, and proper watering will chemicals as a last resort for conhelp ensure the vigor of your vegtrolling insects. etable plants. It is also important to recognize For more information on insect pests and which insects will harm a particular vegpest diagnostic services, visit www.pestid. etable and when they are most likely to pose msu.edu. a threat. Then, checking the vegetables reguMary Gerstenberger is the Consumer Horlarly for insect eggs, larval stages, or adult ticulture Coordinator at the Michigan State insects will help control them before they University Extension in Macomb County, MI. become a major nuisance. Good sanitation For gardening information from MSU, visit practices will also help by removing debris in www.migarden.msu.edu. which some pests may harbor. Preventing insects from reaching a vegCall the toll-free Michigan State University etable is another way to control damage. BarLawn and Garden Hotline at 888-678-3464 riers can be used. For instance, paper collars for answers to your gardening questions. can be placed around the base of stems and into the upper soil to prevent cutworms from destroying plants. Plastic or woven covers can be placed over plants to allow light in but keep bugs out. It is important to remember that covers need to be removed when flowerSpecializing in Hybrid Daylilies ing begins in order to allow pollinators to do Huge selection of daylilies, hostas, their job or the vegetables may not develop ferns, perennials, grasses, vines, herbs, fruit. Some insects can simply be handpicked groundcovers & gardening tools off the plant or removed by a spray of water. ~ Garden art & accessories ~ Another option is to introduce predators into Going “Up North” for the weekend? the garden—some will find their own way in, Check the Michigan Gardener calendar while some can be purchased and released or our website for special events into the garden. Remember that spiders as Open May 4 - Oct. 12 Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 9-4 or by chance or appointment well as lady beetles are our friends! Take time to consider what the insect pest 3740 West Willford Rd. may be eating. Is it a part of the vegetable you Gladwin, MI 989-426-2919 plan on harvesting or a portion of the plant www.stonecottagegardens.com that will not be harvested? If the bug is sim-
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• Water, fertilizer and weeding are the keys to keeping annuals looking great throughout the summer. • Keep fertilizing regularly, usually every other week, and be prepared for extra watering as the weather turns hot. Annuals planted in the garden should receive at least an inch of water a week, either from rain or supplemental methods. Water deeply to promote root growth. • A little deadheading here and there may be necessary to keep flowers blooming. • Container gardens need water every day, and some may need water more often than that. Be sure to water thoroughly, so a little water runs out the bottom of the container. If plants are drying out too quickly, move them into just a little bit more shade. If you’re going on vacation and nobody will be watering, give the plants a good soaking and move them into the shade. It’s not a perfect solution, but it may keep them alive until your return. • Another solution is an automatic watering system. There are basic ones that just store water and slowly release it into the soil, or more advanced mini drip irrigation systems. • With proper care, annuals should look great until frost kills them.
• Support tall-growing plants like dahlias, lilies, and gladiolas with stakes. Remove faded blooms from plants to encourage reblooming. • The foliage from spring-flowering bulbs can be removed as it dies back. These bulbs can also be divided and replanted now, or wait until the fall.
Perennials • Keep perennials looking their best with general maintenance, such as staking, deadheading, fertilizing and watering. • A 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around plants will help reduce weeds and decrease the need for watering. Be sure to water deeply to help keep the roots cool. Organic fertilizer is great for perennials because it helps improve the soil over time. • Several varieties of plants, like hardy mums, sedums or asters, need to be pinched back starting in early July to produce shorter and fuller plants. • Regular dividing will keep many varieties healthy and blooming. Fall is a great time to do this, so take note of which of flowers need to be divided, so this can be accomplished as the foliage starts to die back. • Fill in bare areas with some perennials for extra fall color, such as ajuga, asters, anemones, black-eyed Susan, coneflowers, heuchera, plumbago, sage, sedum, and sweet flag.
Roses • Keep fertilizing roses to maintain blooms. • Roses don’t like the heat of August. Be sure to keep their roots cool with a good layer of mulch. • Roses generally need an inch of water each week. Too little water reduces the number of blooms they’ll produce. Water at the base of the plant, avoiding leaves whenever possible.
Shrubs & Trees • Prune shrubs that have bloomed before Memorial Day by early July. Apply a good organic fertilizer for the boost they’ll need to make next year’s flowers. • Look for insects chewing on the foliage. Inspect trees for insects and disease. Also look for any signs of mechanical (from string trimmers or lawn mowers) and animal damage. • Newly planted trees need water every week when there is less than an inch of rainfall. Be sure water reaches depths of 10 to 12 inches. The soil should dry out 1-1/2 to 2 inches down before watering again. • Improper watering is the main reason trees and shrubs fail within the first few years. Keep weeds under control around newly planted trees. They compete for nutrients and water, impacting the health of the tree. • Evergreens don’t show damage from lack of water until it’s too late. • If you’re looking to add color in your garden, plant butterfly bushes, potentilla or hydrangeas. Many new varieties of hydrangeas have been introduced that provide long-lasting color in the summer garden. • Hand-weed around trees and shrubs so you don’t cut the bark with weed whacker damage. A layer of mulch will reduce weeding, but do not pile it on too deeply. Two to three inches is enough. • Don’t trim or fertilize evergreens in August. Wait until late fall after the plant goes dormant. New growth that occurs now won’t have a chance to harden off before winter.
Lawn • Apply the third lawn fertilizer treatment in early July, or 6 to 8 weeks after the last treatment. If weeds are a problem, spot treat them. A healthy, properly fertilized and watered lawn is thick enough to crowd out weeds. • Grass can actually wilt, especially during hot, sunny days. If you walk across the lawn and leave flattened footprints, that’s a signal the lawn needs water. Generally lawns need one inch of water each week, spread out over several applications. • Mow the lawn properly, never taking off more than 1/3 of the blade at a time. Remove too much at one time and the crown of grass plants will be exposed and they’ll sunburn. These weakened plants will soon
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TH E A R E A’ S N E W E ST P O N D STO R E !
Feature Task: Caring for your summer vegetable garden Vegetable and herb gardens should be flourishing. The biggest issues during the summer are weeds and bugs. Check the underside of plants at least every week for signs of bugs, but don’t worry if you find them. Bring a sample to your local garden center and go home with an appropriate cure. There are many options, including organic ones, to nip the problem in the bud. Remove weeds promptly, otherwise they’ll compete with plants for water and nutrients. A good layer of mulch makes weeding easier and helps prevent soil compaction between the rows. It’s important to continue weeding. Weeds can grow very quickly and rob your vegetables of needed nutrients. When watering, water deeply and let the be overcome by weeds just waiting for their chance to take over. • Keep the mower blade sharp. Using a dull blade rips the grass, leaving jagged edges that are prone to disease. • If grubs are a problem this year, prepare for a second treatment. If you haven’t had a grub problem, simply keep an eye out for the beetles.
Water Gardens • During hot weather, algae can grow a lot. Be sure to have adequate pond plants to help keep the algae down. The water’s surface should be covered at least 75 percent by water plants, such as water hyacinths, water lilies and water lettuce. Cleaning the filter on a regular basis and testing the water to keep the balance correct will also help keep algae under control. • Water lilies are heavy feeders and need fertilizer every two weeks during August. Use a tablet-form fertilizer, specifically made for pond plants. • Test the water regularly for pH, nitrate, nitrite and ammonia levels, especially if there are fish. • Clean the pond regularly of string algae, and add beneficial microbes to maintain pond
soil dry out a couple inches down before watering again. This gets oxygen into the roots and helps keep roots cool in the heat. There are a few problems, like blossom end rot on tomatoes, that show up during periods of uneven watering. Continue fertilizing, following the manufacturer’s directions for frequency and application rates. Applying more fertilizer or more frequently won’t help plants grow any better or faster. As produce ripens, pick it promptly. Your hard work pays off if the critters don’t beat you to it. If you’re being robbed by furry thieves, don’t despair—there are new products available that repel critters but aren’t harmful to you. health. Floating pond plants provide cover for fish and help keep algae blooms down. • Fertilize pond plants with tablet fertilizer designed for water garden plants. • To help control mosquitoes, introduce fish into the water or add mosquito dunks to prevent eggs from being laid.
Houseplants • Houseplants will benefit greatly by spending the summer outside. Even if you keep them indoors, they’ll like the longer days and more humid conditions. • Plants outside will probably need water every day. The inside ones won’t need to be watered quite as frequently, but more often now than in the winter. • Maintain a regular fertilizing program so they’ll grow strong and healthy. With frequent watering, nutrients are being washed out of the soil. • Use a granular systemic insecticide every 6 weeks to protect your plants from pests during the growing season and prevent them from coming into the house this fall. Provided by the professionals at English Gardens.
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Amber Jubilee Ninebark
Bailey Nurseries
Amber Jubilee (Physocarpus opulifolius) was selected for its striking foliage in glowing tones of orange, yellow and gold. Rounded and dense in habit, this shrub will stand out in your garden border or make for an eye-catching hedge. Delicate white blooms are produced in spring, and fall foliage is highlighted with tones of red and purple, making this ninebark appealing over the entire season. Height: 5-6 feet. Width: 4 feet. Sun.
Proven Winners Color Choice
Pucker Up Red Twig Dogwood
A red-stemmed dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) unlike any other. Its glossy, puckered foliage is distinctive as well as attractive. The thick foliage delivers a high degree of disease resistance. Compact growth and bright red winter stems add to this native shrub’s yearround appeal. Visitors to your garden will likely ask, “What’s that?!” Height: 3-4 feet. Width: 4-5 feet. Sun or partial shade.
Proven Winners Color Choice
Sonic Bloom Weigela
Tubular flowers engulf this dense, reblooming shrub (Weigela florida) from spring until frost, giving gardeners three seasons of nonstop color. Plants bloom on new and old wood without deadheading, creating virtually maintenance-free plants once established. The three Sonic Bloom varieties (red, hot pink, and white/pale pink) are a great choice for mixed borders, a low hedge, or mass planting. Height and width: 4-5 feet. Full sun.
Francis Meilland Rose
Bobo Hydrangea
This multi award-winning hybrid tea looks like the beginning of a new generation of roses that are garden worthy. Named for the 100th anniversary of Francis Meilland’s birth, one of that French family of master hybridizers who brought us the ‘Peace’ rose and so many others. ‘Francis Meilland’ won the highly coveted ADR Award in Germany after a threeyear evaluation at 11 trial sites. These ADR varieties are cultivated without any chemical pesticides to evaluate their natural flowering beauty, strength, vigor, health and hardiness. ‘Francis Meilland’ is also the 2013 All-America Rose Selections Award winner and was the first hybrid tea to win under a new no-spray trial program. This tall rose has very large soft pink blooms, good form, and an unusually strong fragrance. Height: 6 to 6-1/2 feet. Width: 3 feet. Full sun.
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The dwarf form of Bobo hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) is covered in large white blooms early and continues to frost. The strong stems grow and lengthen throughout the season to keep the sizable blooms upright. In fall, Bobo’s white flowers deepen to blush then rich pink for a lush autumnal display. Use in containers, mixed borders, or foundation plantings. Height: 2-1/2 to 3 feet. Width: 3-4 feet. Sun or partial shade.
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Herbal teas from the garden
Pineapple sage, a tasty herb for herbal teas.
Lemon verbena imparts lemon into your tea.
Lemon balm has the nicest lemon flavor.
Rose hips, the seed heads of a rose bush, develop in the fall.
