Saturday, March 8, 2014

Native Plants for the Cottage Garden

Ten Bold Native Plants to Update Grannys Cottage Garden

I recently read a great article in the British Gardens Illustrated magazine that took a fresh look at plants for the traditional cottage garden. I’ve always had a soft spot for cottage gardens, as they are one garden archetype that adapts as well for small American gardens as it does for British ones. Plus, the charming jumble of perennials and shrubs is a truly sustainable model for American gardens. It made me think: can we create an American cottage garden out of a purely native palette?

The answer is a resounding “yes”. American gardeners can have all the advantages of a cottage garden—the romantic appeal, the low maintenance, and the goopy prettiness of it all—with a wildlife-friendly native mix.

The key to designing a successful cottage garden is to create the appearance of abundance in small spaces. Good cottage gardens recall moments of rural landscapes: loose grasses, towering ubellifers, and architectural spires. Here a few design principles for creating a cottage garden:

1. Create volume with herbaceous plants. Good cottage gardens overflow with a voluminous massing of pernnials, grasses, and shrubs. The actual mix of species is less important than creating mass and volume within planting beds.  Americans are notoriously bad at creating this kind of massing.  If you can see mulch in your beds, your plants are too far apart. And don’t use groundcovers; cottage gardens need full, heaping beds of plants that spill over the edges.  As a rule of thumb, use plants that are two to four feet tall on average with accent perennials that reach for the sky.

2. Use a high percentage of filler plants: The trick to making a cottage garden look good year-round is to rely on a base of filler plants. Filler plants are those that lack a distinctive shape and fill in around other plants. Think about baby’s breath in a bouquet of roses. Use ornamental grasses like Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis), or cloudy perennials like Boltonia (Boltonia asteroides) as a base, and then dot in drifts of taller structural plants like Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum). The filler plants typically look good year round and create a backdrop to contrast the real stars of the cottage garden: the structural perennials.

3. Mix a variety of structural flower types: Perhaps the most recognizable feature of cottage gardens are the distinctive mix of  flower types. There’s nothing quite as romantic as a richly layered composition of architectural spires (like Baptisia), button shaped flowers (like Monarda), feathery plumes (like Aruncus), statuesque umbels (like Heracleum), and the bright daisies (like Rudbeckia).

And now, what shall we plant? If you follow the design principles above, the truly great advantage of cottage gardens is that there’s a lot of flexibility about what species you select. Here are some native plants that would be ideal for creating the cottage garden effect.

NATIVE PLANTS FOR THE COTTAGE GARDEN:

1. Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis): The colorful spires of Wild Indigo have much of the romantic effect that Foxgloves or Hollyhocks had in the English cottage garden. Used in the back of the border, Wild Indigo doubles as both a filler plant (when not in bloom) and a structural plant (when in bloom). The plant also fixes nitrogen in the soil, actually improves the fertility of your planting beds. If you like yellow in the garden, the cultivar ‘Carolina Moonlight’ is spectacular.

2. Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata): Nothing says grandmother’s garden like the billowing blooms of garden phlox. This sweet, upright perennial reaches 3-4 feet tall, and blooms in late summer when many other perennials are spent. Great for butterflies or hummingbirds. Try some of the newer mildew-resistant cultivars like ‘David’ or ‘Katherine’.

3. Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus): The great William Robinson called Goatsbeard “perhaps the finest plant for the wild garden,” and I would have to agree. This edge-of-the-woods native can handle light shade or full sun if kept moist (if you live in the deep South, keep it in the shade).  In early June, the tangle of raspberry-like foliage erupts into stately cream-colored plumes. Allan Armitage claims that the males are more sought after than the females because they produce fuller blooms, but either is great in the garden.  When its happy, it can grow as tall as five feet, but its usually closer to three to four feet tall.  No fence line is complete without this versatile forb.



4. Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium dubium ‘Little Joe’): Butterflies can’t resist these big clusters of mauve-pink flowers, especially Swallowtails and Monarchs. ‘Little Joe’ is a more compact cultivar (4-5’) ideal for small gardens. It’s less likely to top over than the sprawling species. Little Joe can handle light shade better than the species, although it does best in sunny, moist soils in the back of the border. This cultivar has all the intense color that Gateway has.

5. White Dome Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘White Dome’): No cottage garden is complete without a hydgrangea. I like Hydrangea arborescens species because it grows more like a loose perennial than the native Oakleaf hydrangea. The large, flat disks of the cultivar ‘White Dome’ are better suited to the wilder look of a cottage garden than the goopy ‘Annabelle’ cultivar. The lacy white disks highlight the best aspects of the native species while at the same time giving it a bit of that Victorian charm.  ‘White Dome’ also dries beautifully in the winter.


6.  Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum): One of the most overlooked native flowers for the garden is the common Cow Parnsip.  Easily confused with the non-native Queen Annes Lace (Cow Parsley for you Brits), Heracleum maximum is a dreamy addition to the cottage garden border.  This is the only member of the Hogweed genus native to North America.  In early summer, hummocks of architectural foliage emerge out of the base of the plant, providing a great textural contrast to finer textured perennials and grasses.  Lightly fragrant umbels unfold in late June.  Plant in groups of three of five in the midst of finer textured grasses like Sporobolus or Deschampsia flexuosa for a truly expansive effect.


7.  Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris): I fell in love with this plant while wading through the swamps of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  The blackgum swamps were about the last place in the world I expected to see a rose, not to mention one as showy as this one is in June.  But there it was, loaded with single pink flowers that attracted a cloud of native bees.  The graceful, arching habit of the shrub was as appealing as the blooms, and bright orange rose hips and brilliant red fall color are some of the other advantages this rose has over its exotic counterparts.  If youve had trouble raising roses because of damp soil, this plant is your answer. 


8.  Culvers Root (Veronicastrum virginicum): This perennial is a flat-out show stopper, dispelling the myth that native plants are not as showy as their exotic counterparts.  Culvers Root looks like a Veronica on steroids.  Slender white spikes that look like a candelbra crown strikingly upright stems.  It blooms for up to eight weeks in mid-July and will last as long as ten days in a vase. This plant is highly effective in the back of the border where it can be mixed with taller shrubs and grasses.  Plant in clumps of seven or more for a truly dramatic effect.  Culvers Root loves moist soil but will tolerate some drought once it is established.  Newer cultivars like the lavender-colored Fascination and pinky lilac Apollo will make you wonder why you ever even bothered with Foxgloves.

9.  Wavy Hair Grass (Deschampsia flexuosa): Every cottage garden needs grasses.  I dont care how smitten you are with blooms, you must make room in those beds for light catching grasses like Wavy Hair Grass.  Low grasses like these are essential in giving small gardens that expansive effect, recalling larger rural landscapes like meadows or pastures.  This particular grass is a delightful and elegant native that thrives in full hot sun or dry shade.  It can even withstand the heat and humidity of the mid-Atlantic and deep South unlike its better known cousin Deschampsia caespitosa.  In spring it is topped with feathery inflorescences that capture and hold light and sway sleepily in the breeze.  Incredibly tough and attractive year-round.

10.  Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum): My former mentor Wolfgang Oehme introduced me to this plant several years ago, and since then, it has become one of my favorite plants.  This plant is easy to overlook at first, but it will quickly become one of your most effective garden plant.  This waist-high perennial is tolerant of wet or dry, sun or shade.  And its incredibly vigorous, slowly spreading and filling in between gaps.  Mountain Mints silvery bracts make it a lovely foil to more brightly colored roses or perennials.  This wonderfully aromatic plant is one of the best nectar sources for native butterflies.  So when you plant it, you feel good about all the life you helped to sustain.  Plus, it makes you look good.  Whenever one of my perennial experiments does not work, or I get stuck with a problem spot in the garden, I place Mountain Mint in that spot and it almost always solves the problem. 


11.  Great Coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima): Every year I fall a bit more in love with this plant.  The king of all black-eyed susans, this Rudbeckia grows six to seven feet in height, creating a spectacle that will surely draw comments from your neighbors.  Huge powder blue leaves cover the bottom 1/3 of this plant, adding a cool contrast to green grasses or warm colored perennials.   In June and July spikes explode with large deep drooping ray flowers with a dark black center.  Goldfinches loves snacking on the seeds in late summer.  Its easy to develop a relationship with this human-sized plant.  Interplant this among low grasses or filler perennials.

Ok, gardeners, those are my top picks.  What other American natives am I leaving out that would be perfect for the cottage garden? 

Friday, March 7, 2014

Have you found Warming Trends on Houzz com yet

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Forage Oakland

If you follow Bloggers Blog Of Note youll probably have already read about this great idea, and even though its a rather tenuous link to the world of Landscape Design, I thought it was worth a mention.

Asiya Wadud has started a movement called Forage Oakland - the idea being that people would get together in their neighbourhoods to forage for produce from gardens, that would otherwise go to waste. She puts it far more elegantly in her manifesto, and is definitely worth reading.

I love the idea of taking such an ancient method of survival, and bringing it back into todays context as a solution to some of the problems that we face in society at the moment. I hope the idea catches on.

Small Yard Landscape Design



Small Yard Landscape Design

Small Yard Landscape Designwww.landscapingnetwork.com This small backyard was redesigned to fit landscape walls, a pond, raised vegetable gardens, a metal patio cover and ...

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Naranjilla

Solanum quitoensis ( Naranjilla )

A straggly shrub, reaching a maximum size of 10 x 7 feet, that is native to South America, north to Costa Rica. It is most common in southern Columbia, Ecuador and Peru. Naranjilla plants are usually not spiny, except for clones originating in the mountains of Costa Rica which are spiny. They are rapid growing if given an abundance of fertilizer once a month. They prefer tropical highland climates with 60 + inches of rainfall in a year and average monthly temperatures from 63 to 66 F throughout the year. The Naranjilla does not like temperatures above 85 F and prefers light or partial shade on humus-rich, fertile, well drained soil though tolerating stony soil as well. They prefer a site where there are large trees to protect them from excessive wind but not close enough to compete with the roots.

The large, angular-lobed leaves, up to 20 inches in length, are bright green and sometimes tinted purple. The leaves and the stems are densely fine hairy.

It is grown for its attractive foliage outdoors during summer or in greenhouses in temperate climates but will not fruit there.

The fragrant, white flowers, up to 1.2 inches across, are borne in clusters.

They are followed by fruits, up to 1.5 ( 2.5 inches in spiny Costa Rica form ) inches across, that resemble the related Tomato. The fruits have leathery, orange skin and green flesh. The juicy, tasty ( lemony-pineapple tasting ) fruits can be eaten but only after the brown hairy coat is washed off and the calyx removed ( the calyx will usually naturally separate when ripened ). The fruit from commercially grown plants is usually harvested before fully ripened so that they last longer during shipping.

Fruiting begins at about 10 months of age when grown from seed. The Naranjilla will continue to bear fruit until 4 to 7 years of age depending upon growing conditions.

Healthy plants bear a maximum of 150 fruits in a year, typically closer to 100.

Everbearing in ideal climates, in Florida they mostly bear fruit only in winter.

Fruits picked when half ripened will store for about 8 days at normal room temperature, up to 2 months refridgerated at 45 F with approx. 80% humidity.

The fruit have many flat, hard seeds up to 0.12 inches across.

Hardy zones 10 to 12. For commercial production it is recommended to plant the Naranjulla in rows so that they are 6 to 8 feet apart. In the tropics it is recommended to plant them in their permanent position during a cloudy day at the start of the rainy season. In monsoon climates with a distinct dry season, irrigation to crops is essential during the dry season.



* photos taken on Aug 20 2011 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD





* photo taken on Aug 25 2011 @ Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore, PA



Garden Bloggers Bloom Day October 2011

The northeastern garden is beautiful in the fall with plumes arising above grasses and shades of gold, crimson and tan emerging in the landscape. It is a transition from summer to winter. The air has a crispness and freshness about it and there are sights and sounds of busy insects and wildlife preparing for the colder months. Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens we are here again to appreciate all that nature has to offer. Come with me as we take a tour of my northeast zone 7 October garden.  

Montgomery Globe Spruce, Hosta and Grasses
The reason I am a gardener is because the garden is constantly changing and there is always something to look forward to. As we walk along the perennial garden the once green foliage of the hosta has turned to amber and the grasses display their delicate wispy plumes against the blue of the Montgomery Spruce in the backdrop.

Salvia Maynight and Visitor

A busy bumblebee gathers pollen from the last of the salvia.



Sedum Brilliant

The Sedum Brilliant has turned from bright pink to orange which is a nice touch for fall.


Stachys (Lambs Ear)
After pruning off the spent flowers of the Lambs Ear its soft white foliage has rejuvenated which adds interest to the perennial bed border. In the backdrop the brilliant golds and reds from the Gold Flame Spirea shine through.   
Perennial Garden in fall
Here is a combination of grasses, hosta, astilbe and lambs ear along with Montgomery Blue Spruce, Spirea and Blue Star Juniper. It is really starting to look Fall-like.
Hosta Flower and Spirea Gold Flame
A lone hosta flower emerges in front of the Gold Flame Spirea in the garden. 



Heuchera Caramel
The Heuchera Caramel is showing a display of new fall foliage.  Caramel is a new addition to my garden this year and is definitely a favorite!

Crape Myrtle in fall

The flower of the Crape Myrtle is done for the season but the beauty of this tree continues as it produces perfectly shaped seed pods on its branches.  The Crape Myrtle keeps its leaves longer than most other trees and soon they will be a vibrant fiery red.

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar, Rosy Glow Barberry, Gold Mop Cypress

This section of the garden has a blend of of gold, crimson and blue. The arching branches of the Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar are really starting to cascade like a waterfall over the Gold Mop Cypress.

Dwarf Fountain Grass Hameln
Here is a close up of a Hameln fountain grass plume...so delicate. The ornamental grasses really make October a time to look forward to.  They are so whimsical in the garden.

Cherry Laurel and Hakonechloa Grass
The rain and mild weather here has sparked some blooms on the Cherry Laurel for an unexpected surprise.

Fall Color:  Grasses, Sedum and Weeping Norway Spruce

More fun with macros with my camera.  This is a close up of grasses and sedum in front of a Weeping Norway Spruce.

Weeping Birch in Fall
The Weeping Birch (Betula pendula Youngii) has a delicate weeping habit and its white bark adds interest in all seasons.  This one is already going into fall mode but the branches will display a nice framework in winter.

Blue Star Juniper, Heuchera and Sedum
Here are blue star juniper, sedum and heuchera.  This garden is visible from my outside patio and there are subtle changes each day as the seasons change.
 
Hydrangea Endless Summer
Last but not least is the Endless Summer Hydrangea.  There are many varieties and each one has its own uniqueness.  The blooms even look nice well into the fall.  They surely add a highlight to this gardeners day!
I hope you have enjoyed the tour of my garden and will come back to visit.   Thank you for stopping by and please be sure to visit our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens who has made Garden Bloggers Bloom Day possible on the 15th of every month throughout the year.   I am also thrilled to be celebrating my 50th blog post on this wonderful Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! 

Happy GBBD and Happy Gardening!

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."- Stanley Horowitz



Author:Lee@ A Guide To Northeastern Gardening Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved