Astilbe for Shady Gardens

Astilbe 

If you need color in a semi-shady spot in summer and early fall then Astilbe is a plant you will want to get to know.  Astilbe, sometimes called False Spirea, will wave its airy graceful flowers and bring those dull spots to life.  Astilbe has few disease or insect problems and is resistant to deer and other animals. 

Astilbe looks good in masses of one color or mixed with perennials such as hosta that also appreciate moisture.   Astilbe can furnish the shade at the feet of lilies and also mixes well with daylilies.  They also attract butterflies and are good for butterfly gardens that receive some shade or in naturalized woodland gardens that need a splash of color.  Astilbe makes a good cut flower and is sometimes forced in pots for winter bloom.  Astilbe flowers also dry well.

Astilbe will grow well in zones 4-6.  There are several native Asian species from which our cultivated varieties were developed.   Some varieties have dark green leaves, some have a maroon tint to the leaves and stems and some are a lighter green.  There is at least one variety that has burgundy-purple leaves.  The leaves are compound, with serrated edges, and somewhat fern like. New leaves are glossy, but this fades as the season progresses.  Some astilbe plants have good fall colors of yellow and orange also. Astilbe plants form mounding clumps, slowly increasing in size each year if they are happy. The height of the plants, including flower spikes, ranges from 10 inches to 4 foot or more high.

Astilbe has tiny flowers all packed close together in plumes. The plumes are at the top of the plant, above the foliage.   Some flower plumes are upright, thick clusters and some are narrow and gracefully arching.   Astilbe flower colors range from lavender to all shades of red, pink and white.  The flower plumes are long lasting and dry nicely for arrangements.

Growing Astilbe

Astilbe is generally purchased as a bare root or potted plant.   They are hardy and can be planted outside as soon as the soil can be worked.   If you can, work lots of compost, sphagnum peat, aged manure or other organic material into the soil before planting.  Astilbe likes partial shade or but will grow in full sun if kept moist.  It will survive in deeper shade but will not bloom as well.  They prefer loose, fertile soil but the primary key to their success is plentiful moisture.   While astilbe do grow in shade, their shallow root systems have a hard time competing with tree roots for moisture.  If lacking water astilbe will dry up and go dormant or die.   

When growth begins in the spring fertilize astilbe with a general purpose, slow release fertilizer.  Check to make sure the roots of the plant are not exposed, as the shallow roots are prone to being heaved out of the ground over winter.  If they are, gently dig under them and settle them back into the soil.   Keep astilbe watered well if the weather is dry and they should reward you with beautiful color.   By selecting different varieties you can have astilbe in bloom from late June through September.  You can deadhead them if you like or allow the plumes to dry on the plant.  After a hard frost has killed the leaves, trim off dead leaves and stems and lightly mulch with oak leaves or pine needles to help prevent astilbe from being heaved out of the ground.

Astible in lightly shaded garden.

If your plants are doing well the clumps should increase, and they will need to be divided every 3-4 years.  Dig up the plant in early spring and divide the clump into several pieces with a sharp knife.  Replant immediately and water well.   Extra plants can be potted to share with friends.

Some varieties

‘Rheinland’ is bright pink, upright and early blooming, ‘Spinall’ has airy upright plumes of bright red and reddish foliage, ‘Ostrich Plume’ has tall, pink drooping plumes, ‘White Gloria’ has thick white plumes in mid summer, ‘Bridal Veil’ has later, tall white plumes, ‘Taqueti’ hybrids are tall, in lavender pink shades for late summer, ‘Pumila’ is a short lavender spiked variety good as a groundcover.   ‘Sprite’ is shell pink with arching flower sprays, ‘Lollypop’ is bright pink with bronze foliage, ‘’Visions has short compact spikes of purple and is said to have a soft, pleasant scent, ‘Sister Theresa’ is a salmon pink that is also scented.  ‘Red Sentinel’ has fire red, compact plumes.  ‘Color Flash’ has interesting foliage in burgundy and purple with soft pink plumes.  ‘Finale’ is one of the latest to bloom with drooping, soft rose plumes.

How to Grow Birch Trees

Birch trees have been long been a popular landscape choice.  There are species of birch growing throughout North America, Europe and temperate Asia.  Birch trees have a graceful shape, interesting bark and good fall color.   They are not the best choice for all landscapes but if the conditions are suitable, there are few trees prettier than a birch.

Birch in park.  Credit: geographic.org.uk

North Americans tend to think of birches as clumps of small trees with white peeling bark.  These clumps were widely planted as landscape trees before the arrival of the Bronze Birch Borer.  This destructive beetle attacks and kills many types of birch trees, but white barked birches from Europe are the most susceptible.  However, there are many types of birch and some are very resistant to borers and are seldom attacked if they are healthy. 

