bliss on sunset.com

Thanks to Sunset for including a Bliss garden on the gardening homepage!  See “Savvy in every Season” at www.sunset.com/garden.

plant salvage

A development project in my town recently got me thinking about plant salvage.  The project in question involves the removal of existing landscaping around a parking lot, some of which is native, and certainly salvageable.  There are also hardscape elements that can be reused - such as well aged boulders.   I also come across this in my work where an existing garden is being renovated, and many of the plants are going  be replaced or at a minimum divided and thinned.   I always think – there has got to be someone who would love to have these plants.  The question is…who?  For homes scheduled for demolition, there are organizations you can call in to strip the home to reduce the material going into landfill and to reuse the materials.  What is the landscaping equivalent?

Connecting the developers with the folks that are willing to salvage and remove the plants is the solution.  For native plants, I was happy to find a wealth of organizations here in Western Washington that salvage native plants for reuse simply by googling “plant salvage.”  If you are building a new home or commercial development, the following organizations may be interested in salvaging plants from your property.  For any sustainable construction/development, native plant salvage should be on the agenda:

King County Native Plant Salvage:  ww.kingcounty.gov/environment/stewardship/volunteer/plant-salvage-program.aspx

Snohomish County Native Plant Program:  www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Public_Works/Divisions/SWM/Work_Areas/Outreach/Native_Plants/event.htm

Native Plant Salvage Foundation (Thurston County): www.nativeplantsalvage.org/about.php

Mercer Island Native Plant Salvage: www.miparks.org/salvage.htm

Native Plant Salvage Alliance (Pierce County): http://www.ssstewardship.org/salvage_guide.htm

Also, Sound Native Plants has posted this handy information sheet with tips for salvaging natives in Western Washington:

http://www.soundnativeplants.com/PDF/Salvage.pdf

 For non-native salvage, there may not be as much infrastructure, however there are still some options:

1) craigslist: A friend shared with me his success story about revamping his garden.  He placed mature rhodies, arborvitae and large boulders on craigslist for free and found happy recipients for all, some of whom gave a hand to the removal process.  It’s a worth a try. 

2) Master Gardeners:  Master Gardeners often host plant sales – and the plant material sold is generally donated.  If the timing is right for a sale, there may be interest in salvaging plants.

2) Local gardening clubs:   Gardeners love new plants, and know to come prepared to pot. 

3) Landscapers:  Ditto above, except these folks have equipment for those larger specimens. 

4) Your gardening friends:  Have a open day with the mantra ….”bring shovel, soil and pots” and you can provide the treats. 

While returning plants to the earth (e.g. composting) may not have quite the same impact as construction materials in landfill, there are still resources expended with producing ornamentals for sale, and certainly mounds of merit in saving native plants from the chopping block.  I know I am definitely going to think of all the ways to salvage plants when possible, and certainly will encourage the folks I know to do so as well. 

Remember – if this is your own garden, this work is better done in the cooler seasons.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, fall is an ideal time to transplant trees and shrubs.  When transplanting, make sure to get as much of the root ball as possible, and remind those transplanting that even though we may be getting more rain now, the plants will need plenty of water going in and continued watering until we have reliable rain in winter.  For extra large specimens, consider root pruning in advance to reduce shock.

midsummer makeover

I have just returned from a week at my parents’ house in California.  I always enjoy being away from the garden for a bit, then gauging my immediate reaction when I return.  This time, my gut response was claustrophobia.  I may feel this way because my folks are high up with a wide open view of the ocean, while we are nestled in a hollow with tall trees all around…or it could be the usual mid summer overgrown state of the garden that needs an intervention.  Not one to let the plants grow under my feet, I headed outside and started whacking. 