In these busy times, it is relaxing to make a pot of tea from the herbs in your garden. They are easy to grow and they adapt to growing in a container or on your windowsill. The correct name for these beverages is “tisane,” because “tea” is made from the leaves of the tea plant. But when people add herbs to boiling water, they generally still call them “herbal teas.”
fresh or dried herbs available. You need a mesh tea spoon or a strainer, a teapot or just a pretty teacup, and some boiling water. Mix your favorite tea herbs in the spoon or strainer, place in the teapot or cup, and pour boiling water over it. Let it steep about 10 minutes until you can see color in your tea and it is just cool enough to drink. Sip and enjoy! There is no caffeine in herbal teas unless you include tea leaves. There are all kinds of tea balls, tea strainers, and even tea houses to use; some people even collect these tea accessories.
and roses. Plant the mints in their own containers to control their growth and to keep them from overwhelming other plants. You can grow them on the patio, sink the pots in the soil, or plant them in a wooden barrel by themselves. You can buy many other varieties of herbs that taste ever so good in your herbal blends. Many nurseries, or your friends, will let you
taste a plant leaf before buying it, thus enabling you to acquire a mint that appeals to your taste buds. Favorites we grow include apple mint, chocolate mint, spearmint, and peppermint. Lemon balm can be naughty, but it’s easily controlled by cutting it back before it sets seed, as this is how it spreads, with each plant producing hundreds of seeds per year. That
Growing the plants
These plants appreciate rich, well-drained soil in sun or part shade. Plants in a pot grow best Jean & Roxanne Riggs in filtered sunlight or part Selecting the herbs shade. All of them do best Some of the tender perenwith regular feeding and nials that we recommend watering throughout the growing in the garden or in summer. The leaves of these pots include lemon verbena plants can be used fresh or (Aloysia triphylla), pineapple dried in your herbal blends sage (Salvia elegans), and for teas. You can harvest your rose geranium (Pelargonium herbs in the summer on a dry graveolens or P. capitatum). These “tender” day, and bunch the stems together with a rubperennial plants cannot live outdoors during ber band. Then hang them in a dark, dry locathe winter, so they must be brought indoors tion to use all winter long. If you let sunlight before the first frost and treated like a housetouch the bunches, they will fade to yellow plant in a sunny window or under grow lights and lose some of their flavor. All of the tea with regular watering. All of them have flowherbs have edible flowers that you can also iners in the late summer and fall, provided you clude in your teas. You should label your dryhave not cut all of the branches back: white ing bunches, as they have a tendency to look flower clusters on the lemon verbena, brilvery much alike when dried. liant red flowers on the pineapple sage, and Making the teas delicate pink flowers on the pelargonium. Making herbal teas is easy if you have the These plants are also attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. Hardy perennials include mints (Mentha), P h oto g r a p h s by lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), bee balm or J e a n a n d R ox a n n e R i ggs bergamot (Monarda), catnip (Nepeta cataria),
All you need for a delicious cup of herbal tea: a mesh tea strainer, teacup, boiling water, and herbs.
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said, you want to include this plant as it has the nicest lemon flavor. Lemon balm also is a great fresh-cut herb to put in lemonade or iced teas during the summer. Catnip is an old remedy for upset tummies and is a pleasant addition to the teapot. Some people put rose petals in their tea, but usually the part used is the seed pod, better known as rose hips. Again, you cannot cut your roses while they are in bloom and expect to harvest rose hips in the fall, since the flowers develop into the hips. Do not spray your roses with anything but safe sprays and soaps if you plan on using them for teas. The hips are high in vitamin C and have a nice citrus flavor. Bee balm leaves are also nice, with a citrus-mint flavor. One annual herb that is great in your herbal teas is chamomile (Matricaria recutita). You can grow it by seed or simply buy plants. It is a fragrant green plant but only the pretty white flowers with their golden centers are used for tea. During summer and fall, just a few plants will give you a bountiful harvest of flowers, which can be used fresh or dried. It will have to be replaced in the garden every year, and it grows well in pots also. A great spice to have on hand is cinnamon. Although we cannot grow cinnamon in Michigan, the sticks are readily available in most grocery stores. Cinnamon makes a grand addition to any herbal tea. The sticks
can be broken and added in a mesh tea spoon or strainer, or simply use a whole stick to stir your tea (a stick can last for many cups if dried in between). Cinnamon is the outer bark of a tree and is harvested into curled sticks. All the above herbs can be used in combinations or separately to your taste. You can experiment to see what everybody favors in your household. A few leaves of each herb are all you need.
Flowering teas Finally, while flowering teas don’t come from our garden, they are a real pleasure to use. Each is a bundle of dried tea leaves wrapped around one or more dried flowers. When steeped, the bundle unfurls and the flowers inside “bloom.” Use a clear teapot so you can see the full effect. The ready-to-use flowering teas are available in retail stores. They are a hit at a tea party or luncheon and can be used a few times each. They actually contain tea leaves and flowers so they do have some caffeine in them, but not much. Children and adults alike are captivated by these flowering tea displays. And they taste good too!
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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
perennial perspectives Something old, something new – a comparison of new cultivars with the tried-and-true Coreopsis Coreopsis is rapidly becoming one of the new darlings of the perennial world. Following quickly on the heels of the echinacea revolution, coreopsis has made a similar paradigm leap. Once a genus known for simple, daisyshaped yellow flowers, we now have coreopsis hybrids bearing flowers of yellow, gold, peach, russet, orange, pink, rose and red, plus many fascinating bicolor combinations. One of the leading hybridizers of coreopsis is Darrell Probst (Maryland), who has Karen evaluated over 20,000 Bovio seedlings for hardiness, extended duration of flowering, distinctive flower forms, improved disease resistance, vigor and improved plant habit. His crowning achievement is the Big Bang series, which includes varieties with names like ‘Full Moon,’ ‘Cosmic Eye,’ and ‘Galaxy.’ His latest creations, ‘Cosmic Evolution’ and ‘Star Cluster,’ bear white flowers (previously unavailable in coreopsis) that develop rose to burgundy tints in cool weather. ‘Mercury Rising,’ with its solid deep red flowers, is also creating quite a stir, because unlike previous red coreopsis introductions (remember the ‘Limerock Ruby’ fiasco?), it has overwintered in zone 5 for three successive years. Terra Nova Nurseries (Oregon) is the originator of many coreopsis series, with hardiness zone ratings from 5 to 10. They have drawn their gene pool from several species,
including C. auriculata, C. grandiflora, C. lanceolata, C. rosea, C. tinctoria, and C. verticillata, each of which lends particular characteristics to the hybrids. For example, pink to red color from C. rosea; narrow, ferny foliage from C. verticillata; hardiness and wider foliage from C. grandiflora, and compact habit from C. auriculata. One of Terra Nova’s new series of perennial coreopsis is the Hardy Jewel series, with names like ‘Citrine,’ ‘Pink Sapphire,’ and ‘Ruby Frost.’ A new class of hybrid coreopsis—the nonhardy, annual or “temperennial” class—is being promoted as an alternative to mums in the fall and for use in container gardening. Watch for the Punch, Pie, and Lemonade series (which has amazing lemon-yellow foliage!).
www.PerennialResource.com
‘Sienna Sunset’
Terra Nova Nurseries
‘Ruby Frost’
www.PerennialResource.com
‘Full Moon’
www.PerennialResource.com
‘Star Cluster’
www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
19
SINCE 1982
Quality Plants for Dedicated Gardeners Perennials, annuals & herbs...our outdoor-grown plants are acclimated to Michigan’s weather for better performance in your garden
Back By Popular Demand…Daylily Dig! Saturday and Sunday, July 20-21, 9am-5pm Walk the field and choose your favorite daylilies! Our staff will dig and package your plants for you. You’ll find nearly every color of the rainbow, including gorgeous bicolored and eyed varieties. Potted daylilies and perennials of all types will also be available.
1pm Presentation: Dividing Daylilies
Coreopsis varieties The list of excellent and hardy coreopsis varieties is indeed a long one. Here are some old favorites, plus some new ones to look for in garden centers: Older: ‘Moonbeam’ (1992 Perennial Plant of the Year), ‘Golden Showers,’ ‘Zagreb,’ and many varieties of C. grandiflora and C. lanceolata (all zone 4) Newer: ‘Crème Brulee,’ ‘Sienna Sunset,’ ‘Full Moon,’ ‘Autumn Blush,’ ‘Redshift,’ ‘Route 66,’ ‘Heaven’s Gate’ and ‘Dream Catcher’ (all zone 5) Newest: Big Bang series ‘Cosmic Eye,’ ‘Cosmic Evolution,’ ‘Star Cluster,’ ‘Mercury Rising’ and ‘Galaxy’ (all zone 5) Terra Nova C. verticillata hybrids ‘Bengal Tiger,’ ‘Imperial Sun,’ ‘Center Stage’ and ‘Showstopper’ (all zone 5) Terra Nova Hardy Jewel series ‘Citrine,’ ‘Pink Sapphire,’ ‘Desert Coral,’ and ‘Ruby Frost’ (all zone 6, except ‘Garnet’ is rated zone 7)
www.PerennialResource.com
‘Route 66’
These flashy new hybrids are so showy and floriferous that many garden centers will be offering them as “instant color” impulse items. A note to perennial gardeners: read the tags for hardiness information, as most of these are for zone 7 or warmer and will not overwinter in Michigan. They are best used as annuals for seasonal color. Even among the new hardy hybrids, winter hardiness can vary from zone 5 to 7, and with the advent of the new USDA zone map, you may feel more confused than ever about hardiness. The hardiness issue is also complicated by the fact that wet soils and poor drainage reduce hardiness, but plants grown in very well-drained conditions may actually overwinter in zones colder than what is typical for them. If you live in Southeast Michigan and have perfectly drained soil (sandy, gravelly, rocky, lean, or on a significant slope) you can choose coreopsis varieties with zone 6 hardiness, which is the actual zone for most of our area. In certain microclimates, you may even succeed with zone 7 varieties. However, if your soil is moisture-retentive (rich, clayey, peaty or heavily amended) choose zone 5 coreopsis to provide an extra level of winter protection. The reason for the caution is that more plants are killed by the combination of wet winter soil and cold temperature than by cold temperature alone. Culture for all coreopsis is the same: full sun and good drainage. Don’t plant coreopsis in shaded sites, even those that are only partially shaded. Flowering and growth habit will be seriously compromised in shade. Plus, resistance to powdery mildew and fungal leaf spots is highest when foliage dries off quickly, which is not often the case in shaded to semi-shaded areas. For best performance, choose a breezy location in full sun, with sandy or loamy soil and good drainage. As an additional bonus, coreopsis is generally avoided by deer! Karen Bovio is the owner of Specialty Growers in Howell, MI.
Open House Hours: 9am-5pm, Presentation at 1pm on both days PRESENTATIONS ARE FREE OF CHARGE
10% OFF
your entire plant purchase Valid July 22 - Aug 31, 2013 Not valid with other sales/discounts
4330 Golf Club Rd. • Howell • 517-546-7742 • Mon-Sat 9-5 Sun 10-4 Our catalog is online! SpecialtyGrowers.net
Large Selection of Fountains
Rice’s Garden Ornaments Producers of Quality Concrete Statuary
Hundreds to choose from • All of Enriched Cement • Unique Selection • Low Prices Many new & old world finishes including permanent colors
810-694-2915 10510 N. Holly Rd. • Holly • 1-1/2 Mile S. of I-75 May–July: Mon-Sat 9-6pm August–April: Mon-Sat 9-4:30pm
www.ricesgardenornaments.com
Baldwin Rd. 1 Mile County Line Rd. Grange Hall Rd.
N. Holly Rd.
www.PerennialResource.com
‘Dream Catcher’
At 1pm each day, gather under the tent for owner Karen Bovio’s presentation, Dividing Daylilies. Karen will discuss the how’s and why’s of dividing daylilies. She will explain and demonstrate tips and techniques so that you will have a clear understanding of how to properly divide daylilies in your own garden.
I-75 exit 108
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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
A collection of stores and gardens to shop and visit. Please call ahead for hours, as they may vary from season to season.
Columbiaville, Davison
Bay City, Clio, Gladwin, Midland, Roscommon, Saginaw
North Branch
Lapeer
Emmett Imlay City
Flushing Lennon
Dryden
Grand Blanc
Metamora
Fenton
Almont
Oxford
Ortonville
H Wiegand’s Nursery 47747 Romeo Plank Rd. 48044 586-286-3655 www.wiegandsnursery.com
Addison Twp.
Orion Clarkston Hartland
White Lake Highland
Holly White Lake Waterford
East Lansing, Fowlerville, Grand Rapids, Haslett, Lansing, Mason, Williamston
Commerce
West Bloomfield
Walled Lake Wixom Brighton
New Hudson South Lyon
Whitmore Lake
Novi Northville
Rochester Hills
Bloomfield Hills Birmingham
dearborn heights
Troy Sterling Hts.
Eastpointe
Grosse Pointes
chelsea
Dearborn Dearborn Wayne Heights Taylor Romulus
Saline New Boston
Tecumseh
Brownstown Twp.
