End of August. Knees Iced. Let the Planting Begin (Again).

It's been a tough summer. The hot and humid weather has not only been tough for the plants, it's taken a toll on this gardener.  After a night camping on Lake Superior that included some physical therapy (cooling knees in lake and with beer bottles), I'm back in town and ready hit the gardens.




Beach & beer time makes a gardener tan and spry.
Freckles & wrinkles on knees are from the same.



 

At the end of summer the gardening pace slows and work is more enjoyable. Gone is the rush to get every client set for the season, getting home at 9 p.m. and being too exhausted to eat or shower.

Customers benefit from this seasonal renewal too. I've had time to work with their gardens, to get to know the space, and how they'd like it to look and feel. By this time my endurance has increased and they get more bang for their hourly buck. Plus plants are on sale and there is plenty of time for them to establish a strong root system before winter.

May 2011, waiting for inspiration (and time)

This week's project is 'The Sunken Garden'. http://amyablegardens.blogspot.com/2011/08/too-busy-to-blog.html Most of the plants are bought (at an end-of-season discount) and waiting for installation.



Tempted to keep these on my deck, love the colors.



The galvanized container holds the Japaense Hokone Grass (25% off at Lotus Gardens) http://www.lotuslawn.com/ and 'Lady in Red' ferns. Below that from Bachman's Garden Center in Minneapolis (25-40% off) http://www.bachmans.com/divHomePage.ep?categoryCode=02

Left to right:

• 'Caramel' Corals Bells, 6" x 12"
• 'Lady in Red' Lady Fern, 30-36" x 24." Hate the song but love the burgundy stem.
• The shorter fern in front is, 'Brilliance' Autumn Fern, 18-24" x 18," the fronds emerge red/orange.
• Hosta, 'Sum and Substance' 24-36" x 24-30" (mine is about 4' wide), more are needed for this space, should I share?
• Ligularia, 'Midnight Lady' 40" x 36" purple/bronze foliage, golden flowers in late summer.
• On the bench is Joe Pye Weed that will go in a sunny spot in different garden bed.

I wanted to include some sort of evergreen shrub for winter interest however that idea was nixed. I am open to any suggestions and if I don't come up with something it'll be time for another therapy trip to Lake Superior.

Too Busy to Blog!

The summer has been non-stop work. 

 


"Line 'em up Sunny."

 
Whoops, here's the right image.

Busy weeding.

What a gardening season. After a cold, wet May we had a cool, wet June and then a hell-like July. Now it's August.

The last two days remind me why I garden. The temperatures are in the 80s and the dew point isn't making the news. That means it's the perfect time to put in new gardens!

I started working for a new client this season and there's an area itching for a design and installation.



Almost empty pallette, soon to be known as "The Sunken Garden."


The established plantings are finally shaping up so it's on to the fun stuff - the Sunken Garden! I like to work around an area before digging in. I get a feel for what plants perform well in the yard, the amount of sun it gets (or doesn't get), and the owner's tastes.

This picture posted below was taken at The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in July, and is an inspiration for "The Sunken Garden."

In the front is Japanese Hakone Grass, this will brighten the area. Behind it with the yellow flower is Ligularia, it blooms mid-to-end of summer. Behind the Ligularia is an upright fern. These plants are in the running along with evergreen shrubs and evergreen groundcovers for year-round interest.

In Honor of Art in Bloom and Artist Christopher Childers

The previous posting details the upcoming "Art in Bloom" show at The Minneapolis Institute of Art.

http://amyablegardens.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-is-mia-but-not-at-mia-art-in.html




Painting by Christopher Childers, cherry table by my dad.

 
Last weekend I did an accidental interpretation of a painting. Well, not so much an interpretation as noticing after the fact that the flowers complimented the painting. Is that like matching a painting to one's couch?

The painting was a gift from dear friends on my 40th birthday. Neighbor Chris Childers is the artist whose landscapes I adore. This painting depicts a frigid January evening at the intersection of 44th & Penn Avenues North, Minneapolis. Those familiar with the corner will recognize the Emily's Diner sign on the left and Jackie Ann's Beauty Salon on the right. His urban landscapes capture the feeling of the neighborhood.

Chris works out of his home studio and Traffic Zone Center for Visual Arts at 250 Third Avenue North, Minneapolis. Traffic Zone is having an open house Saturday, May 7th 2011 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. http://www.trafficzoneart.com/exhibitions/spring_open_2011/spring_2011.html

Contact me in the comments section if you'd like more information about Chris Childer's work.

Spring is MIA but not at the MIA - Art in Bloom starts on 4/27!

Art in Bloom is a 4-day event at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA). The series is a fundraiser presented by the Friends of the Institute and includes lectures, demonstrations, and a whiff of spring. Admission is free to view the floral displays and on-going museum exhibits.

http://www.artsmia.org/art-in-bloom-2011/index.html

Florists interpret paintings, sculptures, and other pieces of art by using flowers and greens. Last year my favorite piece, "Birds and Flowering Plants" won best interpretation.


