All the Dirt on Gardening

Bottlebursh Buckeye Cold hardy in zones 4 to 8, Bottlebrush Buckeye is a lovely addition to shade and rain gardens. Paige Nugent at A Girl in Her Garden said, "It holds dark green leaves in the summer and throws up white flower spikes over them in June to July. Unlike other buckeyes, it holds its leaves well into autumn when they turn a brilliant yellow. Late summer it makes buckeyes which begin by looking like bright yellow spiky pears on the plant. The seed is poisonous to humans so don’t try it as a snack."  Bottlebrush Buckeye is a southern native but can do pretty well in zone 4 or 5 climates with care, especially supplemental water during our drought months. Our shrub came from a home vendor at the farmer's market in Fayetteville , Arkansas. He dug it out of his back woods so I'm confident in saying it is not a hybrid  of the native variety. It's in its third year with us and this is the first year it has made such a nice flower. The first two y...

A gardening friend brought some of his Strawberry Begonia plants to an event we had here for fellow gardeners. I was dubious. He has full time gardeners. We have two retired people who are doing and learning as fast as they can - us. No helpers to weed, water, fertilize, etc. So I planted them in two locations to see if they would survive. They all did. In both locations. Without any special care or winter protection. Their range in the US is limited to zones 6 to 9 but like Impatiens and other Begonias we plant outside for the summer, they can be dug and divided to be protected over the winter and put back outside for the summer. From Asia originally, they prefer moist spots, spread across the ground with runners and tiny plantlets. Those delicate red runners and tiny plantlets really show off to advantage in a hanging container. Overwatering and too much sun will make Strawberry Begonias suffer so be sure the spot or pot is well-drained and out of full sun. GardenDaze One...

 Beautiful blue flowers are on the Polemonium reptans in the shade garden. Planted just a year ago, they emerged this spring a little larger than when they came out of the pots. The flowers have lasted a week so far. They are native to MO and are seen throughout the eastern US. They are cold hardy in zones 3 to 8. My hope is that they like where they are planted enough to make and spread seed all over that bed! In colder zones they prefer full sun but here in zone 7 they definitely need a shady spot. Plant them in  a place that stays moist from humus rather than from being watered all the time. Its other name, Creeping Jacob's Ladder imply that it spreads by stolons but they do not spread by underground growth. The Jacob's Ladder name comes from the arrangement of the leaves that resemble the rungs of a ladder. In nature they thrive in woods and along streams. While they have no insect or disease problems they can be killed if their roots stand in water or if the...

News from the online Trillium and Woodland Plants conversation is that the 2008 Trillium Symposium will be April 17 to 19 and enrollment is limited to the first 200 who register. The workshops and seminars will feature the conservation and propagation of trilliums on the east coast of the US. If you do not grow Trilliums yet, click on this link to see beautiful photographs of them. The Minnesota nursery, Specialty Perennials sells seed and has dozens of links to more wonderful photos at this link . Once you see Trillium photos, you will realize how often you have enjoyed them in shade gardens. Companion plants that want similar growing conditions include spiderwort , bleeding heart, green dragon arum, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, woodland phlox, columbine and Virginia Bluebells. The Symposium is $195 if registration is received by Jan 31, 2008. A member of the same plant family, Toad Lilies grow well in my shade garden. The ones I purchased as plants from Bluestone Perennials bloomed th...