All the Dirt on Gardening

Gooseneck Loosestrife, Lysmachia clethroides, is one of those plants that generates an emotional reaction among gardeners, with responses ranging from appreciation to a level of dread akin to seeing Frankenstein on Halloween.  This maligned Lysmachia came from China and Japan and loves the growing conditions in the US so much that it enthusiastically spreads out its rhizomes throughout the beds where it lives.  It is a perennial that disappears during the winter and returns double its size the next spring. The plants are 2 or 3-feet tall and have a characteristic plume of flowers in June or July, depending on where in its zone 3 to 8 range it is growing. In a wild or difficult shady to part-shade location the white flowers light up the darkness and experienced gardeners understand that they may have to control its spread each spring by removing plants that stray from their intended spot.  They prefer moist soil and thrive near ponds or wet meadows and naturalize there. Th...

Shade gardens are a treat in the summer. Walking through or just looking at shady places with a collection of thriving plants can make us take a deep breath and relax. Astilbe is one of the shade and moist-soil plants that looks great long after its flowers have faded. Most Astilbe varieties are originally from Asia. They are cold hardy from zone 3 to 9, as well as rabbit and deer resistant. Very few insects or diseases bother them and Astilbe tolerates being near black walnut trees. The key to keeping them growing well is to never let them dry out and divide them every few years. They form clumps with long underground rhizomes that have to be dug and separated into more plants. A thick mulch will help keep their roots from drying and keep the leaves green all summer. Fertilize them annually with a balanced product such as 5-5-5. Shop around as there are many variations in size, leaf shape, flower colors, etc. For example, Astilbe Bridal Veil is 3 feet tall when its white...

We have a grove of trees on our back acre and have planted dozens of plant varieties back there. Based on our soil type, rainfall amount, and lack of attention (zone 7 NE OK) I can recommend some real winners. We've gardened on these 2 acres for 20 years now and these are the plants that have thrived with minimal attention. All of these are blooming now - photos taken yesterday. Viburnum shrub Daffodils planted under shade trees return every year Flowering quince in half shade  Native Phlox blooms, spreads Shasta daisies do quite well around shrubs Iris of course bloom before trees leaf out Rue Anemone spreads very slowly and blooms every spring Spicebush shrub blooms every spring and feeds Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars Virginia bluebells - native - incredible! Spanish bluebells - thrive here Native violets feed bees, butterflies

Love the plants that love you back and demonstrate their love by thriving in your climate, soil and garden, says David Culp. Skip the garden designs invented by Europeans and find your own American style, using the colors that please your eye. If you go to the effort of making a plan for the garden, start by installing the hardscape such as patio, walkways and walls since the plant selections themselves will change as you learn what works and dies over the years. The hardscape is there to stay. According to Culp, no single garden style is exactly right or appropriate so use other gardeners’ ideas and adapt them to suit your situation. When it comes to color combinations, take risks and use the palette that you prefer, planting them in varying heights and forms. Even color-themed gardens benefit from a variety of accent colors. For example a white garden changes character if it is accented with blue and purple, silver and grey, bronze and yellow or pink and red. Just avoid...

Munchkin Nursery and Gardens specializes in solving the question of what to plant in shady spots whether you need something for around a single tree or want to build a bed of plants from the groundcover up. They have an email newsletter you can sign up for, a blog called "Shade Solutions", and, of course, a catalog to shop. Here's the website link   http://www.munchkinnursery.com . You can browse through the plants, use their online comparison chart to make purchasing decisions, and even enter your price point into the system to find things you can afford. Just to see how that price thingy worked, I entered price $5 to $10 and it showed one plant I could purchase for $10 - Virginia Bluebells. When I did an item browse though there were several $10 plants so maybe that feature has not been perfected yet. On the left side of Shop Online there is a link, "Plants and Prices: Prices Short List" that you can click to download There are lots of $10 plan...

In our garden, by the umbrella topped table, under two shade trees, pots of begonias bloom and bloom and bloom all summer, requiring nothing but regular watering. Polka dotted Begonia Billy Jean in the center. Angel Wing Begonias have long, cane-like stems and leaves shaped like the wings of an angel.  My plants spend the summer outside in pots and then come in for the winter where they grace the plant shelf in the dining area. As the stems elongate, I cut them back and put the cuttings into soil for next summer's pots. Since I'm always concerned that I'll have enough pots under the trees, I always grow too many starts and friends and family get the extra plants. Did you know? There are over 1,000 species , mostly in the genus Begonia and 10,000 cultivated begonias.  The major groups include the fibrous-rooted , rhizomatous and tuberous-rooted begonias.  The American Begonia Society (ABS) was born in 1932 during the economic depression. Begonia semperfloren...