Birch trees are generally small, 20-30 foot and pyramidal in shape.  There are some weeping varieties.  Birch leaves are thick, glossy, dark green in a rough triangle shape.  There are some cultivated varieties with purple or reddish leaves. Birch leaves are lighter on the reverse side, have serrated edges, and are arranged alternately.   Some varieties have deeply lobed leaves with a lacy appearance.  Fall color of birches is generally a good, clear yellow.   Birch trees have both male and female flowers, the male flowers are long, dangling and generally in clusters of threes.  The female flowers are much smaller and rounder.  The pollen of birch trees is highly allergenic to people with seasonal allergies. 

The bark of birch trees is the reason many are planted as landscape trees.  When young most birch trees have brown bark but as some age they may get various shades of white, yellow, or red bark that peels and curls, revealing contrasting colors beneath it.

Birch grows easily from seed but most gardeners will start with small trees.  Birch trees are best planted in early spring.  If you want a clump of birch trees you can buy several small trees and plant them in the same hole or you can buy trees in pots which have several stems.

Birches are trees of the forest edge and riverbanks.  They like cool shaded soil at their feet and their heads in the sun.  Most birches prefer cooler climates, from zone 3 to zone 6, but there are a few species that tolerate warmer zones.  Birch trees have shallow root systems and don’t do well in dry areas.  They do not do well in alkaline soil, [a ph of 6.5], or higher, so a soil test before planting birch trees may save time and money.  Good places to plant birches are the north and east side of homes or out buildings, windbreaks or tree lines. Birches should be planted where they can be watered during dry periods.  Although they need moisture, most birches will not thrive where the soil is always wet.  The River Birch is a little more tolerant of wet conditions.   Don’t plant birch trees where they will have to be frequently pruned, birch bleeds profusely when pruned and the wounds attract the Bronze Birch Borer. Prune birch trees only during the time they are dormant.  If the trees are damaged during the growing season apply a registered insecticide; not tree paint, to the cut surface.   Keep children from peeling away large areas of bark, they hear many stories about birch bark and often want to experiment.   This may damage the tree or attract insects.

Mulch birch trees after planting with about 3 inches of organic mulch to conserve moisture and cool the soil.  Birch trees should not be planted where salt used on sidewalks or roads in winter will run off around the root system.  Birch trees are not good trees for parking lots or other areas where they are surrounded by pavement.

Birch trees also attract an insect called a leaf miner.  This insect lays eggs in tiny slits on the leaf surface and the larvae that hatch tunnel between the two leaf surfaces.  The leaf turns brown and falls off.  While leaf miners don’t kill the trees, they make them look very unsightly and may weaken a stressed tree even further.  Using systemic insecticides can control both the Bronze Birch Borer and leaf miners.  Homeowners have several products that they can use.  Contact your local County Extension Service for their recommendations in your area.

Choosing Varieties

Varieties with white bark are more susceptible to Bronze Birch Borer but these varieties have been bred to be resistant, ‘Whitespires’, ‘Renaissance Reflections’, ‘Rocky Mountain Splendor’.  River birch, Betula nigra, is tolerant of heat and wet conditions and somewhat resistant to borers.  ‘Heritage’ is a selection of river birch that is even more resistant.  River birches have light gray bark, peeling to show white, pink, and brown underneath.   ‘Summer Cascade’ is a weeping birch reaching about 10 foot tall, ‘Filigree Lace’ is a cut leaved dwarf birch, ’Royal Frost’ is borer resistant and has burgundy foliage until fall, when it becomes orange.  Betula lenta, Sweet Birch, has smooth mahogany red bark that does not peel, and its leaves have a clean, pleasant scent.

Using Birch

In the right place the birch is a lovely tree, with good fall color and interesting bark in the winter.  It provides light shade for plants like hosta and ferns and likes their company at its feet.  Many species of butterfly larvae eat the leaves of birch.

Birch trees had many uses by indigenous people. They were used in religious and magical rites, and birch bark was used for some of the earliest writings. The bark is full of oils that help preserve it and many artifacts hundreds of years old made with birch bark have been recovered.  Besides the famed canoes, birch bark was used for roofing, native houses, baskets and bowls, paper, and even clothing.   The oily wood is excellent for fire starting.  The sap of some types of birches is boiled into syrup like maple syrup and also made into wine and vinegar.   The small nutlike seeds were also used as food.

How to Grow a Norfolk Island Pine

Around the holidays stores often feature Norfolk Island Pines for sale as they look like miniature Christmas trees.  The Norfolk Island pine, (Araucaria heterophylla) however, is a houseplant, despite its name. It will continue to grow well indoors long after the holidays if it’s given the correct care.

Norfolk Island pines have soft, dark green needles and a pyramidal shape of drooping, whorled branches. They are best used as specimen plants with space around them to show off their beauty.  There is no pine scent.  Norfolk Island Pines are hard to propagate from seeds or cuttings and you will want to start with a growing plant.  Look for one with dark green needles and branches that go well down the main stem.