I enjoy the midsummer cutbacks.  Just when I am beginning to feel the garden is tired (or maybe that’s just me) a thorough groom and cutback refreshes the garden.  One good round at this time of the growing season will improve the health of the plants by getting rid of dead weight, increasing air circulation and will encourage some repeat blooms.  It also can hold the structure of the garden until late fall.   At first, it seems a little bare to go from the overwhelming abundance to a cleaner look, but you will appreciate this effort a few weeks down the road when the plants start to fill back in with fresh foliage, instead of letting them burn up their energy supporting dead weight.  First I whacked back the Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’ and Geranium ‘Brookside’ which just completed it’s bloom.  I gave all my Heuchera a solid groom to pull out dead or dying foliage and encourage air circulation at the base.  I pulled out the spent blooms from the groundcover Campanula ‘Birch Hybrid’ and I did some judicious pruning of piggy plants that were threatening to swallow up less aggressive neighbors or were splayed out at weird angles.  Lastly, I swapped a leggy sedum in a small pot for some sempervirens.  As a general rule, I leave interesting seed heads and spent grass inflorescence as long as possible into winter, so these are spared at this time.  The garden already looks renewed.  Up next will be taking all the euphorbia back that have not yet been cut, more nepeta and geranium whack back and a few other odds and ends.  When this round of work is done, I will likely have hauled 10 wheel barrel loads of debris.  This sets the stage for the late summer bloomers that are coming on such as persicaria, sedum and astilbe chinensis and also allows me to get more enjoyment out of the garden.

If your temperatures are as high as ours right now (100 degrees) wait until cooler weather arrives or do the work in the morning or evening.  Happy whacking!

at the peak

cool furniture alert

I am always on the hunt for garden goodies to add to my design line up for clients.  I generally find it necessary to purchase at least one for myself to have on hand to show clients.  This has led to Adam declaring that there is no way we could fit any more pots in the garden.  Since then, I have added three. 

Recently, I have been looking for a bench that doubles as a sculpture.  Preferably, you would not be sure what category it would fall into.  In my quest, I came across a company based out of California called that has outstanding modern design in sustainably harvested teak for comparatively reasonable prices.  Check them out:

www.makufurniture.com

Will definitely be adding their line of furniture to my designs.  And perhaps a sculpture/bench to my garden…

Maku bench

are we there yet?

Every summer, I ponder changes that I will make in fall.  I consider what has worked, what has not worked, and what has just gotten too big for its britches or routinely flops rudely on its neighbor.  This year, I see that my bog garden has become too strongly dominated by grass and grass like texture as the Carex and Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ have filled in over the past three years.  I know that this would be balanced by replacing a mass of the Carex with a mass of Primula japonica.  The Primula has such nice bold leaves, not to mention the fact that it is site appropriate both culturally and aesthetically.  I casually mention this change to Adam, who looks at me, obviously concerned, and says, “I thought this area was done.”  Ah, well, hmmmm – for those of you that garden, you know the answer.  A garden is never truly done, which is the beauty of gardening.  Perhaps a landscape can be if it consists of hardscape and a few well placed pots.   However a garden is a mutable art, changing year to year, often depending on the weather and care – - and it is under the hand of a great editor that a garden will truly become special.   

Summer is a fabulous time to both congratulate yourself (and Mother Nature) for the successes and also take notes on what to change when the cooler weather arrives.  Unless something is positively driving you nuts (eg plant at front door splaying open at center and over path in most ungracious manner), wait until fall or next spring to make those changes.  I keep a running list on the computer – a journal would work well too.  Then, come fall, when things have changed in spades, I am not trying to recall what wasn’t quite right in June. 

Remember – a planting that is not working is not a failure…it’s an opportunity.  We all have learned from our mistakes and if you are willing to take risks with plant combinations, you will more likely get fabulous results than failures.  If the issue is cultural, that is fairly straight forward.  Make sure you really understand the conditions and select plants that will thrive in those available.  Conditions also change over time – for instance, trees and shrubs grow and create new shady spots…it’s best to go with the flow rather than fight it.  An opportunity to try that hosta you have been eyeing.  If it’s an aesthetic issue, observe the planting over time – sometimes those awkward phases take care of themselves.  If it does not resolve itself, but you can’t quite put your finger on what is wrong,  step back and look closely at color, texture, form, layering etc to see what is not quite working.  Consider whether the plants are just too different culturally to make sense…I am not one to always follow rules when it comes to plant combinations, but some things just look weird together like lavender with sun tolerant woodlanders.  Don’t do it.  I recently saw a municipal planting of lewisia, lavender and salal which made me shudder.  I know why they did it – probably a specification that required drought tolerant plants and a certain percentage of natives in a sunny, exposed spot and voila – this palette was dreamed up.  It’s akin to drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth…ewww.  I also find many gardens have too much fine texture which gives a cluttered feeling, and can benefit from some bold leaves.  You don’t need to gamble with marginally hardy tropicals to get this - there are some fantastic foliage plants such as ornamental rhubarb (Rheum) and the Heuchera x villosas that lend themselves well to many settings and provide bold foliage (‘Brownies’ is my favorite – takes sun in stride and prefers dryer conditions.  New growth looks like cast bronze). 

