Park Seed Garden Journal

Hostas don't belong in every garden.  Just almost every garden.  Some Hostas, though, are much easier to grow than others.  Hosta 'Patriot's Fire' is definitely one of those ultra-easy Hostas.  It's not too particular about its sun requirements (which is one of the main complaints that I get about some others), and its thick foliage, once mature, will deter all but the most determined slugs and snails (uncommon for a sun-tolerant Hosta).  The plant is perfectly content to have its midsummer blooms cut for arrangements or just left where they are.  The rapid growth of this Hosta ensures that even beginner gardeners will be quickly pleased with their big, lush plant.

The best thing about Hosta 'Patriot's Fire' is the ever-changing color.  The quick changes of foliage color throughout the season ensure a dynamic, interesting garden, especially featuring these beautiful multi-tone leaves that would be interesting even if they were static.  'Patriot's Fire' leafs out in spring in bright gold with a thin picotee (the uneven white line), changing throughout the season as the leaves grow to be heart-shaped, vertically veined foliage about seven inches long.  For interesting (and very low maintenance) beauty in your part shade areas, 'Patriot's Fire' will give any plant a run for its money.

If you're like me, much of your best time in the garden is in the evening.  There are few things more refreshing and relaxing than catching a cool breeze and a drink after a long day at the office, running around doing errands, or caring for children.  Most of us, though, do our gardening primarily in the daylight and forget to take into account how our landscape is different at the end of the day.  Here are a few tips for improving your enjoyment of the evening garden.

• Use Bright Flowers and Foliage.  In the lower light of evening (artificial or otherwise), high contrast between light and dark is key.  Pure white flowers that serve mainly as accents in the daytime can easily be the stars of your moonlit garden.  Bright yellow flowers work nearly as well.  You should also consider using a mix of light and dark foliage.  Many variegated Hosta look even more amazing in low light than they do in the day.
• Entertain Your Other Senses.  With less light to see by, your mind will start to place greater emphasis on your other senses.  Plant subtly fragrant flowers like Lavender to create a relaxing atmosphere, and accent it with the sounds of switchgrass or a water feature.
• Refresh Your Wilted Plants.  In the heat of the day, plants lose much of the water they take in through transpiration.  If they're losing water through their leaves faster than their taking it in through their roots, they will eventually start to wilt.  Misting water over the leaves increases the humidity immediately around them, stopping transpiration and allowing the plant to catch back up.

I spend a great deal of time in the garden, and one side effect of this is a great deal of soreness.  No amount of exercise can prepare you for Spring gardening.  However, a little bit of stretching and warming up before and after your gardening day can make a huge difference in just how sore you are the next day.  It is, of course, important to consult experts (which I am certainly not) before doing any exercise routine, including stretches, but I’ve found that just stretching out a couple of muscle groups in pretty standard ways makes all the difference in the world.  With all stretching,  you want to move slowly and not push your body.  If it hurts, you’re going too far.  Hold each stretch for about 10 seconds.  I start with my legs, doing calf stretches on the edge of a stair one leg at a time (don’t put your weight on the calf you’re stretching, as that can easily lead to a pulled or strained muscle).  I also stretch my hamstrings and lower back with toe-touches, first with my feet together and knees slightly bent, then with my feet just wider than shoulder-width apart.  Stretch your thigh muscles by grabbing one foot at a time and pulling it slowly up behind you toward your rear.  Finally, stretch out your midsection and lower back by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms straight out to the sides and twisting yourself lightly to each side.  With this light stretching and warm-up, you should prevent a lot of muscle soreness and fatigue from a long day in the garden.

One of the best, easiest ways to add season-long interest to your garden is with plants whose foliage is unusual or oddly colored.  One of the best plants for this is Heuchera, or Coral Bells.  Most common garden Heuchera features deep purplish-bronze foliage, but my favorite Coral Bells are the lighter peach-tinted varieties.  The most popular of these has been the Heuchera 'Caramel' for the last several years, and it's a great plant. 

Even better, though, is the new Heuchera 'Christa' (PPAF).  It will thrive in sun or shade (especially in afternoon shade), and the unique peach coloring is accented with a silver dusting that makes 'Christa' absolutely glow.  Because it was bred from native plants, it is extraordinarily well-adapted to North American climates, doing wonderfully in heat and drought.  Plus it's deer-resistant and evergreen in much of the country, so you'll be able to enjoy its spectacular foliage year-round.  It has a tight, compact habit, so it is a nicely tidy plant for neat gardens.  As a great bonus, 'Christa' has lovely creamy pink flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.  Give this unique plant a try: 'Christa' will amaze you.

