Wayside Gardens Voices

Winter Blooms: We've Still Got Plenty of Amaryllis

It's obviously too late to order them for the holidays, but there is plenty dull winter left to brighten up, and a huge blooming fragrant houseplant is just what you need. We've got Amaryllis in green, red, and white--the Jade Serpent is my favorite. With up to 8 huge, lime-green to white blooms in just over a month, it is sure to give you the winter sparkle you're looking for.

It isn't all about the blooms. They grow so fast, you can actually notice the change throughout the day. A coworker who's desk is next to mine has been tracking hers every few hours for the last couple weeks. They are really fun to grow, and the spectacular blooms are really worth the build-up.

You can see here where she was keeping measurements for the the first nine days, from 12/15 until Christmas Eve. But now it's too big for this envelope.

New Unique Blooms For Spring 2009

We've really got some interesting flowers in our line-up this spring. Wayside Gardens is known to many gardeners as the place you go to get the varieties you can't find anywhere else, but some of the new blooms are extraordinary.

One of my personal favorites is the Centaurea "Gold Bullion". This beautiful little perennial ground cover will sparkle in your garden. It is hardy from zones 3-8 and does well in part shade or full sun. The bright chartreuse leaves and delicate blue blooms will add the color variety you need.

Another plus for many gardeners, Centaurea are big nectar producers which make them attractive to pollinators like butterlies, humming birds, and honey bees. And, they are less than $10 apiece!

New Roses In the 2009 Wayside Gardens Catalog

The new catalogs are on their way if you haven't gotten one already. There are beautiful new items and, of course, all the classic Wayside Gardens favorites. The 2009 Wayside Gardens Catalog is really beautiful. I am especially impressed with the rose line-up. We have many old favorites, but there are also a few really amazing new roses this year.

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For example, the brand new Rose 'Fragrant Wave' is a really impressive plant. You can see from the picture that it is extremely floriferous. 'Fragrant Wave' is a hardy, disease-resistant re-bloomer with big, fluffy white blooms with subtly golden center and a spicy fragrance.

I believe Rose 'Wildberry Breeze' is my personal favorite, but mostly because it is so pretty. This is not to say that this new Rugosa cultivar doesn't have much more to offer than her stunning looks. This is a cold-hardy (zone 4), black-spot resistant, beautifully fragrant rose that will bloom through two long seasons.

Camellias Offer Beautiful Winter Blooms!

Camellias are blooming right now! Everything is gray, cold, and (if you live on the east cost) very damp. It is very dreary outside, but camellias are bright and cheery. If you have this little evergreen workhorse shrub planted in your garden you will have bright blooms through the holiday season.

They live for a very long time, hundreds of years, and they are very cold-hardy, blooming and thriving in the winter months to temperatures of 0ºC. Camellias can be a dependable source of year-round beauty in your garden or landscape design.

These woody perennial shrubs have been bred into thousands of colorfully blooming cultivars. It should be very easy to find the camellia that fits your specific tastes and needs. They work well in containers or as part of a large landscaping plan.

Two Buddleias Place 1 & 2 in RHS Trials!

Exciting news! Two of the Buddleias that will be offered in our new Spring Catalog have placed first and second in the 2008 Buddleia Trials from the UK's Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)! Miss Ruby and Lo &Behold Blue Chip, both Proven Winners Colorchoice varieties, placed first and second, respectively in the trials. They were up a few really strong contenders this year, like the favorite Pink Delight. The general public was asked to vote on over 77 varieties and Miss Ruby came away with 17% of the votes and Blue Chip getting 8%.

The Royal Horticultural Society is the United Kingdom's leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening.

Mikinori Ogisu: The Indiana Jones of Botany

I was browsing through our catalog, as I sometimes do when I can't think of anything else to write about. I just find a pretty plant and then talk about how pretty it is. I know it's boring, and I apologize, but they really are very pretty.

This time was different. It wasn't the picture that caught my attention, but the description. Epimedium Osigui was "named for Mikinori Ogisu, the famed Japanese plant hunter...In the native it is found among limestone deposits near waterfalls." It was discovered in the mountains of Sichuan, China.

