Out Of Africa and Into Your Living Room

Clivia is a member of the Amaryllis family native to South Africa.

     If I wasn't a gardening magazine/catalogue hoarder you might not be reading an article about this houseplant that was a Victorian favorite. While doing some sorting I came across a holiday catalogue that offered gift plants, and as I thumbed through it before tossing it into the recycler I came across a page featuring Clivia miniata (pronounced Cliv'ia or Clee-via, depending on where you research) in both orange and harder-to-find yellow colors. This South African native was reportedly brought to England in 1854. The name commemorates a former Duchess of Northumberland, an avid gardener who before her marriage was a member of the Clive family. By the way, the old common name of Kaffir Lily has now fallen out of favor.   

     The dark green strap-like foliage is attractive enough on its own, however the reason most people want this amaryllis relative from South Africa is for the bright orange lily-like flowers. Blooms can appear on tall stalks in the late winter and early spring months when anything blooming is a treat. A clivia will grow very well in ordinary home conditions in bright light, however it may fail to bloom year after year if it is kept in a heated room in winter or if specific watering rules are not followed. This is called the winter rest period; and an unheated room (40-50 degrees F), no fertilizer and just enough water to keep it from wilting are just what the doctor orders for flowers to appear.    

A few years ago, several us got to see this massive Clivia with 7 bloom stalks. It was at the Maymont Flower and Garden show in Richmond.

     Wonder when to divide it? Late spring or early summer after the plants have flowered is the best time to divide clivias, however I have read that you shouldn't repot unless the plant is pushing out of its container. A clivia's root system is thick and fleshy which makes for a tangled mess on mature plants. Disentangle theses roots carefully when you are repotting. Like a few other houseplants, bloom is best when their conditions are crowded. One source said most mature plants don't need to be repotted more often than every five years.  

     Clivias can produce seeds but they take about a year to ripen on the plants, and if you don't plan to try sowing them removing them early is recommended because they can sap the energy of the plant. After blooming the plants should be kept warm and moist and given liquid fertilizer occasionally to encourage vigorous growth. Our nursery manager puts his plant outside in a partially-shaded spot for its "summer vacation", and also says he's never noticed any pests bothering it. 

     I believe this would make an interesting holiday gift plant, especially when you can provide some interesting backstory when you present it. In recent years clivias have become very popular plants in the Far East, with Japanese hybridizers concentrating on developing more kinds with variegated foliage. Need further proof of it being held in high esteem? The embalmed body of Chairman Mao is surrounded by potted clivias. Now, isn't there a place of honor for a Clivia miniata in your home?   

Ann Weber 

Grow Your Own

     The title of this article is the new rallying cry for anyone interested in growing their own vegetables for the table, but I like to think it can also be used for anyone interested in growing their own holiday decorations. So for this month's newsletter I thought I could mention some commonly available plants, possibly already growing in your own garden, that can be used to enhance wreaths, swags, table runners and garlands, or you can also enjoy these cuttings in a vase during the holidays.

Loblolly Pine

Arizona Cypress

     For greenery we have lots of options available in Tidewater gardens. One of our more common native trees is the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and the foliage from this plant will last a long time once cut. Loblollies are also a good source for cones which can be used on wreaths, or simply place some into a basket or other container and finish with a festive bow. There is a wealth of other needled evergreens also available for cuttings, including cypress, juniper, cedar and arborvitae. All of these will last quite a while once cut. Many of them come in colors other than green to give your decorations more interest. Here at Smithfield Gardens, one of our favorites is Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica), which we like for its aromatic foliage and its steely-blue color. There are also several needled evergreen varieties that will lend your efforts a touch of gold, such as gold mop cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Gold Mops') and dwarf golden Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea').

Nellie R. Stevens Holly

Gold Mop Cypress

     Some of our more traditional plants associated with the holidays are broadleaf evergreens. Of course, holly (Ilex species) likely comes to mind immediately, and many varieties come with their own ornaments in the form of red berries. Some of the best hollies for berries include Burford, Nellie R. Stevens, Foster and American holly. One of my favorites is winterberry (Ilex verticillata), which by December has no foliage, but the nearly black stems are covered with bright red fruit. Used extensively in Williamsburg-style decorations, another traditional favorite is boxwood (Buxus sempervirens). However, not everyone is fond of the aroma, so boxwood is often relegated to outside-only status, though you could use Asian boxwood (Buxus microphylla) which has no fragrance. Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) leaves are often used to form wreaths, and the cut branches can be used in arrangements or inserted into outdoor planters.

Southern Magnolia

Common Boxwood

     There are other plants quietly growing in local gardens that may not immediately come to mind as potential sources for decorating. Many people grow nandina (Nandina domestica) whose red foliage and red berries can be used. For a twist on traditional, seek out the yellow-berried variety. Gold dust plant (Aucuba japonica 'Variegata') has large dark green leaves speckled with yellow, and female plants have glossy red berries as well. You could also pull up yards of English ivy (Hedera helix) to use as runners or in garland. Believe me, your garden will not miss a few pieces of English ivy. Another vine used extensively just south of here in Edenton, North Carolina, is smilax or Jacksonvine (Smilax smallii). This shade-loving cousin of common catbrier is harvested in the local woods and draped over doorways and around porch columns for the holidays.

Nandina

Aucuba

     As you get your home ready for the holidays, hopefully you can now see your garden in a whole new light during the month of December. If you would like to learn more about these plants, and how to pull them all together, then you should register for the class Jeff Williamson is teaching on Saturday, December 3rd. You can get more details in the Events section of this newsletter.

Les Parks

Make Good Use of Your Fresh Mint Through the Holidays

   I've often heard people lament the fact that they have this abundance of wonderful mint growing unabated in their gardens, (or out of, as mint is wont to do), but aside from drinking Mojitos in gallon size jugs, they have no idea how to make good use of it.

I can definitely offer up a few suggestions for making mint the star ingredient in several ways all by using one basic recipe for mint sugar.

     To make the mint sugar with the greatest ease in the quickest amount of time, use a spice grinder or coffee grinder, like the one pictured here or here. The prices range from $20 up to much higher, but you only need a basic inexpensive one to get the job done. I strongly advise you not to use the same grinder for coffee as you would use for herbs.

The emerald green color of mint sugar is the perfect topping for Christmas cookies.

     As a basic measure use one cup of granulated sugar and one cup of fresh mint leaves. The sugar should definitely be visibly pale to light green when done. Let the mint sugar sit out uncovered for a couple of hours to dry out some before putting into a container to store. I use the mint sugar in fresh fruit salads, as a sprinkle on iced vanilla cupcakes and in my cup of tea. It is surprisingly great on grilled zucchini planks which are first coated in olive oil then coated with the minted sugar.

   But during the holiday season I particularly like to use the mint sugar as a sparkly dressing for my favorite shortbread or sugar cookies. Since the sugar has that green color to it, it is also particularly fitting for those Christmas tree shaped cut-out cookies. If you make those icing filled sandwich type cookies, the mint sugar is a great addition to that icing center and goes great with a chocolate cookie. For sugar cookies or shortbread, simply substitute the sugar in your favorite cookie recipe with your mint sugar, and when the cookies come out of your oven, sprinkle generously with more of the minted sugar while cookies are still warm and soft. If you ice your cookies, tuck in a tiny fresh mint leaf on top with a cinnamon red candy dot to adorn them with the look of holly.

     I'd love to hear your ideas for using mint in your kitchen - at Christmas or anytime of the year.

Buon Natale & Buon Appetito!

Gina Nardoianni

9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 12/31/11 New Year's Eve

Closed New Year's Day