A Few of Our Favorite Fall Bloomers

     A recent visit to Norfolk Botanical Garden provided photo opportunities for several fall-blooming perennials like stately Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium), asters, helianthus and ornamental grasses. It made me think that although the annuals and tropicals were still going strong, fall was definitely around the corner. Savvy gardeners in our area know that this cooler season is not one to be dreaded in the garden. Rather, it provides a kind of "second spring" season that lasts for a few more weeks. A trip now to a garden center will provide ideas for more than just mums for the porch steps.

Helianthus is one of our taller native perennials.

     Helianthus angustifolius is a tall native that becomes a striking fountain of golden daisy-like flowers in early fall. This one can get quite tall, so it's one of the perennials that you should trim back a few times before July 4th to keep it more compact and to get more blooms. Drought tolerant once established, it will also thrive in sunny areas that stay moist for a few days when it rains. Two H. salicifloius cultivars, 'First Light' and 'Low Down', stay shorter and are extremely floriferous. 'Low Down' grows only 18" tall and looks very cute in front of ornamental grasses.

Asters blend well with ornamental grasses.

     Deer-resistant asters (name change alert: Symphyotrichum) are easily available in our area, however many of them are the shorter ones that appear around the time you shop for mums. You can also find taller asters that are wonderful for the back of the border, like the New England, or novae-angliae asters. 'Purple Dome' and hot pink 'Alma Potschke' are popular New England asters. Another species that does well in our area is late-blooming A. oblongifolius 'Raydon's Favorite', and you can check out a clump in our display gardens when you visit. All of the A. dumosus Wood's asters (available in pink and purple shades) do well in our area, too. Tolerant of coastal conditions and black walnut trees, and drought tolerant once established, sources often say that regular watering may head off unsightly powdery mildew problems on these perennials. Full sun is ideal for asters, especially the taller varieties that might lean if they are too shaded.

Joe-Pye Weed and Miscanthus are a nice combination.

     Joe-Pye weed is the common name for Eupatorium maculatum (another name change alert: Eutrochium), a tough native loved by butterflies and avoided by deer. The large flower heads are clusters of smaller flowers, and the color is often described as mauve-pink. You might not be overly fond of the color but the swarms of butterflies that find it irresistible will compensate for that. These late-blooming perennials also provide a great nectar source at a tough time of the year. One of my favorite Eupatoriums is E. coelestinum with its bright lavender-blue flowers. It may be a little rambunctious, but my fall garden would not be the same without it---in several places!

     Butterflies, bees and other wildlife love these late-blooming perennials and will reward the gardener who includes these plants in his design. Visit us soon to see even more noteworthy, lesser-known perennials that will make your fall garden come alive!

Ann Weber    

Arbutus: You Will Only Eat One

     Birthdays can sometimes be a little tricky etiquette-wise. While it is perfectly acceptable and encouraged to tell people what you would like if asked, it's another thing entirely to blurt out what you want without being prompted. Unless of course you really, really want something and are ready to push the manners envelope to get what you want. Such was the case a few years back when I became infatuated with compact arbutus (Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'). I was able to drop a less than subtle hint that this shrub was the only thing on my wish list.

Arbutus flowers in late fall.

     So what's the big attraction? Well for one, being a cold weather hater, I like anything that blooms in the off-season to tempt me out of the warm house. Compact arbutus blooms from late October until sometime in December. The flowers are white, blushed with pink and will remind you of the blooms from arbutus's distant cousins, blueberries and pieris. I think the coolest thing about arbutus is that it flowers at the same time as the fruit from last year's blossoms are ripening, and I know of no other plant that does that. These fruits are very attractive in their own right, starting off green, turning yellow and then bright red-orange. It somewhat resembles a strawberry in color and texture, though not in shape, which is round. This resemblance is where arbutus gets one of its common names, strawberry tree. Besides being attractive the fruit is also edible, but I am not going to tell you it is delicious. The taste is lackluster and reminds me of a mealy, off-flavor blueberry. If you have ever eaten one, then you will know why the second half of its botanical name, "unedo", means "I eat one".  

The fruit of arbutus is more appealing to the eye than the toungue.

     'Compacta' is the most common form of arbutus available, and you can expect it to reach 6-8' tall by 5-6' wide. Another nice feature of this plant is its glossy evergreen foliage and attractive bark. Normally it is a very shrubby plant, but it responds well to being limbed up to expose its slightly contorted trunk and branches. Arbutus does well in sun or shade, is not picky about soils and is quite drought tolerant once established. Part of its drought tolerance comes from a long tap root, which also makes this plant difficult to transplant, so make sure you are happy with the location you have picked for it.  This tolerance of many conditions means they also thrive well here.  You can see for yourself in our display garden where we have beautiful mature specimen.  

Arbutus are very tolerant of Tidewater winters.

     Arbutus is native to parts of the Middle East and Europe along the Mediterranean.  Surprisingly it is also native to southern Ireland, where it is believed to be a surviving relic from the time before the last ice age.  In many regions where it grows arbutus is most often consumed in the form of liquor. The raw fruit's flavor may be bland, but it is high in sucrose and ferments easily. Never underestimate mankind's ability to turn an otherwise insipid fruit into something remarkable to drink. Maybe next year I will drop a subtle hint for a bottle of Medronhos.

 

Les Parks  

 

Gardening Directions: 2012

     Just recently Les and I were able to attend a trade show in New Jersey. This show was in a convention center about the size of two football fields and had absolutely everything a gardener could ask for - and many things most don't even know exist. From all of the offerings we needed to choose the items that will be carried next spring. No small task, but we were up to the challenge. Now it has to be said that Les and I don't always see eye to eye, but when it comes to our customers we agree that only the best will do. So with this in mind we set off on our quest to find the gardening directions and trends for spring 2012.

     The first thing we noticed was the strong presence of organics. It seemed as though every company was offering a line of organics or earth-friendly products. Scotts has come out with a new line and Bayer has brought forth several products as well. Fox Farm (my personal favorite) has added larger sizes of their best sellers to the line. This leads me to believe that organic gardening has moved beyond trend and is here to stay. So don't be surprised when you come into the store next year and see the expanded area for organics and the smaller chemical area.

That's Les holding the shopping cart up while I make some quick calculations.

     Home vegetable gardening also appears here to stay, as well it should be. Everything from containers to raised bed forms were present front and center. In addition to this was the presence of children's tools, clothing, boots and kits for growing small plants. Children always are fascinated by vegetables and plants so I thought this a wonderful addition. What better way to make sure we have gardeners in the future than to start them out young and make it a fun experience so they will continue on as they grow older.

     Speaking of older, we noticed the resurgence of well-made galvanized steel gardening accessories. We loved these and purchased quite a few styles of watering cans, storage containers and tubs. Les and I both think you are going to love them as much as we do. They are American made, and that is hard to find these days.

     Other trends we noticed that were still strong included birding supplies, wind chimes, furniture, outdoor entertaining, cooking and lighting. One new trend we found that fascinated us was Fairy Gardening. We had seen this before on a small scale but it has truly grown over the last year.   This is the art of making miniature gardens in your existing flowerbeds for fairies and gnomes. All of the garden structures are on a very small scale as are the plants used. It is cute, fun and quite entertaining. Les was not ready for this trend, but maybe next year.

     Well, that about does it for this report. I have to get back to "falling" everything up, so I hope to see you in the shop soon and I hope you are as excited about next year as I am.            

Margie Cooper