Southgate Trenton Grosse Ile
Rockwood, Monroe
H Garden Mill 110 S. Main St., MI 48118 734-475-3539 www.thegardenmill.com The Potting Shed
chesterfield
Van Thomme’s Greenhses
clarkston
H Bordine’s Country Oaks Landscp I Lowrie’s Landscp H The Pond Source
clinton twp
H Denotes MG Advertiser addison twp
auburn hills
Drake’s Landscp & Nurs
H Yule Love It Lavender Farm 960 Yule Rd., MI 48367 248-628-7814 www.yuleloveitlavender.com
H Haley Stone 3600 Lapeer Rd., MI 48326 248-276-9300 www.haleystone.net H State Crushing
almont
bancroft
American Tree
ann arbor
H Abbott’s Nurs Ace Barnes Hardware Downtown Home/Gard H English Gardens 155 N. Maple Rd, MI 48103 734-332-7900 www.EnglishGardens.com H HillTop Greenhse/Farms H Lodi Farms H The Produce Station Turner’s Greenhse/Garn Ctr H Wild Bird Center Wild Birds Unltd
Grand Oak Herb Farm
bay city H Begick Nursery & Garden Ctr 5993 Westside Saginaw Rd. 48706 989-684-4210 www.begicknursery.com
belleville
Banotai Greenhse Gardeners Choice H Pinter Flowerland H Zywicki Greenhse
berkley
Garden Central Westborn Flower Mkt
bloomfield hills Backyard Birds
birmingham H Blossoms 33866 Woodward Ave, MI 48009 248-644-4411 www.blossomsbirmingham.com Plant Station Tiffany Florist
brighton
H Beauchamp Landscp Supp H Bordine’s Brighton Farmer’s Mkt Cowbell Lawn/Gard Leppek Nurs H Meier Flowerland
H English Gardens 44850 Garfield Rd, MI 48038 586-286-6100 www.EnglishGardens.com Michigan Koi H Tropical Treasures
clio H Piechnik’s Grnhse & Gdn Ctr 13172 McCumsey Rd, MI 48420 810-686-9211 www.cliogreenhouse.com
columbiaville Hilltop Barn
brownstown twp
commerce twp
canton
davison
Bruce’s Pond Shop Ruhlig Farms & Gard
Canton Floral Gardens Clink Nurs Crimboli Landscp/Nurs Keller & Stein Greenhse Wild Birds Unltd
cement city
Hallson Gardens
H English Gardens 22650 Ford Rd, MI 48127 313-278-4433 www.EnglishGardens.com
detroit
Allemon’s Landscp Ctr
Detroit
Belleville
Tipton
Clinton Twp.
Southfield Oak Park Ferndale
Ypsilanti
H The Weed Lady 9225 Fenton Rd., MI 48439 810-655-2723 www.theweedlady.com
New Baltimore
Utica
Westland
Ann Arbor
Macomb
St. Clair Berkley Roseville Shores Madison Royal Oak Heights Warren
Farmington Hills Farmington
Dexter
Manchester
H Bordine’s
Shelby Twp.
Auburn Hills
Plymouth
Cement City, Chelsea, Jackson, Stockbridge
Green Carpet Sod
grand blanc
Livonia Redford
Canton
madison heights
Ray
Rochester
Sylvan Lake Howell
Washington
Oakland
Pontiac
Milford
Altermatt Greenhses Boyka’s Greenhse Deneweth’s Garden Ctr H Elya’s Village Gardens Landscape Source Joe Randazzo’s Nurs Olejnik Farms Wade Nurs
Port Huron
Hadley
Flint
Bancroft, Owosso
macomb
Lakeport
Backyard Birds Zoner’s Greenhse H Wojo’s Gard Splendors 7360 E. Court St., MI 48423 810-658-9221 www.wojos.com
dearborn
Fairlane Gardens Westborn Flower Mkt
H Detroit Farm & Garden 1759 21st St., MI 48216 313-655-2344 www.detroitfarmandgarden.com H Eastern Market
dexter
H Bloom! Gard Ctr Dexter Mill H Fraleighs Landscape Nursery 8600 Jackson Rd., MI 48130 734-426-5067 www.fraleighs.com
eastpointe
Ariel’s Enchanted Gard H English Gardens 22501 Kelly Rd, MI 48021 586-771-4200 www.EnglishGardens.com Semrau Gard Ctr
farmington
Backyard Birds
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
ferndale
Casual Modes Home/Gard Green Thumb Gard Ctr
flushing H Flushing Lawn & Garden Ctr 114 Terrace St., MI 48433 810-659-6241 www.unclelukes.com
fowlerville H Arrowhead Alpines 1310 Gregory Rd., MI 48836 517-223-3581 www.arrowheadalpines.com
gladwin
H Stone Cottage Gard
grosse ile
H Westcroft Gardens
grosse pointe
Allemon’s Landscp Ctr Meldrum & Smith Nurs
manchester
McLennan Nurs
mason
H Wildtype Nurs
metamora
Gilling’s Nurs
milford
One Stop Landscp Supp Milford Gardens H The Pond Place
monroe
grosse pointe woods
H The Flower Market
hadley
H Meldrum Bros Nurs
hartland
H Gorham & Sons Nurs H Grass Roots Nurs Mums the Word
Wild Birds Unltd Le Fleur Décor
Deneweth’s Garden Ctr
haslett
Christian’s Greenhse Van Atta’s Greenhse
highland
Colasanti’s Produce/Plant Fragments Highland Garden Ctr One Stop Landscp Supp
holly
H Rice’s Garden Ornaments
howell H Howell Farmer’s Mkt Downtown Howell @ State & Clinton St., MI 48843 517-546-3920 www.howell.org/19.html Penrose Nurs H Specialty Growers 4330 Golf Club Rd., MI 48843 517-546-7742 www.specialtygrowers.net
imlay city
H Earthly Arts Greenhse
jackson
new baltimore new boston
new hudson H Milarch Nurs 28500 Haas Rd., MI 48165 248-437-2094 www.milarchnursery.com
north branch
H Campbell’s Greenhouses Oldani Landscp Nurs
northville
Begonia Brothers Gardenviews Glenda’s Gard Ctr Stone City Wild Birds Unltd H Willow Greenhouses
oak park
Four Seasons Gard Ctr
ortonville
Country Oaks Landscp II H Wojo’s Greenhse 2570 Oakwood Rd., MI 48462 248-627-6498 www.wojos.com
owosso
The Hobbit Place Schmid Nurs/Gard
H Everlastings in Wildwood
lake orion
Candy Cane Xmas Trees Oxford Farm/Gard
Lake Orion Lawn Orn H Orion Stone Depot H Wojo’s of Lake Orion 559 S. Lapeer Rd, MI 48362 248-690-7435 www.wojos.com
lapeer
H Iron Barn Gard Ctr
lennon
Krupps Novelty Shop
livonia
Bushel Mart Superior Growers Supp Westborn Flower Mkt
oxford
plymouth
Backyard Birds Graye’s Greenhse Lucas Nurs H Plymouth Nursery 9900 Plymouth Rd., MI 48170 734-453-5500 www.plymouthnursery.net Plymouth Rock Rock Shoppe Sparr’s Greenhse
pontiac
Goldner Walsh Gard/Home
www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
21
ANYTHING IN OUR STORE ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER
ray
southgate
redford
st clair shores
rochester
sterling heights
Van’s Valley Greenhse H Pinter Flowerland Seven Mi Gard Ctr Fogler’s Greenhse Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr
rochester hills H Auburn Oaks Garden Ctr 3820 West Auburn Rd 48309 248-852-2310 www.auburnoaksnursery.com H Bordine’s H English Gardens Patio Shop H Haley Stone 3975 S. Rochester Rd., MI 48307 248-852-5511 www.haleystone.net Shades of Green Nurs Wild Birds Unltd
rockwood
Marsh Greenhouses Too
romulus
Block’s Stand/Greenhse H Kurtzhals’ Farms H Schoedel’s Nurs H Schwartz’s Greenhouse 30705 Sibley Rd., MI 48174 734-753-9269 www.schwartzgreenhouse.com
roscommon
The Greenhouse
roseville
Dale’s Landscp Supp World Gardenland
royal oak
Billings Lawn Equip H English Gardens 4901 Coolidge Hwy, MI 48073 248-280-9500 www.EnglishGardens.com
H Ray Hunter Gard Ctr Hall’s Nurs Soulliere Gard Ctr Decor Statuette
Artman’s Westland Nurs H Barson’s Greenhse Bushel Stop Panetta’s Landscp Joe Randazzo’s Nurs
white lake
H Eckert’s Greenhouse 34075 Ryan Rd., MI 48310 586-979-2409 www.eckertsgreenhouse.com
H Bogie Lake Greenhouses 1525 Bogie Lake Rd., MI 48383 248-887-5101 www.bogielakegreenhouses.com
Flower Barn Nurs Greenhouse Growers Prime Landscp Supp
H Mulligan’s Landscp & Gard Ctr Sunshine Plants
stockbridge
H Alexander’s Greenhses
sylvan lake
Christian’s Greenhse
Gee Farms
H AguaFina Gardens International 2629 Orchard Lake Rd., MI 48320 248-738-0500 www.aguafina.com H Detroit Garden Works
taylor H Beautiful Ponds & Gardens 20379 Ecorse Rd., MI 48180 313-383-8653 www.skippysstuff.com D&L Garden Ctr H Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp
whitmore lake williamston wixom
Brainer’s Greenhse Angelo’s Landscp Supp Milford Tree Farm
ypsilanti
Coleman’s Farm Mkt Lucas Nurs Margolis Nurs Materials Unlimited Sell Farms & Greenhse
troy
bloomfield hills
trenton
H Telly’s Greenhouse 3301 John R Rd., MI 48083 248-689-8735 www.tellys.com
Wild Birds Unltd
saginaw
utica
H Abele Greenhouse & Garden Ctr 3500 Wadsworth Rd., MI 48601 989-752-5625 www.abelegreenhouse.com
Dale’s Landscp Supp Stone City
saline
walled lake
H Suburban Landscp Supp
H Cranbrook Gardens
dearborn
Arjay Miller Arboretum at Ford World HQ Henry Ford Estate
detroit
Anna S Whitcomb Conservtry
dryden
Seven Ponds Nature Ctr
east lansing
H MSU Horticultural Gardens W.J. Beal Botanical Gard
emmett
warren
H Beste’s Lawn/Patio Supp Garden Ctr Nurs Young’s Garden Mart
H Sunny Fields Botanical Park 5444 Welch Rd., MI 48022 810-387-2765 www.visitsunnyfields.org
washington
flint
Applewood
H Saline Flowerland
Landscp Direct Miller’s Big Red Greenhse H Rocks ‘n’ Roots
shelby twp
waterford
grosse pointe shores
H Diegel Greenhses H Hessell’s Greenhse Maeder Plant Farm Potteryland H Telly’s Greenhouse 4343 24 Mile, MI 48316 248-659-8555 www.tellys.com
south lyon
Hollow Oak Farm Nurs
southfield
3 DDD’s Stand H Eagle Landscp/Supp H Lavin’s Flower Land Main’s Landscp Supp
Hoffman Nurs H Merrittscape H Oakland County Market 2350 Pontiac Lake Rd., MI 48328 248-858-5495 www.DestinationOakland.com
wayne
Artman’s Nurs
west bloomfield H English Gardens 6370 Orchard Lake Rd., MI 48322 248-851-7506 www.EnglishGardens.com Planterra
FULL SERVICE FLORIST EXCEPTIONAL flowers, artistically arranged
33866 Woodward at Adams • Birmingham 248.644.4411 • blossomsbirmingham.com
Gardens to Visit
Carefree Lawn Ctr
Mitchell’s Lawn/Landscp
FLOWERS AND GIFTS FOR ALL OF LIFE’S CELEBRATIONS Scented CANDLES • Lifelike SILK flowers • Decorative ACCESSORIES
ann arbor H Matthaei Botanical Gardens/ Nichols Arboretum 1800 North Dixboro Rd., MI 48105 734-647-7600 www.mbgna.umich.edu
tecumseh
H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store 6691 Livernois Rd., MI 48098 248-879-9147 www.unclelukes.com
H Nature’s Garden Ctr 6400 E. Michigan Ave., MI 48176 734-944-8644 www.naturesgardencenter.com
westland
grand rapids
Frederik Meijer Gardens Edsel & Eleanor Ford Hse
lansing
Cooley Gardens
midland
Dow Gardens
novi
Tollgate Education Ctr
royal oak Detroit Zoo
tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens 6214 Monroe Rd. (M-50) 49287 517-431-2060 www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu
Uncle Luke’s Fresh, local produce arrives starting early July as the crops ripen—Come see what’s available! Tomatoes • Corn • Peppers • Cherries • Peaches & much more! Our sweet corn is fresh-picked DAILY
Bring us your lawn, plant & pest problems– We will help you troubleshoot
featuring
ORGANIC Soil Amendments & Fertilizers
Uncle Luke’s Feed Store 6691 Livernois, Troy • (1/4 Mile S. of South Blvd.) 248-879-9147 • www.unclelukes.com Mon-Fri 9-6:30 • Sat 8-6 • Sun 9-5 Visit our 2nd location in Flushing: Flushing Lawn & Garden • 810-659-6241
Bagged soils & mulches • Cocoa mulch (great price!) Outdoor bird feed & supplies • Pet & animal food & supplies
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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
Castor bean plant works well in the back of a border planting.
These red canna flowers are echoed by the castor bean’s rich red stems and leaf veins.
Castor bean
The leaves’ glossiness is on full display in direct sunlight.
This castor bean is showing off its gorgeous bronze red leaves.
Botanical name: Ricinus communis (rye-SIN-us com-MEW-nis) Annual (tender perennial treated as an annual) Plant type: 5 to 15 feet tall, 3 to 10 feet wide Plant size: Habit: Upright, mound-forming Leaf color: Green; bronze red 6 to 24 inches long and wide Leaf size: Sun Light: Soil: Fertile to average Uses: Large annual plantings Companion plants: Other large annuals, like cannas, tall verbena, bananas, amaranth, ornamental tobacco (Nicotiana), and kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate. Remarks: An architectural plant with glossy, deeply lobed leaves. While castor bean oil has many uses, all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested.
Big, striking architectural foliage!
www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
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plant focus
Castor bean C
‘Carmencita’ is a popular castor bean cultivar.
The seedpods of ‘Carmencita’ are brilliant red.
astor bean plant (Ricinus communis) is one of the largest annuals we can grow in the border, reaching at least 5 feet tall. The enormous leaves are usually a glossy, bronze red and are always eye-catching wherever they are growing. It is underused, especially when one considers its many positive attributes. It is heat-tolerant, animalproof, tolerant of a wide range of soils, and very easy to grow. The castor bean has a long and interesting history in human culture. Its proliferation in areas where civilization began contributed to its enormous list of uses. Seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 4000 BC when the slow-burning castor oil was used to fuel lamps. Castor bean oil is non-toxic; it is used in cosmetics, chocolate manufacturing, mole/vole repellents, and in the manufacturing of biodiesel. The seeds, however, are poisonous, containing the toxin ricin, which can produce a life-threatening ‘Carmencita Pink’ has clear pink seedpods. poison. The name Ricinus is Latin for tick and the plant is so named because its seed’s markorientale), ornamental tobacco (Nicotiana sylings resemble certain ticks. vestris), amaranth, or tall verbena (Verbena Many variations of this plant have spread bonariensis). throughout the world’s tropical regions. The Besides its beautiful bold leaves and large leaves are glossy and palmate (like maples), stature, castor bean plant produces clusters of vary from 6 to 24 inches long, and may be interesting, prickly, red seedpods. It is a good green to bronze red. idea to consider removing these to avoid any Castor bean plant can grow up to 40 feet chance of human ingestion. Ripe tall in tropical environments. seed collected in fall, however, can Michigan gardeners can treat it like George Papadelis be carefully saved to easily produce an annual and expect the various new plants the following season. cultivars to grow anywhere from 5 Plant the seeds indoors about a to about 15 feet tall. I have seen casmonth before the last frost. Gertor bean plants growing like weeds mination rates are high and plants on the sides of roads where temare effortless to nurture if given peratures never fall below freezing. adequate light. In the garden, this Our most popular garden variety plant prefers full sun and tolerates is ‘Carmencita,’ whose glossy, redaverage soil. dish leaves can grow 2 feet wide on I have also grown the taller, green single-stemmed plants 5 to 7 feet varieties of castor bean (probably the variety tall. This is one of the most dramatic archi‘Zanzi Palm’) from seeds provided by a custectural annuals for the landscape. It serves tomer. This one grew at least 15 feet high in as a focal point in the garden that is best acone season. It produces very large green leaves companied by other large annuals such as on freakishly tall plants. This variety is fun but kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Polygonum it takes a large garden to accommodate it. P h oto g r a p h s by e r i c h o f l e y/ m i c h i g a n g a r d e n e r
George Papadelis is the owner of Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, MI.
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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
calendar July / August / September H Denotes Michigan Gardener advertiser
July
The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids by Whitney Cohen and John Fisher With their infectious enthusiasm for being outside and getting dirty, kids can be terrific garden companions. The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids (Timber Press, 264 pages, $19.95), shares 101 ways to get kids outside, dirty and having fun. The full-color guide offers simple advice and ideas as it takes you step-by-step through family-friendly garden activities. From playing leapfrog over pumpkins, harvesting a six-plant burrito, cooking up a compost cake, weaving lavender wands, or pickling pears, this book is a resource for anyone looking to share their love of gardening and the outdoors with the special child in their life. Divided into 9 themed chapters, it covers a broad variety of family garden projects, including basic planting and growing, art projects, and recipes. Kids will learn simple, but valuable lessons as they develop a connection to nature and the outside world.
The Gardener’s Guide to Common-Sense Pest Control by William Olkowski, Sheila Daar, and Helga Olkowski, and Steven Ash When pesky pests are determined to cause mayhem in your garden, turn to the The Gardener’s Guide to CommonSense Pest Control (The Taunton Press, 391 pages, $24.95). In this new edition of the 1995 original, readers get updated information on the control of all pests (insects and diseases) that can afflict lawns, food, ornamental gardens, and shade trees. This guide walks you through what you need to know to claim control of your garden without harsh chemicals. Chapters include “An Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM),” “Safe and Sane Weed Management,” and “Overall Best Treatments,” ranging from indirect strategies (such as pruning), direct physical and biological controls, to least toxic chemical controls. The book contains 200 photographs and 100 drawings. For gardeners seeking a natural approach to pest management, this guide offers smart strategies for pest containment.
Cacti & Succulents for Cold Climates: 274 Outstanding Species for Challenging Conditions by Leo J. Chance This reference presents portraits of 274 plants that can be used to create drought-tolerant gardens, as well as tips from regional experts who have mastered the art of growing cacti and succulents in areas not usually associated with high temperatures or a scarcity of water. Cacti & Succulents for Cold Climates (Timber Press, 328 pages, $39.95) describes how to prepare planting beds, how to get plants well established, how to handle cacti during planting, how to protect plants from cold winters, and when and how much to water. Readers will discover that cacti and succulents are not just for the Southwest and that they can be grown in all kinds of climates. The plants that are covered include prickly pears, agaves, yuccas, crassulas, chollas, and small succulents. Companion plants such as wildflowers, grasses, xeric trees and shrubs are focused on at the end of the book.
H Native Butterfuly House Mon, Jul 1, through Jul, Macomb. At Ray Wiegand’s Nursery. Observe, interact & even stop to feed dozens of native butterflies. www.wiegandnursery.com. Oakland County Farmers Market Tue, Jul 2, Thu & Sat, Waterford. By Oakland Cty Parks & Rec at 2350 Pontiac Lake Rd. Flowers, produce & more. brownjd@oakgov.com. H Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat Tue, Jul 2, Thu, Fri & Sat through Sep 7, 10am-2pm, Westland. At Barson’s Greenhouse. Butterfly life cycle & native host & nectar plants. www.ButterfliesInTheGarden. com H Pre-School Series Wed, Jul 3, 10-11:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Bring your child to learn & play. $8. 517-431-2060, conleyj9@msu.edu. 4th of July Art Fair & Garden Tours Thu, Jul 4, 10am-5pm, Hadley. At Le Fleur Decor. Art Fair, Garden Tours, Live Music. 586-495-4076. Iris’ Weekend Workshops Fri, Jul 5 & Sat, 1pm, Leonard. At Yule Love it Lavender Farm. FREE w/admission. www.yuleloveitlavender.com. H Brick Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jul 6, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com. H Critter Control Sat, Jul 6, 10am. At all English Gardens Locations. FREE. We’ll show you how to keep critters of all types at bay. www.EnglishGardens.com. H Harvest & Tea Tue, Jul 9, 9am-noon, Leonard. At Yule Love it Lavender Farm. Guided farm tour $5/person. www. yuleloveitlavender.com. H Kid’s Workshop Tue, Jul 9, 10am. At all English Gardens Locations. FREE. Leaf & Flower Print activity. www.EnglishGardens.com. Clarkston Garden Walk Wed, Jul 10, Noon-8pm, Clarkston. By Clarkston Garden Club at 6 Clarkston Gardens. $18. 248-625-9665, www. clarkstongardenclub.org. Troy Garden Walk Wed, Jul 10, 9:30am-3pm & 5pm-8:30pm, Troy. By Troy Garden Club at 6 private gardens & Troy Historic Village. $15. www.TroyGardenClubMI.com, 248-540-4249. Northville Garden Walk Wed, Jul 10, 9am-4pm, Northville. By Garden Club of Northville at 5 private gardens. $10. Vendors & music at Mill Race Village. www.cgcnv.org, 248-348-3263. H Attracting Birds & Butterflies Wed, Jul 10, 7pm. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. Learn to plant a combination of trees, shrubs, annuals & perennials to attract birds & butterflies. www. EnglishGardens.com. Fresh Flower Show Thu, Jul 11,10am-8pm, Fri & Sat, 9am-4pm, Shelby Twp. By Shelby Gardeners at Shelby Township Library. 586-781-6742.
For information about Public Gardens, please visit MichiganGardener.com. Click on "Resources" then "Public Gardens." H Cobblestone Covered Planter Box Sat, Jul 13, 10am-noon, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $86.75. Make a stone covered planter box. Dress for mess. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com, 810-629-9208. Gardening in Harmony with Nature Sat, Jul 13, Bloomfield Hills. At Manresa Jesuit Retreat House Grounds. Speakers, marketplace & entertainers for garden & nature lovers. 248-644-4933, www.manresa-sj.org. H Brick Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jul 13, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com. Daylily Show Sat, Jul 13, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens. Tips & advice from Daylily Society members & children’s projects. www.meijergardens.org, 616-957-1580. H Daylily Dig & Garden Party Sat, Jul 13, 9am-6pm, Waterford. At Merrittscape. You pick ‘em, we dig ‘em. 1000’s of plants. 248-681-7955. Garden Walk Sat, Jul 13, 10am-5pm, Romeo. By Friends of the Romeo Dist. Library at 7 Romeo area gardens. $10. Hosta talk in the library at noon. 586-752-2555. H Daylily Exhibition Show Sat, Jul 13, 9am-4pm, Rochester Hills. By S. MI Daylily Society at Bordine Nursery. Enter your daylily 9-11am & vote for your favorite. Experts available. www. midaylilysociety.com. H Garden Tour Weekend Sat, Jul 13, 9am-4pm, Livingston County. By LACASA. $20. Proceeds benefit vulnerable children & adults from Livingston Co. www.lacasacenter.org. H Herbalist Jim McDonald Sat, Jul 13, 1-2pm, Leonard. At Yule Love it Lavender Farm. FREE. Guided farm tour $5/person. www.yuleloveitlavender.com. H Attracting Birds & Butterflies Sat, Jul 13, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. Learn to plant a combination of trees, shrubs, annuals & perennials to attract birds & butterflies. www.EnglishGardens.com. Open Gate Garden Tour Sun, Jul 14, 10am-5pm, Fenton. By Open Gate Garden Club at 7 Fenton area gardens. $10. 810-210-9637, www.opengategardenclubgardentour.com. Midsummer Blooms DeWitt Garden Walk Sun, Jul 14, Noon-5pm, DeWitt. By DeWitt Millennium Garden Club at 5 DeWitt gardens. $10. 517-668-6592. Tenth Thyme for Tea Sun, Jul 14, Lapeer. By Lapeer County Master Gardener Association at Display Garden on Suncrest Dr. 10th annual fundraiser for the display garden. 810-667-1994.
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www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
How Does Your Garden Grow? Workshop Tue, Jul 16, 6:30pm, Charlevoix. At Castle Farms. $5. Make your home landscape more “sustainable” by reducing your expenses & labor. larissa@castlefarms.com, 231-2370884, ext. 236. Earthwise Gardening: The Secret is the Soil Tue, Jul 16, 7-8:30pm, Birmingham. By SOCWA at Baldwin Public Library. Presented by Lillian Dean & M.C. Haering. Register: LFDean2@gmail.com. H Harvest & Tea Tue, Jul 16, 9am-noon, Leonard. At Yule Love it Lavender Farm. Guided farm tour $5/person. www.yuleloveitlavender.com. H All About Hydrangeas Wed, Jul 17, 7pm. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. Discuss the 4 main types of Hydrangeas & their care. www.EnglishGardens.com. Traverse City Garden Walk Thu, Jul 18, 11am-7pm, Traverse City. By The Friendly Garden Club of Traverse City at 6 Traverse City gardens. $10. Tickets available at Traverse City Visitor’s Ctr. 231-590-6946. H Hurrah for Hydrangea Sat, Jul 20, 9am at Lake Orion, 11am at Ortonville & 2pm at Davison. At all Wojo’s locations. FREE. Joe Lutey explains pruning requirements & care of different types of hydrangeas. Register: www.wojos.com. H Kid’s Club Mini Succulent Pot Sat, Jul 20, 10am, Davison, Ortonville & Lake Orion. At all Wojo’s locations. FREE. Reuse a tin can to make into a man & then plant seeds for hair to grow. Register: www.wojos.com. H Ponds & Water Gardens Sat, Jul 20, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com. H Daylily Dig & Garden Party Sat, Jul 20, 9am-6pm, Waterford. At Merrittscape. You pick ‘em, we dig ‘em. 1000’s of plants. 248-681-7955. Preserving the Harvest Sat, Jul 20, 10-11:30am, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope at Growing Hope Center. $15. Learn canning basics & can cucumber sweet relish & sweet pickles. Register: www.growinghope.net. MSU Tollgate Gardens Open House Sat, Jul 20, 10am-3pm, Novi. At MSU Tollgate Educational Center. FREE. 19 Gardens with Master Gardeners, artists, music & vendors. www.tollgate.msu.edu. Pond Tour Sat, Jul 20, 10am-5pm, Farmington. By Michigan Koi & Pond Club at 8 Farmington area ponds. $10/adult $5/child. 248-495-6461. H Daylily Dig Sat, Jul 20, & Sun, 9am-5pm, Howell. At Specialty Growers. You pick, we dig. FREE presentation at 1pm both days on dividing daylilies by Karen Bovio. www. specialtygrowers.net. H All About Hydrangeas Sat, Jul 20, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. Discuss the 4 main types of Hydrangeas & their care. www.EnglishGardens.com. Belleville Area Garden Walk Sun, Jul 21, 11am-4pm, Belleville. By Belleville Area Dist. Library. $12. Marketplace at 10am. 734-699-3291. Chefs in the Garden Sun, Jul 21, 5-8pm, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope at Growing Hope Center. $65. Local chefs dish up seasonal fare during this outdoor dinner party series. chefsinthegardenjuly. eventbrite.com. H 6th Annual Garden Cruise Sun, Jul 21, 9am-4:30pm, Detroit. By Detroit Garden Works & The Greening of Detroit at 7 Detroit area gardens. Tour Only: $35/person, Tour & Cocktail Reception: $50/person. 248-335-8089. Evening in the Garden Tue, Jul 23, 6:30pm, Rochester Hills. By Rochester Garden Club at Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm. FREE. Cheryl English presents “It is Easy to be Green”. 248-656-4663. H Caring for Your Summer Garden Wed, Jul 24, 7pm. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. What you should be doing in the garden right now to keep it looking its best. www.englishgardens.com. H Brick Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Jul 27, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com.