"Best Interpretation' won by Pamela W. Nuffort and Sue Zaudtke
who interpreted a scroll by artist Nagasawa Roshu.


Recently I started working part-time at Bachman's floral counter. The Monday after Easter was a bit slow - except for designers shopping for stems to use for Art in Bloom arrangements. I had the pleasure of helping a woman who was looking for flowers that would bring to mind clouds. She explained the painting and I think this might be it.


"Fishing Vessels Offshore in a Heavy Sea," by Ludolph Backhuysen


She bought white carnations, fuji mums, baby's breath, and pale yellow corsage orchids. I can't wait to see her creation and get a whiff of spring.

Bring Out the Spring Containers Already



Ready to deliver some color and then off to prune a forest of hydrangea.


It's been a slow start to spring but I admit I don't mind. When the days get warm we tend to freak and think we need to get the tomatoes in (please wait until late May for that). 

Let me be a downer and mention the stuff that could be done in the yard. http://amyablegardens.blogspot.com/2011/04/stuff-to-do-while-we-wait-for-spring.html

Or plant a container of spring-blooming annuals.


Kowalskis sets the bar high, love their containers and use them for inspiration.


Fill the container with pansies, violas, tulips, daffodils, or ranunculus. I noticed really nice looking ranunculus at Bachmans. Although I've seen it in Arizona and California, I don't think I've ever seen for sale as a potted plant in Minnesota.

Use willow, dogwood or any branch with interesting bark to create height and texture, throw in some wheat grass seed and you'll have a sweet little "container lawn" in a week or so.


I've got a few sources for willow but would prefer not to be sneaking around parks with my pruner.

Then in late May or early June when there's really a lot of gardening to do, add one more thing to the list and switch out your containers to warm-weather loving plants.

Stuff To Do While We Wait For Spring

Sorry to be such a bummer but the slow start to spring makes me feel like Oscar the Grouch.


This is not animal abuse. He LOVED the garbage can and dressing up.


There are ways we can get out in the yard and be productive, but since the grouchiness has a hold, I'll tell what you should not do. Don't rake your lawn.

Raking too early when soils are still cold and muddy can uproot healthy grass plants and compact your soil. Wait until soil has is dried and grass has had a chance to grow.

In the meantime, cut back anything you left for winter interest or didn't clean up before the early snowfall, remove winter mulch from emerging perennials and spring bulbs but don't put down new mulch. Allow the soil to warm and then add new mulch.

Prune hedges and summer-flowering shrubs and check for damage and prune broken branches. Remove tree wrap (I'm leaving the white plastic guard on until there's more green stuff for the rabbits to eat) but already took off the paper wrap. If left on too long once it warms, paper wrap provides a great place for insects to hide and disease to develop.

Or stick a few primroses in a tired winter container, that will cure the grouchiest grouch.

A happy grouch.

The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson

In the old days every family trip included at least one "educational experience" the worst one was in Alabama. My sister and I had 3rd degree burns on our faces and sun poisioning (baby oil, sun, and northern skin). So instead of beach time, we had to cover every inch of skin and tour the USS Alabama and the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, not a highlight for a 13-year old.


A laser peel was small beans compared to the blistering sunburn of my youth.

My folks still insist on educational experiences but now I enjoy them. On April 3rd we stopped at The Hermitage, the home and burial place of Andrew Jackson.
 

April 3rd and lilacs were in bloom, The Hermitage.

The one-acre, early 19th century flower garden located beside the Hermitage mansion is one of the most authentic in America. Today’s plants date back to that era, and some – including several trees and flowering bulbs – were planted in Jackson’s time or are direct descendants of the originals.



Entrance into garden from house.


William Frost, an English gardener was hired by Andrew Jackson in 1819 to plan and lay out the garden at The Hermitage.

Overview of garden layout. Andrew and Rachel Jackson's tomb is in the back of the garden.
There's also a small family burial plot.


The garden was designed as a typical four-square English garden common in Europe since the Middle Ages, consisting of four quadrants and circular center beds. These were planted with flowers, herbs, shrubs, vines, vegetables, berries, and fruit trees.


A restful place, note tomb in back of garden.



Holy Tree Peony

I'm finding myself drawn to the formal garden layout and gravel paths. Although I have definite opinions about stones as "mulch" I do like crushed stone paths.

Nice focal point, the wowy house.

My garden goal is to add some thought to the design of the beds and bring all parts together in a semblance of a whole. And I will be wearing SPF 50 and a hat when I do it.

The Front Yards & Porches of Murfreesboro, Tennessee

First stop on the road north - Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Located about 30 minutes south of Nashville, this town was the site of Civil War Battle that resulted in the loss of 23,515 lives.
 

Rutherford County Courthouse, Tennessee

The town is built around the courthouse square and lovely historic homes line the streets that radiate from the square. My parents and I were gawking at the architecture and welcoming front yards and porches.

The good folks of Murfreesboro were trying to get to church while I was causing hate and discontent with my driving. So I pulled over and took a short walking tour and snapped some pictures.

These neighbors must motivate each other with their front cottage gardens and cute short fences.

Great front porches on otherwise modest homes are a perfect place to enjoy Zone 7a.

The trees were at the height of spring bloom. The tulip tree is related to the magnolia and used like the crabapple tree is used in Minnesota (placed in the middle of the front lawn, not that there's anything wrong with that).

This tudor has a boring yard but I like the house and it's named, "Gladstone." I like the idea of naming your house.

Okay, we'll let you get away with the cracked sidewalk but those boxwood need a break from the pruner.

Minneapolis Victory Neighborhood Spring Gardening Workshop

After a nice break in sunny Florida it's good to be back in Minnesota. This Saturday, April 9th I'll be jumping into the gardening season with a workshop. Everyone is welcome to attend.

There will be a bake sale and all funds will go toward landscape projects in the Victory Neighborhood. My husband is making, "Todd's World Famous Cookies," so get this date on your calendar.

http://victoryneighborhood.org/documents/ViNASpringResourceFair.pdf

Garden Candy

My dad wanted to see if a certain old Banyan Tree was still growing off of old Hwy. 41 in Bonita Springs, Florida. So we made a detour on the way to the beach and drove past this gem of a shop.

Pottery As Art - Bonita Springs, Florida



The Banyan Tree is alive and well.


On the way back to the beach we stopped for a look at "Pottery As Art." It's impossible to drive past a place when the parking lot is full of pottery in every color and shape.

Generally I'm against a "busy" pot but these Mexican-painted planters with a simple but hardy sedum would be a great addition on a neglected outdoor wall that needs color. 

This tall blue fountain is my favorite piece. I love how the green of the bamboo showcases the blue pottery. This would be ideal for someone who doesn't want a lot of work. A low-maintenance yard doesn't have to be devoid of personality. With a well-placed focal point (the fountain) and interesting foliage; bamboo, sweet gum, crape myrtle (in Florida this list is long) one can have a visually interesting oasis.

Unfortunately there was no room to bring anything back north with us. However Highland Nursery in St. Paul has a similar (not as large) selection of pottery and I believe they do special orders. http://www.thehighlandnursery.com/contact.php

Florida Big Box Garden Center Tour 2011

When traveling I like to visit garden centers and nurseries. Even the big box stores are different in Zone 9. Lowes has their tropicals out alongside the spring annuals.

It will be a few months before we see this in Minnesota.





Bougainvillea is in bloom, often seen vining on walls or as a standard (left).





Doggie is going as fast as an elderly dog can go - away from crazy lady.


Not the best shot (I was trying to take a picture of the dog not the plants) but bougainvillea is vining over fence and doorways. They also have it on fence lines - it has thorny branches. It's salt and drought tolerant however tourists don't tolerate it well. A handy landscape plant when you own gulf-front property.





I Love Florida

Hello from sunny and hot Florida. This is a great place to visit but am glad that I'm a Minnesota gardener.




Bowman's Beach, Sanibel Island

 
The environment is harsh and the plants have adapted to survive. I discovered that grapefruit trees have thorns, well short spines. Saw Palmettos have sharp teeth on the petioles. And you need to wear shoes to walk across the lawn (at least where we're staying).



The beach house is great but a classic example of foundation plantings gone wild.


Regardless, the landscapes are lush and beautiful and the tomatoes taste good. I'm probably just glad to be a Minnesota gardener because there are 5 months of rest.

Garden Gadget Today, Heirloom Tomorrow

 


Piggy and I are both smiling. I got a pruner without breaking the bank.
Piggy is a special heirloom from a friend's mom, I love Piggy!

 
There's been a Gardener's Supply gift card burning a hole in my pocket. While I'm not a gadget gardener, there is one item that I've been lusting after for years. A Felco Pruner. One reviewer suggested the pruner will become a family heirloom. Doubt it, there are lots of pruners with my name in Sharpie marker that are M.I.A. 



,

Wow, that's a long thumb and it's not even green.



An end to the ice dams almost put an end to a new tree.

This ironwood (American Hornbeam) was planted from bare root last spring. When the icebergs came off the roof it got hit. It's been a long winter, time to get out and prune.



I pruned the broken branch to the left and the one below it.


Several new trees were pruned and the time was right. Pruning in late winter, just before spring growth starts, leaves cuts exposed for a short period of time before new growth begins the wound sealing process.

This information comes from, "Pruning Trees and Shrubs" by Mike Zins and Deborah Brown, University of Minnesota Extension Service Horticulturists. Before pruning I often refer to this publication; http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg0628.html

I really liked working with the Felcos and might need to invest in the pruner holster, need to keep them around for the heirs.