In a frost free climate the Norfolk pine can grow outdoors quite well - up to 100 feet tall. In the home it grows more slowly and its size is limited by the container it is grown in. Most Norway pines in the house get to 5’ to 6’ if well grown. The stately pine shape is a nice contrast to other houseplants.

Norfolk Island pine care

While they are often included in dish gardens for texture and height, the Norfolk Island Pine does best when placed in it’s own pot.  Use a good houseplant potting medium, not garden soil in the container.  Make sure that the container drains well.  You can repot the pine each spring if you want it to grow larger.  Use a pot just 2 inches wider and deeper for best results.  Once the Norfolk Island pine is about the height you want it to remain stop repotting and let it get root bound to help restrict growth.

Keeping your Norfolk Island pine in bright light will keep it dark green and full and keep the bottom branches from dying and falling off.  Keep your Norfolk Island pine in an east, west or north windowsill any time of the year. Keep the Norfolk Island pine in a south window during the winter months or 12” away from a south window in late spring and summer. You could also use a grow light “spot light” over the Norfolk Island pine.

Norfolk Island pines enjoy a summer outside but should be put in light or partial shade when outside.  Put them outside after the danger of frost has passed and bring them back inside before it frosts in the fall.

Crowding the Norfolk Island pine will also make it lose its bottom limbs and it doesn’t show the plant to full advantage.  Make sure you leave enough space around the pot for the limbs to expand and droop gracefully. To keep growth natural looking and symmetrical don’t crowd the plant with other plants or by placing it too close to the window. Turn the pot from time to time so the tree doesn’t lean to the light.

Norfolk Island pines need to be kept moist but not soggy wet most of the year.  In the dead of winter in areas where it is gloomy and cold let the pot dry slightly before watering. Use room temperature distilled or rain water if possible. Water until water drains from the bottom and empty drained water from trays promptly.

Fertilize Norfolk Island pine once a month in the spring with houseplant fertilizer mixed according to label directions if you want growth. If you like the plant the size it is, don’t fertilize it.
Keep plants between 40º and 85ºF. Norfolk Island pines prefer cooler temperatures and do well when night temperature in the home is lower than the day temperature.  Drafts of cold air or warm air blowing from a furnace vent may cause needle drop.  When humidity is low in the home needle drop can occur. Occasional misting in dry conditions will help.

Prune off any dead branches with pruning snips. Once branches drop or are pruned off they do not grow back.  Do not prune the top of Norfolk Island pine to limit its size.  This makes the tree look unnatural.

Norfolk Island Pines rarely have insect or disease problems.  If you get one with Christmas decorations on it remove them as soon as possible.  Don’t use heavy Christmas decorations on your Norfolk Island pine as this may damage the shape of the plant or cause loss of limbs.   If your plant comes with a fancy foil pot cover make sure you punch a drainage hole in the bottom or remove the foil.

With good care your Norfolk Island pine will live for 20-30 years or longer.  Each year it will become more beautiful.  For bringing the feel of nature indoors you can’t beat a beautiful Norfolk Island pine.

How to Grow African Violets

African violets are popular houseplants because they give us something blooming to look at in winter. Because they are small potted plants they fit easily into most living arrangements and one can have several plants on a windowsill. African violets are generally inexpensive to buy, although for serious collectors some varieties can get quite pricy.

African violets have the reputation of being difficult as a houseplant but new varieties are much easier to grow. While they don’t thrive on neglect as some houseplants do, with a little attention to their needs African violets will reward you with beautiful blooms in a wide range of colors.

Light and temperature

If you turn down the heat at night your African violets will be happy, unless it gets below 60 degrees. African violets like the temperature at night to be 60-65 degrees F and the day temperatures to be 70-80 degrees F.  Don’t let the leaves of African violets touch cold window glass. If your window sill gets very cold at night in the winter you may want to move the plants out of it at night.

African violets like bright light but direct sunlight shining through a window may burn the leaves. A north or east facing window is best in the summer. In Michigan’s gloomy winters the African violet can do well in a west window or even a south window if set back from the window a few inches.

African violets can grow and even bloom in artificial light. You can use grow lights suspended over them but some plants will do just fine in a brightly lighted room, especially if the walls are light colored to reflect light.

You’ll know if your African violets are getting too much light if the leaves turn reddish, get thick and wrinkled looking, with new leaves being smaller and having short leaf stems. If they are in hot, direct sun the leaves will turn yellow, and the edges will turn dry and look scorched. Too little light will cause the leaves to be large, thin, and light green with long floppy stems. Plants with too little light will not bloom.

If they get strong enough light African violets will bloom with 8-10 hours of daylight but a goal would be to provide 12-14 hours of daylight.  They should have at least 8 hours of darkness to do well.

Be sure to dust the hairy leaves of your African violets from time to time with a soft toothbrush and gentle strokes. This allows the maximum amount of light to reach the leaf surface.

Soil and fertilizer

There are special mixes sold for potting African violets but any good soil-less potting mix will work. Soil-less mixes are composed of peat, vermiculite and shredded bark. They are light weight and drain well. Do not use garden soil for African violets or buy cheap, heavy potting soil.

The pot you use for your African violet can be clay, ceramic or plastic but it must have good drainage. Don’t use too large of a pot as large pots cause watering problems. Small plants will grow well in 4-5 inch pots, as the plant increases in size it can be transplanted into 6-8 inch pots.

In Michigan African violets should be fertilized from March to September. If the potting soil you used had fertilizer mixed into it, (check the label), you will not need fertilizer for several months. Use a special African violet fertilizer or a houseplant fertilizer and carefully follow directions. Too much fertilizer will cause more problems than too little. If the plant has dark green healthy looking leaves and blooms regularly it is getting enough fertilizer.

Water and humidity

Most older books call for African violets to be watered by pouring water in a saucer and setting the pot in it so it draws water up. With modern, well draining potting soils you can just as safely water from the top. Just make sure to keep water off the leaves or it will spot them.

Don’t water on a schedule, water when the pot feels dry to the touch. Use distilled water or rainwater for best results. If you use chlorinated water let it sit a day or so for the chlorine to dissipate. Use mildly warm water to avoid shocking the plant roots.

Both hard and softened water may cause a build up of mineral salts in the soil. If you use either, watch for yellow-white crusts on the top of the soil or sides of the pot. You should re-pot the plant in new soil if this happens.

African violets are jungle plants and appreciate high humidity, which most homes don’t have, especially in the winter. If your home doesn’t have a humidifier you can sit your African violet pots on a tray filled with marbles or decorative stones and some water. The stones or marbles should hold the pot bottom out of the water, so the pot isn’t continually soggy, which would kill the plant. Do not mist your African violets, water will spot the leaves.

Flowering

African violets flower in repeated cycles if they have all their needs met. That is they will flower for a month to 6 weeks and then rest before repeating bloom. Some varieties are more free- blooming than others. Remove dead flowers to make the plant look nicer and encourage more blooming.

African violets come in many colors from white to pink to deep purple. Some are bi-color. There are double flowered African violets, fringed and star shaped blooms and a whole range of leaf shapes and sizes. African violet growers often enter their plant pets in shows and get involved in developing new varieties. For more information on types of African violets you can go to the website of the African violet society of America at http://www.avsa.org/Home.html

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January 21, 2014, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations opinions.

Hi Gardeners

Well the sun is out today- it makes those temperatures a little easier to bear.  It’s 58 days until spring and I do hope nature follows the calendar on this one. 

Time to check those bulbs

If you have summer bulbs like dahlias and cannas stored for the winter it’s time to check them and see how they are doing.  I know I am a bit worried about how cold it has been in my unheated porch where I store them.  Mine seem ok but I hope they will all sprout in the spring.  Check your bulbs to see if they are shriveled and limp.  If they are you can add a small amount of moisture to the packing material.  That may revive them.  If they look mushy or moldy remove any bad areas and store what’s left in clean, dry packing material.  Wood shavings and peat moss are good packing materials.

If you kept your bulbs in the pots they grew in last summer water the pots lightly with luke warm water.   You may want to start tuberous and cane begonias growing by potting them up and bringing them into a warmer, brightly lit area.  They take a long time to begin blooming.

You may also want to start some cuttings of the geraniums (pelargoniums) that you overwintered.  Cuttings from Rex begonias and coleus can also be started. 

Beautiful Beans

Scarlet Runner Bean- Credit Nic McPhee

If you need a fast growing vine for summer color why not consider some beans?  There are some beans that sport beautiful flowers and some of them provide a bonus crop of delicious edible beans.  Beans are annual plants but you can easily save seeds to grow them again the next season.

The Scarlet Runner bean has flaming scarlet flowers.  You can eat the beans when young as “green beans” or allow the pods to dry and collect the pretty black and purple beans for dry bean recipes.  Golden Sunshine also has pretty scarlet flowers but the leaves are a golden green.  It’s a bit later than Scarlet Runner but also has great flavored beans.

Sunset Runner has peachy pink blooms.  It’s an early bloomer/producer that will keep producing as long as the pods are picked and is excellent for “green beans.”  Moonlight is also an early producer with large, pure white blooms.  It is semi-string less when used as a green bean and can also be used as a dry

Sunset Runner Bean

bean.

The Painted Lady bean has red and white bi-colored flowers.  It can be eaten as a green bean or the pretty buff beans with brown markings can be used as dry beans.  Lady Di runner beans have bright red flowers that attract hummingbirds and stringless bean pods that can reach 10 inches long and still remain tender and tasty.  The dry beans are mottled red and black.  Streamline also has red flowers and pods that can reach 18 inches long.