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Detroit Pond & Garden Tour Sat, Jul 27, 10am-5pm, Detroit. By Metro Detroit Pond & Garden Club at 10 backyard settings. $10. Rain or shine. metrodetroitpondandgardenclub.org, 313-779-2912, 248-969-2110. H Daylily Dig & Garden Party Sat, Jul 27, 9am-6pm, Waterford. At Merrittscape. You pick ‘em, we dig ‘em. 1000’s of plants. 248-681-7955. Composting 101 Sat, Jul 27, 10-11:30am, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope at Growing Hope Ctr. $10. How to build & maintain a healthy backyard compost. Register: www.growinghope.net. Fall Garden Planning Sat, Jul 27, 1-2:30pm, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope at Growing Hope Ctr. $10. Planning your winter crops so you’re ready to plant in August. Register: www.growinghope.net. H Summer Rocks! Sat, Jul 27, & Sun, Fowlerville. At Arrowhead Alpines. Rock dealers, Mid-Michigan Bonsai Society, native caterpillars & rare plants. www.arrowheadalpines.com. H Caring for Your Summer Garden Sat, Jul 27, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. What you should be doing in the garden right now to keep it looking its best. www.englishgardens.com. H Make It & Take It Workshop: Fairy Garden Sat, Jul 27, 11:30am. All English Gardens locations. $49.99. Includes a 12-inch pot, plants & decorations. Sign up instore or on-line. www.EnglishGardens.com. Cobblestone Covered Planter Box Sun, Jul 28, 11am, Highland. By Garden Angel Art Works at Colasanti’s Greenhouse & Market. Create a stone covered wood planter box, sealed with polyurethane. info@gardenangelart.com. H Bonsai Mentor Worksop Sun, Jul 28, Troy. By Four Season Bonsai Club at Telly’s Greenhouse. A BYO tree workshop where beginners are paired with experienced members. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com, 248-689-8735. H 15th Annual Garden Party Sun, Jul 28, 1-5pm, Gladwin. At Stone Cottage Gardens. 900 varieties of daylilies, entertainment & artist displays. www.stonecottagegardens.com. Food Garden Tour Wed, Jul 31, 3:30-9pm, Flint. By Edible Flint at Flint Farmers Market. edibleflint@gmail.com, www.edibleflint.org. H Junior Master Gardener Program Wed, Jul 31, 6:30-8:30pm, through Aug 28, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $45. 5 week course for 3rd-5th graders. Separate program for parents. www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.
August H MSU Garden Day Fri, Aug 2, East Lansing. At MSU Horticulture Gardens. Keynote presenters, Jane Taylor & Felder Rushing, 12 workshops, marketplace, lunch & dessert. hwww.hrt.msu.edu. H Brick Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Aug 3, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com. Urban Livestock Series: Backyard Goats Sat, Aug 3, 10-11:30am, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope at Michigan Folk School. $10. Learn the ropes & regulations for keeping backyard goats. Register: www.growinghope.net. H Children’s Garden Day Sat, Aug 3, 10am-4pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Nature crafts, food & fun activities. hiddenlakegardens. msu.edu, 517-431-2060. H Writers in the Garden Sat, Aug 3, 10am-4pm, Leonard. At Yule Love It Lavender Farm. $35. Retreat & luncheon. www.yuleloveitlavender. com. H Storytellers & Musicians Sat, Aug 3, 2-3:30pm, Gladwin. At Stone Cottage Gardens. Tales spun by the Mid-Michigan Area Story Tellers & music by the Main Street Misfits. www.stonecottagegardens.com. H Plants that Thrive in Summer Heat Sat, Aug 3, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. We’ll share our list of great plants for summer heat, as well as tips on care. www.englishgardens.com. continued on next page
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Tour the Trial Gardens at C. Raker and Sons Tues, Aug 13, 10am / C. Raker and Sons: 10371 Rainey Rd., Litchfield, MI 49252 This presentation is developed for the professional gardener. We will tour the Raker Trial Gardens, where over 2,000 plants are measured, graded & recorded weekly. Gain insight into the complete criteria utilized for both current & future plant material. This information will help all professional gardeners stay up-to-date with the latest horticultural trends.
UPCOMING MEETING: What’s New, What’s Cool! Wed, Sep 11, 2013, 4-7pm at Duvall Nursery, South Lyon
Guest fee: $10. Please contact us for more information about our substantive lectures and programs, as well as membership. Web: www.associationofprofessionalgardeners.org Email: suegrubba@sbcglobal.net Phone: Sue Grubba at 248-375-9233
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Look for H Denotes Michigan Gardener advertiser Allen Park • ACO Hardware Almont • American Tree Ann Arbor H Abbott’s Landscp Nurs • Ace Barnes Hardware • Dixboro General Store • Downtown Home & Gard H English Gardens H HillTop Greenhse & Farms • Larry’s Mower Shop H Lodi Farms H Matthaei Botanical Gard • The Produce Station • Turner’s Greenhse/ Gard Ctr H Wild Bird Ctr • Wild Birds Unltd Auburn Hills • ACO Hardware • Drake’s Nurs H Haley Stone H Oakland Community College H State Crushing Belleville • Banotai Greenhse • Gardeners Choice • Hollow’s Landscp Supp H Pinter Flowerland H Zywicki Greenhse Berkley • Garden Central Birmingham H Blossoms • Neighborhood Hardware • Plant Station Bloomfield Hills • ACE Hardware • Coastal Outdoor Living Space Brighton H Beauchamp Landscp Supp H Bordine’s • Leppek Nurs H Meier Flowerland Brownstown Twp • Ruhlig Farms & Gard Canton • Canton Floral Gardens • Clink Landscp & Nurs • Crimboli Nurs • Keller & Stein Greenhse • Wild Birds Unltd Chelsea • Heim Gardens & Florist H The Garden Mill • The Potting Shed Chesterfield • Van Thomme’s Greenhses Clarkston • ACE Hardware • ACO Hardware H Bordine’s • Country Oaks Landscp Supp I • Lowrie’s Landscp • The Birdfeeder H The Pond Source • Weingartz
Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
at these fine locations: Clawson • ACO Hardware Clinton Twp H English Gardens • Michigan Koi • MSU ExtensionMacomb Cty H Tropical Treasures Clio H Piechnik’s Greenhse Commerce Twp • Backyard Birds @ ACE Hardware • Zoner’s Greenhse Davison H Wojo’s Garden Splendors Dearborn • ACO Hardware • Fairlane Gard Dearborn Hts • ACO Hardware H English Gardens Detroit • ACE Hardware H Detroit Farm & Gard • Detroit Gard Ctr Dexter H Bloom! Gard Ctr • Dexter Mill H Fraleigh’s Nurs Eastpointe • Ariel’s Enchanted Garden H English Gardens • Semrau Garden Ctr Farmington • ACO Hardware Farmington Hills • ACO Hardware • Farmer John’s Greenhse • Saxton’s Flower Ctr H Steinkopf Nurs • Weingartz Fenton H Gerych’s H Heavenly Scent Herb Farm Ferndale • Casual Modes Home & Gard Fostoria H Iron Barn Iron Work Fowlerville H Arrowhead Alpines Gladwin H Stone Cottage Gardens Grand Blanc H Bordine’s H The Weed Lady Grand Rapids • Meijer Gardens Grosse Ile H Westcroft Gardens Grosse Pointe • Allemon’s Landscp Ctr • Meldrum & Smith Nurs Grosse Pointe Shores • Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Grosse Pointe Woods • Wild Birds Unltd Hadley • Le Fleur Décor Hartland • Deneweth’s Gard Ctr Haslett
Advertiser Index Abbott’s Landscape Nursery....................................13 Abele Greenhouse & Gard Ctr.................................12 Aguafina Gardens International.............................10 Ann Arbor Bonsai Society............................................ 6 Arrowhead Alpines........................................................15 Assoc. of Professional Gardeners..........................25 Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr..................................................15 Barson’s Greenhouse..................................................... 8 Beauchamp Lawn & Landscape................................7 Bloom! Garden Ctr........................................................... 8 Blossoms.............................................................................21 Bogie Lake Greenhouses.............................................. 9 Bonide.................................................Inside Back Cover
• Van Atta’s Greenhse Highland • ACO Hardware • Colasanti’s Produce & Plants • Fragments Holly H Rice’s Garden Ornaments Howell H Howell Farmer’s Mkt • Penrose Nurs H Specialty Growers • Wilczewski Greenhses Imlay City H Earthly Arts Lake Orion • Lake Orion Lawn Ornaments H Orion Stone Depot H Wojo’s of Lake Orion Leonard H Yule Love It Lavender Farm Livonia • ACO Hardware (5 Mi/ Middlebelt) • ACO Hardware (6 Mi/ Newburgh) • Bushel Mart • Superior Growers Supp Macomb • ACO Hardware • Altermatt’s Greenhse • Boyka’s Greenhse • Deneweth’s Gard Ctr H Elya’s Village Gard • Landscape Source • Olejnik Farms H Wiegand’s Nursery Madison Hts • Green Carpet Sod Midland • Dow Gardens Milford • ACO Hardware • Milford Gardens • One Stop Landscp Supp H The Pond Place Monroe H The Flower Market New Baltimore H Meldrum Bros Nurs New Boston H Gorham & Sons Nurs H Grass Roots Nurs • Mums the Word New Hudson H Milarch Nurs North Branch H Campbell’s Greenhses • Oldani Landscp Nurs Northville • Begonia Bros • Begonia Bros (near downtown) H Gardenviews H Willow Greenhses Novi • ACO Hardware • Glenda’s Gard Ctr • Tollgate Education Ctr • Wild Birds Unltd Oak Park • Four Seasons Gard Ctr Ortonville • Country Oaks Landscp Supp II H Wojo’s Greenhse
Owosso H Everlastings in the Wildwood Plymouth • Backyard Birds • Lucas Nurs H Plymouth Nurs • Plymouth Rock & Supp • Rock Shoppe • Sideways • Sparr’s Greenhse Pontiac • Goldner Walsh Gard/ Home Redford H Pinter Flowerland • Seven Mi Gard Ctr Rochester • Casual Concepts • Fogler’s Greenhse H Haley Stone • Sherwood Forest Gard Ctr Rochester Hills • ACE Hardware • ACO Hardware H Auburn Oaks Gard Ctr H Bordine’s H English Gardens Patio Shop • Shades of Green Nurs • Wild Birds Unltd Rockwood • Marsh Greenhses Too Romulus H Kurtzhal’s Farms H Schoedel’s Nurs H Schwartz’s Greenhse Roseville • Dale’s Landscp Supp • World Gardenland Royal Oak • ACO Hardware • Billings Lawn Equip H English Gardens • Frentz & Sons Hardware • La Roche • Manus Power Mowers H Wild Birds Unltd Saginaw H Abele Greenhse & Gard Ctr Saline • Junga’s ACE Hardware H Nature’s Gard Ctr H Saline Flowerland Shelby Twp H Diegel Greenhses H Hessell’s Greenhses • Maeder Plant Farm • Potteryland H Telly’s Greenhse South Lyon • ACO Hardware • Hollow Oak Farm Nurs Southfield • 3 DDD’s Stand • ACO Hardware H Eagle Landscp & Supply H Lavin’s Flower Land • Main’s Landscp Supp Southgate H Ray Hunter Gard Ctr St Clair Shores • ACE Hardware • ACO Hardware (Harper/13 Mi) • Greenhouse Growers • Hall’s Nurs • Soulliere Gard Ctr Sterling Hts
Bordine’s....................................................................Page 3 Detroit Garden Works................................................... 9 Eckert’s Greenhouse.....................................................15 English Gardens............................Inside Front Cover The Flower Market.......................................................... 9 The Garden Mill...............................................................17 Garden Rhythms................................................................7 A Garden Space...............................................................13 Haley Stone Supply..........................................................7 Hidden Lake Gardens...................................................10 Howell Farmer’s Market.............................................25 Iron Barn Iron Work.......................................................25 Merrittscape........................................................................5 Mulligan’s Garden Ctr.................................................... 9 Oakland Cty Market......................................................12 Oakland Community College.....................................5
