Late bloomers
No, I am not talking about the awkward middle school years, although I would definitely be in that group. I am talking about perennials that bloom late summer into fall. These are invaluable players in any good garden design. The spring garden is beautiful with its show of bulbs and ephemerals and the summer garden wows with its peonies and roses. But what happens in September and October? If your garden starts to fall asleep consider a few of these less expected “late bloomers” to wake it up.
Actaea. This is one of my all-time favorite late blooming perennials. Actaea (formerly cimicifuga) has a beautiful base of fern-like foliage and beginning in summer and continuing through fall the plant sends up stems topped with white bottle-brush shaped flowers. What I love most about this plant is the fragrance; to me it smells like grape jelly. Make sure to site actaea where its delicious smell can be enjoyed – I have three plants by my side door and the fragrance greets me whether I am coming or going. Actaea likes shade to part-shade in rich soil. It can take a bit more sun but will start to crisp if not given enough water. I love the dark-foliaged varieties like ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ or ‘Brunette’.
Chelone glabra. Also known as turtlehead this is another great perennial. Good in full sun to part shade chelone does not like to dry out so it would be perfect for a wet spot in the garden. It forms a nice clump between 2’-3’ and blooms from August to September. As a beekeeper I know how popular it is with pollinators – it even contains compounds that scientists have found bees use to self-medicate. Chelone is primarily pink but I have the true chelone glabra which is white.
Vernonia. If you are looking to attract hummingbirds and butterflies this is the perennial for you. Vernonia, also known as Ironweed, is an easy-to-grow sun-loving native that will reward you with beautiful purple blooms from August through September. Ironweed can be large – up to six-feet – so it makes a great statement at the back of the border. For those with smaller garden Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’ might be a good choice. This ironweed stays under 3’x3’ and unlike some vernonias is very drought tolerant once established. Vernonia lettermannii ‘Iron Butterfly’ is one of Piet Oudolf’s “Must Have” plants and is massed at New York City’s Highline and Chicago’s Lurie Garden.
Prune here perennials
Wouldn’t it be nice if gardening was easy and plants actually told you what they wanted? Some of them do. When it comes to pruning there are some that I call “prune here perennials”. These are perennials, like nepeta, that flop open after their first bloom. New growth makes a neat mound inside the plant and the area between is basically where to cut. By doing this after the first flush of bloom you can get a second round of beautiful purple flowers. I also have had success with this method with salvia. Threadleaf coreopsis and lamium also benefit from pruning back. Yarrow is another candidate, although it does not always re-bloom, it puts out fresh, good-looking new growth.
Dial it in Design
We’ve all seen it. The dial it in design. Whether the work of a builder, landscaper or overwhelmed homeowner these gardens are everywhere. Typical dial it in designs go something like this: put tall things on the corners, round things in the middle and add a few triangular things. This triangle/meatball design process is sad because it overlooks so much.
I enjoy designing gardens and I am proud to say that no two are ever the same. That’s because I want each garden to feel personal to my clients. It should reflect their style, their colors, their vision. I am sure there are programs out there where you can input dimensions and have a landscape created personally for you. But how personal is that? By spending time with my clients I understand what is important to them. If they are away a good part of the summer I will incorporate more spring and fall bloomers. If they want low-maintenance I will forego roses and delphinium. If they have shade I will focus on beautiful textures rather than lots of color. If they have small children (and even if they don’t) I will use native plants to attract birds and pollinators.
I recently took on a design job of a new build. The home was beautiful and I was excited to make the outside as wonderful as the inside. I met with the client and talked about style, maintenance, colors, etc. It was a good meeting and I couldn’t wait to get to work.
Imagine my surprise when I returned to the site a few weeks later to find that the builder had added plantings. They weren’t horrible – pointy things on the corners, round things in the middle and a few triangular things. And a lot of black-eyed Susans which I knew would not thrive in the shady garden. Large evergreens were planted adjacent to the patio for privacy. I was planning on planting for privacy but had envisioned more of a mixed border.
My design had called for the view out the window to incorporate a beautiful fastigiate beech in a plum color that would echo the beautiful painting of trees over the fireplace. Now the view was simply green.
Your home should reflect you. Why settle for cones and meatballs when there is a whole beautiful world of plants out there? If you don’t know where to start give me a call and set up a consult.
H2Ohhhhh
In New England this has been a ridiculously hot, dry summer. It goes without saying that the need for water is greater than it has ever been. Not only for you as you are working in your garden but also for your plants. I have a client who went away for the summer. Unfortunately, he didn’t think that the garden would need water. This is a new garden and although I planted drought-tolerant plants I explained that especially the first year the plants would need regular water. Sadly he did not hear me and a recent garden check left me heartbroken. So many beautiful plants barely holding on. The soil was dry as dust.
Please make sure that your gardens and containers are getting ample water. Don’t think that any occasional rain lessens your responsibility. Often if the rain is heavy it rolls right off the surface and into the storm drain. If you are fortunate to have an irrigation system, make sure it is working correctly. A brown spot on the lawn or an area of the garden that is not looking great could be an indication of a problem. Since many systems run very early in the morning you might not always spot a problem with one of the sprinkler heads.
Speaking of early morning, it is the best time to water. Water can sink in without evaporating as it would in the heat of the day. Watering late in the evening is not good as moisture will stay on leaves and blades and can cause mildew or fungus. And hand watering is rarely a good idea. Unless you plan to stand and water for hours that is. A better idea is to set up a sprinkler and leave it for a few hours. You can always dig into the soil to see how deeply the water has penetrated. Soaker hoses are also a good idea and will deliver water right to the root zone.
Most gardens need about 1” of rain per week; a good rain gauge can determine if you need to water.
Happiness is just two feet away.
Among all the great questions – “why are we here?” “is there life on other planets?” “what happens after we die?” I believe there is another we have yet to ask – “why did we stop skipping?”
The other day as I was out running errands I stopped at a light and, because it was a long light, I had time to look around, or “observate”, as my brother often teases. There were the young moms clutching their coffees, the store window signs that heralded “We’re open”, the teenagers in the Jeep next to me with the music too loud. I was just about to give them the evil eye because they were texting when something caught my eye. Two young boys, ice cream cones in hand, were skipping down the sidewalk. Skipping. As in see how high you can get your knees up, laugh -out-loud skipping. I watched as their father tried to keep up and started giggling. Didn’t he know that walking, even fast walking, can never trump skipping. Skipping is so much faster and more fun. And then I remembered when I used to skip. At first it was difficult and required me to really practice and pay attention. Kind of like when I try and do “the floss” dance move!
For some reason over time we have stopped skipping but I wonder what would happen if we started back again. I dare you to try and skip without smiling; it can’t be done. And for better or worse I bet when people see you skipping, they will smile. We have so many things to bring us down and as a result many of us move about in a depressed Eeyore-like shuffle that is worse than a teenager on the first day of school. To lighten our mood, we don’t need more drugs, we don’t need more time at the gym, we don’t need anything else that promises to make us happy. I think what we really need is just two feet away.
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