Hyacinth beans or Lablab have beautiful purple flowers and some varieties have leaves with purple veins or that are purple shaded.  There is controversy whether the purple podded beans are edible or not.  Most sources claim the beans can be eaten if they are boiled with several changes of water.   The beans are eaten in other countries with proper preparation and the young leaves of the plants are eaten like spinach.

Hyacinth bean

Spider power

Nature is far more complex than we can ever dream.  Scientists have discovered that the sticky substance that spiders coat their webs with actually has electrostatic properties as well as being glue.  As insects fly through the air they build up static electricity and when they near a spider web the surface of the web actually jumps toward them, giving the web an advantage in “capturing” prey.  This movement has been captured by high powered cameras.  This action actually pulls particles like pollen floating through the air toward the web. 

What’s even more astounding is that this electrostatic glue alters the earth’s electric field around a spider web.  It’s a very small alteration in a very small area- several millimeters around a web- but it is measurable.  Researchers believe some insects can sense disturbances in the earth’s electric field and this may help some of them avoid spider webs.

I keep picturing a science fiction scenario where someone gathers a million spider webs together in a room and creates a time warp.

Moon Trees

On January 31, 1971 Apollo 14 blasted off for the moon.  On board were three astronauts including Stuart Roosa, arguably not the most well- known of the crew. ( Al Shepard and Ed Mitchell walked on the moon.)  Each astronaut on this trip was allowed to carry something personal to the moon and Roosa, a former US Forest Ranger choose to carry tree seeds. 

Packed in a metal cylinder 6 inches long by 3 inches wide were 450 tree seeds from two US Forest Service Genetics labs.  The 450 seeds were from Redwood, Loblolly pine, Sycamore, Douglas Fir and Sweetgum trees.  While only Shepard and Mitchell walked on the moon, Roosa, the flight pilot, and the seeds circled the moon 34 times before returning to Earth.

During the decontamination process of the shuttle the metal canister shattered and the tree seeds were scattered on the floor.  Even though it was feared the seeds were damaged they were carefully gathered up off the floor and taken to a forest service genetic lab.  There the director, Stan Krugman, was surprised to find that almost all of the seeds germinated and began to grow.

The seeds were grown in the lab until 1975 when it was decided that the normal looking and growing trees would be distributed to interested parties.  Requests for trees swamped the Forest Service.  They even took cuttings off some of the trees and rooted them to supply some of the requests.  Moon trees were sent to Japan, to public gardens, to teachers, girl scout camps, city halls and nearly every state in the US.  One was planted in Wyoming Michigan, in Kent County. The problem was no one kept a record of where the trees were being sent or planted.  Doesn’t that sound like our government?

Through the years most of the trees grew into perfectly normal trees that crossed with native trees near them and produced viable seeds.  No genetic abnormalities were ever found.  Some of the trees have since died or were cut down but hundreds still exist across the country, the problem is finding them.  Many of the trees were marked with plagues or signs to show that they were moon trees.

Dave Williams, a NASA archives curator has made it his mission to locate as many moon trees as possible.  You can visit his web page and see a map of where moon trees were planted and where they still may be located at

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/moon_tree.html

Unfortunately the moon tree near the police station in Wyoming, Michigan, a sycamore, was “accidently” cut down by a contractor in 2000.  It was however replaced by a 2^nd generation moon tree in 2009.

Try an Abutilon this spring

Abutilon

Abutilons have been around as houseplants for at least a century, commonly seen as a shrubby house plant known as Flowering Maple. Other common names for Abutilons include Chinese Bell Flower, Chinese Lanterns, and Indian Mallow.  The abutilons however, are a genus of about 150 species growing in sub-tropical areas of South America and Asia.  They grow as small trees, shrubs and vines.  Recently plant breeders have worked with the various species of Abutilon, improving and hybridizing them to create many exotic, easy to grow varieties you can now find at the greenhouse near you. 

Abutilons are evergreen and like most tropical plants they keep their leaves all year.  The stems turn woody over time.   Most species are perennial but annual varieties exist.  Some hybrids from South American species will survive temperatures into the teens and growers are working to produce even hardier plants.

The older tree forms of abutilon still exist but the newer abutilons produced for gardeners tend to form smaller shrub-like plants or spreading hanging basket plants.   There is a wide variation in leaf size and shape and even flower shape among the recent introductions.   In some the large, colorful hibiscus-like flowers are the show, in others the beautiful foliage, often variegated, is as showy as the smaller dangling ‘lantern” type flowers.  All Abutilon flowers are attractive to hummingbirds.

The large flowered varieties usually have leaves that are lobed- sometimes looking like a maple leaf.   They can be various shades of green and may be variegated with yellow or white.  Some large flowered varieties though, have smaller, fuzzy blade like leaves with serrated edges.  The large flowered types have 5 tissue paper-like flower petals shaped like a saucer or cupped ranging in size from 1½ inches to 5 inches across.  