• ACO Hardware • Decor Statuette H Eckert’s Greenhse • Flower Barn Nurs • Prime Landscp Supply Stockbridge • Gee Farms Sylvan Lake H AguaFina Gardens Interntl H Detroit Garden Works Taylor H Beautiful Ponds & Gard • D&L Garden Ctr H Massab Acres H Panetta’s Landscp Supp Tipton H Hidden Lake Gardens Trenton • Carefree Lawn Ctr • Keck Hardware Troy H Telly’s Greenhse • The Home & Gard Shop H Uncle Luke’s Feed Store Utica • Dale’s Landscp Supp • Stone City • Weingartz Warren H Beste’s Lawn & Patio • Garden Center Nurs H Young’s Garden Mart Washington • Landscape Direct • Miller’s Big Red Greenhse H Rocks ‘n’ Roots Waterford • ACO Hardware • Breen’s Landscp Supp • Jacobsen’s Flowers Waterford H Merrittscape West Bloomfield H English Gardens • Planterra • Whole Foods Westland • ACO Hardware • Artman’s Westland Nurs H Barsons Greenhses • Bushel Stop • Joe Randazzo’s Nurs • Panetta’s Landscp Supp White Lake H Bogie Lake Greenhse H Mulligan’s Gard Ctr • Sunshine Plants Whitmore Lake H Alexander’s Greenhses Williamston • Christian’s Greenhse Wixom • Angelo’s Landscp Supp • Brainer’s Greenhse Ypsilanti • Coleman’s Farm Mkt • Lucas Nurs • Margolis Nurs • Materials Unlimited • Schmidt’s Antiques
Orion Stone Depot..........................................................15 Piechnik’s Greenhouse..................................................11 The Pond Source..............................................................13 Rice’s Garden Ornaments..........................................19 Rocks ‘n’ Roots................................................................... 6 Schuman Landscape Lighting...................................17 Specialty Growers...........................................................19 State Crushing.....................................................................5 Stone Cottage Gardens.................................................11 Suburban Landscape Supply....................................10 Telly’s Greenhouse..........................................................4 Tropical Treasures...........................................................11 Uncle Luke’s Feed Store...............................................21 The Weed Lady................................................................. 8 Wiegand’s Nursery.......................................................10 Yule Love It Lavender Farm........................................17
continued from previous page Intro to Healing Herbs & Whole Foods Sun, Aug 4, 11 am, Highland. By Garden Angel Art Works at Colasanti’s Greenhouse & Market. Learn about & take home herbs & whole foods to instill good health. info@gardenangelart.com. H Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat Tue, Aug 6, Thu, Fri & Sat through Sep 7, 10am-2pm, Westland. At Barson’s Greenhouse. Butterfly life cycle & native host & nectar plants. www.ButterfliesInTheGarden. com H Canning Pickles Wed, Aug 7, 6-9pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $58.75. Learn to make fresh dill, bread & butter, brine pickles & other fruits & vegetables. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com, 810-629-9208. H Preschool Series Wed, Aug 7, 10-11:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Bring your child to learn & play. $8. 517-431-2060, conleyj9@msu.edu. Chef Series: Scrumptious Summer Veggies Thu, Aug 8, 6:30-8pm, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope at Growing Hope Ctr. $15. Cooking demonstration with Harvest Kitchen using fresh, seasonal produce. Register: www.growinghope.net. Rain Garden Tour Thu, Aug 8, 6-8:30pm, Lathrup Village. By SOCWA at Lathrup Village Comm. Room. FREE. Self-guided tour of rain gardens with native plants. Register: LFDean2@ gmail.com. H Brick Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Aug 10, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com. H Cool Plants for Shady Areas Sat, Aug 10, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. Planning, planting & maintaining flowers & plants in the shade. Special emphasis on perennials. www.englishgardens.com. H Plant for Success Sat, Aug 10, 10:30am-noon, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $15. Get the most for your garden dollar & days in the sun. Register: www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. H It IS Easy to Be Green! Sat, Aug 10, 1:30-3pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $15. Cheryl English presents easy & economical ways to keep your garden green. Register: hiddenlakegardens. msu.edu. H Trial Garden Tours Tue, Aug 13, 10am, Litchfield. By the Assoc of Professional Gardeners at C. Raker and Sons. $10. Tour the Raker Trial Gardens where over 2,000 plants are measured, graded & recorded weekly. 248-375-9233. H Rhubarb Leaf Bowl Sat, Aug 17, 10am, Davison. By Garden Angel Art Works at Wojo’s. $40. Create a bowl which can be used as decoration, planter or fountain. info@gardenangelart.com, 810-658-9221. H Ponds & Water Gardens Sat, Aug 17, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com. Gardening & Cooking with Kids Sat, Aug 17, 11am-1pm, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope at Growing Hope Ctr. $15. A gardening & cooking workshop for the whole family from farm-to-table. Register: www.growinghope.net. Ypsilanti Garden Walk Sat, Aug 17, Noon-5pm, Ypsilanti. By Ypsilanti Garden Club. Featuring beautiful late summer gardens. www.ypsilantigardenclub.org. H Preserving the Harvest Sat, Aug 17, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. How to can, freeze & dry your precious produce, like fruits, vegetables & herbs. www.englishgardens.com. H Bonsai Auction Sun, Aug 18, Troy. By 4 Seaons Bonsai Club at Telly’s Greenhouse. Quality bonsai, low cost stock plants, pots & tools. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com. Master Gardener Class Thu, Aug 22, Thu, through Nov 14, 9am-1pm, Waterford.
By MSU Extension at Oakland County Service Center. $300. Each class will prepare you for MG certification. www.mg.msue.msu.edu. Farmers Market Vendor Highlight Series Thu, Aug 22, 6:30-8:30pm, Ypsilanti. By Growing Hope at Growing Hope Ctr. $15. Tips & advice from local growers, Nightshade Army Industries. Register: www.growinghope.net. H Herbal Summer Faire Sat, Aug 24, 10am-5pm & Sun, 11am-5pm, Fenton. At Heavenly Scent Herb Farm. $2. Activities for the whole family. www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com, 810-629-9208. H Brick Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Aug 24, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com. Pruning Workshop Sat, Aug 24, 9am-noon, Belle Isle. By Detroit Garden Ctr at Belle Isle Conservatory Lily Pond. $30. Lecture & demo with Janet Macunovich. 313-259-6363. H Bonsai Show Sat, Aug 24, & Sun, Aug 25, 10am-4:30pm, Ann Arbor. By Ann Arbor Bonsai Society at Matthaei Botanical Gardens. View bonsai displayed by the members of the AABS. Workshops, demos, vendors & expert advice. www.AnnArborBonsaiSociety.org. H Plants for Screening Sat, Aug 24, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. We’ll give you a list of plants that will help create privacy in your yard, as well as hide any unsightly views. www.englishgardens.com. H Extending Your Garden for Year-long Interest Sat, Aug 24, 2pm-4pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $20. Ellyn Meyers presents ways enliven your property. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. H Bonsai Auction Sun, Aug 25, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club at Telly’s Greenhouse. High quality bonsai, low-cost bonsai stock plants, pots & tools. Potluck lunch. www. fourseasonsbonsai.com, 248-689-8735. Chefs in the Garden Sun, Aug 25, 5-8pm, Ypsilanti. By Project Grow at Project Grow Ctr. $65. Local chefs dish up seasonal fare during this outdoor dinner party series. chefsinthegardenaugust.eventbrite.com. H Brick Pavers, Walls & Steps Sat, Aug 31, 10am, Washington. At Rocks ‘n’ Roots. FREE. 586-752-4900. www.rocksnroots.com. National Dahlia Show Sat, Aug 31, Grand Rapids. At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. 100’s of flowers entered by dahlia enthusiasts from across the country. www.meijergardens. org. 616-957-1580. H The Four-Season Garden Sat, Aug 31, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. How to create interest in your garden every season, plus a month-by-month bloom chart. www.englishgardens.com.
September H Master Gardener Class Tue, Sep 3 through Dec 3, 5pm-9pm, Wayne. By MSU Extension. $300. Class will prepare you for MG certification. http://msue.anr.msu.edu/events, callen12@ anr.msu.edu. H Brenda’s Butterfly Habitat Tue, Sep 3, Thu, Fri & Sat through Sep 7, 10am-2pm, Westland. At Barson’s Greenhouse. Butterfly life cycle & native host & nectar plants. www.ButterfliesInTheGarden.com H Preschool Series Wed, Sep 4, 10-11:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Bring your child to learn & play. $8. 517-431-2060, conleyj9@msu.edu. 66th Annual Dahlia Show Sat, Sep 7, 12-5 pm & Sun, 12-4 pm, West Bloomfield Twp. By Southeastern Michigan Dahlia Society at Orchard Mall. FREE. 100’s of blooms & arrangements on display. hye3@att.net. H Fall Composting Sat, Sep 7, 9am at Lake Orion, 11am at Ortonville & 2pm at Davison. At all Wojo’s locations. FREE. How to get started, methods & what types of containers work best. Register: www.wojos.com.
www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
H Diamonds at Twilight, Stars at Night Sat, Sep 7, 6:30-10pm, Bloomfield Hills. At Cranbrook House & Gardens. See the diamond motif of the Sunken Garden & the Conservatory Greenhouse. 248-645-3149. H Basics of Landscape Design Sat, Sep 7, 10am. At all English Gardens locations. FREE. Learn the hints for creating an exceptional landscape with tips from the professionals. www.englishgardens.com. H What is New, What is Still Good Wed, Sep 11, 4-7pm, South Lyon. By the Assoc of Professional Gardeners at Duvall Nursery. $10. 248-375-9233. H Hypertufa Head Planter Sat, Sep 14, 10-11:30am, Ortonville. By Garden Angel Art Works at Wojo’s Greenhouse. $50. All materials are included. Dress for mess. Register: info@gardenangelart. com, 248-887-0012. North Rosedale Park Home & Garden Tour Sat, Sep 21, Detroit. By N. Rosedale Park Civic Assn. at N. Rosedale Park Comm. House. $15. 4 historic homes & 6 gardens. 313-531-3881, northrosedalehometour.org. H Demystifying Plant Names Sat, Sep 21, 2-4pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $20. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. History of Monastic Gardens-Part 1 Fri, Sep 27, 9:15am, Rochester. By Meadow Brook Hall Garden Club at Meadow Brook Family Garage. $5. 248-364-6210, www.meadowbrookhall.org. Mum Fest Sat, Sep 28, Barberton, OH. At Lake Anna Park. FREE. 20,000 chrysanthemums create a rainbow of color at the 23rd annual Mum Fest. Family activities. 330-848-6653.
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H Autumn Jewels: The Science behind the Scenery Sat, Sep 28, 1:30-3pm, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $15. Presented by Instructor Cheryl English. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. H Spring Beauties: Bulbs Sat, Sep 28, 10:30am-noon, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. $15. Bulbs for the SE Michigan gardener. Register: hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu. H Bonsai Beginning Techniques Sun, Sep 29, Troy. By Four Seasons Bonsai Club at Telly’s Greenhouse. 3 demonstrators will show techniques for beginners. Experienced members BYO. www.fourseasonsbonsai.com, 248-689-8735. Advanced Healing Herbs Sun, Sep 29, 11am, Highland. By Garden Angel Art Works at Colasanti’s Greenhouse & Market. Make a body/ massage oil, salve, making a tincture, & body wash teas. info@gardenangelart.com. Revolutionary Gardens: Past, Present & Future Sun, Sep 29, through Oct 2, Lake Leelanau. By Botanic Garden Society at Fountain Point Resort. Speaker event will benefit the developing Botanic Garden. info@fountainpointresort.com. H Preschool Series Wed, Oct 2, 10-11:30am, Tipton. At Hidden Lake Gardens. Bring your child to learn & play. $8. 517-431-2060, conleyj9@msu.edu. H Preparing Your Garden for the Winter Sat, Oct 5, 9am at Lake Orion, 11am at Ortonville & 2pm at Davison. At All Wojo’s locations. FREE. What perennials to cut back & how to do it. Register: www.wojos.com.
Classified Ads GARDEN TOUR WEEKEND - July 13 & 14. 9 am - 4 pm daily. Tour lush landscapes throughout Livingston County during this fundraising event for LACASA. Explore 12 eclectic gardens. Watch artists painting. Chat with the homeowners. Tickets: $15 in advance; $20 at gardens. All proceeds benefit victims of child abuse and interpersonal violence. Learn more at lacasacenter.org or call 517-548-1350.
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.
SAGE ADVICE NURSERY - Perennials, Herbs, Groundcover and Organic Produce. See Margaret Thele Thursdays and Saturdays at the Oakland County Farmers Market and Sundays at the Armada Flea Market. Nursery open by appointment, call 248-622-6527.
DO YOU ENJOY SCRAPBOOKING? Then pick up a copy of Michigan Scrapbooker magazine. It’s free! Visit MichiganScrapbooker.com for more info and to sign up for the free Michigan Scrapbooker e-newsletter. Join the conversation at facebook.com/MichiganScrapbooker.
NEED A HAND? Call “The little gardener that could.” 15 yrs experience at Botanical Gardens. FREE Estimates. Pat: 586-214-9852, agardenspace.com. POISON IVY – We get rid of it! That’s all we do. Call us—we are experts at identifying and removing poison ivy from your property, from single homes to large parks. Licensed and Insured. Poison Ivy Control of Michigan. 248-842-8095. www.poisonivycontrolofmichigan.com.
MICHIGAN GARDENER E-NEWSLETTER Sign up for our free e-newsletter! We send out a few each year, and there are contests to win prizes as well. Go to www.MichiganGardener. com and simply enter your e-mail address.
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Find a garden in your mailbox. Subscribe for convenient home delivery of Michigan Gardener Precipitation May 2013
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The dock bell was created from an old acetylene tank. There is no clapper; it is used like a gong. Mick used an old iron wagon wheel rim and a square tube for the ground mounting. A red banana plant sits near the bell. Surrounding the waterfall across the pond are, from left to right: weeping pussy willow (Salix caprea ‘Pendula’), weeping mulberry, and dwarf Japanese fleece flower.
Cathy and Mick Hodgson have built a wide range of garden environments and interspersed their gardens with ponds, sculptures and more
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riving by Cathy and Mick Hodgson’s home in Lapeer, Michigan, the casual observer might not notice the gardens wrapped around the back and sides of the house. This Sandie eclectic group of gardens has plant Parrott collections, rare trees, tropical plants, perennials, landscape vistas, ponds, a reflecting pool, special rocks, and wonderful pottery sculpture handmade by Mick scattered throughout. They are serious gardeners and have been gardening, designing, and collecting since the late 1960s. Mick and Cathy grew up in vegetable gardening and farming families. Mick remembered, “Growing up, neither of us loved gardening, but we did enjoy eating p h oto s by S a n d i e Pa r r ot t
from the garden. Both our mothers preserved garden produce by canning and storing cabbage, carrots, and potatoes in cool root cellars for wintertime use.” He sold part of what his family grew by pulling a small wagon and stopping at houses that were glad to purchase fresh produce. Two of Mick’s uncles taught him more about growing when he worked in their greenhouse growing carnations, geraniums, roses and poinsettias. The Hodgson’s first priority when they bought their house in 1967 was to create a barrier from a small airport backing up to their property. They purchased small white pines and blue spruces and planted them along the property line. By the following summer they began their garden journey by digging a figure eight pond. They hand dug, built forms, hired a local
Mick Hodgson creates these clay sculptures. The near figure is a representation of Basu Sennin, a scrawny old man engaged in devotion (prayer)—originally a wood sculpture circa the 12th century. The distant figure is Komoku-ten, one of the Four Deva Kings, circa the 7th and 8th centuries. cement company to pour the cement, and waterproofed it. “We still have the original water lilies. We put tropical water plants in the pond every year in early summer and remove and store the plants in the fall. We began to see the potential for future gardening. By the second summer we planted a small vegetable
garden and the neighborhood rabbits enjoyed every morsel,” chuckled Cathy. They have a small greenhouse to overwinter tropical plants, annuals, tender perennials, succulents, and cactus. continued on page 30
www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
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Mick and Cathy Hodgson stand behind a local, fence-row boulder in their cactus garden. The tall saguaro cactus in the background is a brass sculpture.
The hosta path and reflecting pond was hand dug and lined, and then the edges were concealed with ledge rock from Ontario, Canada. The moss-covered center stone adds the sound of water without requiring a structure along the pond’s edge. The area is quiet and when sitting on an adjacent stone bench, you can see the trees reflected in the water. The standing statue is one of the cast iron soldiers that guards an entrance path.
Japanese tea masters perform a sacred tea ceremony at the Hodgson home and garden
This water garden is about 30 years old. The rock in the waterfall came from a family farm and showed signs of being “blasted” to clear the farm field. When the Hodgsons took it home, it separated into blocks, so they used the rock as three pieces. The plantings include white pine (top right), black bamboo (top left in back, Phyllostachys nigra), and cotoneaster (front left).
by Sandie Parrott In June 2001, the Lapeer Area Horticultural Society’s Japanese Garden Tour included five gardens and their Garden Day had activities the next day. The Hodgson’s garden was on the tour and they were also specially honored by the Japanese tea masters who performed an authentic tea ceremony for guests in their garden. The garden tour’s program coordinator loved the Hodgson’s garden so much that she contacted the University of Michigan hoping to find someone to perform an authentic tea ceremony in their garden. The university gave her the names of Yasuo and Yoko Watanabe, who presented monthly tea demonstrations at the university’s Museum of Art. The Watanabe’s visited and photographed the gardens. They enjoyed the gardens and decided to contact 12 tea masters from Japan to ask them to perform a ceremony at the Hodgsons.
This was the first time the 12 women had come to the United States to perform and explain the rituals of tea! The Hodgsons were told the visit made national news in Japan. The Hodgsons built a special stage for the event that was held twice on the tour day to accommodate the many interested guests. The ceremony is a centuries-old ritual with roots in the Zen temples. Every detail, including the women’s elegant silk kimonos and the type and proper holding of the cup, along with certain gestures and sound is meaningful and sacred. The ceremony lasted approximately 90 minutes, with an interpreter explaining the movements, detail, and sound. The women used traditional tools to prepare for the tea, and served green tea with Japanese sweets. “People listened and respected the solemn nature of the acts and tried to emulate the beautiful movements to understand this ancient custom,” said Cathy.
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continued from page 28 “During the years up to 2008, we dabbled in chickens, dwarf fruit trees, a horse, and a vegetable garden. At present, the chickens and coop are gone. The horse, pasture, and fences are also history. The barn now stores garden tools instead of hay and straw,” Cathy described. The year 2008 is an important one to the Hodgsons—they had to rebuild when their original house was destroyed by fire. Their new house is located on a lot to the north that they were fortunate to have purchased years prior. Over the years, the Hodgsons have collected many “awards.” Cathy explained, “Our awards are not trophies or plaques, but rather the numerous “Thank You” notes from groups and individuals that have visited the garden. We have had the honor of being selected for the 2006 Michigan Regional Hosta Tour and the 2009 National Hosta Convention Tour. We have been on numerous Master Gardener tours and have hosted many gardening clubs and water garden tours. We were also excited and privileged to be the location of the first Japanese tea by the tea masters from Japan. These gentle ladies did not speak English, but we managed to communicate.” (See the sidebar on page 29 for more details about this fascinating story.) She concluded, “The hours of prep time before any tour are well worth the pleasure obtained from sharing our garden with visitors.” Cathy says her garden theme is a collector’s garden that is variable from garden to garden. Their cactus berm was created when they dug the large pond. It includes cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum), compass plant (Silphium laciniatum), yuccas, ornamental grasses, false indigo (Baptisia australis), and euphorbias. Western-style collectibles are scattered throughout, including a horseshoe and bit, canteen, gold pan, Southwest rocks and minerals, geode nodules, a petrified palm stump, petrified wood, and a large metal saguaro cactus. The tropical garden has the figure eight water feature, angel’s trumpets (Brugmansia), and bromeliads under a canopy of giant reed grass (Arundo donax), a Japanese maple, and a cypress tree. Also included are fallblooming anemones, Buddha’s belly bamboo, black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), and flowering kale. The hosta garden is the largest at one acre and holds around 1,000 named hosta varieties under an old pine and maples. Throughout this garden, Mick has hand-sculpted incredible, detailed busts of historical figures and placed them on tree stumps or the ground
V Website Extra Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Website Extras” for: • More photos of Cathy and Mick Hodgson’s garden
Colorful foliage is found throughout the gardens. Here in the center is a burgundy nine bark (Physocarpus), behind is a tricolor beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Roseomarginata’), in the back is a tall curly white pine (Pinus strobus ‘Torulosa)’, and the light-colored needles in the back left are from a dragon’s eye pine (Pinus densiflora ‘Oculus Draconis’).
The petroglyph (rock carving) on the dark boulder is recognized by the Michigan Archaeology Society. The meaning is unknown but there is a square face, an arrow pointing to a hole in the rock, and similar vertical lines on the surface. It was found nearby in a fence row. The tall plant with yellow daisy-like flowers and broad leaves is prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum). for visitors to find. Mick created his sculptures at the Flint Institute of Arts. Many have asked, but he won’t sell any. Sculptures fit the theme of each garden: Asian characters in the hosta garden, a large, scary lizard in the moss garden, Native American faces on the cactus berm, and faerie faces on the moss garden path. “Maintenance of the gardens is neverending,” said Mick. They divide up tasks and are working in the garden from early spring to late fall. “We compost all the materials that we remove from gardens into separate areas for future use.” A big job is potting up and moving the tropical and tender plants inside for the winter and back out in the spring. Another chore is weeding. “Many people comment and say, ‘How do you do all this weeding alone?’ and I reply, ‘One weed at a time,’” smiled Cathy. Sandie Parrott is a freelance garden writer, living and working in Oakland County, Michigan. This back view of the large pond is in the shade of the grafted Twisty Baby black locust tree in the foreground (Robinia pseudoacacia).
The cactus berm has both hardy and tender plants. Before winter, the tender plants are gently lifted from the sand and placed in pots of the same soil. Additional soil is added to cover the shallow roots. They are transported to the greenhouse and watered well to help set the roots. Pictured are hardy euphorbia (bluish leaves, bottom left and center), compass plant (yellow flowers in back, Silphium laciniatum), green and variegated agaves, and barrel cactus.
www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
weed watch Autumn Olive
Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is a large, non-native shrub, ranging from 15 to 20 feet high and 20 to 30 feet wide (photo 1). Native to Asia, it was introduced to the United States in the 1830s for wildlife food and cover. The plant turned out to be very invasive from the fruits/seeds that are spread by birds and mammals. The dense, spiny branches have Steve oval-shaped leaves that are 2 to 4 Nikkila inches long, darker green on top, and a silvery green on the underside (photo 2). The flowers are very fragrant, tubular-shaped, bright yellow to cream in May to June, and pollinated by insects (photo 3). They produce an abundance of round fruits that start out silvery brown and go to red when ripe in September and October. The ripe fruits are eaten by a variety of creatures and the seeds become widely dispersed. There are many selected cultivars of autumn olive for tasty, sweet fruits that are also high in lycopenes (reported to help prevent some cancers). Autumn olive is somewhat shade-tolerant, grows on almost any soil, and is found along old fields, disturbed areas, and roadsides (photo 4). The plant roots have nodules that fix atmospheric nitrogen and the resulting
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increase in nitrogen can be harmful to native plants that thrive on low-nitrogen soils. The shrub also leafs out earlier and holds leaves later than many of its surrounding plants, potentially shading them out. This plant should not be used in a home landscape and garden situation. It is considered highly invasive and a problem plant by many states, including Michigan. Once young plants begin to pop up over an area, it will soon be nearly all autumn olive (photo 5). Difficult to control, it is almost impossible to remove completely from an area once it is well-established. Many different methods are used to try to control it, including cutting/mowing, but be aware that this plant sprouts readily from cuts; without repeated cutting it will thrive. Unfortunately these plants are not browsed by deer, but goats reportedly do an excellent job. For specific methods and more information on control of this plant, see this fact sheet provided by the Michigan DNR: www.michigangardener.com/autumn-olive/. Text and photos by Steven Nikkila, who is from Perennial Favorites in Waterford, MI (E-mail: hortphoto@gmail.com).
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Janet’s Journal continued from back cover So start there. Ask yourself what you enjoy and appreciate most in a garden, and focus on keeping that at the fore as you simplify. Expect to keep going out there—don’t expect a simpler garden to be the same garden you have now, magically stocked and tended. Be assured you will feel better because you do keep going out yourself. Look around for people who can help you or share a garden with you. Virginia Smith, 95: I wake up in the morning and think, “Well. Looks like I get another day.”
Be smarter in choosing plants Most of our experts agreed the simplest thing is to get rid of disappointing plants, although that’s hard for any gardener to do. • If it doesn’t grow well, get rid of it. • If it does grow well, use more of it. • Choose landscape plants and materials over garden plants. A dwarf spirea (such as ‘Gold Mound’) or potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa) is a lower maintenance substitute for a peony. Lawn is a green groundcover that’s simpler to maintain than lambs’ ears. Dark, finely ground mulch is a dark carpet that needs less care than coral bells. A rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) provides height and summer interest without the need for the annual cut back required by an ornamental grass. • Look for drought-tolerant and diseaseresistant species and varieties.
Audrey Bardy felt a little overwhelmed by her garden after knee replacement but, “It’s like a child, you can’t just abandon it!” She recommends, “Find someone to help you decide how to simplify it. Make a plan and do a little as you can.”
Burdette Chapman: I finally knew that I had to give up my delphiniums. I couldn’t keep up with the funguses that weaken them (right). And they lose leaves so they never become the huge beautiful clumps they once were. But I just can’t get rid of something so beautiful, so I told a friend she could come dig them all if she wanted them. I told her what they needed, and she’s growing them now.
Next, modify your designs • Find someone to help you map out specific ways to simplify your garden. The plan might be something you can implement over years. • Raise plants to your level. The talk among my experts was of beds with edges high enough to perch upon or to tend from a chair as if at a table. Also they favor pots on stands, shelves or hooks waist high and higher. • Get your color from annuals in containers, plus non-plant features.
Frank Harney, 94: Raised beds. Any way to raise the plants to me!
Before Audrey Bardy: Use more landscape plants, not so many garden things. Take out some beds and turn them back to lawn (below).
After
www.MichiganGardener.com | July/August 2013 | Michigan Gardener
Time-saving design elements and considerations
When something like catmint (Nepeta) does well and suits your fancy, the simplest thing to do is use it en masse and let it crowd out weeds.
If you engage a designer or savvy friend to help you map out steps to a simpler garden, some of these things are very likely to appear on that to-do list. • Wider, firmer, more level paths. Three feet is a minimum width. Five feet is better. There, two people or a person and equipment can share the path and there is room for plants which take turns encroaching at various times during a season. • Create maintenance paths to allow you to step into deep beds. Use big flagstones or large stepping stones to mark the path. Set the stones firmly and level. • Design or redesign for less total edging. Every bed edge is a weak spot where plants you want to separate can mingle. So combine small beds and eliminate deep sinuses in bed edges to reduce the linear feet of edge. Eliminate thin strips of lawn between beds or between a path and a bed. Make or remake edges so they are easily navigated by a mower. Do this by drawing the line with your mower. • Evaluate your planting areas in terms of maintenance time and change the plant mix for lower care. Perennials require more care than annuals, annuals require more care than groundcover and shrubs, and lawn is the lowest care planting. • Use masses of a few plants that do well, rather than planting ones and twos of a greater variety. • Select long-lived, clumping species rather than short-lived types that need regular division and those with running-roots. • Reduce pruning and division by being smarter and more patient. Choose plants that will mature at the size you want, and wait.
• Place plants only where they will thrive, not merely survive. Group plants by water needs, with the thirstiest closest to hand. • Place the highest care plants nearest to where you pass and sit. • Design with higher contrast in plant combinations, so a bed is more attractive from a greater distance and weeds can’t hide by blending into a confusion of foliage.
Materials and equipment that save significant time and effort • Install root barriers matched to the plants being kept in or out. Most weeds begin at the edge, so use effective barriers around an initially weed-free bed to cut way back on weeding time. Vertical in-ground edging of appropriate depth will stop running roots. Overland creepers have to be stopped with horizontal bare space. • Slow-release organic fertilizer saves time directly because it can be applied without tedious scratching-in if broadcast just before falling leaves or mulch will cover it. It saves time and money indirectly by increasing plants’ ability to thrive without special care, and improving soil structure so digging and weeding are easier. (It is usually a more expensive form of nitrogen than what is in water-soluble or granular, salt-based fertilizer. Time savings almost certainly make up for this cost.) • Staking kits, such as ready-made growthrough grids or cages, are simpler than props that must be placed and tied in as stems grow. Better yet, get rid of plants that need staking. • Watering systems that put water exactly where it’s needed. Automatic systems are continued on next page
Wise moves Above: People say, “It looks like weeds!” when a planting has no contrast between species’ leaves and forms. Below: When the plants each have distinction, even when not in bloom, the bed can be visually more pleasing, even from a distance, and weeds are more likely to stand out to the weeder.
The simpler you work, the more time and money you can save. The experts say to look at incorporating these approaches into your how and when of gardening: • Start earlier in spring. Work later in fall. In spring you can navigate planted areas more easily before the plants fully emerge. In fall the need for division and pruning is more apparent and it is easier to judge how much to remove. Weeds removed in fall are denied several months’ spreading time. Curt Pickens: Why didn’t I do this last fall when I was younger and in better shape? • Buy plants and have material delivered only when and where you need them. • Do it when you think of it. Do not be ruled by gardening calendars; take them as suggestions. • Dispense with non-essential tasks. Prune harder and less often. Stop spraying so plants deal with pests on their own, or perish and good riddance. (You will almost certainly be surprised at how many can manage without sprays.) Burt Crawford: To grow stuff that you have
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to do a lot of spraying, why bother? • Restrain the urge for constant change. If novelty is essential to your enjoyment of a garden, appoint just one area for annual change. • Establish mini-compost stations around the yard. Sheet-compost wherever you work, if the clipped and pulled materials do not have weed seeds or roots. Cover a sheet compost with a thin “veneer mulch” if the area is very visible. • Define your goals for the day and stick to them. Walk and look before you work. Work in one-hour sessions, with priority on high-visibility, fun locations. • Plant small so you can water small and gauge growth and health sooner and with more certainty. • Water early in the season for less water overall. • Mulch. Cover bare ground with material that will eventually break down. • Use what you grow. Edibles, cut flowers, wood. Make a garden useful and you will go out into it more, enjoy it more.
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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
V Website Extra Go to MichiganGardener.com and click on “Website Extras” for: • More tips on how to simplify your garden
continued from previous page fine if well-designed and tweaked annually as plant sizes and density change but gardeners will always have individual plants and areas that need more. Leaky buckets or jugs can be filled and placed near transplants. Buckets or barrels can be placed strategically around a garden and filled by routine so they will be at hand as needed. (To prevent mosquito breeding, add a touch of mineral oil to any with water that will stand more than two days.)
Experts smile as they point the way It’s a joy to know a lot of people who continue to garden in their 80s and 90s. It’s inspiring to know many in their 70s who keep on growing despite setbacks that would sideline lesser souls. Unique characters, representing a wide range of situation and circumstance, my helpful friends share one very notable habit. They laugh: Virginia Smith: I realized I’ve been fighting that weed for something like 50 years and recently I realized it’s very pretty. Marge Alpern: I used to know the names for all the plants, and now I think it doesn’t really matter.
They also say to take care of yourself • Know your limits. • Move smoothly, don’t jerk. • Beware the dizzies. Always lean, always carry something sturdy to lean on. • Hug-carry, don’t pinch-carry, to avoid hand and wrist problems. For the same reason, stab and draw toward you with trowel or hoe, don’t burrow and lift. • Rest often, briefly, deliberately. • Vary your motions. Change which hand and foot you use. Do something different every 15 minutes. • Sit more. Weed or water from a chair, stool, upturned bucket, milk crate. • Make things more accessible. Remake paths, rethink your watering system. • Wear long sleeves and long pants when you work, and a hat. Look in the mirror and recognize your grandpa and grandma on the farm, covered up and still productive into old age. Lorraine Varns: ...We sit down every 20 minutes or so and take a 10-minute break and we try to make sure that we take the full 10 minutes. Lois Robbins: Respect your limitations. Don’t be embarrassed to say, “I don’t dig any more.”
Another point of agreement: Use good tools There is no single list, no universally acclaimed weeder or consensus on clippers,
Burt Crawford: Your balance all goes to hell when you get older! All the gray matter you have left rolls to one side and you tip over. Maybe I like gardening because I’m on the ground. I can fall over, but not far.
Virginia Smith: My 4-pronged cane works well even in the garden (left). Regular canes don’t, they sink in. And I use my old garden cart—I bought that with green stamps! I can hold onto the handle for balance (right).
Gardening is still and always good for you Do it because you love the flowers, fresh produce and beauty, but recognize that you also burn off both stress and 340 calories per hour in moderate gardening, while reaping greater strength and flexibility. but in what they said and showed me there was a certainty that you should try a variety of tools. Look for: • Long handles, for leverage and to reach without bending. • Sharp tools. Sharpen what you have. Find replacements that hold a better edge if yours is dull or develops nicks too readily. • Light tools, with features that redistribute stress or absorb shock: Fiberglass handles that may be lighter than wood, padded grips, rotating handles on clippers, air-filled tires, bumpers on hedge shears and loppers. • Forks, large and small, rather than spades or trowels. The fork has more but smaller points of entry into the soil, so your push translates into more pounds per square inch to penetrate the soil. • Wheels good for all terrain. Never carry what can be towed or pushed. • Good boots. Digging is easier, ankles better supported, feet better protected from harm. To read the complete interviews with all 16 seniors who served as simplification specialists, go to my website, www.GardenAtoZ.com, enter “Simplify Interviews” in the search box, and download the transcript. Janet Macunovich is a professional gardener and author of the books “Designing Your Gardens and Landscape” and “Caring for Perennials.” Read more from Janet on her website www.gardenatoz.com.
Lois Robbins and Verna Cole each bring their own seats to sit and work in the native bed at the Ortonville Heritage Garden and Monarch Waystation.
Virginia Smith has tried many pairs of clippers and finally found one perfect for her, the Clauss AirShoc titanium petite non-stick pruner. “The tool I use most is my hand clipper. Get a good one that’s right for you.”
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| July/August 2013 | www.MichiganGardener.com
janet's journal
Simplify your garden Whether you have a busy lifestyle or are approaching retirement, taking some easy steps now will help you transition to a more manageable garden Want to garden into your 8th and 9th decade? Start today to simplify. Not yet looking so far ahead? Simplify anyway—save time and money now as you establish habits that will enable you all your life. The point is that simpler is classic as well as better. It’s one of the oldest rules in the book, ranking right up there with advice to live every day to the fullest, Janet take one day at a time, Macunovich and make time to smell the roses. I heard all of these suggestions more than once as I talked to people eminently qualified to answer the question, “How can I keep on growing, all the days of my life?”
I asked 16 elder gardeners about their motivation and methods: What can you suggest to others who want to be able to garden no matter their age? 13 women and 3 men, ranging in age from the low 70s to mid 90s, with a combined gardening career of over 1,000 years returned lists with many common threads and a lot of gold nuggets.
Start with an attitude adjustment Psychological items beat the physical to the top of most lists: Adjust your standards. Appreciate every day. Don’t fret. Don’t ever stop, it’s good for you. Go out there to laugh and find people to laugh with you. Janet’s Journal continued on page 32
Many people, including Betty Grady, have faced times when their situation changes or the years add up. They ask, “How can I keep up this garden that I love?”
16 perspectives plus a millennium of experience equal simple advice When I look at gardeners I rarely see age, rank and economic status. Most of the cues we use to make those classifications fall away from the person as they step out to work in a garden. People who were grimacing and rubbing a sore joint a moment before grin and spring forward to examine a swelling bud. CEOs become DIYs, all the distance of delegation gone in stooping to admire a seedling. The pauper and the prince are equals in dealing with plants whose only currencies are light, air and water. Older gardeners do stand out, however. The synthesis they embody is awesome: life lessons, hobbies, professions and spiritual experience all coming together in the care of a garden. The oldest are also very likely to have pared their gardening to the essentials, all extraneous moves and trappings burned away in the fusion of lessons learned and losses endured. P h oto g r a p h s by S t e v e n N i k k i l a
People who purchase a first home from someone who loved to garden may want to keep that garden but find they need to simplify it to fit a different lifestyle. The same process and steps to simplify it apply to that new gardener as well as to those who stay in their gardens when their circumstances change with age.
Burdette Chapman, 87: Every day I’m waiting to get out there. I watch the sun come up. And if it’s raining I go out anyway. I always appreciate every day.