Planting perennials may seem easy but there is more to it than you realize. Planting correctly will ensure larger and healthier plants in the long term.
Planting Perennials the Right Way
Plants
Growing Subshrubs Like Lavender and Russian Sage
Go into any nursery and try to find lavender and Russian sage; they will be in the perennial section. Check these plants online or in books, and most sources will tell you they are perennials. Lavender and Russian sage are subshrubs, a fancy name for a small shrub. Once you understand they are NOT perennials, they become easy to grow.
Do Houseplants Increase Oxygen Levels?
Indoor plants have a great reputation for purifying the air in our homes. In Air Purifying Plants – Do They Work?, I debunked the idea that houseplants remove VOCs (toxic chemicals) from our home – it is just a well publicized myth. Several people commenting on that post and the post called A Garden Myth is Born – Plants Don’t Purify Air, to make the point that plants do more than remove chemicals – indoor plants increase oxygen levels in the air. This increased oxygen contributes a lot to our well being – or so people claim. Do houseplants increase oxygen levels in the home?
Walnuts, Juglone and Allelopathy
The common statement “nothing grows under walnut trees” is not true. “Walnuts produce juglone” is not entirely true either. “You need to compost walnut wood chips before using them in the garden” is false. “The allelopathic properties of walnuts are well understood” – not true.
This is a popular subject that is routinely discussed and written about, but the truth around walnut trees is anything but clear.
Growing Under Walnut Trees
There is a very common myth that says, “nothing grows under walnut trees”, but that is far from being true. If you have walnut trees in your yard or the neighbors yard, you can still have a very lush garden and grow most things.
Yucca glauca
Yucca glauca, an agave, is the hardiest yucca growing from Alberta, Canada all the way to Texas. You will either love or hate this plant depending on your appetite for desert-like plants. I love them for their spiky leaves and fantastic flowers. They are extremely drought tolerant and easy to grow.
Paeonia rockii
Paeonia rockii is a lovely tree peony that should be grown more. It can be difficult to find in a nursery, but those specializing in peonies will have it. The ones pictured here were grown from seed obtained from the Ontario Rock Garden Society Seedex program. The flowers are mostly white or light pink with dark maroon basal flares on the petals. There is some variation in flower form and coloration. One seedling from this group has red leaves in early summer.
The common name, tree peony, describes the woody stems that are produced, but it is probably more correct to call these shrubs, not trees. They do not need staking.
Hardy and Tropical Water Lilies for Ponds 101
Water lilies (Nymphaea species) are extremely valuable to the pond. They not only look great and flower well, but the floating leaves provide shade, eliminating the light needed by algae. They also provide a hiding place for fish and other water creatures. Water lilies should cover half of the open water space to help maintain a balanced ecosystem. They do best in quiet water, so keep them away from fountains and waterfalls.
Sunscald on Trees – Prevention
It might surprise you to learn that trees do get sunscald or sunburn and the remedy is not an SPF 30 lotion. Sunscald on trees usually happens on the south or south-west exposed bark. The bark is damaged and in severe cases can result in the death of the tree.
Historically, sunscald has been prevented by wrapping or painting the trunk of the tree. Do these preventative methods work? Are they still recommended? Time to have a closer look at the problem.
Arisaema franchetianum
It is late June in the shady garden and out of nowhere appears a spotted finger sticking out of the ground. It grows quickly unfolding a huge tripartite shinny leaf. Each lobe is almost as large as my hand. But the real treasure is hidden below the leaf – a striped cobra that needs to be seen to be believed.
Iris Identification – Which Type of Iris Do I Have?
Iris are very common in the garden and often people ask for help to plant, grow, move or divide them. The answer to such questions starts with proper identification. There are many different species iris and they do not all grow the same way. Some have tubers and need to be divided regularly. Others are bulbs and hardly ever need to be divided.
Learning how to grow your iris starts with identifying the type of iris. I am not talking about finding out the actual cultivar name, but you do need to know which type of iris you are dealing with.
In this blog I will help you to identify the type of iris you have. In a future blog I will provide cultural advice for each type of iris.
Canada 150 Tulip – Confusion About Cultivar Names
Canada will celebrate its 150th birthday in 2017. To mark this celebration, Canada is launching a special tulip called ‘Canada 150’. The white and red colors of the tulip mimic the colors in our flag.
Where did the Canada 150 tulip originate? There are several stories floating around about its origin but much of this is not true. Canadians have been told that the tulip is only sold through a Canadian hardware stored called Home Hardware and is available in limited quantity. So it should be no surprise that ‘imposter tulips’ have been introduced into the Canadian market place. People will do anything for a loonie (the common name for our $1 coin).
Follow me as I try to unravel the mysteries of the special Canada 150 tulip and learn more about the confusing world of naming plant cultivars.