Plant Hunter! Browsing the InterWebs, I found Mr. Mikinori was connected with the discoveries of many popular plants. One blogger called him the "most important man in Epimediums." He has trekked though thick forest, up high mountains, and deep into dense river gorges to find some of the rarest and most exciting new plant varieties. One of the most interesting articles was from the Historic Roses Group written by another famed botanist and plant hunter, Martyn Rix. He described Mr. Mikinori's discoveries of exotic Chinese Roses. He spent ten years combing the Chinese wilderness, and has provided us with cultivated varieties of plants that, before him, very few people had even seen.

I guess it was naive of me, but I just had never thought of botanists as adventurers. I guess somebody had to go out and discover all of these things. As gardeners, we often fill our gardens with exotic plants from all over the world, provided either by our local nursery or ordered from a catalog like Wayside Gardens. Rarely, if ever, do we think about how that plant came to be cultivated. Who took the first sample of seeds or the first cutting. Some of the species that Mikinori Ogisu discovered only grow natively at very high altitudes or in deep gorges where there are no trails. The man is a modern pioneer, forging paths for knowledge and future discovery.

Tricyrtis 'Lightning Strike'

It has, for the most part, been a pretty dry year for us here in Hodges.  The last couple of weeks have shown us a healthy dose of much-needed rain, though.  I had the urge the other day to go wandering outside for a bit in the rain.  A coworker and I strolled through the Trial Gardens and the Garden Center, and I was struck as we passed some stunning little plants with small, prolific blooms.  I'm a sucker for interesting and unique blooms, and Toad Lilies are always some of my very favorites.  This was the Japanese Toad Lily 'Lightning Strike,' and each plant had tons of perfect little flowers, each white with blue speckles.  Even in the dark gray, rainy day and light fog, these plants, with their prolific flowers and gold-laced leaves, kept my attention for several minutes.  These are definitely worth a spot in any garden, especially since they're so easy to grow and produce so many flowers (as many as 300 per plant).

Ahoy, The Pirate's Garden!

Yar, me hearties.  'Tis Talk Like A Pirate Day yet again.  I'm Cap'n Labuffarosa, and I've got me trusty parrot tulips on me shoulder (just not, you know, really.  That would be silly, and they're not even in season), and I'm ready to give ye a fine tour of me Pirate Garden.

Of course, nothing goes with me Caribbean rum quite like some Coconut and Lime.  Except for maybe Oranges and Lemons, to keep away the scurvy.  Any citrus will do, so long as it keeps me healthy enough to be out hunting Winter Jewels, Blue Diamonds, and February Gold.  If we're lucky, we'll come across a boatload of Golden Ducats.  Maybe on my trip to Nice we'll run across an Elegant Lady, or an Exotic Emperor and his Ivory Queen and Orange Princess (hey, cut me some slack, this is a pretty thin premise I'm working with here).  Just have care not to catch me in a Dangerous Mood, or ye'll catch the Golden Edge of me cutlass.  If ye find me resting in a peaceful Blue Lagoon at Twilight, I might just Regale ye with tales of me time on the Silk Road, or of kidnapping the beautiful Stella de Oro under the Snowcaps of the Spanish Peaks.

The Pirate's life, an Endless Summer for me.

(was this one too Over the Top?  It's only 27, and I was shooting for 30.)

The Richest Helleborus Colors Yet

It seems strange to look outside in the green heat of summer and picture the barren coming winter.  However, your garden will soon be dieing back in the face of coming winter yet again (it really does sneak up on me every year).  However, your winter garden doesn't have to be devoid of color and life.  There are a variety of plants that are just as, sometimes even more, beautiful in the winter.  Helleborus is one of my favorites of these, blooming in late winter to very early spring.

I'm especially excited about our new collection of Winter Jewels Helleborus. These have the most vivid, intense bloom colors I've ever seen on Helleborus, and they look absolutely amazing.  These American-bred Helleborus are vigorous and heavily budded, and the flowers stick around for as long as three months.  They really add something fantastic to the winter palette without losing any of the easy gardening of other Helleborus. 