One of the best things you can do for your local environment is build a small rain garden.  It's amazing how a small, low-maintenance plot of garden can make such a difference.  A rain garden absorbs large amounts of rainwater during storms, filtering it and putting it into the local water table and atmosphere rather than letting it flow unchecked into the water system to cause pollution and flooding downstream.  A well-designed rain garden can allow as much as 30 percent more water to soak into the ground as compared to a conventional lawn.  If your rain garden is carefully placed in the path of downspouts (where a lawn is often difficult to keep healthy, anyway), this can mean a huge difference in how much water is filtered and absorbed into the local water supply.

The term "Rain Garden" refers to a low-lying area that collects water in heavy rains that has been planted with plants that thrive in such conditions.  This can mean something as simple as choosing better-adapted plants to plant in low-lying areas of your landscape that already collect water, or it can be complicated enough to involve soil tests, landscape architects, and serious construction.  Something in the middle is best for most gardeners.  Any rain garden is better than no rain garden: every bit of runoff that you help to be filtered and reabsorbed helps to clean the water in your neighborhood, city, and anywhere downstream and keeps your local water supply healthy and plentiful.

The best rain gardens use a combination of four things to succeed:

• A low-lying area that collects water from the surrounding area and keeps it there long enough to effectively be absorbed
• Mulch to absorb and retain water, as well as to provide organic nutrients to the plants
• Plants that thrive in periods of flood and drought, absorbing and retaining large amounts of water in storm conditions
• Loose soil that allows water to be absorbed and transmitted into the water table.

Most gardeners have a pretty good idea what areas of their landscape already tend to collect water, and those are usually the best places to start your rain garden (though you can redirect rain to other spots).  It's especially good if water from your roof and lawn drain into this area.  It is very important to build your rain garden at least ten feet from any building (also keep it away from large trees and septic tanks or drain fields).  You'll need to dig the soil and loosen it to two feet deep to give the water room to infiltrate (as with any garden project, be aware of underground lines and utilities before digging).  If the soil is clay-like or very dense, you may want to add looser soil to your garden area or even replace the clay entirely.

After loosening the soil  you will now have have excess dirt.  You can just move this to another part of your yard, or you can use it to build a low wall to block water in the rain garden area (this is called a "berm").  Slowing the water further will allow more water to be absorbed and filtered by your rain garden.

There are a variety of beautiful plants that are excellent for rain gardens.  You'll want to choose plants that are tolerant of both standing water and drought.  Some of my favorites are Calla Lilies, Japanese Iris, and Aster.  Black-Eyed Susans and Cannas are some great choices, too.  Where possible, I recommend using native plants, as they are often more adaptable to local conditions.

The last important step is mulching.  The right mulch will prevent erosion, keep the soil moist, and absorb some water itself.  It will also replenish organics in the soil and discourage weeds, which helps to keep your rain garden as low-maintenance as possible.  Mulch your rain garden heavily (two to three inches) with a heavy organic mulch.  Coarse compost is best, as it will float less than wood chips or shreds.  Do not use grass clippings, as they will overfertilize your soil.

Keep in mind that this information is for a small rain garden.  If you're planning a larger garden, you'll want to do more research than what you find here, and possibly even seek out professional help.  Check with your local university extension offices and gardening clubs to find out more: in most areas these groups will be more than happy to help you out.  In many areas where watersheds are particularly threatened or where flooding is a problem, entire neighborhoods have pooled resources to build large rain gardens or many small versions, and this has made a huge difference in their areas.

Daylilies (or Hemerocallis, as most of us call them around here) are some of the best summer bloomers you could ask for.  They're remarkably easy to grow and stand up brilliantly to a variety of difficult garden conditions, including poor soil, cold, heat, humidity, and even drought (which is more and more important to many gardeners each year).  They also are available in a huge variety of colors (both single- and multi-colored varieties), which means that there's a Daylily that works in just about any garden color scheme (for those of you with the restraint to stick to one).  The flowers also vary in petal shape and size, especially in recent years, when hybridizing Hemerocallis has become more widespread than ever.

My favorite trait of Hemerocallis is how they bloom.  Each bloom lasts only one day (thus the name).  The plant blooms more vigorously than all but a few others, though, and each bloom is replaced so quickly that most Daylilies will never be without beautiful blooms throughout their entire flowering season.  And, since they blooms are constantly changing, it makes for one of the most interestingly dynamic plants I've ever experienced.  Your Daylily really is a noticeably different plant each and every day during the bloom season, which can be one of the greatest joys in a summer garden.

I got an email today from a man in Indiana asking when he should prune back his out-of-control Lonicera (Honeysuckle vine)and Trumpet vines.  He knew that both plants are most often pruned during dormancy, and he didn't want to prune too late and kill the plant.
Well, the great thing about both of these vines is that they're remarkably hard to kill once they get going strong.  The best time to prune both is during dormancy, since they grow their flower buds in the spring.  If it's very early after dormancy, you might be able to prune them and still get flowers this year, but I don't recommend it.  However, if you miss pruning them at the best time but still want to cut them back for summer, I would say that cutting them back after they are done blooming should be fine, so long as they are established vines (about two years old should be plenty).