The large flowered abutilons have a prominent pistil and stamens in the center and resemble hibiscus or mallow flowers. Flowers usually dangle, facing downward.  Flower colors are usually warm colors such as reds and yellows, but white, pink and lavender varieties exist.  There are some hard to find double flowered abutilons on the market.

Small flowered abutilons are usually hybrids of Abutilon megapotamicum.  The flowers have a large calyx- (a thicker version of sepals) - on the back of the flower from which the flower petals protrude beneath, producing the “lantern” look.  The calyx is often a contrasting color from the petals.   Usually the colors are reds, yellows and oranges but some pastels exist.  The lantern type flowers are 1-2 inches long.

Small variegated leaf abutilon.

Small flowered varieties of Abutilon usually have small leaves but at least one large maple leaf type variety exists.  Many small flowered Abutilon have leaves that are heavily variegated with gold or white.  The lantern types tend to have wiry, arching stems from which the leaves and flowers dangle and make beautiful hanging baskets.

Growing Abutilon

Gardeners will generally start with plants.  Abutilons can be started from seeds, although Michigan grown plants rarely produce them.  It takes two years for most Abutilons to bloom from seed.  Abutilons will also grow from cuttings. 

Do not put Abutilons outside until all danger of frost has passed and bring them inside in the fall before frost.  They can be planted directly in the ground and treated as annuals; however you can bring potted plants inside in the fall for a blooming houseplant.  The larger flowered varieties hold their blooms better if protected from wind.

Abutilons prefer partial to full sun in the garden and a sunny window indoors.  Use a loose, light potting soil.   For best bloom Abutilons need regular feeding.  Use an extended release fertilizer for flowers or fertilize with a liquid fertilizer every two weeks.  In the house stop fertilizing November through January and let the plant rest a bit.

Abutilons need regular watering, particularly large plants in hanging baskets.  If they get too dry they may drop their leaves but may recover if watered in time.   Do not over water in the winter, soggy soil will kill them.

Trim off any damaged or spindly growth.  Abutilons can be pruned to control size as some plants will get as large as 6 foot high and wide.  If you want the plants to grow larger replant in a slightly larger pot each spring.

Some varieties

‘Canary Bird’ is an older, small shrub form with large, canary yellow flowers and large leaves.  ‘Cannington Peter’ is similar but has dark red flowers and yellow variegated leaves. ‘Violetta’ is a large - 6 foot - plant with large violet to indigo blue flowers.  ‘Voodoo’ has 2 inch blood red flowers.  ‘Hawaiian Ma’o’  is a large upright with 1 inch golden yellow double flowers.  ‘Tennant’s White’ has huge white flowers.

‘Souvenir De Bonn’ is a tree-like Abutilon with large maple leaves variegated with white and orange lantern type flowers.  ‘Paisley’ is a hanging basket type with small triangular dark green leaves heavily spotted with gold and dangling red and yellow lantern flowers.  ‘Pink Charm’ has green leaves and pastel pink lantern type flowers. ‘Fools Gold’ has small fuzzy green leaves and 2-3 inch lantern type flowers of gold with dark orange veins.  ‘Savatzii is a dwarf type with almost white leaves, salmon orange flowers.

Kim Willis

“He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

January 14, 2014, Kim's Weekly Garden Newsletter

January 14, 2014 - Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations opinions.

Hi Gardeners

A barn in winter.

A pleasant winter day is now giving way to clouds and unfortunately we are expected to get several inches of snow tonight.  Cold weather returns for a few days but I see we are expected to get above freezing again early next week.  I hope we are going to get another January thaw.

Because my mailbox is still buried I am picking up my mail at the post office every few days.  It’s amazing how big of a pile you have after 2-3 days of garden catalogs building up.  I am sitting and reading them, looking for new plants to try and ideas for new garden beds.

The names given to plants are truly creative, especially in ones with many varieties such as iris, daylilies and hosta.  I try not to choose plants by their names but names like “Destined to See” (daylily) and “Shakers Prayer” (Siberian Iris) are tempting.  Two fairly new hostas, “Clear Fork River Valley” and “Curly Fries”, have quite interesting names.

Then there is the label “fragrant”.  I suppose there are fragrant daylilies, as many catalogs list some varieties as fragrant.  But I have never noticed any fragrance in a daylily.  And Echinacea’s are also listed as fragrant.  I bought some of those “fragrant” ones but have yet to smell anything you would call a pleasing scent from them.  Some catalogs list cleome as fragrant and I guess a cat pee smell is a fragrance but it’s not something I would promote in a flower.  I did plant some tulip varieties this fall that are supposed to be fragrant and I am anxiously waiting to smell them.

Do you have illegal poppies in your garden?

In going through garden catalogs this winter I became fascinated with some beautiful poppies I saw pictured in one catalog that shall remain nameless here.  I thought I might buy some of the cultivars pictured, the catalog was offering both seeds and plants.  I then noticed that these were Papaver sominiferum, bread seed or opium poppies selections.  Something I read in an herb catalog came to mind and I decided to see if there were certain poppy varieties in that species that were used for opium production and others that didn’t have the narcotic properties and therefore were considered just ornamentals.  My research turned out to be very interesting.

Growing any P. sominiferum poppy varieties or the closely related Papaver paeoniflorum varieties (which are just double flowered P.sominiferum) is illegal. The Poppy Control Act of 1942 was repealed in the 70’s but controlling the growing of opium poppy plants was transferred to current laws and regulations on producing or possessing illegal narcotics.  You can have the seeds of any of these poppies because the use of poppy seeds in cooking is fine.  But cultivation of these species, growing the plants, is illegal and a federal crime.  It is also illegal to have dried opium poppy seed pods or stalks on your property.

Still, I thought, since so many beautiful varieties are available- and I found them offered in several other catalogs too- surely this is a crime that is rarely prosecuted.  But it seems that recently the DEA has stepped up efforts to get these poppies off the market and prosecute growers.  The internet may have had something to do with this. 

Until recently it was commonly thought that growing poppies to get opium was something hard to do and that the narcotic poppies had to be grown in certain climates. Processing the opium from the poppies was considered to be difficult and not something the average person could do.  Even the USDA and the DEA shared these ideas with the public.  But it seems that some people have always known that opium poppies grow just fine in the US and most of Europe and that it is extremely easy to harvest raw opium from poppy seed pods. It was also easy to produce narcotic concoctions from other poppy plant parts. These people began to share their knowledge on the internet (a quick search on the net will tell you several easy ways to produce opium and other narcotics from poppies), and a pamphlet was written that got the USDA and the DEA’s attention.

Now the DEA is still not scouring gardens for illegal opium poppies and arresting the average gardener but they have begun to use the poppies in creative ways.  If some agency suspects you of doing something illegal, they can get a search warrant based on the fact that you are growing opium poppies and might have illegal plant parts or drugs in your house or property.  If they want to they can also arrest you for possession of narcotics just because you have some pretty opium poppies in your garden or even some opium poppy seed pods in a dried flower arrangement.

Oriental - and legal- poppy.

There have been a few interesting cases recently where one disgruntled gardener will turn in a friend growing the poppies and when this is done, law enforcement agencies are required to make an arrest. In most cases a lawyer will successfully argue that you were a naïve gardener and you won’t go to federal prison for manufacturing narcotics.  But if there is any evidence that you did know the poppies could produce opium or if you seemed to be storing unusual amounts of seed pods or stalks, or that any poppy seed pods were “scored” ( cut)  in your garden you could be in trouble.  (You could also be in trouble if you simply pissed someone in charge off because as most of us know- ignorance of the law is generally not considered to be an excuse.)

Michael Pollan, a well-known botanist and garden writer, was thinking along the same lines I was a few years ago and he did some extensive research on the subject of opium poppy growing for ornamental reasons and he admitted, a curiosity about whether he could actually produce opium at home.  Pollan  interviewed USDA and DEA people on several occasions and he intensively interviewed the man who wrote the booklet on producing opium at home. This man was arrested and indicted on Federal drug charges soon after the book was brought to the attention of the DEA by a man who was fighting with him.  He wasn’t growing any poppies, but he had several dozen dried poppy seed pods in his house that he had purchased from a local florist.

You can read Pollans article here, http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/opium-made-easy/

It’s a long but fascinating piece.  The short version of it is that Pollan concludes that the growing of opium poppy species carries some risk for the gardener.  Even using the attractive dried seed pods of the poppy for floral arrangements could be risky.  At one time I know these seed pods were sold in many craft and floral shops.  They are the urn shaped pods with “shaker” holes on top.  Pollan says the DEA began asking floral organizations to voluntarily stop selling the pods.  He also says that certain public gardens were being asked to remove opium poppy species from the gardens. 

It’s kind of interesting that catalogs continue to sell seeds and even plants of opium poppy species.  Of course seeds would be legal to sell and possess.  But in at least one case a seed company was asked to stop selling poppy seeds (Thompson and Morgan) after a “raid” in one garden turned up hundreds of opium poppies and records showed the seed for those poppies was purchased from that company.

There are poppy species that are legal for gardeners to grow.  Papaver rhoeas, Shirley or corn poppies, Papaver orientale, Oriental poppies, and Papaver nudicale or Iceland poppies are all common ornamental and legal poppies, at least for now.  There are also plants that use poppy in the common name that are not Papaver species, such as the Himalayan Blue Poppy and the Prickly Poppy which are legal to grow.

Opium poppies are annual plants but they readily reseed themselves in the garden.  They can persist for years in even neglected gardens.  You may have some and not be aware of what you are growing.  Most double flowered and pom-pom poppies are opium species and the pretty heritage poppy Danish Flag is also an opium poppy.  Perennial Oriental poppies are the poppies most often sold in local garden stores and they are not illegal.