So get out there and enjoy the summer garden that you have earned, but quietly keep notes on your next garden adventure…

Heuchera x villosa 'Brownies' and echeveria

water, please

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we can hardly complain about the heat.  In fact, it’s a taboo subject in my household where Adam is a bit of a lizard when it comes to the sun, and I would be one of those nocturnal animals with the huge eyes (OK, at least that is what he told me today when I was moaning about the heat).  Truth be told, my people were not meant to be in the sun and if it’s hot, I am somewhat house or shade bound from 11am – 2pm.  No, I am not a vampire, but I am a red head with very fair skin.  Given this, I can empathize when my plants wilt in the sun.  Perhaps because of my own sun/heat issues, I am a chronic over waterer…even at the first sign of stress, I am there, trusty wand in hand, to save my poor plant.  I think it makes me feel cooler to see the water soak into the soil.  This is not always what is best for the plant.  In fact, some midday wilting is normal on hot days.  My over eager watering has sent a few heuchera south with edema, and certainly creates a more slug friendly environment.  However, in my quest for the perfectly irrigated garden, I have picked up a few tips & tricks to share with you.

Tree gator Jr:  This is a handy little device for new trees or shrubs.  I first came across these in downtown Seattle on newly planted trees.  It looks like a giant doughnut, and holds 15 gallons of water with a slow drip system underneath.  It’s hard to give new trees enough water during their first summer.  You can stand with the nozzle on soak for what seems like forever, but it’s never enough. The gator helps.  Be sure to peel it back every few weeks to air out underneath, and if you have some prize hostas near by – be aware that underneath the gator is a 5 star slug hotel. www.gardenhomedirect.com/Treegator-Jr-PRO-15-Gallon-Slow-Release-Watering-Bag_p_4.html  If you want to go with the ultra cheap and ”green” subtitute, take a large recycled bucket (for instance an empty kitty litter tub) and drill two holes in the bottom.  Place said bucket over tree roots.  Fill.  Voila.

The magic wand: By now, as a gardener, you have probably learned that you need to water the roots, not the leaves.  The best way to do this is with a watering wand.  I like the Dramm wand.  The water comes out in a nice soft flow that does not blast or compact the soil.  There even is an extension option for those hard to reach spots…www.gemplers.com/product/G48843/Commercial-grade-30-Aluminum-Dramm-Rain-Wand.

Rapid Reel:  I have not purchased this yet (it’s on my gift list), however it was  just installed at a client’s and I am very impressed.  It’s is a bit on the expensive side, but if you do a lot of hand watering…this is without question the way to go.  The hose unreels like a dream and does not kink on you.  The house mount is a handsome and low profile brushed bronze.  Kiss those horrible plastic hose reels goodbye…www.rapidreel.com/Category/1/Garden-Hoses-and-Reels.aspx 

Going off the deep end:  Rather than giving your plants frequent and shallow waterings, water deeply and less often.  This encourages your plants to set deep roots, which over time will minimize your watering burden.  Remember with new plants, you need to keep that small root ball well watered, so frequent watering with the new recruits is essential through the first summer.   

Minimize the sprinkle: I admit, I sometimes resort to the ”sprinkle” if I am short on time or just fed up with watering.  However, you will never get the accuracy and delivery with an overhead sprinkler that you have with hand watering.  I also prefer hand watering because it forces me to check up on my plants at close range.  With overhead, you end up watering a large area where plants might not be…today at least.  This excess water feeds the weed cycle.  Overhead watering also flattens your plants and encourages some diseases.  Use it sparingly.   

Rinse, Repeat:  If you have to water on a slope, you will find once the soil dries, the water just runs off…usually carrying your compost with it.  This is much worse if you are dealing with compacted soil, such as clay (to address this, see below note “compost”).  I have found if you spray the entire area with a gentle shower of water before soaking each individual plant, the water will absorb into the soil more easily. 

‘Til death do us part: Commitment.  That is what I am looking for from clients during the first summer of a newly installed garden.  The party line:  Be prepared to water, water and water some more for the first 2 summers.  By the third summer, assuming you have not been playing plant Tetris (my favorite), the plants should be well established.  If hand watering is too much for a client or a garden too large, I encourage installation of a drip system.  This is not a fool proof solution, plants still need to be checked on a regular basis.

Compost:  Yes, I can work this into just about any blog post.  Seriously though – it helps watering.  It locks in moisture and opens up soil making it easier for water to penetrate…sounds like a contradiction, but it’s true.  Use it.

Eeek the sun!

PS – adding a post script to this entry….do mix in drought tolerant plants.  In my own garden, I opted to not do auto irrigation due to the conditions and how I garden.  This is also made possible by the fact that I have selected many plants that are drought tolerant.  This does not mean classic xeriscaping, though I personally love this look, but you will find many of your favorite perennials and shrubs are actually quite drought tolerant.  Knowing what conditions each plant needs, and using this to your advantage will both reduce and improve your irrigation.

slugs, part deux

hmmm, it appears I spoke too soon (reference last post where I somewhat arrogantly stated that they seemed to be lower in numbers in my garden this spring).  Whoops.  They’re baaaaack.  Like lumbering beasts out of a sci fi horror movie, they have appeared in droves to quietly, yet very effectively, destroy my lush new growth.  If only we could train them to eat weeds or blackberry, like the ruminants for rent, you could have a band of mollusks making quick work of the things you don’t want instead of your hostas.  Oddly enough, this year they are really interested in my ‘Crimson Pygmy’ (Berberis thunbergii)…go figure.  Meanwhile the hosta are untouched.  I think this has more to do with harborage (aka slug hideaways) close by in the form of a large rock wall than vegetative preference.  I must admit, seeing the slugs dangling from the barbed barberry branches was quite interesting.   

As an organic gardener, I won’t use the highly effective slug poisons – mainly because they are toxic to all living creatures.  I just don’t want that stuff around my garden.  However, I have recently opened a dark chapter in my life and resorted to slug dismemberment.  I think Adam has finally gotten over seeing me I eagerly make morning and evening rounds with the scissors.  I often leave the bodies as a warning to the other slugs of the brutal punishment that awaits (ok…so they just eat their dead friends). This year, I may offer a more humane option - death by intoxication.  I have found slugs are not discerning creatures – so the cheaper the beer, the better (speaking of which, whatever happened to generic “BEER”…. )  While I might supplement this with the more expensive Sluggo ( somewhat controversial “organic” method), the birds will, no doubt, steal it.  Per the label, it will not harm them, but shouldn’t they be eating something more nutritious? 

All that said – my favorite ways to cut down on slugs:

1) Slug scissor patrol – this is very effective if you can stomach it – be sure to go out whenever there is a damp morning and evening.  Yes, this means pretty much every day during the average Pac NW spring. 

2) Reduce harborage – yes, I agree, this is nearly impossible in a garden.  So many places to hide!   Lawns are ideal harborage and seem to create a much larger slug population…so if you are thinking of reducing or eliminating your lawn – this is another great reason

3) Beer (for the slugs, not you) – you don’t have to use ugly containers either…while I am not into to garden chotchkies – I love form + function.  These little soapstone mushrooms do double duty as beer holders www.gardeners.com/Slug-Traps-Set-of-two/SnailsSlugsGrubs_Cat,37-458,default,cp.html.  Works for me.  Here sluggy sluggy….

Below are the plants my resident slugs like best:

Primula japonica
Kirengeshoma
Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ - eaten down to nubs
Sedum ‘Xenox’
Chasmanthium latifolium (only new shoots)
And the award this year goes to: Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’ – weird, I know.  I may need some photo evidence…so far no one believes me
(You will note that my Hosta ['Halcyon' and 'Elegans'] are not on the list….these heavy blue ones fare well)

It is war, and I suspect the slugs will win.

spring fever

Ah yes spring…a gorgeous time of year…and a very busy time for folks in the gardening industry.  I feel like I have been going non stop for the past 2 months (probably because I have) – although I did find time to give myself a concussion a few weeks ago (pesky garden gate in the way of my head). 

Spring in the Pacific Northwest has been a wee bit unusual this year.  It literally went from winter to spring overnight a few weeks ago when we went from 40s to high 60s and the soil warmed.  It seemed that the plant growth could be measured in inches after that warm up.  While I have been busy designing and installing other gardens, mine has been steadily growing and some of my early spring tasks are definitely in order now (like replacing squashed Phormium). 

In other news, I am also happy to report that my slug population seems to be smaller this year.   Could it have been the dutiful slug massacre that I performed every morning last spring?  Scissors in hand…yep – it is gross.  The only places I have found them is hiding under the flats of plants waiting for delivery to clients…which brings me to a funny story.  While slugs have not been in my garden, they have been in other unusual places.  After hauling plants for several weeks straight, Adam called me out to the car the other morning to show me something “interesting.”  Apparently a slug had hitched a ride on a plant into the car, then, in his attempt to find his happy slugdom out in the garden, he slithered all over the back of the car checking out every nook and cranny (evidenced by the lovely slime trail).  It was actually funny to see where he went.  He could still be in there, who knows.  My poor Subaru has suffered much in this business.

A brief entry since I have to put together tomorrow’s work plan.  I hope spring finds you out in the garden enjoying the fresh growth and renewal! 

plantopia...a weekend of plant layout

sunset blog

Thanks to Jim McCausland & Sunset for recently including Bliss in their ‘fresh dirt’ blog.  Check it out:

http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2009/03/from-ditch-to-delight.html

#@*&##&

I awoke this morning to exclamations from Adam which I will not repeat, as he watched the giant snowflakes falling.  He just got his bad weather bicycle back yesterday after a 4 month Frankenstein operation at the bike shop which entailed replacement of a cracked frame (warranty, thank you Fuji) and a variety of other repairs and parts procured from far away places.  This has been the subject of much distress in our house – the lack of a winter bike…in winter.  However, the bike is now bionic.  Bionic or not, you can’t ride in slushy snow, and hence the unhappy husband.  When I saw the snow, I merely sighed as this has been a repetitive sight this winter.  And just as I think it could not possibly snow again (we are only at 130′ so the odds are lower), it does. 

Losses have been significant for our garden this winter, even though I don’t push the zonal envelope that much – I am too lazy in my garden and refuse to commit my clients to additional work (& heartache) unless they request something.  The weight of the snow in December did far more damage than the repeated hard freezes.  My Phormium are completely flat (3 mature ‘Sundowner’; 3 mature ‘Platt’s Black’ – squashed).  I already have 3 new ‘Platt’s Black’ lined up in protected storage, waiting for the frost threat to be over – from a grower’s sale, greenhoused over the winter.  The old ones will be cut back, pulled and potted with hopes for recovery – though they will look pretty bad in the meantime.  I have a pathetic Juniperus virginiana ‘Blue Arrow’ that looks like an spindly stick figure with arms waving all around…I brushed him off after every heavy snow but it did not take much to disfigure.  He is currently wrapped to encourage return to usual form.  The Pieris japonica ‘Flaming Silver’ suffered frost burns in December and are now shedding the leaves.   Countless Euphorbia (wulfenii, martinii) are flat.   Losses due to the hard freezes include several mature Anemanthele lessoniana.  I love this grass so I will continue to use it, though I am growing closer to considering it an annual.  Even if it does not die, it can look pretty bad after repeated drops into the 20s.  Cutting it back to the ground can fast forward death, and if not, it takes too long to recover.  I also lost over 80% of my relatively large (4′) Protanthera rotundifolia…no big surprise here.  Before the freeze/snow events in December, I swaddled it in 3 layers of reemay, secured to the ground.  It was not enough.  Last summer, when some nursery folks toured the garden, it was in full bloom and they could not believe it had survived long enough to grow that large.  I was smart enough to attribute its longevity to chance and not any prowess on my part.  I won’t be replacing that one in that position.  It will be pulled, pruned and potted with cuttings taken for insurance.  They do not like hard pruning, so not counting on survival of the parent.  Several Carex tenuiculmis ‘Cappuccino’ look pretty ratty – these are on the edge too for those really low temps we saw, and while not dead, some will be replaced.  Generally I brush these out with a small wire rake and trim the dead ends.  Once new growth comes in, I assess.   

A few other issues here and there – Pinus heldreichii and Juniperus scopulorum ‘Moonglow’ are a little wide and weird, but the weathered form adds some character.  Seems like most other things are coming back, albeit slowly, and I was happy to see that covering the Corylopsis (spicata and pauciflora) during last week’s freeze seems to have spared the opening flowers. 

It’s raining now, and today’s white stuff should be gone by the evening.  Maybe we will see warmer spring weather soon.

Hopefully this winter has not done too much damage in your garden.  Take heart that you are not alone – we have all suffered.  I grieved in December, then decided it was an opportunity to try some new things.  Just doing my part to keep the local nurseries and growers in business.  Onward…

pathetic