A Few Fantastic Leaves for Part Shade

Looking for some great foliage interest in your shade or filtered sun that isn't hostas or painted ferns?  How about Lamium 'Purple Dragon?'  It's a real survivor, thriving across six zones (3-8), and it produces big, beautiful clusters of purple flowers for many weeks.  The eye-catching silvery-white leaves shade quickly to dark green around the interesting toothed edges.  This groundcover perennial is drought-resistant and evergreen, too, so you'll have this beautiful foliage year-round.

For a different look, try Kolkwitzia amabilis Dream Catcher (yes, I spelled that right).  This Beauty Bush does well in filtered sun or part shade in zones 4-9 and is deer-resistant, so it's a great choice for many different gardens.  It's rich coppery color seasons to bright yellow in Spring and Summer, and by fall it turns a rich golden-orange with interesting dark tips.  It's amazing as a specimen, but even better in mass plantings for a really eye-drawing effect unlike any other.

Irises to Fill Tough Wet Areas

Many gardens have them: wet, boggy areas that just don't drain well enough.  Grass won't grow, plants won't grow, and the dog keeps coming in the house with wet feet.  OK, maybe just the plants are a problem for you.  Either way, you could, of course, set up a rain garden in that area (it's beautiful and great for the local environment), but that can be much more effort than many gardeners are willing to put in.  You could give up and have a boggy, mulch-covered area in your garden, but I know that you, my readers, won't give up that easily.  The best option is to try to find plants that thrive in those difficult conditions, and many of the best plants for that purpose are wonderful Irises.

Give Iris louisiana a try.    The do beautifully in damp soils, producing some of the most stunning blooms you can find.  They're the perfect solution not only for those areas that refuse to drain, but also for embankments of water features or other water sources (they look amazing on the banks of a pond).  Best of all, they're easy plants to keep, tolerating not only heat and humidity (as you can probably guess from the name), but also cold winters, some even hardy to zone 3.  Iris 'Bold Pretender' makes an impressively bright, cheery statement in red and yellow, and it looks great next to the Iris 'Black Gamecock's intensely rich velvety purple flowers.

The Types of Hydrangea Plants

For many years now Hydrangea has been one of the most popular perennials in American gardens.  The variety of these great shrubs that is available now is quite impressive, far from being just the one-colored puffballs that you remember from your grandmother's garden.  There are 23 species of Hydrangea, but of these only five are widely available in the US.  The five that are available, though, represent a great variety of flowering perennials, with an option that is right for almost any American gardener.

The Hydrangea that you're most likely familiar with is the Hydrangea macrophylla (more commonly called Garden Hydrangea, French Hydrangea, or just Hydrangea).  These plants produce impressive bounties of flowers.  In many Garden Hydrangeas, the color of the flowers can be changed from red or pink to white or bright blue by adjusting the chemical content of the soil in which they're growing.  Garden Hydrangeas have come a long way in recent years, including several new cultivars that now produce buds on new wood in spring, which allows them to flower even if they autumn buds are killed in the winter.  Many of the new varieties are much more interesting, as well, including the Cityline Dwarf Hydrangeas and Halo Hydrangeas.

Panicle Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) are the most cold-hardy of the common species.  They are the largest type as well, some growing to fifteen feet.  These Asian natives are often pruned into tree form and sold as "Hydrangea trees."  They bloom in mid-summer, usually with large white flowers on six- to eighteen-inch panicles.  In some varieties of Panicle Hydrangea the white flowers mature to pink.

There are two species that are native to the US.  The larger of the two is the Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia).  Much like the Panicle Hydrangeas, Oakleafs bloom with large white panicles that mature to pink or rose.  These flowers come sooner, in early summer, and are smaller, on four- to twelve-inch panicles.  Oakleaf Hydrangeas are unique, though, in that they are often grown primarily for their beautiful foliage, which matures to a deep bronze in fall.  Oakleafs are the only common Hydrangea to produce significant fall color.

The smaller American native is the Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborascens).  These can be found in the wild from New York to Florida, and are nearly as cold-hardy as the Hydrangea paniculata.  Smooth Hydrangeas have the advantage over the Panicles, though, in that they are much better adapted to warm weather.  Smooth Hydrangea grow to four or five feet high and in early to mid-summer produce large round clumps of bright white flowers that sometimes mature to a lovely pale green.  These shrubs are most often used in mass landscape plantings to striking effect.

The fifth (and most unusual) specie is the Hydrangea anomala, or Climbing Hydrangea.  These are true clinging vines that can grow to astonishing size.  They've been known to climb structures and buildings as high as eighty feet tall, which, in full bloom of large white lacecaps, is a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Coreopsis 'Snowberry' Adds Sunny Elegance

This is one of my favorite images from our catalogs and websites.  It is Coreopsis 'Snowberry,' and it's an amazing perennial that will tirelessly produce mounds of these arresting soft, creamy blooms, lending a real touch of elegance to your sunny garden throughout the entire summer.  Even better, the foliage is evergreen, so it is attractive even when it isn't in bloom.  'Snowberry' is a sterile sport of C. 'Nana,' so it won't invest energy into seed production rather than making more flowers.  This allows it to rebloom more quickly than many other Coreopsis, especially if you deadhead it regularly.

Echinacea 'Cotton Candy' May Steal The Show in your Sun Garden

We were really pleased last year when our customers seemed to like the Echinacea 'Coconut Lime' as much as we did around here.  That's a big part of why we're really stoked to be offering the Echinacea 'Cotton Candy' this fall.  Cotton Candy is a real improvement over the popular Razzmatazz, with significantly larger blooms (at up to 4 inches, it's the biggest double pom-pom we've seen).  Those big blooms come along with sturdier stems, and this coneflower stands up beautifully to inclement weather, keeping those beautiful blooms through wind and rain.  The superior size and sturdiness also means that Cotton Candy holds up even better in the vase.  If you keep cutting the flowers on this plant, it will keep giving you more to cut for months.

This Arie Blom creation starts as a small green center, and as it develops turns to one of the most vivid pinks I've ever seen on a flower (keeping a tiny green spot on top for much of its development).  Plant these stunning flowers next to Coconut Lime for a really interesting look in your sunny garden.

Narcissus, Daffodils, and Jonquils: Etymology

In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a young man of unparalleled beauty who was so entranced by his own reflection in a pond that he wasted away gazing lovingly on his own form.  Where he sat on the shore, a flower of similar beauty, the Narcissus, grew, leaning lightly, as if to gaze into the water.

I always find the stories behind plant names interesting.  Many of them have been lost to time, of course, but that only makes those that we do know more interesting.  Then, there are those about which we speculate, but cannot be certain.  "Daffodil", for instance, is thought to come from the Asphodel flower, a plant that was commonly planted near graves in Ancient Greece.  The Asphodel Meadows, one section of the Underworld in Greek mythology, was thought to be an endless plain of these flowers.  This was the section where the dead who had led unremarkable lives spent Eternity.  The "D" in "Daffodil" most likely came from the Dutch article "de," which would have been placed before the name ("De Asphodel," more commonly pronounced "De Affodil"). 

The term Jonquil, which is still sometimes used for all Narcissus (especially in the Southeastern US), is somewhat more straightforeward.  It comes from the Spanish diminuitive form of junco, a type of reed.  In the strictest sense, the term Jonquil refers only to types of Narcissus related to the species Narcissus jonquilla, which has reed- or rush-like leaves (hence the name).  The use of this name to generally refer to Narcissus is mostly fading away, and it is technically incorrect, but I am loath to try to correct a common name, especially one that is as much fun to say as is Jonquil.

I Want To See Your Garden!

Here at Wayside Gardens, we see a lot of our plants.  Around the grounds, in the greenhouses, even in some of our offices, we've got our plants.  Most of us here have a lot of Wayside products in our own gardens, of course, as do our friends and families (what,  you think we give CDs as gifts?).  What we don't get as much chance to see, though, is our plants in your garden, out there "in the wild."  We would like to see and hear about your garden, though, since yours is the most important garden to us.

So, instead of coming to your house and knocking on your door, I'm asking you to send me pictures of your garden and tell me all about it.  You can email me at tandrews@parkseed.com.  We'll be posting some of these pictures and stories here on Wayside Gardens Voices, so send us pictures to show your garden off to your fellow gardeners around the world!

Paris Polyphylla Could Be the Most Unique Flower in Your Garden

Every time I flip through the Wayside Gardens Fall catalog (and I flip through it a lot, as I'm sure you can imagine), I'm stopped by the photo on page 13 of the Paris polyphylla flower.  With it's unusual leaf-like green petals arrayed symmetrically around ruby red stigma and long yellow anthers, it really is an arresting site.  It's not just unusual in our catalog, either.  Because this plant is very difficult to propagate (though remarkably easy to grow once you have a plant sprouted), it is a very rare plant.  Rare enough, in fact, that I know of no common name.  This rare little part-shade plant comes to us from the woodlands of Asia and is in the same family as Trillium.

Time to Divide Bearded Iris

In most of the country, now is the time to divide your Bearded Iris.  You should do this every two or three years in midsummer, after blooming but before the weather starts to turn (July or August, usually).  Regular division of the rhizomes does wonders for preventing root rot and borer damage.  Plus, it encourages the plant to grow more vigorously and to flower more.  It also gives you a great opportunity to thoroughly inspect the plant for damaged or diseased parts that can be removed.  Bearded Iris is one of the easier plants to divide (especially when it comes to lifting the plant), but as with any division, be sure to allot enough time to finish the job, so you don't have to leave your plants out and vulnerable longer than is necessary.

If you're looking for an interesting Iris to try out this coming Spring, give 'Dangerous Mood' a try.  Not only is it a stunning flower that's sure to leave an impression, it is one of my favorite plant names of all.

Lilies Make a Showstopping Garden Centerpiece

I love even, soothing plantings.  I love a garden full of small delights.  Very often, though, what a garden needs to really spice it up is something absolutely stunning, a plant that you absolutely can't ignore.  For a real centerpiece, Lilies are some of the very best.  Quality lilies feature lots of well-formed, interesting blooms in a range of colors and color patterns.  Their upright, regal habit draws the eye and easily complements other plantings.  The foliage is generally lovely and complementary, too. 

With the variety of Lilies that are available, there are many directions you can go with them.  Mass plantings create a strong effect, but so too can a single plant, or even several peppered throughout a garden.  The large, pure white of the 'Casa Blanca's' blooms add elegance, as does the much sought-after Lily 'Silk Road.'  As for me, though, I'm an absolute sucker for Tiger Lilies, and the double-flowered 'Flore Peno' Tiger Lily can't be beat for a unique, eye-catching exhibit.  I've had one of these beautiful plants adding tropical interest to my garden for years now, and it never fails to amaze me when the blooms come in late summer.

New Hostas for a Richer Garden

The popularity of most plants comes and goes and comes again as time goes on.  Some, though, are always in demand.  Hostas are one type of plant that we're always on the lookout for.  A great Hosta can make as much difference to the look and feel of your garden as any other plant, especially in the shade, where suitable plants are harder to find.  They add a lush texture that few, if any, other plant can bring.  Hostas are available in a variety of sizes and colors, from the deepest green to bright white variegation.  Some, like Hosta 'Venus,' even feature brilliant blooms.  But then, I probably don't have to tell you any of that.

What you might not know about is our new Hostas for Fall 2008.  This year we have 'Blue Ivory,' a compact Hosta with a dark blue center to its leaves.  It's quilted, giving it great tolerance to slugs and snails, and it does well in shade.  We've also got Hosta 'Great Escape,' a sport of 'Halcyon' with amazing white margins contrasting with a deep iron-blue center.  This vigorous grower is one of those rare Hostas whose flowers will be eagerly awaited, with bell-shaped lilac blooms that stand high above the plant on slender, elegant stems.  Perhaps the most exciting of our new Hostas, though, is the Hosta 'Dark Shadows,' an intense, deep blue hosta that turns toward green in summer, maintaining a lovely aquamarine tone all season.  The depth of its color is especially impressive from a Hosta that thrives in light shade.  It's one of the lower-growing Hostas I've seen, spreading wide to make for great mass plantings or ground cover.