Some gardeners will be fine with taking a chance growing opium poppies, especially if garden catalogs keep offering them.  But you may want to avoid them if you have anything to hide or have some bitter enemies. Just in case, I think I will pass on growing them because I don’t think I would do well in a Federal prison.

Growing Rutabaga

Now here is a plant that is perfectly legal to grow yet few people grow it anymore.  But that may change as rutabagas have become popular with fancy chefs lately.  Rutabagas (Brassica napus) are a root vegetable and while they have some similarity to turnips, they don’t taste like turnips. Some theorize they are a cross between turnips and cabbage but they are probably just a selection from the cabbage family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower are.

Stir fried rutabaga.  Credit Flickr

Rutabagas are sweeter than turnips in taste and they are one of the most nutritious members of the cabbage family.  Rutabaga can be sliced and eaten fresh and it is often cooked in soups and stews. Rutabaga can be cooked and mashed like potatoes. A mashed rutabaga dish with sour cream and dill is popular in trendy restaurants.  Rutabaga pieces can also be fried and taste like fried sweet potatoes. Traditional pasties use rutabagas in them.  The meat pie that my grandmother made for holidays originally used rutabagas as well as potatoes and I remember my grandfather growing them.  Rutabagas will store for a long time in a cool place.

Rutabagas have tan or tan and purple roots that are round or oval in shape. Mature roots are 4-6 inches in diameter. The inner flesh of the root is firm and usually golden in color.  The roots are sweeter after a light frost or some cold weather.  The young leaves of some rutabagas may be purple Rutabaga leaves can be eaten like turnip greens when young.

Rutabagas can be planted in early spring or in July for a fall crop.  They require 90-100 days to maturity. Rutabagas like fertile, well drained, loose soil. A soil pH of 6 is optimal but they adapt to most soils. Rutabaga seed should be planted in full sun and the seeds spaced about 2 inches apart.  Thin plants to 6-8” apart as they grow.  Rutabaga roots can be harvested as soon as they are big enough to eat, young roots are the most tender, or dug just before a hard freeze.

A problem with rutabagas common to many root crops is root maggots.  Make sure to rotate the area where rutabagas are planted in the garden each year.  Harvesting the roots when young and smaller helps prevent root maggots. Some common varieties of rutabagas are Joan, Tweed, and Lauretian.

Blue Lace Flower

Blue Lace Flower- credit nekonomania - commons wikimedia

Looking for something different in the flower garden this summer?  If you like the looks of Queen Anne’s Lace but not the weedy invasive qualities of the plant you may want to try Blue Lace Flower or Trachymene coerulea. ( formerly  Didiscus Coeruleus). Blue Lace Flower is an old garden flower, an annual grown from seed.  It is native to Australia.  Blue Lace flowers were once popular in English cottage gardens where a common name is Blue Island Daisy.

Blue Lace flower has clusters of lacy looking lavender blue flowers that resemble the flowers of Queen Anne’s Lace. The flowers have a light, sweet scent. The leaves of Blue Lace Flower are finely cut but not as ferny as Queen Anne’s Lace in appearance and are a pleasing blue-green in color.  The plant grows to about 2 feet in height in a nice mounded form.  It may sometimes reseed but is not considered to be invasive.

The Blue Lace Flower prefers full sun.  The seed can be sown where it is to grow after danger of frost or started inside in pots. (Start in peat or other dissolvable pots because the Blue Lace Flower does not like transplanting.) Cover seeds with ¼ inch of fine soil and keep moist.  Be patient, the seeds can take up to 3 weeks to germinate.  It tolerates most types of garden soil.  Blooming starts in mid-summer and continues until a hard frost. 

Blue Lace Flower is a nice addition to the garden bed and it also makes a great cut flower.  It will last a long time in the vase and it is now being grown for the florist trade.  One place to purchase seed is www.selectseeds.com

Snowy Owls showing up in Michigan

Harry Potter’s favorite owl has had a population boom in the artic in the last few years and this winter the owls have been seen as far south as Florida.  In the winter the Snowy Owl moves southward to hunt and since there are so many of them they have really expanded their territory.  There have been numerous sightings of Snowy Owls in Michigan this winter.

Snowy Owls are large, white, fluffy looking birds, with a few gray markings on the wings.  They are the size of a Great Horned Owl and are more likely to be seen in the daytime than other owls.  They tend to frequent large open areas, such as airports, frozen lakes and large parking lots, which remind them of their tundra homes.  They are calm and not too frightened of humans.

Airports in Clinton and Ingham Counties, Willow Run airport in Romulus and the airport in Grand Rapids have had numerous sightings of Snowy Owls.  Nature preserves and parks on the east side of the state along Lake Huron and Lake Erie are also reporting sightings. Here is a link to a blog that has a map of snowy owl sightings and some excellent pictures.

http://jerryjourdan.blogspot.com/2013/12/pt-mouillee-snowy-owls-24-dec-2013.html

Watch out for falling snow!

Kim Willis

“He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero